Fat balls/marbles under skin after weight loss

124

Replies

  • jk1508
    jk1508 Posts: 15 Member
    I see lipomas regularly and work in health care. Yes you can be covered in them. They are simply lumps of adipose tissue. There is no known cause however research is indicating there may be genetic predisposition and people who develop one or two are statistically more likely to keep developing them. They are painless, unless they are in a sensitive area such as the armpit.
  • mch2829
    mch2829 Posts: 70 Member
    mch2829 wrote: »
    I'm not saying you are lying. I have those little lumps too. I just don't think everyone who has them has benign lipoma. There has to be another explanation for what they are. I'm going with baby fat pockets/sacks/lumps.

    Abnormal lumps of fat are usually lipomas though. And I know that's what mine were because the surgeon said so and the lab that analyzed them afterwards said they were lipomas.

    Maybe not everyone here has lipomas. They could have a cyst or swollen lymph node or infected hair follicle. But if it's not painful, it's most likely a lipoma. Sometimes they're painful if they're in a tighter spot and are pressing against nerves (like mine were on my side), but that's not too common.

    Ok. I think When i hear lipoma's etc I think of cancerous lumps. That's maybe what I need to get my head around... :smile:

    Yeah lipomas are benign, they're not a big deal. If it was malignant then it'd be a liposarcoma. Liposarcomas are very rare and they can get very large if not treated. They also respond well to surgery and radiation, so they're one of the less severe types of cancer.
  • laropmet
    laropmet Posts: 52 Member
    so glad i found this thread. I found my first one yesterday and freaked right out. It was in my apron fold and my first thought was "oh no my weight loss has given me cancer" Then i got a grip! I didn't google it but I'm glad i now know what it is.
  • satisatisati
    satisatisati Posts: 260 Member
    That was the reason I started to loose my body fat. There have been all over my body. On my tummy, lower tummy, both arms. So i can say there are around 6 such hard spots in my body. I did consult couple of doctors and they said there is nothing you can do about them. you have to live with them all throughout your life. If any of these causes any major issues. It can be removed surgically.
  • satisatisati
    satisatisati Posts: 260 Member
    fairy2b wrote: »
    Hey Guys!

    I've lost about 60 lbs and am now in the top "healthy" BMI range. I have noticed what feel like "fat balls" or marbles underneath my skin. They are ALL over my body, and they don't hurt or change size. I'm fairly certain they are not cysts after talking with a few health care professionals.

    They are most noticeable up and down my abdomen and stomach, and I can feel their definition most in that area, although I have felt them in my arm tissue and leg tissue (more so in areas that still have fatty tissue.)

    I have done tons of research on this, and haven't found any scientific data explaining this phenomenon or article pertaining to this, although I found one forum where some people experience the same thing.

    One of the theories I read suggests that since we can never alter how many fat cells we have, what we can alter is their size. When we are overweight, these fat cells smooth out together but when you start losing weight, the fat cells shrink and therefore become more "noticeable" underneath the skin. (If I press and pull my skin tight in the areas I can see the small round deposit...SO WEIRD!!!)

    Another forum suggested this happens right before a "fat flush" and your body is getting ready to burn these deposits... (but that sounds more like wishful thinking horse *kitten* to me)....

    Has anyone else experienced this with their weight loss or read any studies on this? I'm curious if you think this theory is true and what your experience has been.

    Hi. I have the exact similar problem that you have. I went through your post. But there seems to be lots conflicting suggestions. If you have found out your answer. Please suggest me as well.
  • mch2829
    mch2829 Posts: 70 Member
    That was the reason I started to loose my body fat. There have been all over my body. On my tummy, lower tummy, both arms. So i can say there are around 6 such hard spots in my body. I did consult couple of doctors and they said there is nothing you can do about them. you have to live with them all throughout your life. If any of these causes any major issues. It can be removed surgically.

    If you develop a lot of them, you'll likely continue to get them even if you have them removed surgically. Multiple lipomas are caused by genetics. If you only develop one or two, they're not very likely to recur after removal.

    Your doctor can easily remove them, but insurance won't cover it unless you tell them it's hurting you. But in your case, since you've developed multiple lipomas, you'd end up needing them removed regularly because they will recur.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    mch2829 wrote: »
    I'm not saying you are lying. I have those little lumps too. I just don't think everyone who has them has benign lipoma. There has to be another explanation for what they are. I'm going with baby fat pockets/sacks/lumps.

    Abnormal lumps of fat are usually lipomas though. And I know that's what mine were because the surgeon said so and the lab that analyzed them afterwards said they were lipomas.

    Maybe not everyone here has lipomas. They could have a cyst or swollen lymph node or infected hair follicle. But if it's not painful, it's most likely a lipoma. Sometimes they're painful if they're in a tighter spot and are pressing against nerves (like mine were on my side), but that's not too common.

    Ok. I think When i hear lipoma's etc I think of cancerous lumps. That's maybe what I need to get my head around... :smile:

    Lipoma just means "fat growth" not cancer. It's a generic term.
    If you have an abnormal ball of fat then yes, it's a lipoma. It's simply the word to describe that.
    Is it bad? Usually not.

    There are literally dozens of different types of lipomas - some are unique, some cover larger tissues, some tend to be localized around the neck and joints. If they seem to demonstrate growth, if they are painful or red, see a doc.

    And they sometimes auto resolve but usually larger palpable masses remain.

    Their prevalence is high, about 1-2% of people get them - particularly during weight loss.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    After reading this thread, I checked myself. The only "fat lumps" I have are on my feet, inside along the upper arch. I've had them since forever, so not weight related.
  • kikichewie
    kikichewie Posts: 276 Member
    mch2829 wrote: »
    I'm not saying you are lying. I have those little lumps too. I just don't think everyone who has them has benign lipoma. There has to be another explanation for what they are. I'm going with baby fat pockets/sacks/lumps.

    Abnormal lumps of fat are usually lipomas though. And I know that's what mine were because the surgeon said so and the lab that analyzed them afterwards said they were lipomas.

    Maybe not everyone here has lipomas. They could have a cyst or swollen lymph node or infected hair follicle. But if it's not painful, it's most likely a lipoma. Sometimes they're painful if they're in a tighter spot and are pressing against nerves (like mine were on my side), but that's not too common.

    Argh. If you call them "benign fatty tumors," the people on this thread say yes! That's what it sounds like. If you say lipoma, the medical name for benign fatty tumors, they get all upset. I don't quite know why. Fat pockets, lumps, sacks.... Yes, lipomas. It's just the medical name for a lump of fat. It shows up as a lump bc it's encapsulated. So it's called a tumor. Just another medical term for a blob. A benign tumor of fat. Lipoma. Lump of fat. Lipoma. Little fat blob. Lipoma. Lots and lots of really small bumps? Maybe cellulite and not lipomas. A different kind of fat distribution, nothing more.....
  • fairy2b
    fairy2b Posts: 126 Member
    Thanks guys I appreciate the medical background effort but no. I'm not convinced they are lipomas. More like cellulite type fat tissue, which would also explain why it's in all of my tissue. The whooshy fat article was the closest explanation I got.
  • mwebster01
    mwebster01 Posts: 111 Member
    go c a doctor about it.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    geotrice wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    geotrice wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    fairy2b wrote: »
    WOAH!! YES!! THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I IMAGINE THEM AND WHAT THEY FEEL LIKE!!!! ce9t46cmsuye.jpg

    I thought that was some kind of bean dish at first. EW.

    Nope. Those are egg sacks. The toads burst out of and also between the sacks as their being birthed. It's horrifying to watch. The YouTube video when you google the frog shows it happening. Absolutely traumatized me as a kid. I still get hives when i see this frog.

    That sounds AWFUL. Barf. I can see why you were traumatized. Nature is horrible.

    (I don't know why the trauma had to be spread to us, though, to be honest.)

    lol because I couldn't find any images representing the descriptions provided on Google Image. That's all. Sorry for the gross out.

    Oh, I could....

    2hHSl8h.gif


    I'm going to burn in hell, aren't I?

    Personally, I think this is fascinating.

  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    mch2829 wrote: »
    I really don't think everyone on this thread has lipomas....

    Why would someone lie about it? They're not uncommon, especially among people who are overweight or obese. I had 2 of them removed last year while I was having a different surgery. Here's the tiny scar from where the surgeon removed them. (it's smaller than it appears in the pic. I had to take a close-up. The lighter lines around it are stretch marks.)

    vtC49O2.jpg

    No, we believe that you had lipomas. We don't believe that we all have hundreds of them under our skin. My husband had surgery to remove two as well. Major abdominal surgery, in fact since his were large. They were quite different to what is being discussed.

  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    jk1508 wrote: »
    I see lipomas regularly and work in health care. Yes you can be covered in them. They are simply lumps of adipose tissue. There is no known cause however research is indicating there may be genetic predisposition and people who develop one or two are statistically more likely to keep developing them. They are painless, unless they are in a sensitive area such as the armpit.

    Well, I think the difference here, or the problem here is that ... at least to me, a lipoma implies something that GREW... a fatty growth.

    What we're talking about are artifacts left after fat loss, or a weird distribution of fat tissue. It's not a new growth, just an odd distribution of previously existing ... stuff.

    See the difference?

  • Unknown
    edited May 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • jmichaelminton
    jmichaelminton Posts: 47 Member
    I have a few of these (at least what I think we're talking about here). I always figured they were forming because the fat loss isn't necessarily even.
  • jmichaelminton
    jmichaelminton Posts: 47 Member
    I have a few of these (at least what I think we're talking about here). I always figured they were forming because the fat loss isn't necessarily even.
  • jmichaelminton
    jmichaelminton Posts: 47 Member
    edited May 2015
    -Duplicate post-
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,985 Member
    Might be fibrosis (the forming of connective tissue) that "could be a response to signals emerging from dysfunctional or dying adipocytes."
    See e.g., http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2963540/

    Medicine is NOT my field, however, and this is simply a wild guess.

    Hmm.. no idea. In my case I can feel them on my upper arm and upper thigh, but nowhere else as far as I'm aware. On my deloids I can easily feel all the different muscles fibres, but the biceps and triceps have them and hence I cannot feel the muscle fibres. Likewise, the big thigh muscles are packed tightly with them, but not my *kitten* and neither the muscles sideways right above the knee. They do feel like hard jelly, but are not really round but rather lentil-shaped.. well.. or like pearls packed tightly together. Almost makes me think of those stupid vibrators with rotating pearls from a few years back to be honest :D
  • greeniedgirl
    greeniedgirl Posts: 10 Member
    I have multiple lipomas in my abdomen and some on my upper back where my bra strap is. I have seen multiple doctors, have had CT scans and MRI's and none of this imaging has proven to be helpful. There are many different forms of lipomas, mine hurt - DAILY! I stay in chronic pain in my abdomen and there are times when it's difficult to get through the day with a bra on due to the ones in my back. A year ago I opted to pay out of pocket for liposuction in my abdomen, hoping it would decrease my pain. The doctor stated he took out a liter of fat from my abdomen and he said there were tons (his words) of small lipomas in there. Three days after my surgery I started my period, which was way too soon. For the next 7 months I had 2 periods a month, I was literally in a hormonal nightmare. After much research and speaking with a holistic doctor he informed me that lipomas are fat and estrogen filled and it appeared that the surgery I opted to have spilled old estrogen into my system and it was having a hell of a time getting it out. Before I opted to have liposuction on my own, I had been told, after seeing the results of my CT scans and MRI's, I needed to consult with a therapist. I was pretty devastated because I am not a pill taker, nor a sympathy seeker. I wanted help and answers to why I hurt all day long. A few months ago a co-worker suggested I go see a chiropractor, at this point I am willing to try anything. He didn't know anything about them either but I let him x-ray me anyways. I was blown away when I saw the x-rays. They are not the clearest and definitely didn't capture all of them (I can palpate many-many more in my abdomen) but I finally felt justified!!. I have lipomas all the way down my sides, my pelvis, and my abdomen (we didn't x-ray my back). I will never have liposuction again, but I am interested in another consultation with a surgeon, and will suggest using x-ray imaging, to see if we can come up with an action plan to remove these. One thing I will state is that when I decrease or eliminate the use of gluten, soy, sugar and most dairy - the pain is minimal and I don't feel as swollen. I feel for anyone going through these, especially if they are painful. I know what it feels like to be told you're imagining things, pain, lumps, etc. Keep fighting for yourself, there will always be a skeptic, but thanks to those people it makes us push harder.

    wz28dveu9eci.jpg
    vm5pkf72d7l2.jpg
  • JillianRN527
    JillianRN527 Posts: 109 Member
    Get a massage! It helps with lymphatic drainage!
  • jnv7594
    jnv7594 Posts: 983 Member
    edited May 2015
    Are they lipomas? I have a gigantic one in my lower back (MUCH bigger than a marble).

    ^ This. They are likely lipomas, which are benign fatty tumors. I have a huge one on my back near my shoulder blade. Most people don't notice it unless I tell them it's there, but I can see it and feel it. I about crapped when I first found it as I thought it was cancer, but so relieved it is benign. I have smaller ones too all over, and a medium sized one on my leg.
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
    I have multiple lipomas in my abdomen and some on my upper back where my bra strap is. I have seen multiple doctors, have had CT scans and MRI's and none of this imaging has proven to be helpful. There are many different forms of lipomas, mine hurt - DAILY! I stay in chronic pain in my abdomen and there are times when it's difficult to get through the day with a bra on due to the ones in my back. A year ago I opted to pay out of pocket for liposuction in my abdomen, hoping it would decrease my pain. The doctor stated he took out a liter of fat from my abdomen and he said there were tons (his words) of small lipomas in there. Three days after my surgery I started my period, which was way too soon. For the next 7 months I had 2 periods a month, I was literally in a hormonal nightmare. After much research and speaking with a holistic doctor he informed me that lipomas are fat and estrogen filled and it appeared that the surgery I opted to have spilled old estrogen into my system and it was having a hell of a time getting it out. Before I opted to have liposuction on my own, I had been told, after seeing the results of my CT scans and MRI's, I needed to consult with a therapist. I was pretty devastated because I am not a pill taker, nor a sympathy seeker. I wanted help and answers to why I hurt all day long. A few months ago a co-worker suggested I go see a chiropractor, at this point I am willing to try anything. He didn't know anything about them either but I let him x-ray me anyways. I was blown away when I saw the x-rays. They are not the clearest and definitely didn't capture all of them (I can palpate many-many more in my abdomen) but I finally felt justified!!. I have lipomas all the way down my sides, my pelvis, and my abdomen (we didn't x-ray my back). I will never have liposuction again, but I am interested in another consultation with a surgeon, and will suggest using x-ray imaging, to see if we can come up with an action plan to remove these. One thing I will state is that when I decrease or eliminate the use of gluten, soy, sugar and most dairy - the pain is minimal and I don't feel as swollen. I feel for anyone going through these, especially if they are painful. I know what it feels like to be told you're imagining things, pain, lumps, etc. Keep fighting for yourself, there will always be a skeptic, but thanks to those people it makes us push harder.

    wz28dveu9eci.jpg
    vm5pkf72d7l2.jpg

    Look, someone has to tell it to you like it is.

    First, liposuction isn't used to remove lipomas. You paid for a body sculpting procedure but if your goal was to remove lipomas, you bought the wrong thing. Lipomas are removed with open surgery, just like taking out a breast lump. You can certainly have lipomas removed if they're painful (such as the ones under your bra strap) but no real surgeon is going to remove "tons" of benign, symptomless masses for you. Surgery has risk, which in this case would outweigh the benefits.

    Second, your X-Rays showing "lipomas" are bunk. Those dark spots are gas bubbles in your colon, specifically the ascending colon in the blown up second image. This is a normal X-ray. Given that lipomas are fat, and fat covers every single inch of your body, you should not be surprised when I tell you that fat is not visible on an X-Ray; if it were visible on X-Rays, then X-Ray would be a useless test because all you'd ever see is fat covering everything else.

    Third, and on the subject of your X-Rays, you should really stop seeking treatment for this. Your description suggests that you've seen multiple physicians multiple times for the same problem resulting in multiple CT scans, MRIs, and X-Rays. The MRI is pretty safe (we think), but those CTs and plain films have radiation doses which are proven to contribute to cancers such as thyroid and breast cancer, as well as lymphoma. The more you ask for imaging, the more radiation you'll be exposed to, the greater your cumulative risk.

    Finally, lipomas don't cause abdominal pain, which is among your complaints. You may have abdominal pain and lipomas, but you certainly don't have abdominal pain because of lipomas. If all of your battery of testing has been negative, then the diagnoses of exclusion are things like fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, or somatization disorders. The treatment for many of these things includes therapy, which you've declined.

    I am a doctor, but I am not your doctor. Please consider this advice however before seeking more care for the wrong problem.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,985 Member
    Zedeff wrote: »
    I have multiple lipomas in my abdomen and some on my upper back where my bra strap is. I have seen multiple doctors, have had CT scans and MRI's and none of this imaging has proven to be helpful. There are many different forms of lipomas, mine hurt - DAILY! I stay in chronic pain in my abdomen and there are times when it's difficult to get through the day with a bra on due to the ones in my back. A year ago I opted to pay out of pocket for liposuction in my abdomen, hoping it would decrease my pain. The doctor stated he took out a liter of fat from my abdomen and he said there were tons (his words) of small lipomas in there. Three days after my surgery I started my period, which was way too soon. For the next 7 months I had 2 periods a month, I was literally in a hormonal nightmare. After much research and speaking with a holistic doctor he informed me that lipomas are fat and estrogen filled and it appeared that the surgery I opted to have spilled old estrogen into my system and it was having a hell of a time getting it out. Before I opted to have liposuction on my own, I had been told, after seeing the results of my CT scans and MRI's, I needed to consult with a therapist. I was pretty devastated because I am not a pill taker, nor a sympathy seeker. I wanted help and answers to why I hurt all day long. A few months ago a co-worker suggested I go see a chiropractor, at this point I am willing to try anything. He didn't know anything about them either but I let him x-ray me anyways. I was blown away when I saw the x-rays. They are not the clearest and definitely didn't capture all of them (I can palpate many-many more in my abdomen) but I finally felt justified!!. I have lipomas all the way down my sides, my pelvis, and my abdomen (we didn't x-ray my back). I will never have liposuction again, but I am interested in another consultation with a surgeon, and will suggest using x-ray imaging, to see if we can come up with an action plan to remove these. One thing I will state is that when I decrease or eliminate the use of gluten, soy, sugar and most dairy - the pain is minimal and I don't feel as swollen. I feel for anyone going through these, especially if they are painful. I know what it feels like to be told you're imagining things, pain, lumps, etc. Keep fighting for yourself, there will always be a skeptic, but thanks to those people it makes us push harder.

    wz28dveu9eci.jpg
    vm5pkf72d7l2.jpg

    Look, someone has to tell it to you like it is.

    First, liposuction isn't used to remove lipomas. You paid for a body sculpting procedure but if your goal was to remove lipomas, you bought the wrong thing. Lipomas are removed with open surgery, just like taking out a breast lump. You can certainly have lipomas removed if they're painful (such as the ones under your bra strap) but no real surgeon is going to remove "tons" of benign, symptomless masses for you. Surgery has risk, which in this case would outweigh the benefits.

    Second, your X-Rays showing "lipomas" are bunk. Those dark spots are gas bubbles in your colon, specifically the ascending colon in the blown up second image. This is a normal X-ray. Given that lipomas are fat, and fat covers every single inch of your body, you should not be surprised when I tell you that fat is not visible on an X-Ray; if it were visible on X-Rays, then X-Ray would be a useless test because all you'd ever see is fat covering everything else.

    Third, and on the subject of your X-Rays, you should really stop seeking treatment for this. Your description suggests that you've seen multiple physicians multiple times for the same problem resulting in multiple CT scans, MRIs, and X-Rays. The MRI is pretty safe (we think), but those CTs and plain films have radiation doses which are proven to contribute to cancers such as thyroid and breast cancer, as well as lymphoma. The more you ask for imaging, the more radiation you'll be exposed to, the greater your cumulative risk.

    Finally, lipomas don't cause abdominal pain, which is among your complaints. You may have abdominal pain and lipomas, but you certainly don't have abdominal pain because of lipomas. If all of your battery of testing has been negative, then the diagnoses of exclusion are things like fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, or somatization disorders. The treatment for many of these things includes therapy, which you've declined.

    I am a doctor, but I am not your doctor. Please consider this advice however before seeking more care for the wrong problem.

    Thanks a lot. I could not have worded it so well.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited May 2015
    I'm not a doctor at all but if you have crazy periods like that and abdominal pain, maybe you should see a gynecologist. (unrelated to lipomas etc)
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Zedeff wrote: »
    I have multiple lipomas in my abdomen and some on my upper back where my bra strap is. I have seen multiple doctors, have had CT scans and MRI's and none of this imaging has proven to be helpful. There are many different forms of lipomas, mine hurt - DAILY! I stay in chronic pain in my abdomen and there are times when it's difficult to get through the day with a bra on due to the ones in my back. A year ago I opted to pay out of pocket for liposuction in my abdomen, hoping it would decrease my pain. The doctor stated he took out a liter of fat from my abdomen and he said there were tons (his words) of small lipomas in there. Three days after my surgery I started my period, which was way too soon. For the next 7 months I had 2 periods a month, I was literally in a hormonal nightmare. After much research and speaking with a holistic doctor he informed me that lipomas are fat and estrogen filled and it appeared that the surgery I opted to have spilled old estrogen into my system and it was having a hell of a time getting it out. Before I opted to have liposuction on my own, I had been told, after seeing the results of my CT scans and MRI's, I needed to consult with a therapist. I was pretty devastated because I am not a pill taker, nor a sympathy seeker. I wanted help and answers to why I hurt all day long. A few months ago a co-worker suggested I go see a chiropractor, at this point I am willing to try anything. He didn't know anything about them either but I let him x-ray me anyways. I was blown away when I saw the x-rays. They are not the clearest and definitely didn't capture all of them (I can palpate many-many more in my abdomen) but I finally felt justified!!. I have lipomas all the way down my sides, my pelvis, and my abdomen (we didn't x-ray my back). I will never have liposuction again, but I am interested in another consultation with a surgeon, and will suggest using x-ray imaging, to see if we can come up with an action plan to remove these. One thing I will state is that when I decrease or eliminate the use of gluten, soy, sugar and most dairy - the pain is minimal and I don't feel as swollen. I feel for anyone going through these, especially if they are painful. I know what it feels like to be told you're imagining things, pain, lumps, etc. Keep fighting for yourself, there will always be a skeptic, but thanks to those people it makes us push harder.

    wz28dveu9eci.jpg
    vm5pkf72d7l2.jpg

    Look, someone has to tell it to you like it is.

    First, liposuction isn't used to remove lipomas. You paid for a body sculpting procedure but if your goal was to remove lipomas, you bought the wrong thing. Lipomas are removed with open surgery, just like taking out a breast lump. You can certainly have lipomas removed if they're painful (such as the ones under your bra strap) but no real surgeon is going to remove "tons" of benign, symptomless masses for you. Surgery has risk, which in this case would outweigh the benefits.

    Second, your X-Rays showing "lipomas" are bunk. Those dark spots are gas bubbles in your colon, specifically the ascending colon in the blown up second image. This is a normal X-ray. Given that lipomas are fat, and fat covers every single inch of your body, you should not be surprised when I tell you that fat is not visible on an X-Ray; if it were visible on X-Rays, then X-Ray would be a useless test because all you'd ever see is fat covering everything else.

    Third, and on the subject of your X-Rays, you should really stop seeking treatment for this. Your description suggests that you've seen multiple physicians multiple times for the same problem resulting in multiple CT scans, MRIs, and X-Rays. The MRI is pretty safe (we think), but those CTs and plain films have radiation doses which are proven to contribute to cancers such as thyroid and breast cancer, as well as lymphoma. The more you ask for imaging, the more radiation you'll be exposed to, the greater your cumulative risk.

    Finally, lipomas don't cause abdominal pain, which is among your complaints. You may have abdominal pain and lipomas, but you certainly don't have abdominal pain because of lipomas. If all of your battery of testing has been negative, then the diagnoses of exclusion are things like fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, or somatization disorders. The treatment for many of these things includes therapy, which you've declined.

    I am a doctor, but I am not your doctor. Please consider this advice however before seeking more care for the wrong problem.

    This was a kind thing to do (not sarcastic).
  • greeniedgirl
    greeniedgirl Posts: 10 Member
    I would like to address some of the things in your reply to me:

    1. I have had several lipomas removed surgically. I researched this for quite some time and found that some treatments for lipomas involved liposuction. The contents of my liposuction were tested and positive for lipomas. As I stated in my first post, the doctor said there were literally tons of them in my abdomen. The decision to do this surgery was not made lightly. It took me 2 years to finally decide to give it a try. I will never do that again. I do not know why mine have not shown up on the MRI or CT scan. All I can say is I have had 15 surgically removed ranging from the size of a quarter to the inside of the palm of my hand. All biopsied, all lipomas.

    2. Your comment on lipomas not causing pain is just wrong. They can press on nerves, there are also several conditions surrounding lipomas especially the painful ones. It would really be nice if more doctors educated themselves about this. The pain I have is sometimes unbearable, and yes it comes and goes. I am usually at a 4 all day long and then there are times when my entire abdomen, sides and back sit at an 8 for hours at a time or the pain rotates. Pain medication does not help, and to reiterate, I am not a pill taker anyways. I’ve had 6 surgeries through my abdomen over the course of my 40 years. One when I was 18 months old to re-route my ureters, one when I was 17 to remove my cyst covered ovary and 4 C-sections (over the course of 13 years). It has been suggested that these lipomas could be the cause of so many surgeries through my abdomen. Again, no one knows.

    3. The multiple doctors were 3 plastic surgeons I visited trying to find the most knowledgeable one. It was 2 of the plastic surgeons who suggested therapy. Thankfully I found one and he was willing to do a biopsy and we went from there. Either way, I took the advice of the other surgeons and decided to give therapy a try. I started with a traditional therapist and then moved into body talk therapy. I highly recommend this to everyone; it is amazing! I understand where your comment comes from, it’s a typical one. If in fact you are a doctor, I am sure you’ve seen many people who are just out there for the medications or sympathy (hypochondriac). If you knew me, you would know that I am a very stable, very strong woman. I just HATE how I hurt all the time, but I move forward anyway.

    4. I have had 2 MRI’s, 2 CT scans and 1 X-ray in the past 6 years. I already decided 2 months ago, after the x-rays I posted, to just halt everything for a while and work on my overall health. As far as the x-rays being pockets of gas, my doctor suggested this as well (I took my x-rays to him). So, yes, you are correct. With that said, we palpated these “pocket” areas and I have multiple masses in those locations. No, not all of them, but still. Again, yes, you are correct; the only way to remove them is another surgical procedure. So my doctor is having a radiologist review them (since these came from a chiropractor) without me having to go have more x-rays done. Currently, I am working on my overall wellbeing. As usual, I will take my time to digest where I need to go from here. I am grateful my doctor, who has been my PCP for over 10 years, takes the time to listen. He knows me well and everything I have done has been with his guidance.

    5. I appreciate the shock value in your message. Maybe next time you respond to someone’s post, maybe don’t respond to them like they are an idiot. I am very insightful and know that there is a link between the body and the brain. Still looking for my damn link in my abdomen though.. HA! Your message did prove a good point and helped me see the dangers in the multiple imaging. I have been so busy trying to figure out how to live pain free, again over the course of 6 years, I forgot that the things that are there to help you can also hinder you. I re-read my post and realized my explanations of things were brief. I can see how it looked to everyone. I had actually typed up a more in depth explanation of my background to post last time but my computer froze and I lost everything. Since I was working, I re-typed something as quick as I could. More so because I was frustrated when I read a members post and another member responded to them telling them that lipomas do not hurt. It was at least something that I thought would maybe be helpful and encouraging, especially to those who experience pain with these.

    I hope I have explained this in a manner that’s easier to understand. I really do appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post.
  • djdd1981
    djdd1981 Posts: 2 Member
    Hey everyone if you have lipomas that are causing you alot of grief, look into dercum's disease or adiposis dolorosa. Hope this helps
  • djdd1981
    djdd1981 Posts: 2 Member
    Especially if they only show up in ultrasounds and nothing else. Causes many horrible symptoms. Effects your immune system too. Theres many support groups. If your told you are crazy by doctors be happy to know you are far from crazy or alone. Wish all the best to you
  • UltimateMedu
    UltimateMedu Posts: 46 Member
    I've actually had these balls under my arms for a long time, but never thought of it. There's quite a bit bunched up under each arm. If I push into the fat in my arms, I can feel about 5-10 on my thumb (they're that tiny)
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