Yes, undiagnosed celiac disease can cause amenorrhea, a condition also known as skipped or absent periods.
Technically, you have amenorrhea if you've missed three periods or more in a row (and you're not pregnant, of course). Women with celiac disease are far more likely than women without the condition to suffer from amenorrhea. In one large study, amenorrhea was reported in 19.4% of celiac women, compared to only 2.2% of other women.
Celiac disease also can cause delayed menarche, in which a young woman gets her first period late. Delayed menarche sometimes is referred to as "primary amenorrhea."
Some physicians recommend testing women with amenorrhea for celiac disease, especially if they have other celiac disease symptoms.
Fortunately, once women are diagnosed with celiac disease and adopt the gluten-free diet, most resume menstruating normally.
Source:
D. Martinelli, et al. Reproductive life disorders in Italian celiac women. A case-control study. BMC Gastroenterology. 2010 Aug 6;10:89.
