Sunday, November 9, 2014

Dercum's Disease Symptoms

 As listed in the FDRS brochure:

Painful Fat: Multiple, painful fatty deposits or lipomas, that vary in size and shape, lasting
three months or longer. Fat deposits are soft or firm, diffuse or nodular. Size varies
from rice, or pea-sized to large fatty folds. Inflammatory cytokines have been found to be
elevated in the painful fat.

Fatigue: Severe fatigue that impairs daily living and can be worsened by activities and
exercise.

Additional Symptoms

Cardiac: Rapid heartbeat; (tachycardia), palpitations (feeling your heart beat).

Cognitive Changes:
Difficulties with memory, finding words, forming thoughts; “brain fog.”

Gastrointestinal: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (heartburn); irritable bowel symptoms,
constipation and/or diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, and feeling full.

Lymphatic involvement: Swellings in fat; may change in size and are non-pitting; (do
not indent when pressed).

Other Pain: Joint and/or muscle pain and/or stiffness.

Respiratory: Shortness of breath (dyspnea).

Vascular (blood vessel) involvement: Increased vasculature near lipomas;
telangiectasias (small dilated blood vessel near the surface of the skin); cherry angiomas
(round broken capillary on the skin); easy bruising; flushing; blood in the urine, heavy or
prolonged menstrual bleeding; nosebleeds.

Weight gain: May occur at onset; difficult to lose with lifestyle change