Hi. I am a 43 year old woman–post menopausal, with no current health insurance, trying to figure out the pain I am having in my body. I found this site, because I have been told in the past that I have lipomas in my body–and I wondered if anyone suffered pain from them. I have had numerous surgeries over the years, and thought I was suffering once more from adhesion pain, but this time it’s so different. I am hurting almost from head to toe–with it being the worst in my lower right groin area. I look malformed almost in my belly–and I have a lump on my ankle, back of my calf, and sometimes get some on my feet. I am a moody woman to say the least, but this pain has made me miserable. The pain right now has me close to suicidal because I have had no relief for at least three weeks now, and it’s getting progressingly worse daily. I haven’t moved much from the couch in days. I may have to go to the ER for treatment because of the lack of insurance, but if I could swing the money for a doctor (my husband is disabled and I lost my job/insurance when I needed gallbladder surgery since I didn’t have enough time in to qualify for FMLA) what type of doctor could diagnose this? Does it sound like the symptoms? Please, any help is appreciated.
You poor thing! Don’t despair…you can find help. Ask your primary care physician to help you with an antidepressant like amitriptiline and to refer you to a rheumatologist. If you search for Dercum’s Disease on the web you will find articles that you can print out to show your doctors. Also, read the web page of Dr. Karen Herbst as she is researching Dercum’s. Yes, the lipomas with Dercum’s are very painful. If you read the information on the web you will find more symptoms to examine. Maybe your body just needs a lot of rest right now. A lot of people with Dercum’s can’t sleep and others sleep 10 hours. Ice packs may provide some temporary relief. You need to get on some pain medicine. Some people go to an orthopedist or dernatologist or chiropractor but I think you have the best chance with a rheumatologist. People do care that you are in pain and the members of this site will give you emotional support. Hugs and Feel Better
That does sound like Dercum’s! Grandma Sylvia gave you very good advice. Dr Herbst’s website is lipomadoc.org I would also recommend you print information from that as well as her article, AD is more than painful fat, which I will try to attach here. If you don’t get it, let me know what your email address is and I’ll send it to you.
Also, before you spend money going to a doctor who may or may not know what DD (AD) is, it would be a good idea to call some doctors and ask if they are at all familiar with Dercum’s Disease. You can start with rheumatologists, and then move on to dermatologists, etc. The trick with the derm docs is to make sure they specialize in rare skin diseases, and not just cosmetic issues. This would give you a much better chance of getting a diagnosis without having to come up with that money over and over again. Hope this helps! We all know how you are feeling. Hang in there. You are probably in a flare, and thank goodness, flares don’t last forever. There are good days, even with DD.
Pamela
How long do flares last? Because if that is what it is, it is destroying me. I am frustrated, and miserable, and fighting with everyone because I am in so much pain. I can’t move off the couch for long–and I can’t be without the heating pad for long, even though that doesn’t provide much comfort the past few days either. I look like hell, feel like hell, and want to sleep all the time, but only get a little at a time because of the pain. My family just doesn’t understand–they can’t see it, so they don’t understand it. It’s very upsetting. I am feeling like I want to give up–give in to the pain. It’s so depressing.
hi aliciasnanny
geordielass here. Please, Please do get help, you really need to get some antidepressants. I am on Prozac, I am 40 and no where near my menapaus…sorry spelling. I have had lipoma for 20 yrs I put my pain down to my weight as i am obese. I finally went to my GP after 3 months of pain. I found out through my own research about Dercums Disease, as many on here have. I as most pple educated my GP about DD. I was just like you…YOU ARE NOT ALONE…we all go through the flare ups. I couldnt get off the couch during the day, I even had to take painkillers before i got out of bed in a morning. Some days i stayed in bed as long as i possibly could, it was hard. Get your family to read up on Dercums Disease so they understand. There is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, You wont always be in this much pain. It will subside. How long for I dont know, we are all different. At this moment in time i can live my life to the full, yes the lumps hurt when i press on them. I avoid that. the prozac has kicked in I am not as stressed as i was. I was in a dark period feeling i had no hope, just as you feel now. I want to share with you this I am great, I have my family for support. I look forward to waking up in the mornings: yes i still take pain meds but not as many as i was taking. Please dont give up. You will get there. We all have.
Take Care
Geordielass
Aliciasnanny,
Geordielass gave you the best advise possible. Please get some help for the depression and see if you can get the doctor to give you something for pain while you are at it. You would be amazed what a difference an antidepressant makes in your ability to cope with this disease. We are all different. Some flares last a week, others longer, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. If heat isn’t helping much, try ice packs. They work better for me on my trunk, while heat usually works better for my arms and legs. If the area is hot to the touch, ice usually works better. Don’t give up. It will get better.
Pamela
Please don’t give up. I know how depressing and painful this disease is. I know the anger, frustration we all do we all have been there. Which is one of reasons I joined this group to have people to comunicate with that truely understand my pain. We are here for you, I know its not the same as being right there with you to talk you through each moment, but know that our prayers are with you and we have an amazing group of people who really care for each other. And we care about you we need each other in bad times and we share our good days too.
Take care of yourself and please get help there has to be someone you can talk to. I know that for me encouraging others that get down always helps me because I know that is one of the reasons I am here. No matter I bad I feel or how bad I think I have it, so many people are in a much worse place than me. I am very blessed.
God Bless,
Brennie
I started haviing problems at 43 too…I am now 51 and have DD…but it took a few years and alot of different treatments for the symptoms I was having before I found out what I had.I had 4 lipomas removed at 43 and should have done more research then but I was told that they were nothing to worry about…Not so as I found out…I have been where you are …My depression and fatigue helped me right into Type 2 diabeties as well as high blood pressure…Now I understand whats happening and this site has given me some answers…Dr Herbst will answer emails too…She is great about answering questions…I had so many and still have some…She provided me and the sites on the web privided me wuth enough info to take to my PCP who was open minded enough to read what I brought him…Just remember you are not alone and this sote has some loving,supportive people and take the info to your Dr …get him to read it…Im praying for you