What does Dercums disease feel like?

Dercum's disease is characterized by pronounced pain in the adipose tissue. The pain is burning and searing. The pain can be severe, is chronic (> 3 months) and is disabling. It is believed that pain is always associated with smaller or bigger subcutaneous adipose lumps.

How do I know if I have Dercums disease?

What are the symptoms of Dercum disease? This syndrome consists of four cardinal symptoms: (1) multiple, painful, fatty masses; (2) generalized obesity, usually in menopausal age; (3) weakness and fatigability; and (4) mental disturbances, including emotional instability, depression, epilepsy, confusion and dementia.

Does Dercums disease make you fat?

Definition and clinical description. The main symptoms of Dercum's disease, according to the early reports, are obesity and painful adipose tissue [6]. The most common locations for painful fat and for lipomas are the extremities, the trunk, the pelvic area, and the buttocks (Figure 1).

Is Dercums an autoimmune disease?

The reasons aren't clear yet. Some experts think Dercum's may come from a mutated fat gene that's passed down in families. Others believe it's an autoimmune disorder. That means your body's immune system is attacking healthy tissues.

Does Dercums disease qualify for disability?

This is about a Social Security Disability claim. If you are suffering from Dercum disease, you know that there is no standard criteria for diagnosing the disease. Your treating physician may begin by ruling out other diseases, like fibromyalgia or lipedema.

What Dercums Disease Does To The Body / April 4th Dercums Disease Awareness Day

Is Dercum's disease life threatening?

According to a review in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases , Dercum's disease is anywhere from 5 to 30 times more common in women. This wide range is an indication that Dercum's disease isn't well understood. Despite this lack of knowledge, there's no evidence that Dercum's disease affects life expectancy.

What autoimmune disease causes lumps under the skin?

Rheumatoid nodules are firm lumps that develop under the skin. They are fairly unique to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and usually occur near the affected joints. RA is a long-term progressive autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and pain in and around a person's joints.

How painful is Dercums disease?

Dercum's disease is characterized by pronounced pain in the adipose tissue. The pain is burning and searing. The pain can be severe, is chronic (> 3 months) and is disabling. It is believed that pain is always associated with smaller or bigger subcutaneous adipose lumps.

Does Dercums disease hurt?

Pain associated with Dercum's disease can often be severe. Pain may be caused by lipomas pressing on nearby nerves or inflamed connective tissue, also called fascia, which is commonly associated with the lipomas. Dercum's disease mainly occurs in adults and more women are affected than men.

Do lipomas make you tired?

The lipomas may occur anywhere on the body and can cause severe pain. Other symptoms may include weakness, fatigue, and memory disturbances. It usually occurs in adults, and women are more commonly affected than men.

How rare is dercum disease?

DD is thought to be rare. A rare disease as defined by the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 means that less than 200,000 people have the disease.

What can be mistaken for lipoma?

Lipomas can be confused with malignant (cancerous) tumours, called liposarcomas. Your doctor may feel it is best to remove it or take a biopsy so that they can be certain it is a lipoma. They will also make a referral to a specialist.

Does fibromyalgia cause knots under skin?

Lumps under the skin in a person with fibromyalgia may be a sign of an extremely rare condition called Dercum's disease. The right diagnosis can help you get treatment and symptom relief.

What is the difference between Lipedema and Dercums disease?

Unlike lipedema, Dercum's disease can cause patients to experience swelling in their hands or feet. Swelling and inflammation due to Dercum's syndrome may occur for no apparent reason, and unlike with lipedema, may disappear without treatment.

Why is my lipoma so painful?

Most lipomas are symptomless, but some are painful when applying pressure. A lipoma that is tender or painful is usually an angiolipoma. This means the lipoma has an increased number of small blood vessels. Painful lipomas are also a feature of adiposis dolorosa or Dercum disease.

Why does under my skin feel lumpy?

Infections, clogged glands, and hormonal changes can all cause noncancerous lumps under the skin. People should not try to remove or pop a lump. Doing this may lead to an infection or cause the lump to get bigger. People should speak with a doctor if they have any concerns about a new or altered lump under their skin.

Why is my immune system attacking my skin?

On a basic level, autoimmune disease occurs because the body's natural defenses — the immune system — attack the body's own healthy tissue. Researchers have several ideas about why this happens. When the body senses danger from a virus or infection, the immune system kicks into gear and attacks it.

What autoimmune disease causes painful lymph nodes?

How do you treat dercum disease?

No specific treatment exists for this disease,² but several approaches directed to pain symptoms have been reported.

What are the 18 tender points for fibromyalgia?

What is the 18 point test for fibromyalgia?

In the past, one way that doctors tried to narrow down a diagnosis of fibromyalgia was by exerting pressure on 18 small spots located throughout the body to elicit the sensations of tenderness and pain. These spots are known as tender points.

What does tight fascia feel like?

Symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome include: Pain that's described as deep aching, throbbing, tight, stiff or vice-like. Trigger points (a small bump, nodule or knot in the muscle that causes pain when touched and sometimes when it's not touched). Muscles that are tender or sore.

What does a sarcoma lump feel like?

Symptoms of soft tissue sarcomas

For example: swelling under the skin may cause a painless lump that cannot easily be moved around and gets bigger over time. swelling in the tummy (abdomen) may cause abdominal pain, a persistent feeling of fullness and constipation.

Can lipoma turn to sarcoma?

What is liposarcoma? Liposarcoma is a rare type of cancer that develops in fat cells in the soft tissues of the body. It's also referred to as a lipomatous tumor or soft tissue sarcoma. There are more than 50 types of soft tissue sarcomas, but liposarcoma is the most common .