Dercum's disease is a rare illness in which lumps of abnormal fat tissue form in various areas of the body and create excruciating attacks of pain. The exact frequency of Dercum's disease in the United States is unknown, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders. The illness is important because its symptoms can be confused with the weight gain caused by normal obesity, delaying necessary medical treatment and leading to years of suffering. As of the date of publication, no diet is approved for those with Dercum's disease, but researchers and patients are sharing experiences with various foods, and diet ideas are emerging from these discussions.
Primary Symptom
Dercum's disease was discovered by pioneering American neurologist Francis Xavier Dercum in 1892. The primary symptom of the disease is the slow development of many painful fatty tissue growths, known as lipomas, accompanied by noticeable weight gain. The lipomas are found just beneath the surface of the skin. Unlike normal fat tissue, these lipomas cause pain, ranging from mild pain when touched or pressed to hours of sporadic or constant pain. Researchers currently believe that the pain is caused by the fatty tissue growths pressing on nerves. Other names for the disease include adiposis dolorosa and fatty tissue rheumatism.
Other Symptoms
Dercum's disease patients may also experience sporadic swelling, especially in their hands; easy bruising; fatigue; headaches; irritability; stiffness after resting; depression; memory or concentration problems; and a tendency to get infections. The cause of the disease is unknown. It is hereditary in some families, passing from parent to child, but it appears unexpectedly in other families. Dercum's disease patients are often misdiagnosed for years, according to the Dercum Society. Patients report that doctors viewing this array of symptoms often treat patients for normal obesity, recommending diets and exercise regimens that are only partially effective.
Treatments
Dercum's disease treatments include weight reduction, surgery for the most painful lipomas, pain medications and liposuction, but no cure exists. Researchers are exploring many other options, including treatment with methotrexate, a cancer chemotherapy drug, and placing patients in altitude simulators to change the air pressure around their bodies. Despite the fact that Dercum's disease is not caused by overeating, diet is important, because excess weight composed of normal fat tissue simply adds to the medical problems of patients with the disease.
First Recommended Diet
Patients have formed the Dercum Society and online patient support groups to exchange information and provide emotional support. The first complete diet to emerge from these groups is called the rare adipose disorders, or RAD, diet, which was created by Tina Tranfaglia, president of the Fat Disorders Research Society. The diet does not appear to have been scientifically tested on a group of patients with Dercum's disease. It is based on the theory that those with the disease should avoid foods that might increase the amount of normal fat tissue, as well as foods thought to increase inflammation or lead to cardiovascular disease.
RAD Diet
Tranfaglia recommends following a diet high in chicken, fish, beans, whole grains such as brown rice, fruits, and vegetables such as sweet potatoes. Tranfaglia suggests that patients limit their consumption of beef and red meats; processed foods; high-fat dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter; wheat; sugar; and artificial sweeteners. Before starting on the RAD diet, consult your physician to see if it is appropriate for your medical condition. Consider joining the Dercum Society and online patient support groups to keep informed about new diet ideas as they are published.
References
- The Dercum Society: Dercum's Disease
- National Human Genome Research Institute: Learning About Dercum Disease
- Dercum's Data: Dercum's Disease, also known as Adiposis Dolorosa or Dercum Syndrome
- National Organization for Rare Disorders: Dercum's Disease
- Fat Disorders Research Society; Following the RAD Diet; Tina Tranfaglia
- MDJunction: Dercum's Disease Support Group
