What are the Dangers of Lipomas?

Hi guys,

So this is the first time I'm posting on one of these forums despite having read through many. They all seem to encompass the same things. I have many very small ones that luckily no one has noticed - but based on the posts on the forums I get the impression that their growth doesn't necessarily ever stop.

I am currently a medical school student and although I am not far enough in my studies to give you guys a more in depth answer, it is becoming obvious that although a genetic predisposition is likely at play - the biggest thing is lifestyle. Now there are some biotech companies that are working on a collagen based injection but it will take some time before the FDA approves this for public use.

I would like to put together a questionnaire as I personally feel life style is the most important factor in all of this. There is definitely something not working correctly in regards to fat and/or toxin metabolism either by the liver or the pancreas. This will only work with support from the community as I think it is important to compile information on the lifestyles of everyone suffering from these (young and old) and find the major lifestyle areas that overlap between all cases. This way we can systematically go ahead and truly begin ruling things out.

I for one used to take protein shakes and creatine supplements and hit the weights extraordinarily hard. I developed a few. I stopped this and now I still exercise but also factor in cardio, still new ones pop up here and there on my thighs or abdomen. I want answers, and unfortunately for the time being we are on our own. I hope that the community is strong enough and aware enough to know that we need to come together and pool all of our experiences and resources and although it may not lead to anything at all, it will give us a glimmer of hope. That maybe we can at least slow their growth. I am currently in exams so this questionnaire won't be available until mid December.

Sometimes I spend hours just reading about it online, or just touching them and feeling my whole body to see where else they have popped up. I am only 24 and this is not exactly how I was hoping adulthood would go for me. I don't want to live like this, and sympathize with every single one of you whether your condition be worse or better than mine. We are in this together and with each other's will power and support all we can do is have faith and hope that the future will be brighter and truly lump-less.

I got my first lipoma at age 19. Now I'm 52 and have dozens all over, ranging from pea size to walnut size. I've had many removed, but now it is getting too prevalent to keep taking them out.

I'm only about 15 pounds overweight and hardly do cardio exercise. I eat a lot of dairy, peanut butter, sweets, and drink coffee a lot. But my wife has mostly the same diet and she has no lipomas. We eat lots of vegetables and fruit too. Not much red meat.

Does anyone know if there is a lipoma lifestyle/diet database somewhere where we all all enter our info and see the common denominators?

Dairy fats are digested with help from enzymes. It would be interesting to know which enzyme is needed to digest the fat lipomas are made of. Could we all be missing this enzyme?

Its seems that losing weight does not burn lipomas, but only other fats on our bodies. Has anyone had a complete analysis of their lipoma? What kind of fat, bacteria, fungus or other substances are inside? What is different from normal fat?

I have several lipomas and one more soft on the inner side of my upper arm. This one is my newest and it is different as it is not solid. It seems more integrated in the tissue. It causes stinging pain depending on movement. There is no pain when touched or pressed, but it must be near a nerve that goes all the way to my fingers.

I have been drinking a lot during Easter and it seems alcohol causes growth /more pain. I thing it is due to the body becoming more acid. For myself and others, I suggest trying a alkaline diet for months and see how this affects. Please post results here to compare. What about turmeric? Has anyone tried it as supplement over a longer period?

i had lymphoma on my face very small and i was able move it under my skin and i went to doctor he said ll remove and i went to Ayurveda doctor she suggested

By using lemon and turmeric make past and apply on it daily ....

so i did for 15 days it grown up so much and one fine day every thing came out and my face came back normal position ......its my experience .....i have one more in my trunk so tot of using same strategy

I had a lipoma on my face. It was very small and I was able move it under my skin and I went to the doctor. He said he would remove it. I went to an Ayurveda doctor and she suggested using lemon and turmeric to make a paste and apply it daily. I did this for 15 days. It swelled up a lot and one day everything came out and my face was back to normal. I have one more on my truck, so I am using the same strategy.

I have a lipoma of my own on my neck. I used to go to the gym a lot and drank protein shakes to put on weight. I have come to the conclusion that these things seems to appear when you eat high fat and so much protein in your diet that your body can't digest it. I'm going to stop the shakes and do more running and hope it shrinks.

Here is a little list I compiled when I was researching my pain associated with tender lipomas and nerve pain that would shoot down my leg, (sciatica but much more painful) when I would put any pressure on them. This led me to an ER twice and no one in the medical field would even consider the lipomas being a cause or part of the cause, which makes no sense because there are painful lipomas, and they are removed when putting pressure on the nerves. How can a doctor look at a person with a straight face and say it’s impossible that the lipomas have even a chance of being related to the pain?

After doing research, I also came across articles about non-steroid induced Cushing’s disease or syndrome. Basically, a symptom is having a large amount of fat in the lower back and/or around the spine -- SEL or Spinal Epidural Lipimatosis. Again, this is fat, which causes pain, is medically acknowledged, but no doctor even mentioned it, even though my MRI report stated it was a possibility.

Generally, steroid users end up with similar symptoms, whether from abuse or for asthma. Steroids are the usual suspect, but, like I mentioned earlier, there is a non-steroid form with the same symptoms. From what I read, there are a few simple tests that could indicate whether it’s your body causing the issue. Search, search, search, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t trust anything from the Internet, because they are wrong. The Internet allows us to cross reference information, even from valid medical publications, universities and more. That is how I got most of my information.

These are names that have been used to describe back lipomas, and year they were documented. You will notice many of them are used throughout the list. I left the titles exactly as I found them, so don’t get confused with all the different names used. (Just another example of the medical field not coming to a consensus of what something is and how to treat it), also the fact that we are all individuals and our bodies change with time, so what may work one way for someone one year may not in the future and may not work at all for someone else.

Also, what is “found” can be more than one thing or complete opposite things with similar symptoms and characteristics. Either way, the more knowledge a person/patient has, the more empowered they feel :

Names used: Episacraliliac Lipoma, 1937; Fibrositis, 1944; Lumbar and gluteal fibrositis, 1947; Multifidis triangle syndrome, 1955; Sacroiliac lipimata, 1966; Episacroiliac lipoma, 1972; Iliac crest pain syndrome, 1991; Back Mouse, 1993; and Lumbar hernia and Lumbar fascial fat herniation.

Here are some articles, abstracts, excerpts, etc: “5 Things You Need To Know About Lipomas; 2013 -- “Episacral lipoma: a treatable cause of low back pain”; 2013-- “Epidural lipomatosis: A dilemma in interventional pain management for the use of epidural Steroids”; 2013.

Adiposis dolorosa (Dercum’s disease): MRI and ultrasound appearances.

2013

Adiposis dolorosa - Dercum’s disease: Painful Lipomas

2013

Thoracolumbar Fascia: The Forgotten Culprit of Low Back Pain

2013

Chronic Low Back Pain and the Thoracolumbar Fascia

2013

What Doctor Do You See to Have a Episacroiliac Lipoma (A.k.a. Back Mouse) Removed from the Lower Back?

2013

Back Mouse? NO…, you DON’T hire a exterminator to treat this.

2012

New findings for the treatment of chronic, nonspecific low back pain Issue

2012

The Frequency of Episacral Lipoma

2012

Review of Dercum’s disease and proposal of diagnostic criteria, diagnostic methods, classification and management.

2012

Giant cell tumour with a lipoma of the sacrum

2012

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Injection Lipolysis using Phosphatidylcholine/Deoxycholate Versus Deoxycholate Alone in Treatment of Localized Fat Deposits

2012

Lipoma - Skin Lumps

Treatment: Steroid Injections

2011

Lipoma-Associated Neuropathic Pain: A Report of Two Cases

2011

Skin Lumps

2011

Acupuncture For Lipoma

2011

Lecithin and Lipoma

2011

Degenerative magnetic resonance imaging changes in patients with chronic low back pain.

2010

Inferior lumbar triangle hernia as a rarely reported cause of low back pain

2010

Iliosacral Nodule Induced Pain of the Lower Back - A Forgotten or Often Overlooked Cause of Lower Back Pain

2010

Lipoma - MayoClinic

2010

Lumbar hernia

2010

Inferior lumbar triangle hernia as a rarely reported cause of low back pain: a report of 4 cases

2010

Lumps in the Low Back - The lump is a back mouse

2010

About the movable lumps - Pain In Lower Back, Movable Small Lumps - What they are is a “back mouse”

2010

The “Back Mouse” or Back Mice

2010

Ultrasound features of deep-seated lipomas

2009

Ultrasound evidence of altered lumbar connective tissue structure in human subjects with chronic low back pain PDF

2009

Lumbar hernia misdiagnosed as a subcutaneous lipoma.

2004

Soft-tissue lipomas: accuracy of sonography in diagnosis with pathologic correlation.

Book: 2004

‘Low Back and Neck Pain: Comprehensive Diagnosis and Management’ - “Sacroiliac Pain”

2004

Intradural Spinal Lipoma: Report of A Thoracic Case and A Lumbar Case PDF

2004

‘Treasures in the attic,’ by Dr. Peter Curtis PDF

2004

Chiropractic treatment of the back mouse. Dr. Bond (Note: Duplicate of earlier article: Low Back Pain and Episacral Lipomas. Dr. W. David Bond Dynamic Chiropractic – September 4, 2000, Vol. 18, Issue 19, 2003 written/2004 published The Problem With The Back Mouse - Diagnosing and Dealing with Episacroiliac Lipoma Dr. W. David Bond

2003

Iliac nodular disorder. Thoracolumbar syndrome and associated topics.

2001

Low Back Pain (LBP) - Causes of low back pain Pathoanatomic Diagnoses in Mechanical LBP

2000

Fibro-fatty nodules and low back pain. The back mouse masquerade.

2000

Treatment of low back pain associated with “back mice’’: a case series.

2000

Low Back Pain and Episacral Lipomas. Dr. W. David Bond

2000

Fibro-Fatty Nodules and Low Back Pain. The Journal of Family Practice Online

1996

Nonspecific low back pain in general practice: a delicate point - A descriptive study on the clinical relevance of four regional pain syndromes PDF

1993

In Search Of The Back Mouse

1983

Hernia of the inferior lumbar space. A cause of back pain.

1978

Tumours of the cauda equina. PDF

1975

Subcutaneous Lumbosacral Lipomas. C.F. Kieck, Dr CF KIECK

PDF

1967

Lumbosacral lipomas: critical survey of 26 cases submitted to laminectomy PDF

1966

Another cause of low back pain: lipomata in the sacroiliac region.

1965

Lipoma of the Cauda Equina PDF

1961

Sacroiliac (Episacral) Lipomas

1956

Soft tissue lesions as cause of low back pain: Anatomic study

1954

Herniation of fat through lumbodorsal fascia as a cause of low-back pain.

1952

Subfascial fat herniation as a cause of low back pain; differential diagnosis and incidence in 302 cases of backache.

1950

Episacroiliac Lipoma as a Cause of Low-Back Pain

1949

Fibro-fatty Tissue and its Relation to “Rheumatic” Syndromes

1946

Herniation of Subfascial Fat as a Cause of Low Back Pain: Report of Thirty-Seven Cases Treated Surgically

1946

Herniation of subfascial fat as a cause of low back pain; results of surgical treatment in 31 cases. Hertz R.

1946

Discussion of the Paper by Ralph Herz : Herniation of Subfascial Fat as a Cause of Low Back Pain.

1934

Adiposis dolorosa

Adiposis dolorosa, also known as Dercum’s disease is a rare condition characterized by multiple, painful lipomas.

1916

Lumbar Hernia

Annals of Surgery 1916 May.

Edward H. Goodman and John Speese

Grynfeltt (I866) was the first to give the subject deep thought, and described the space which bears his name.

The first trustworthy observation on record is that of Garangeot (1731), who mentions a case of strangulated hernia

Dolee (1703) knew of lumbar hernia, but he, like his predecessors, took no pains to study its anatomy or its mechanism

(I672 or I687) that we find what seems to be the first description of lumbar hernia. Paul Barbette at this time states that, “Experience has taught me that the peritoneum may rupture in its posterior aspect toward the back, thus forming a hernia.”

The hernia is generally subcutaneous but may be separated from the skin by a layer of fat or muscle.

Corey Mondello

Boston, MA

P.S.: My last MRI, Dec 2013, not only revealed Epidural Lipomatosis, (lipomas in lower back), which may be pressing on my nerves, but also that I have Spondylolisthesis, which looks scary, oddly though, some people, actually most people feel little pain from the literally broken back health issue. So again, we are all individuals and the medical field needs to recognize this!

I have read almost all of the posts, and want to share my story too. I had my first lipoma at the age of 18 and I am 28 and have multiple lipomas in my body.

Once I removed four from my left arm so could wear T-shirts, but they never stopped multiplying. Knowing the fact that allopathic medicine has no cure but surgery, I gave homeopathic medicine a try, but that was all in vain and a waste of money and time.

I am from an Asian country and I came to the US for studies and have lots of doctors as family and friends. I asked every one of them, but no one could help actually.

One of my cousins who is a doctor told me that these painless lipomas are not a threat to my life, so medicine companies and governments usually invest in research for life-saving medicines that will sell well around the globe.

Someone recommended I try herbal treatments or medicines but I haven’t found an authentic source yet. Life has become so miserable. I am single, unmarried and most people don’t know about lipomas, but when they notice, become afraid.

I always think, whenever I have a girl friend, what would be her reaction after seeing them on my body. I can’t sleep on my left side as I have a few over my ribs. Life has become miserable. I wish some day, I could have enough money to spend on research for the cure of lipomas, so the next generations could dream of lipoma-free lives.

I find my lipomas develop on sites where I have received trauma through sport and they also develop along my Lymphatic system. I also have found a way to find new locations of lipomas by squeezing an existing lipoma and it will refer pain to a new developing one somewhere on my body.

I think a lot of it is to do with genetics, stress and trauma and there are also different types of lipomas. I have had several cut out over the years and they have not grown back in those locations but they just decide to set up home somewhere else.

I just had a lipoma removed from the top and side of my foot. The ultrasound showed it was the size of a pencil in diameter, though after surgery, it could fill a golf ball, and I felt pressure on a nerve as it was zapping my foot in that side. It grew down the outside, then back toward my heel in an open space. I had a lot of pain with it, and only noticed it for three months. I was not active, and on many meds. I previously have injured my ankle many times. The pathologist has referred it to his colleagues for diagnosis also, as it should not be in the foot.

I am 25 years old and I have over 100 lipomas on my body. I have noticed one thing: if you are very active there are very few lipomas on your body, but the more lazy you are, the more lipomas you get. Moreover, the major causes for it are also cheese products. I don't know why. Nobody knows how it came. There should be some remedy for it. It looks ugly. Just for no reason we suffer with these lipomas. If there is any cure, we can work it out. Don't keep on touching the lipoma. It keeps on dividing if you touch it.

I'm 30 years old, I have a tennis ball size lipoma on my lower back. It's been there for about nine years. It is now sensitive to the touch. I have had several MIcs and they were negative for cancer. I always wanted surgery but I have been afraid. I recently saw a doctor about getting it removed. I have finally made the decision which will take place in two weeks. I'm nervous.

After reading some of your posts, I feel I need to share my story and seek advice after being turned away from doctor after doctor, despite worsening systems.

I'm 29 years old and was born with a lipoma on my temporal lobe, situated beneath the skin. I also have several in various other locations. The lipoma situated on my temporal lobe has over the years caused sight issues, hearing loss for short periods and severe headaches and recently balance problems. I am also a severe epileptic on high doses of medication. Seizure control worsened around puberty and both my children's pregnancies. The doctors says there is no link, although I am not sure.

Recently, my headaches are constant. I suffer with visual impairment (clouding of the eye obstructing my vision for minutes to hours). I also suffer with numbness of the face, mostly the right side which is where the lipoma is situated. Recently I have started to have issues with my balance where I almost fall over. I want to go to the doctor, but I don't want to be told I am wasting their time as I have on other occasions.

Can someone offer some advice or suggestion?

I am 24 years old and have dozens of what I believe to be lipomas all over the right side of my neck.

These appeared first as a solid, movable lump of about 1cm in length seven years ago, which is about the only one visible above the skin.

I now have dozens of such hard lumps all over my neck from top to bottom some, of which seem to be very deep down. In the last couple of years or so, these have started to hurt, and a number of the lumps near my throat are causing discomfort and even shortness of breath.

I don't know for certain if these are lipomas as they are all hard, not soft, and some are tender.

I am asthmatic and use a flucsiatone Orange inhaler which I think may contain steroids.

I have been told again and again that these lumps were just 'raised glands' but have only recently been referred for an ultrasound scan because one side of my neck was 'fuller' than the other and because of the pain and other problems. Any help/suggestions?

I have multiple lipomas and it does run in my family. I got my first one on my forearm when I was 13. That was the only one for several years, then around the age of 17, I had several more pop up on my back and arms. I now have so many I can't even count. I lose track.

I wanted to post because the one on my forearm started giving me shooting pains up my whole arm, and it was a little smaller than a golf ball. Now I have one on my back over my upper spine that has become painful to touch and I believe it is causing my back pain. On either side of my spine in the same portion of my back, my muscles are endlessly aching. My doctor referred me to have it removed because it is causing symptoms, even though she did repeatedly tell me that lipomas are not painful. Like I wouldn't know what lipomas can and can't feel like (shaking my head).

Long story short, lipomas are benign by definition, but if in doubt, get a second opinion from someone who deals with them on a regular basis. Removal for vanity reasons is usually useless as they tend to come back. If they are causing pain, be it shooting nerve pain sometimes or constant pain, have it checked and or removed. They normally are not painful, but when a larger object grows in your body, even just under the skin, it is possible for it to hit a nerve or irritate a muscle. It can cause minor vein issues. There is one on my thigh with broken blood vessels over it.

I am a 32 year old female. I have been suffering from lipomas for seven years. The first lipoma I had was found in my right forearm, but the last few days it increased rapidly in other parts of my body.

I think it is not genetic because other members of my family do not have lipomas.

In my opinion, it depends on your lifestyle, like stress. I am suffering from stress because it has grown rapidly.

I was in an auto accident 1 1/2 years ago. My neck as well as my back started hurting within a few days.

I first went to a chiropractor, and when I mentioned the knot in my back that had just showed up I was told it was a muscle spasm. Well, they fixed my neck, but I still had the lump and the pain as well as a pinching in the top of my leg.

To make a long story short, after two MRIs, several X-rays, shots in the back, acupuncture, therapy that really hurt, a spine surgeon and a pain management doctor, I did my own research and found something called a back mouse or a Lipoma. Even though they did find that my disks were messed up, I told them no, that my pain is coming from that knot.

They wanted me to have spine surgery and again I said no, so they sent me to a general surgeon who deals with hernias and lipomas and he said yes, it was there, so let's take it out. Well I just had it out a few days ago and although my back is sore from that I can tell a difference already.

Do not let anyone tell you it is not there or it can't be that. Don't give up. Go to a general surgeon. I can't believe how many unnecessary things I had to go through to get someone to listen to me. I even printed out articles and took them with me because I found someone that exactly what I did and after spine surgery he still had pain and pointed right to his knot as the source.

My son is ten years old. He has been having consistent back pain for several months. The day we took him in to the doctor for his back pain, we were in a car accident which seemed to make things worse. His whiplash from the accident got better but the back pain seem to get worse. He complains all the time.

A CT was performed and a lipoma was found internally in the lumbar region. The radiologist (both CTs indicated it) indicated it could cause pain - however the neurologist said it would not cause this pain. I am at a loss. Anyone have good doctors?

I'm pretty sure that they are linked to weight training and/or taking protein supplements. Up until five years ago I used to hit the gym hard, drinking huge amounts of protein shake, etc. I had a few lipomas (six or so) appear but they weren't that intrusive.

So, I started back at the gym a couple of months ago, and back on the protein, and bang! New ones have started to appear, like 20-plus. I'm going to stay away and see if they stop appearing. I'll then start training again without the protein supplements to see how I get on.

I'll also state that I do drink alcohol, so this could also be a factor, either on its own or in combination.

Some good news is that a relatively new drug does seem to be working miracles in dogs and now humans, with an average lipoma size reduction of 93 percent (many with 100 percent). It's basically collagenase. Look up biospecifics.

I'm off to the the doctor in a couple of weeks to have a few on my arms removed. I'd rather a scar than a lump. I'll let you know how it goes.

I know this condition is pretty depressing at times, but it could be worse. Something triggers it, and cures are on the way, so chin up.

I was diagnosed with a lipoma on the upper right thigh. At the time it was the size of a small orange. I've tried to reduce the lipoma with diet, exercise, yoga and qigong meditation. It continued to grow over the past two years and is now the size of a grapefruit. I want to remove this growth from my body and my acupuncturist recommended I get another opinion and sent me to a surgeon.

I am now awaiting results from an MRI. The surgeon suspects something else may be going on. I'm very angry that the original doctor didn't sent me home without doing an MRI.

I've been reading a book by Hulda Clarke called "The Cure for all Diseases." It's very interesting. She talks about tumours and that you could shrink them and actually change them back to good fat cells. It's very in depth about how they form, etc., etc.

I too have had multiple lipomas all over my body for the last 23 years now.

I'm 24, male. I have lipomas all over my body. They are small apart from one large one on my back. I'm scared they will grow back if I get them removed.

I used to go to the gym and take weigh protein supplements. I'm the only one in my family who has lipomas.

I have yet to be diagnosed because my cancer doctor nor my family doctor feel it is very important. I have had many tests done and nothing is showing up. My right leg (calf area) is almost twice the size of my left. And just last week I had another one on my arm (bicep down half way to my wrist). I have had the one on my leg for four years and now my arm. My arm and my leg are very painful but the doctors say it's in my head. Well I am sorry it is very painful and I want answers.

The doctor told me I have one in my leg, and it hurts like hell sometimes. I think it's pressing on a nerve. I will have it removed if the pain does not go away. It's just a soft fleshy lump or swelling under the skin about the size of a golf ball but they say it shouldn't hurt. Well, mine does.

Has anyone ever had a lipoma rupture? I have had 9-10 lipomas removed in the past. I had one on my bicep that I did not have removed. Two days ago I had pain in my arm and it really hurt when I straightened my arm completely. Today my arm is very red in the bicep area, but I noticed the Lipoma is no longer there. I'm assuming it ruptured. I believe this is what is causing pain and redness in my arm.

Any related stories and suggestions?

I'm 38 years old, and my lipoma is lying on my clavicle along the brachial plexus nerve bundle. It was 1-2 in. when it was discovered. The doctor said he will not remove unless it the size of a baseball. Now it is golf ball size, and I have numbness in my arm and pain all the way up through my ear. I am going crazy!

I should also mention that there is a Yahoo Support Group for Dercums Disease (as stated in my previous post) - for painful fatty tumors (lipomas). You'll learn a lot but most of all, you'll know that you're not alone, not labeled, and have people who share their stories and their suggestions on what works for them.

Do yourself a favor and check it out.

There are so many stories here that make my heart ache. I've just had a 12 cm lipoma removed from the back of my thigh. When I first went to the doctor five years ago, she thought it was my muscle (I'm a runner and fairly slim). When I had the doctor compare my legs, she knew right away and sent me to get an ultrasound. I was pregnant at the time, life's events happened, and finally five years and two kids later, and seven more cm of growth of the lump, I've had it removed. It is such a relief.

I never really suffered much pain like many of you; only on long drives, probably because of the location on the lipoma. I'm so sorry to those of you who cannot function as you would like because of these cruel invaders. Mine became my enemy and no anesthesia could scare me away. I was excited on the day of surgery. I'm sure the other people waiting for their surgeries thought I was insane for laughing and smiling.

Even with insurance, my copay was almost $600. Surgical removal of large lipomas is costly. I am lucky to have good health care. It's a shame that some of you can't have these removed because you don't have coverage or might have an HMO that makes decisions for you.

My husband thinks that getting this lipoma out of my body will regulate my weight since it no longer has to work to support this thing. It grew 2 cm in less than two months. I hope he's right. There's no science that I've read that proves it, but it makes sense.

I run about 22 miles a week and am very active and still can't seem to lose these last few baby pounds.

My best to all of you. It is such a relief to finally have this invader out of my body. Two weeks post op, and a four-inch scar, I can now wear pants in a size that fits my whole body, not just my right leg.

I also suffer from many lipomas allover my body. I have had many surgeries, removing between 14-18 at a time. Compounding this hell, I have MH, I am allergic to anesthesia, meaning I have to be awake during the procedures. With the deep, big ones they have to slice and stop to inject more numbing agents as they get deeper. They only know this when I scream! So yes, the pain is real.

We should get disability for our condition. No known cause or cure. I am in constant pain. Ever try to sleep with a wetsuit full of golf balls, with spines? We do. We have anxiety, and are labeled as wimpy! We are the opposite. Normal pain scale is excessive at 10. Ours is at a constant 30! Yet, I am sure a cure will be found.

Pain management, in the meantime? Hardly. Be a hostage to the Px world, or break the law by seeking other remedies? We are forced into our own private clinical trials.

My mom died in my arms after fighting cancer for 3.5 years. I have had this now for half my life. I'm 34. Sad, pissed, depressed, constantly hurting is my every day. Yet am so glad I found this site. I thought I was alone. Thanks for letting me vent.

May all of us be free from this agony. You are not alone. You are not crazy. Your pain is tangible. The staple scars will not fade, and neither should your pride. I'm in TX.

After glancing through a few posts, I feel that I must tell you at least a little of my story. Approximately 25 years ago, right after the birth of my older daughter, things started being, well, strange. A few years later, I noticed this little bump on my upper arm. When I went to the dermatologist to have this itchy, painful little annoyance removed (the size of a large pea), the doctor thought it was to be a simple cut, but my scar ended up being a few inches long because this lipoma grew down and he wanted to get it in its entirety.

At any rate, life went on and I began complaining of other things. How frustrating, so very frustrating. For 25 years, I’ve had doctors tell me all of this (including uncontrolled high blood pressure and diabetes among gastro and other pains) to have a doctor say “it’s all in your head” or “you’re just fat, you need to lose weight”. It took 25 years to find a doctor (after significant research of my own) who I thought might be able to tell me something: Dr. Karen Herbst in San Diego, CA.

I jumped on the phone to make my call to see her. I waited nine months to get an appointment, flew from TX to CA for her to just look at me. I’ll never forget the moment. She came into the room and said, “What can I do for you?” My teary-eyed response: “You can tell me that I have Dercums Disease and it’s not all in my head.” She said, without even touching me, “I can tell you that, but that’s not all.” Her assistant was writing down the words, the numbers and measurements as Dr. Herbst gently touched my leg. “You do have Dercums, but you also have lipedema and lipolymphedema.”

She sat there and told me what it all meant, but I didn’t hear a word. I just kept going over it in my head: “You do have Dercums. It’s not all in your head.” I know she said that the other diseases also had no cure, but I didn’t care. She tried to make me feel better by telling me that there were things we could do to help make life easier, but I wasn’t crying because of that. I was crying because I got an answer. Needless to say, I was at the end of my rope.

So, I have lipolymphedema, which means that my lymphatic system hasn’t worked correctly for over 20 years. This puts lymph fluid in your body. Some believe this fluid may combine with diseased fat cells to make the lumps, but no one is really sure. (By the way, someone mentioned steroids. They were correct: stay away from them!) The lipomas we have that are painful may have nerve endings in them, they don’t dissipate, but stay firm.

I’ve got several including one that goes from my knee up to the side of my hip, around to my stomach area and to my backside. Mind you, this is the same area where I had two smaller lipomas removed about 13 years ago. At any rate, I’ve got them all over and I struggle every day with pain and trying to fight it without drugs. Some days are better than others. Do you want some answers? You have to do your own research. Check out Dr. Herbst. She explains quite a bit as well as some things that you can do that might help.

There are so many things that happen with these lipomas. If they are Dercums related, research and see if you’ll get those answers you seek. Good luck and I wish you all pain free days to come.

One thing I want to warn all you lipoma sufferers is that I have directly related the rapid growth of lipomas and other tumors to steroids. I personally have connected prednisone use then stopping use directly with the rapid growth of both malignant and benign tumors in seven pets. My brother's dog, we believe, had a small, slow-growing cancerous tumor. She had surgery for an ear hemotoma and prednisone for one week. Three weeks later, she was dead from a completely undetected tumor that grew so fast in three weeks, that when the symptoms presented, it was so large the pain caused her heart to give out over the weekend.

I just want to mention this because everyone asking about the rapid growth of lipomas and noticing numerous people who work out having so much problems, if you have done other steroids, then stopped, it probably stimulated growth in your slow growing lump. I believe my wolf sustained pancreas damage from prednisone that caused the diabetes and with the pancreas damage not digesting fat, she has inflammation and probably the fat is going to lipomas since it is not being digested properly.

I have discovered any fat at all seems to cause her inflammation and discomfort. Also based on others' suggestions, I have been using this chinese herbal formula called Dissolve that seems to soften the lipoma and seem to help alleviate some of the pain and breathing problems she experienced. When I took her off of it, experimenting to figure out if it had anything to do with her pain, she started having problems breathing and the lipoma appeared to feel harder and larger.

I don't know if this helps but seems like everyone is looking for the reasons and ways to alleviate pain and trying to save my service dog and get people to believe this is causing her regulated insulin to be unregulated, and her not losing weight, has made me an expert, so I hope my plight helps human suffering.

I sympathize with all of you and hope for the best. I am not quite in the same boat. I only know none of all these people will even consider it as a cause of her rapidly declining health and no one will even acknowledge the pain she wakes up in and I am using my pain medication to treat her because they don't think she is in pain and I have been warning everyone about the steroid connection to lump growth so I just wanted to put it out there.

If you are taking them, do not stop. If you never have, do not start. At least Julia didn't die in vain, because her death showed me where to look, and as soon as I started asking others as well as my other pets, all had prednisone, usually for skin irritation, shortly before the lumps and other major health problems.

I suspected Julia of having a slow growing tumor that interfered with her bowel movements. She had an obstruction for years, then to just die three weeks after the prednisone and just had a full exam prior to surgery plus blood work that showed her healthy. No doubt remained that drug caused the rapid growth of a problem that probably would not have killed her before her natural life or would have been diagnosed and removed if the steroids had never been given.

Here is what I found out when my wife developed a lipoma that no one would treat. No one will listen. Despite the small lump appearing and her diabetes insulin regulation being off the wall, no one will even consider pain from a mass growing is causing this, despite the fact she is gaining weight with little food, in pain and having breathing problems and all relate to her showing me the area. The small lump appeared well before it ever showed up, plus two months before that, she had a huge lipoma that was completely undetected. They removed it upon my demand when two small lumps started growing and causing her problems walking. It took five months of her being in pain, rolling over and exposing the painful area before anyone would listen and now her life is being threatened because they refuse to listen again and this thing is killing her.

So lipomas are dangerous and don't let anyone tell you different. She is accused of being grossly obese in spite of the fact that she eats barely four cups or less food a day. Also a warning: if you are prone to these, do not eat any fat. Especially if you are diabetic.

I believe the pancreas damage causing her diabetes also results in fat not being processed and it is going into her skin and adding to lumps. It seems to be controlled with all fat eliminated.

Other suggestions: If you are desperate, there are drugs to shrink them. Check mesotherapy. It works and costs about $500 I hear, but if you're resourceful, you can get a drug that does nothing but melt collagen (fat) from the internet and inject it into your lipoma. Be advised, this is my last resort for my wife, but for anyone in the same situation with life threatening painful lumps that no one will help. Just giving a last option before you give give up on ever getting out of pain or die from the misery like my baby is.

I am 22 years old and was diagnosed with having a lipoma, maybe two years ago on the left side of my back. I'd never felt it until the doctors started pushing and touching it. Over time the size has really expanded and it has gone from about a 4 or 5 on the pain scale to about an 8 and sometimes a 9. Over the past couple of days I've developed a horrible pain in my left arm and my neck. As of now, I'm looking for a doctor to have it checked out and removed ASAP!

I noticed my first one when I was 15 and was working my biceps a lot. It only happened on my bicep and only when I pinched my skin (3mm x 2mm, very hard). Later in my twenties I got a ton more, hundreds, all pretty small/hard and not noticeable unless you pull the skin. They seemed to happen when I was working out and lifting a lot. It sounds very related to that. Almost everywhere I worked out, I can feel lots of bumps (except my back and shoulders). Also on my back thigh, since I'm a runner too.

I think cutting back on the alcohol and fake sugars might help, but who knows? At least they're not painful and not huge, but who knows when I'll get older? Time to experiment with some cinnamon.

I had three bumps removed six days back. They were lipomas. I had two on the thigh and one on the upper forearm. one on the thigh was 8cm by 3cm while the other two were 3cm by 3cm.

From my personal experience I will say that once the lipomas become noticeable and are say, over 3cm by 3cm in size, I think it is better to have them removed, because the bigger they get the more difficult it may become to surgically remove them, costing you more and also possibly messing around with the other tissues around the lipomas.

I have around 20 lipomas spread out on my hands and thighs. I am now trying to find a solution to curb their growth because one cannot go around surgically removing each and every one of them without addressing their cause.

can the pressure of having this near the ears cause seizures?

I found my first two lipomas when i was about 16 years old. the only reason it was found was because my back was hurting so bad and my friend (a massage therapist) found the lump. I went to the doctor and they said it was a cyst. I recently found out it is a lipoma and am having it removed because it's so painful!

I agree with everyone saying doctors have no clue what they're talking about when it comes to the pain. It has always been very painful for me, sometimes worse than others, but there was always some sort of pain.

I am having surgery in a week to have it removed. On the MRI you could even see just how big it was. hopefully it won't be too big of a scar but either way, but if it's taking my pain away, I don't care! I'm almost glad to read everyone else's posts to know that I'm not the only one who has had these and this kind of pain, so thanks!

I had a lipoma removed one year ago this week. It was so large that the surgeon went from the top of my armpit and down below my breast. He said afterward it was as much tissue as he would remove in a mastectomy.

Now I have a cavity which is about five inches long. When I had a check up first, it was just a small affair, and he said it was apparently aqueous and would be absorbed. He would do no added surgery. But I can cup what is beneath in my hand. Is it growing back? Did he not get it all? How could it be so big? Could it have started growing some time ago?

Everything I've read says the average measurement is .4 inches to 1.2 inches. Mine was a hundred times that size. I am very scared. What is happening to me?

I could scream from the rooftops that lipomas cause pain. I had a doctor tell me I'm just a lumpy person. I was very overweight at one time and since I've lost weight I can feel all the lipomas. My arms, my back, my stomach, my thighs all have lipomas. And, if it's so rare in women to have multiples why do I have it? Read up on Agent Orange. My father was exposed and it turns out the children and grandchildren can develop multiple lipomas.

I have lipomas under my breasts and since I have heavy breasts, it places a lot of pressure on the lipoma. I also have them on my back right where my bra strap goes and that hurts like hell but I can't go without a bra because then the others will hurt. It may be a big mystery to the civilian doctors but the government knows all about lipomas.

I had a lipoma on my lower back near my spine. Several times when the lower back became inflamed the lipoma pressed on the nerves and I literally would fall down because I couldn't control my legs.

The first doctor said that nothing was there although you could feel the lump in my back. My husband re-read the scan images (he works in oprthopedics and often has to read scans). He not only could see the lump, but he marked it on the slides and sent me to a second doctor who confirmed the problem.

The lipoma was removed about two years ago and I have not had any problems with my legs since. I can't imagine though what kinds of problems I could have had if my husband didn't remark the slides and then send me to a colleague of his for confirmation.

I am a 40 year old female. My father has had over 500 of these removed all over his body with mini scars. My brother has a few and I have had two removed because they were on nerves which hurt.

I now have gained weight over the past four years and have found that I have more than 25 in my thighs, behind my knees and around my biceps and triceps. For me they seem to definitely reside where I have the most fat. Mine hurt like hell! There are some rare lipomas that have nerve endings that run through them. I've been fighting with my insurance to get the removal of mine covered but it has been an uphill battle.

I'm back to a healthy diet and lifestyle but have about 50-60 pounds I need to lose, which I am having a real tough time with. I think it is sad that there are not more nationwide clinical trials going on for this. It is definitely hereditary and I feel strongly that it is related and more prone to be evident in those with a high body fat percentage. I hope we find a cure sometime.

I am a 28 year old male. I found these lipomas are not only on my upper arm but also in my tummy. The ones on my arms hurt when they grow, but didn't hurt until they finished their shape. the one on my tummy sometimes hurts, but not much. i think they are still growing. Since they are on my tummy, i will get them cut and keep you posted.

I am 28 and start getting lipomas three years back. i have almost 20 peanut sized lipomas on my arms and lower back. i am a gym freak. i have observed that when i did the heavy gym they came up immediately. also i was taking the whey protein. so i suspect that doing gym and taking the whey may be the cause of that.

The worst part of all is: Where do these doctors get off telling us that lipomas do not cause pain? The pain my lipomas have caused have caused me to go from being an outgoing person who loved life and sports, biking, tennis, running, working out, to a recluse, because the pain is so bad I cannot stand to put any added pressure on the lipoma other than the usual housecleaning, laundry, and everyday things that I have to do. These lipomas have taken 20 years of my life from me. Who do the docs think they are to assume that the lipomas cause no pain if they don't have them.

I do think that some may cause little to no pain, but others can cause extreme pain. Something has to give on this. I had actually thought of ending my life because I cannot live with the pain and the decreased us of my body as I once knew and loved life. Good luck to everyone with this horrible, trivialized illness.

My lipoma first occurred when I was in my early to mid twenties. I was an exercise fanatic. I lived in a gym. I did aerobics and light weight body building. I am a female, and mine came up on my lower neck, basically on my spine. It was diagnosed by a chiropractor as a lipoma, and other docs called it a fatty tumor that was no threat to me.

My lipoma has always been very painful and I have had tingling and muscle pain since it first showed up. My shoulders and back hurt all the time. In the past I had great insurance and would beg the doctors to please take it out because of the pain. I lived on a heating pad. I had to quit exercising, and now at the age of 55, I am 30 pounds overweight. Any time I raise my arms to clean, shower, play tennis, it feels like my back is ripping out. When I did have the insurance that would have covered the removal, all the doctors and specialists said it was "cosmetic" and the insurance wouldn't pay. I basically felt they were siding with the insurance, because the pain changed my whole way of life.

I now have no insurance, and I have two lipomas on my upper neck and mid back. I was scheduled to have them removed at the cost of $3,000 and the surgeon only removed the first one and said he forgot about the second one. Now the second one has expanded and moved up my back, thus being even larger and I am in more pain.

I am very angry that none of the doctors took me seriously about the pain when I had insurance, and I am stuck paying making payments to a surgeon who charged me to remove two lipomas, and he only removed one. Please, while you have insurance, do all that you can, especially if they are causing you pain or limited movement of your body. It does not get any better.

On another note, I have noticed that a lot of us recognized these when working out, could that have anything to do with our lipomas, or any kind of heavy lifting?

I listen to all the jokes about women with humps on their backs and feel like one of the people they joke about, but this is no joking matter. We need to do something to get the Medical Association's attention, and get this researched.

This is very important: If they are not dangerous to us, why is it, If you apply for life insurance after the age of 50, one of the questions is "Have you ever been diagnosed with lipoma?" This is a very big red flag to me.

Praying for understanding, relief from pain, and understanding of this thing called lipoma.

I noticed a lump near my spine about five years ago. The doctors told me not to touch it because it was a lipoma and I should leave it alone. Then I noticed two larger lumps down my lower back. I actually felt pain in the area before they formed.

I was practicing yoga when I noticed the one near my rib cage. Ouch! that one gets caught under my rib cage when I do certain exercises. Well, I just had the two lower back lipomas removed because they were giving me discomfort.

I am changing my diet so that I eat the proper amounts of fats, carbs and calories so that I use the energy needed, instead of having excess energy because that will be stored as fat and possibly fatty tumors/lipomas. Also, I need to exercise a little more to burn some more energy.

I've got more lipomas than I can reasonably count. Most of them are small and I started getting them at 18 (now 40). I noticed they grow when I squeeze them or push on them often. It has definitely caused a self confidence problem. I am an avid lifter and gave up ever competitive bodybuilding because of it.

I can agree with stress related breakouts, I guess you would call it. I have the highest concentration in my stomach more on one side than the other. I though losing weight would help but it just made them more noticeable. I am embarrassed to wear short sleeves or take my shirt off despite being in great shape because of this.

My father also has them and I have a boy and a girl of my own and I hate to think of passing this on to them. Though I think I'd rather have scars over my body than lumps. I'm probably going to look into liposuction after getting a couple larger ones removed through insurance (if possible). I feel like a leprosy victim.

I thought I would add my experience here too in case it was helpful to anyone. I first noticed the lipomas in my early 20s. They are mostly on my upper arms (biceps/triceps) with a few on my forearms, upper legs and butt. All of them are dime-sized or smaller except for one. It is located under my right armpit and is golf ball sized in diameter and feels about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

I don't know if there are any real correlations, but I stopped being active after high school and maintained a high sugar/carb/calorie diet. I am naturally thin/athletic, but from the lack of exercise and bad diet, I gained about 10 pounds (185lbs, 5'11" instead of my normal 170-175lbs). I also had an unusually high amount of stress for about 6-12 months in my very early 20s.

In my mid-20s I had three of the small ones on my arms removed (because they were the most obvious) by a dermatologist to make sure they were not harmful. His advice was the same as most have mentioned here ("no need to remove them unless they become painful or unsightly"). One small one showed up again after being removed. The other two did not return.

I am now 31 years old and have noticed either very little or no change in the number and size of the lipomas. I sit a lot as I have a desk job, but I have recently (about three months ago) start a low sugar/carb diet and have begun a regular exercise routine. It's probably too early to tell, but I'm hoping this will have some effect on the remaining growths. They seem as though they have lessened slightly, but I cannot say for sure. I will report back (if I can find this website again) if anything changes.

Just after my mother died, I had two lipomas pop up under my collarbone, one on the right side and one on the left. They seemed to grow with the stress of the funeral. By the time I had them removed, they were from my lungs to over my collarbones. Very uncomfortable and much pain on removal.

I now have two more big lipomas, one on each ankle, both about the same size. They are beginning to interfere with my walking. Strange that they show up on both the right and left side in exactly the same place each time. And I am not a diet soda drinker, so no aspartame.

I'm a 20 year old male and have noticed a large growth of lipomas over my body for the past two years. At first, I was told it's nothing to worry about. They're harmless and are only an eye sore. However, they've grown in size and multiplied greatly. It's becoming a concern. Yes, they are unsightly, and they're also becoming more tender and painful to the touch.

I six removed for $400 last year. Today, six more have grown an inch away from each scar. I didn't pay $400 for six wonderful scars.

I've recently decided to investigate myself, cross-referencing everything I've come across. Everyone needs to work together and pitch in their knowledge an opinions. Doctors need to be interested in the topic as well, because the doctors I've been to can kiss off.

A few theories I've come up with are:

1. It's said the growths can be triggered from a blow to the body/trauma to the body. I had a biking incident seven or eight years ago. When I went to the hospital, I didn't have the chunk of my leg (two inches below the knee on the inside), so they filled it with some sort of jelly substance to fill the space. Could my body is reacting badly towards this "jelly"?

2. I've recently learned that lipomas are composed of adipose tissue, which are made of adipocytes. Adipocytes can come in as white adipose tissue (WAT) or brown adipose tissue (BAT). Both are consistent with a lipoma's physical features, but BAT caught my attention.

BAT, also known as "baby fat", produces heat. I've noticed that I get real hot all the time. When I sit in a car, with all windows up, my window will fog up. Also, I cannot sleep under a blanket because I begin to sweat profusely.

Well, since I moved into this house (nearly 11 years ago), I've always had my room in the basement. It's damned cold down here. The floor is cold to the touch all year round and even with heat, it get's cold fast when the furnace turns off. After a while, I got used to the cold. Sitting in nothing but underwear in the cold room. Been so for years now. Can the body be possibly making up for the cold by producing these brown lipomas to produce heat?

3. I was diagnosed with T1 diabetes at the age of five. My family watched me like a hawk since, making sure I took my insulin every time. My meals were routine and always healthy. Until when I hit my teens, when my junk food intake increased. Sweets, junk, caffeine, etc. Most recently, I haven't been on top of my diabetes, which has led to high sugar levels. This was about the same time I discovered the lipomas multiplying at an alarming rate. Can sugar intake (or a common ingredient in most junk food) be causing the lipomas to multiply and grow?

Also, a few more things I've learned: When the lipoma begins, it will gradually grow up to four times its original size. Once it reaches the maximum size, that's when it divides. Lipomas will never decrease in number, but can stay or even multiply, in my case. Surgery will remove them, such as an incision or liposuction, but they will regrow until we find the source of their growth.

Also, exercise is very healthy, considering that adipose tissue's main role is to store energy as fat. Burn excess energy (possibly created by sugar intake) as often as you can or else it'll be "stored" as a lipoma (This is just an assumption, no facts guaranteed).

Thank you for your time and hope this enlightened you in some way. Let's do this together if the doctors won't make the extra effort. --Chris

my stomach was full of them. i had a plastic surgeon tell me me she could lipo them out and a month later I'm in surgery getting ready to be put under and the plastic surgeon said the lipo wouldn't work, she said she would cut them out individually. i said i didn't want all of the scars. i asked her why wasn't i told earlier? i scheduled a vacation to to recover from the surgery.

she finally cut me open under my naval and cut out each one from the inside. she said the insurance would pay her $10.00 for each one, she wasn't a happy surgeon.

i couldn't move for about three days due to the surgery. she had to cut layers of fat away to get to the lipomas. --lypoma in texas

I am a 45 year old female, and first noticed a lump on my right shoulder and neck area about three or four years ago.

At first I thought is was an overdeveloped muscle due to completely renovating two old houses, lots of lifting of various tools above my head, and then scraping, sanding and priming and painting. I tried to use my left arm as well, but being right handed, I mostly used my right arm.

My yoga teacher/massage therapist told me that it was not a muscle when I complained of itchiness, and suggested having it checked out. I finally did have it looked at after living with it for these past two or three years until it recently flared up again. The pain is like a deep dull ache as one person already described.

It seems to have grown, at least 5 cm by about 2 or 3 cm. I just had an ultrasound and then saw a general practitioner and it was diagnosed as a lipoma.

My doctor just referred me to general surgery for removal, as it is "huge" in her words, and it is causing me decreased range of motion and pain at times.

I know of no one in my family with these so heredity is an unknown factor for me. Trauma and/or overuse is something I have suspected. I have never taken in protein or weight supplements. And I have never liked sugared drinks, sodas, fast food or that sort of thing. I do eat a lot of carbohydrates, and have a sweet tooth, eating mostly pastries, cookies, chocolate, etc. when I indulge, so if sugar is a factor in accelerating their growth, I have that challenge. My cholesterol levels have always been in the healthy range. I've also had a healthy weight most of my life, with my biggest weight gain of about 15 to 20 lbs happening in the last three or four years but it was mostly after I noticed the lump/lipoma.

I'm mostly curious to hear more about the chewing of cinnamon. I've read about the health benefits of cinnamon. How to you 'chew' on it? Do you just put say a teaspoon of powder in your mouth and really chew on it? Or do you chew on cinnamon sticks?

I will also research the beta question that someone suggested, as well as visit my naturopath/homeopath, and perhaps an acupuncturist as well. I plan to talk to the general surgeon and perhaps a plastic surgeon, but I am now concerned about them growing back or spreading. I believe in dealing with the root cause whenever possible, and not just treating the symptom so it does not really surprise me that they might grow back after having one removed.

I feel for you all that have multiple lipomas, even into the hundreds. Thank you for the financial info on removal. Folks have mentioned from $100 to about $300 or maybe even $500 per removal. I have just one, so if a plastic surgeon will remove it for just $500 I will save that and suck it up. I hope my insurance will cover it. We'll see.

I'll keep you posted and keep the ideas coming for possible treatments.

I am 30 year old man and I work out regularly. I have been working out regularly from the past seven years and planning to go for competitions soon. But, I have got more than 20 lipomas around my biceps, forearms, abdomen and thighs. I am feeling really awkward and low in confidence. I understand that there is no cure for this except a surgery.

But I want to understand if workouts would increase the number of Lipomas? Please, please, please help me.

Also, a very humble request to all the doctors across the world: please, please, please come up with a permanent cure for this problem. We are all fed up with these lipomas.

Like others have said, we need to come together and solve this mystery. I am a 28 year old male with at least 30 lipomas. I am sick of them and worry I will eventually be one big lump. There is a cause and if doctors won't figure it out, we have to. If it is hereditary, our children and grandchildren can also suffer as we do.

Let's find our similarities and narrow down the causes. I am not related to anybody else who posted on this website, so there is more to it than genetics. I did smoke cigarettes and pot but have recently quit both. My cholesterol levels are slightly high. I have consumed a fair amount of alcohol. I ate a pretty poor diet growing up. We can fix this but we need to find what we all have in common and do it ourselves. I am ready and willing. Are you?

@anon160527: You just mentioned about aspartame and it hit me. I'm one of the guys who had lipomas after working out and growing fast in two years. The thing is i always tried to avoid aspartame consumption. But the sport food (protein, but mostly gainer shakes) oftentimes have aspartame. Indeed, this can be a possible reason why I got multiple lipomas.

Also I've been saying about cinnamon. I've munched on it for two months, one teaspoon two or three times a day. I can say that some lipomas got smaller, some got softer and they don't hurt. But I also was dieting and eating almost no sugars. I can say this was difficult (you get depressed without sugars, mood changes, you get tired very fast) but i think it was worth it. Bad news - none of the lipomas disappeared. Yup, they don't hurt, got smaller but they are still there.

"......I've notice here in my left quadrant abdomen a soft tissue."

I have one, too. It's like a big, soft lump on my left side, just under my ribcage. I had an ultrasound, and it is a deep tissue lipoma. Again, not to worry; it will grow to a certain size and stop.

I have been getting these since my teens. I am 50 now, and have quite a few lipomas. I consider myself healthy. Best thing is not to worry. If one hurts, get it removed, but they are harmless.

On the bright side, the older you get (towards 60), the less lipomas will grow.

I've notice here in my left quadrant abdomen a soft tissue. i have not had an ultrasound yet. do you think it is a sign of lipoma? I've checked with my doctor and he said it might a be a lipoma. I'm scared.

I too, have a lipoma. it is about 13cm long it is above my left hip and i am getting it removed. i also think it came about from drinking diet coke. I really hope it will be the only one i get.

I have a large soft mass on the inner thigh. It moves easily and lately has a burning sensation in it. Seems to be growing fast. I can't tell if it has fluid in it or not. Wondering if this could be a lipoma?

I have a number of lipomas on my body: upper abdominal, left forearm, right forearm, right bicep, right thigh! after reading the comments here i can see that a lot of people were using whey protein shakes.

after a lot of research i believe lipomas to be caused by aspartame! Aspartame mimics a protein but the body cannot process it. it is in many types of diet foods and drinks. I used to drink quite a lot of diet coke, and after about six months i noticed the lipomas!

Most whey proteins have aspartame in them. Check labels for the contents and a phenanylene warning!

I put it down to this because when i used to drink the diet coke my lipomas would itch and start to swell.

after a few months of not touching aspartame they have started to go down. hope that helps people. much love.

Just had lipoma surgery, had three removed and all went well. The biggest pain was the needle used for the local anesthesia. It took doctor about an hour. Most of the pain comes from the swelling after, and the first night it was hard to sleep, but I took some advil and that helped.

Doctor told me not to work out on lower body for approx two weeks. Today they use dissolving stitches so it's good not to have to go back. I'm surprised they didn't mention the leg area in the article because that is where mine were on both legs. If you notice most bodybuilders when performing squats have these on their legs, it's quite common.

I decided to have mine removed because when i worked out they were noticeable. Personally If you're not happy with the way they look I'd remove them. Why would anyone want a growth inside their body whether its dangerous or not? Surgery is about an hour for three. If you just have one, it will probably take the doctor 20 minutes. Yes, recovery always stinks, but I'll be happy this summer when I'm wearing my shorts. Take care everyone, happy health!

I am a 42 year old male. Since my childhood i have many lipomas. All are on on both hands and both fore thighs. The sizes very, from small to bigger than 4-5 cms. I have no pains or other issues. I don't want to remove them surgically, as having more than 50 will be too expensive, as well as too many scars after surgery.

All doctors i visited advised to live with them as it is. Does anyone know any solution? Any results available from those who tried Beta Glucan as i read here?

I had a lipoma on my upper left medial back. It was removed five years ago, and it was benign. I had another grow back around three inches long, and a small one next to it.

The plastic surgeon sent it to pathology and found out the three inch one is a malignant liposarcoma. Said it was rare to come back malignant and that it must have been malignant the first time.

I'm going to have it removed by an oncology surgeon, and he will scoop all the contaminated cells and have me in the hospital overnight. I will need radiation treatment afterward. No chemo necessary for liposarcoma. Am I doing the right thing?

i am a young boy only 23. i am having many of lipomas in my biceps, fore arms, abdomen, thighs. i consulted my doctor he said no problem but i can't live as normal. I am, not able to wear my half hand shirt and feel guilty to stand in front of others. i don't know how the problem gets cured.

I have a lump on the back of my neck at C7. I took my MRI films to a spine specialist who said that he couldn't see anything on the MRI, but he believed it was a lipoma. I was then referred to a plastic surgeon to have it removed, but he wouldn't touch it without an MRI that showed what the mass is.

We had the radiologist review the films again, and as far as he was concerned there is no mass there at all! Ridiculous considering that my GP, a spine doc and a plastic surgeon all feel the lump. So do I. Does anyone know why lipomas don't show on MRI?

I have a lipoma at the bottom of my rib cage. it is causing me a lot of pain and when i went to the doctor she said it was around my liver. can that cause problems? since i have found it, my stomach is on fire and it feels like my ribs are pushing into it. I'm 18 and this is my first one.

I am a 51 year old female who had a teeny tiny lipoma removed from my back several years ago. It was causing back pain and i had a general surgeon remove it under local anesthesia.

He didn't send it to pathology as he didn't think it needed it. The pain is back and is worse than ever before. In addition, my abdomen exactly opposite the lipoma on my back is numb. This is really terrifying. In addition to the pain it itches horribly. The pain and itching wake me up at night. The only thing that helps is a heating pad. I don't have insurance right now but I will have soon. Any advice? --queenie in SW Fla

From my experience, I would suggest you have an MRI,

as an ultrasound is not always reliable as it is hand held and is subjective, depending on the person who does it.

I have had over 10 lipomas removed. I am still finding more. I am pretty active and not overweight. How do you get rid of these things?

I've read all your posts and want to share what my doctor said could be the cause. i have around 20 lipomas on my body.

my doctor said he believes it's to do with your lifestyle he said firstly eating a lot of fatty food, like takeout fish and chips, etc., don't help, so you need to have a healthy diet and regular exercise. go to the gym 3 times a week, maybe play some sort of sport once or twice a week and stay active and you won't have them. it does make sense has they are called fatty lumps.

I am 28 years old. i first discovered my first lipoma on my stomach when i was 18. i now have multiple lipomas on my legs and back. i have had 10 removed so far. Going to go for more. Please, doctors: find a cure for lipoma!

There seems to be a genetic link as my father and brothers have had a few removed that were a nuisance. Years ago when my father first talked to his doctor (I'm from New Zealand) he said they were common in the local Maori population and also in Vietnam vets. I also had a couple come up and have found some success in decreasing the size of them.

Fortunately, my wife is a Lymphatic Enhancement Technology therapist (look it up) and is treating them. While the lumps have not yet gone, they are certainly softening and shrinking in size. I expect over time, with continued treatment, they will go.

I am 48 years old and found my first lump when I was 46 in the middle of my back. It was hard for me to turn and my back was very swollen on one side.

I went to a physician and was told, "Yes, you do have a very large lipoma in the center of your back and we can take it out if you are having problems with it."

I was having pain going down my legs and it was hard to walk. I had two removed and within two weeks another surfaced. I underwent surgery again and he removed four more.

It is now over three months since my surgery and I have another one just below my surgery area from before. This is very hard breaking and I don't know about some of the others but my are tender to touch even. I have been reading for answers.

My father's ct scan report says:

Pplain axial ct sections of the brain have been obtained using 3 and 5mms silce thickness from the base skull ti the vertex.

the study reveals the following Features:

1) Mild age related prominence of cerebellar folia and csf spaces is seen. ventricular system exhibits normal appearance.

2) Fat attenuation left fronto parietal hypodense lesion in the scalp tissue as described is likely to represent a lipoma. thr no intracranial extension of lesion. --varsha

I developed a lipoma on my forearm in my late teens and left it there for about 10 years before removing it - it was only about 1 inch long upon removal. About six years ago i had major surgery for a digestive disorder (which was cured as a result of the surgery) but shortly thereafter noticed lipomas appearing.

Mine are all small, but some are around my mid section and are very sensitive when touched (may be close to a nerve). after my surgery six years ago, i lost about 10 kgs (18 pounds). i wonder if the olympics were always there and juts became more obvious when i lost weight? Also, there seems to be some support for lipomas occurring as a result of trauma, which may also be what happened in my case.

I have had a few removed, and am now considering having the others on my mid section removed as they cause a little discomfort, but after reading all of your comments, am concerned they may just multiply and recur.

Either way, if they grew to a size that was visible, I'd have them removed - a scar is nothing compared to the discomfort and mental anguish they may be causing.

I live in Ontario Canada. I discovered two lipomas on my lower back after being diagnosed with kidney cancer. That was eight years ago. About four years ago I had the two lipomas removed from my back which was tolerable. I also have one in my left breast which does not hurt. During the past year I have noticed lipomas all over my body now.

The one under my rib hurts when I sleep and I have one under the arch of my left foot that is now affecting my walking. Can't stand on my tip toes anymore and can't run. I am 59 years old now and I'm 90 lbs overweight which my doctor says is the cause.

I am seeing him on the 10th to have the one under arch of my foot and under my rib removed. Will keep in touch.

I was told by my chiropractor that I have a lipoma on my neck. I was wondering if the growth of it could cause neurological problems with it being so close to my spine and skull. I have other medical conditions but, even with treatment, I am experiencing symptoms that have affected my way of life.

I have rather bad dizzy spells, my head is pretty cloudy all the time, and usually vomit from the nausea it gives me. I have had to stop working. Can someone rule out the lipoma and maybe have suggestions of what's wrong with me?

I have a lipoma on my left eye for years and I'm now 20 years old. Should i get it removed or can it cause any complications afterward?

RuthMattson - Lipomas can be caused by trauma. I know quite a few bodybuilders and boxers who have them, including myself. So, in your brother's situation, my guess would be the lipomas were caused by trauma. If the ones in his back are causing him pain, then he should get them removed. I am not sure if insurance will cover all of the removals, but I know they will at least cover 1-2 lipomas.

The ones on his forearms should probably be left alone since they're sending sensations to his fingers. This means it's on or close to a nerve, which could lead to severe nerve damage, loss of motion etc. However, if they're growing or extremely painful then in my opinion I'd get them taken out.

The most important thing to do when dealing with removing lipomas located on or close to nerves is to find a doctor with a ton of experience in this. Most plastic surgeons will perform this procedure easily, but some other MDs may not have too much experience with lipomas. Shop around for doctors.

I am getting all six of my lipomas removed from a plastic surgeon (three on right forearm, two on left forearm, one on tricep and they're no bigger than 1cm). Prices vary from state to state, but I estimate it would be no more than $500/lipoma, and if insurance covers then much less than that. Hope this helps.

Also, Beta Glucan, which is an immunity cleanser has helped me. I have not grown any new lipomas and the ones I have are getting so small. I take 200-400mg/day. It's pretty cheap too.

I am a 21 year old male and discovered my first lipoma at the age of 18. I was a skinny taller kid at 16 and got into bodybuilding. I went from 6'1 160 lbs to 6'1 220 lbs. in just a few months. I consumed many weight gainer shakes, whey protein shakes (at least 3-4/day) and bodybuilding supplements.

I did finally notice a lipoma when I was 18 when I lost 20 lbs. I think I got the lipomas from too much protein, trauma (boxing as well), and genetics. Then I dropped more weight purposely and am currently around 180 lbs.

I found more lipomas as I kept losing the weight (which were hidden by fat). I have three lipomas in my right forearm, two in my left forearm and one below my left tricep. They are real small and no bigger than .75-1 cm. No one can see them but me, but I still want them out. I am getting them removed by a plastic surgeon next month.

All in all, I think it can be a combination of things that cause lipomas. I believe it is hereditary to an extent. My grandmother has quite a few, but my dad doesn't nor do my siblings. My cousin has had his already removed.

Read this though: I started taking Beta Glucan, which is an immunity cleanser 200mg-400mg/day for the past few months and no new lipomas have shown up, and the six small lipomas I have are shrinking. I can only imagine the damage I've done to my liver and kidneys from years of stacking bodybuilding supps and tons of protein shakes.

I'm still getting the lipomas removed though. The price is $350/lipoma and most plastic surgeons don't take insurance so it's coming out of my pocket.

My advice for someone with lipomas is to at least try Beta Glucan or some sort of cleanser. If you have lipomas and take protein shakes and supps, cut back on them or cut them out altogether. They may not affect most people, but people with lipomas in my opinion will develop more with the use of protein shakes.

A healthy diet is essential to an extent. I don't know if consuming sugar is bad for lipomas or not, but I can tell you this: watch your protein intake in meats. While I was cutting (shredding weight for bodybuilding purposes), I ate a high protein diet. I regret it. Up the veggies especially the greens and consume more healthy carbs (brown rice, wheat pasta, wheat bread) rather than overpowering a meal with a huge steak because carbohydrates break down quicker and easier, while protein can take up to days to breakdown and can turn to fat easily.

Summarized: Beta Glucan 200-400mg/day to stop lipoma growth (it works for me), and eat more carbs and veggies than protein.

i have three lipomas in my back like small bean seeds, but it is neither painful nor does it cause discomfort, but the only problem is i am feeling uneasy during changing clothes and bathing. please give me a solution on how to get rid of these lipomas without surgery. i am 23 years old. Three years back these lipomas appeared.

I've read theories which stated lipomas are a sign that your endocrine system is failing to properly remove some sort of unwanted material, so the body encapsulates said material in fat cells and pushes it out toward the skin.

I believe my lipoma is a result of an infection in my jaw bone that has cycled through periods of dormancy and activity. My one lipoma gets larger and changes shape when the infection flares up, as if it's being added to by newly encapsulated infectious cells. I plan to have the massive dental work to ensure the infection is removed, then I'll have my lipoma removed. The infection theory is interesting and worth researching.

I started noticing lipomas in my arms when i would work out on a daily bases, then i had about 45 removed when i was 25 years of age. it's a scary feeling to think these things take over our bodies. i would love to see how many of use are out there suffering from these things.

does anyone know if these lipomas are something to worry about, as my husband went to the doctors and got him to look at the lumps he had and the doctor said don't worry --it's only cancer.

can someone please tell me if i have something to worry about.

Those of you with lipomas that ache and hurt should research Dercum's Disease. It is a disease that causes painful lipomas all over the body that ache, throb and sting. It can also cause weight gain, fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint pain. If you are having any of these, please do the research.

I have around 20 on my upper body and have just had 1 removed (today) from my right side as this was starting to grow rapidly it was way bigger than I thought when it came out, I started noticing mine around four years ago.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with lipomas. It's great to know I'm not alone. I am a 19 year old female of average weight and got my first lipoma near my left breast, then it spread to my cleavage area when I was 12 years old.

When I was 15, the lipoma started developing again but this time, on my back. Over the course of four years, I have developed five on my back and I feel one growing on each of my shoulder blades.

I am of asian descent and none of my inner family members such as my uncles, aunts, parents or cousins have this problem (all with variable body shapes and sizes). It is only my elder cousin who is slightly overweight in his early thirties that have a few on his chest but seems to have stopped growing since.

What I have noticed though, is that in recent years, my cousin and I has put on a little weight (approx 10 pounds). Not sure if that would be much help though.

Hopefully my experience can help anyone out with their research. Cheers.

@Joan Marie: Wait. I'm really confused. Was your lipoma 237 g? I'm not sure because you never seemed to specify. Could you please remind me how big it was?

I was reading through all of the posts. I went to the emergency room about two months ago with a severe back pain. The doctor noticed a lump the size of a tennis ball just over my spine near the top part of my back.

He then, running no tests of any kind, stated that I had what was called lipoma, and that it shouldn't be causing any pain, stating that they are painless. Since then, it has grown about 3-5 cm, and now is closer to the neck. I am in constant pain every day, barely being able to get out of bed, but I have to, due to my job and a family to support. What should I do?

I just want to live my daily life pain free. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I have a lipoma over my right anterior scapula. It appeared shortly after lifting a heavy object overhead, at which time there was a pop followed by swelling. At the time I iced the area and rested. It has been eight years now and it has grown very little and is not painful. I am looking at options for removal with no scarring.

I had a lipoma removed from my left side (upper rib cage near my underarm). Then I had one removed from my underarm area that path concluded was a liposarcoma, however a confirmation from the Mayo Clinic indicated it was just a lipoma.

During this surgery, I also had several lymph nodes removed (~4). The second lipoma was quite deep and "embedded" into the tissue - a fairly lengthy surgery. I am beginning to have nerve pain in the under arm area again, with no nodes or tumors palpable. However the pain, which actually feels like a fire brand placed on the skin in this area, has me a bit concerned. What are the chances of a liposarcoma developing out of this lipoma? Thanks to all for future comments. Live well! --Fritz

I have lipoma on my back, discovered yesterday. It is the size of an egg yolk. I think any odd cellular division is usually caused by something, because the cells have lost their way for some reason. Just because they don't know, doesn't mean it has no cause.

I used to go to a naturopath. I sent my boss's daughter there the day before she had surgery. She probably had 50 growths on each leg. She was only 15 years old.

Not 100 percent that they were lipomas, nevertheless, they were benign and unsightly. Had she had them removed, because the medical establishment doesn't bother with cause, they would have grown back.

The naturopath used magnets, and treated her stomach, finding she had stomach issues. Once the stomach issues were regulated with supplements, the growths simply disappeared!

I found my first lipoma when I was 17. I am now 38 years old, female and I have so many all over my thighs, hip, lower back and arms. Many in my hip and thighs are causing me pain. I am a healthy weight. I work out and eat a well balanced diet. I am trying to avoid surgical removal of them but I just can't take the pain anymore.

This message is for anon106525. I'm the guy that developed lipomas while working out and quickly gaining mass.

The main problem with lipomas is not cutting them out. The problem is that they keep coming back and multiply and also no one knows what causes them and how to cure them. Check the comments below, there are people who removed like dozens of them at a time and then new ones have formed.

By the way i lost some weight, and was munching on cinnamon for a month. Lipomas became smaller and now they don't hurt that much. Will continue my research.

Good luck to all!

I have been dealing with this problem for years. I have had numerous lipomas cut out but they always seem to grow back. I have noticed with losing weight they seem to shrink a bit. Has anyone ever had any experience with liposuction? Any places that do massive cutouts? Thanks for any help!

I am a 27 year old male and have lipomas all over my body. I have had these for more than six or seven years now. When I showed them to numerous doctors, I was told these are benign and I shouldn't worry about them until they are bothering me.

I was fine with it. But recently couple of lipomas have grown on my left forearm in the last 6 six months and I have started feeling numbness in those areas. I again went to a different doctor here and was told that these are benign and the cause may be genetic. When I asked if these are occurring due to my food habits, he disregarded it and stated the only solution to this is removing them through a small in-clinic surgery.

I asked him if it can grow again from the same spot, and he stated that if the lipoma is deep enough in the muscle, it may come back at the same spot or around it.

I am confused and I am unable to decide if should I remove these or should I just ignore them? Please help. --Sunny

My son was told by the doctor that they were just cysts, but two years later heaps more grew (started with around 9 and now has about 25). He has just had 14 removed and some of the originals had trebled in size. Only by his insistence we found out that he had a lipoma.

My reason for this post is I read another post (anon91549 by a young man that was bodybuilding and taking protein shakes.) Well, this is exactly what my son was doing when we/he noticed these cysts developing.

He developed heaps of muscle mass (no fat) and when he was cut we noticed these "things" popping out of his skin. He was quite lean before bodybuilding and he never had a problem.

I suspect that there is a correlation between the increased protein or whatever is in these shakes. By the way, the procedure was not that invasive -- only a 5-10mm cut and then they sort of mince them up and suck them out. Don't pay any attention to the "slicing open pictures". I suspect when my son heals you will be lucky to see the little nicks in his skin.

I am a 56 year old male. at the age of 18 I had a small fatty tumor removed from my right fore arm. after further examination, they took a full body x ray and found a large, fatty tumor (lipoma) next to my left lung near my heart, and they removed it. it was the size of a peach. I now have a lot of these fatty lipomas all over my body. some are hard and some are soft.

I've just been to the hospital today about a lump on my left shoulder near the blade.

The doctors say I need an ultrasound scan and then they will remove it. it is about 10 inches so I will have big scar but the doc said it could return and get infected. I have a dull ache down my arm and neck and not even sure they will go.

I'm now 50/50 on what to do. i cover up at the moment, all the time when I go out. I'm not sure what to do. it is big and ugly and when I get older I don't want it to cause me any bother so it's deciding whether keep it or have the scar. I think mine has gotten bigger since I first noticed it. I've had it for three years now. I'll keep you posted when I decide what to do. --jane p.

I' m a 16 year old girl, and a few weeks ago I noticed a small squishy lump on my back. It is about the size of a dime and can move around if I press on it. It hasn't really caused me any pain but it is worrying me some. I haven't seen a doctor yet, but I think it could be a lipoma. Does it sound like one? - Lindsay

I have what we think is a lipoma on my upper back near the base of the neck. It seems to be a little bigger than a golf ball and sort of flat and soft. It aches some and seems to be inflamed.

It has been a knot on the back of my neck for about a year, but I have only recently noticed any pain from it. While driving I even experienced a little numbness in my neck and lower head. I think it is pressing on a nerve, which may cause this.

Tomorrow I have to get an ultrasound because I hate MRI's and have claustrophobia really bad. I am planning on getting it removed, but was wondering if I would need a neurologist to do this since it is located so close to my spine. I originally went to see an Orthopedic a few days ago and he is the one who was 80 percent sure it was a lipoma. He is a good doctor.

I just wonder what kind of doctor would be best to use for the removal of it. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Some of you that say all you have to do is go to a surgeon and say they hurt and they will just remove them, all I can say to you is that you are wrong! My son has a lipoma along his lumbar region, I believe from L3-L7.

His case was presented in front of a neurosurgeon and his problems and the surgeon would not even think about removing it. So now I don't know what to do about it. The neurologist we saw was a jackass. It was like he was afraid of my son (my son has complex special needs, 25 different medical diagnoses).

I am a 42 year old female and have had small lipomas since i was 15. I had a few removed in my late twenties and as i hit my late 30s i seemed to get a lot more. My mother also has lipomas.

Two months ago i was shocked to find a giant lipoma at the back of my thigh and it was the size of a watermelon! how did i miss it? The tumour was pre-cancerous and made up of just fatty tissue. I now have a scar from my knee to my bottom and will be off work for months. I now intend on having every single lipoma removed from my body as i would rather have the scars.

It costs about $100 in the US - I'm getting one removed in a week.

well ladies and gentlemen, first i would like to say that i appreciate all the help and comments that you guys wrote. secondly, to all those who had them removed in the united states, i was curious to know how much it costs. i really hate having them and i want to get rid of them. thank you.

I have many lipomas on my arm and back only. My family doctor said don't do anything. If you remove it there will be more. Don't know what to do.

I am 25 and have almost 30 small lipomas on my stomach, ribs, lower back and arms. These things are literally ruining my life and have made me extremely depressed.

My personal research (I spend hours every day looking for a solution) has revealed several possible treatment methods:

Direct excision; injection lipolysis (phosphatidylcholine, deoxycholate, etc.); laser lipolysis and endoscopic removal.

For most of us with multiple lipomas, direct excision is not cosmetically acceptable and merely replaces one disfigurement with another (something that plastic surgeons of all people seem to not understand). I tried three rounds of injection lipolysis on several lipomas with the pioneer of the technique but it did not work (only reduced one lipoma slightly).

Recently, several articles have reported successfully using a subdermal Nd:YAG laser to ablate lipomas (a 1mm incision is made above each lipoma) (see Goldman, 2009 and Saluja, 2010). However, there are concerns that some lipomatous cells are left in situ and could form new lesions.

Our best hope with currently available technology may lie in refining subcutaneous endoscopic techniques where they can be pulled out of the belly button and incisions can be hidden in the natural creases of the body (current limitations are lengthy operating times and the preference to use general anesthesia). On the horizon: In two years (2012) clinical trials begin for scarless healing nanosheets which could potentially enable cosmetically acceptable direct excision, and even farther out may be injection of gold nanomaterials into the lipoma and then noninvasive laser irradiation (this has already proven extremely effective in small animal models, but it is primarily being researched for cancer and could be a long time before this would be clinically available for the purpose of treating lipomas).

As someone mentioned below, what we need to do is form a foundation and pool all of our resources and secure funding to invest in technologies that could save us. If we did it right, it may only be a few (under five years) and we could all be free.

My doctor says I have a lipoma in my left side, a few inches above my hip. I went because I kept getting this "shocking" pain in that spot. It literally feels like I am being "zapped" and makes me cry out when it happens. I wonder if it is near a nerve. This is the only thing I can think of that would cause that type of feeling.

I have had a lipoma in my left thigh removed with no problems and now I have one in my right cheek that you can notice. It hurts upon palpation and I am having it removed tomorrow under general at local hospital.

I had all the tests done and the doctor says it is just a lipoma, but I requested that it come out because I have a history of breast cancer and I just want to make sure.

I've just read the comment from anon89757 - and it struck me. My lipomas appeared after I gained a lot of weight. I started bodybuilding at 63 kilos and ended up 85 kilos in about two years. I was taking a lot of proteins, gainers and amino acids. Then at some moment, i noticed those lipomas. And ever since I've been asking myself whether or not they are related to gaining weight and proteins/gainers.

Honestly, I think in my case i was predisposed, but I'm pretty sure that taking protein shakes sped up their development. Why? Well those powders usually contain sugars too, because you need them and as i mentioned in one of my comments below, i think sweet stuff makes them grow.

So i'd be very careful with proteins. I bet they won't hurt 99 percent of the population, but the 1 percent who is predisposed like me can get it.

I am a male and started having lipomas removed when I was 35 and again when I was 45. The first time it was 178 and the second time it was 155. It's almost bizarre how fast they grow and how big these things can get.

I am now 53 and probably have another 100 or so of these things that I want to have taken off. Most are small, but some on the back of my arms are getting quite large. I usually wear long sleeved shirts because they are extremely noticeable.

The only pain I've ever had is when they grow around my wrists or elbows. The ones on my thighs and torso are just as unsightly but have never caused pain.

I also have been told it's genetic, although my parents or siblings don't suffer from this.

I did have surgery and chemo for cancer when I was 32. Related?

i've got around 60 or so lipomas varying from 6cm in diameter to very tiny ones all over my body. They're mainly centred around the lower torso, hips and arms. i'm male 22 years of age and i think i found my first lipoma when i was four. I have found some research papers about treating gliomas with phosphatidylcholine and some others using steroids. just wondering if anyone here has had those treatments.

I am 22 years old and suffering from same problem. I have more than 100 lipomas on my body almost everywhere: arms, legs, stomach, back and still don't know where they still could be.

I stated having this problem after taking body building proteins. i was a skinny guy and took mass gainer to built up my body. at the end i did increase my body weight from 50 ks to 65 kgs, but from last year i started discovering this problem on my body and some lipomas on nerves do hurt. It's very frustrating and the worst thing is there is no treatment. My doctor has taken one out to do a biopsy and find out what it was and it was a lipoma only, and he said there is no treatment for it except surgery.

i wish i hadn't taken protein and remained skinny but without any frustration and depression. i would be more happy.

so guys, be careful when you take protein. It can also cause them. if someone has any suggestions, please let me know. thanks

I had a 13.5 x 5.0 x 2.0 cm benign tumor removed last month. It was ugly on my upper arm. Insurance covered it. It never hurt and is healing nicely. I recommend it if you also have a big ugly one. No one really knows for sure if it is benign or not until it is taken out and analyzed.

I'm a 16 year old girl and I have recently been diagnosed with an eight inch wide lipoma on my upper left shoulder blade. I am a high school varsity cheerleader and when I do a lot of stunting it starts to throb excessively. I do also eat a lot of sugar and always have. I hope this helps some with the research.

are lipomas considered an ill health condition if someone wants to join army?

I have several lipomas too. Some I don't bother me but others are a bit painful.

I have a feeling that eating a lot of sweet things (candies, cookies, etc) makes them grow. Not 100 percent sure but I think that they are appearing because of the way we eat. I think they are somehow related to sugar and cholesterol levels in our blood.

I also heard that munching on cinnamon powder helps treat them. And cinnamon helps to regulate cholesterol, lipids and sugar levels in human body.

Also, I'm not sure what I did, but one of those lipomas disappeared from my right arm. I think it can be related that i was doing some cleaning of the internal organs at that time.

I've been reading through the comments here and i plan on doing the following things:

1. No alcohol and smoking; 2. Smaller amounts of sweet stuff (sugar, candies, sodas); 3. I eat cinnamon powder everyday - 3-4 spoons a day; 4. Plan on cleaning internal organs (special diets, cleaning liver, etc).

And I will see how it goes. Good luck to everyone in fighting this sickness. I'm tired of it.

i am having a lipoma removed tomorrow. like some people posted, no one in my family has them. mine appeared on my left upper abdomen, right on my diaphragm. it does not hurt unless i press on it.

The only concern i have is that i have had three doctors look at it and none of them did any type of test or scan or anything; they all just said it was a lipoma.

so I am having it removed tomorrow even though no ct scan or mri was done. I am kind of worried.

I have had 98 lipomas removed in two lots of about 45 each time. They started to appear when I was about 35 years old (male) and was doing gym work.

It seems that whenever I took Vitamen B Complex, they would start to appear (I would find an itchy area on my arms or trunk, or upper legs).

I am now 58 and have developed another six or so since the last removal nine years ago in 2001. I found one on the inner side of my knee joint, and it gets caught in the joint sometimes - painful. Have had x-ray, now need ultrasound. Hope this helps. Graham

I just found out that I have a lipoma on the septum in my heart. I have had a stress echo,

MRI and a CT scan. Next I will have PET scan.

I have no idea how to eradicate one in the heart.

I am 33 years old. I have had about 24 lipomas removed from my body starting at age 26. All you have to do is go to the doctor and say that they hurt, then they will be covered by insurance 100 percent. I personally cannot live with them under my skin, and I get freaked out every time i find a new one.

Don't laugh but I think i am allergic to taylor ham. If i stop eating it i seem not to grow any more lipomas, but if i start eating taylor ham every day for breakfast i seem to start growing them.

Anyway, for people out there who have them, just go to a regular surgeon and tell him that they hurt and you want them removed. What do you have health insurance for?

I'm 29 and have 20 limpomas all together on both of my arms and 4 on my chest. There are two smaller ones under my heart area (this is scary). I'm going to get a CT scan and get medical attention. My dad has multiple limpomas as well, but he's 76! Sure hope someone finds a way to prevent them.

I had a Lipoma removed today - and thankfully it is out - felt like having a tooth out - felt a lot of prodding - and feels better already. The anesthetic was the only thing that really hurt. Amazing surgeons I had at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. Thank you!

I have had a soft, golf ball size lump in my upper abdomen, slightly to the right of midline for 1-2 weeks. It is sometimes painful and sometimes itches. I have no rash. Wonder if I should have it surgically removed?

I am a 28 year old female who noticed a large, hard mass in my chest cavity. i went to the emergency room and after a ct scan they diagnosed it as a lipoma. it is uncomfortable and about the size of a golf ball.

to all the others who have had lipomas, how did yours feel? i am a nursing student and everything that i have learned about them doesn't fit my signs and symptoms.

I have had a suddenly appearing rather large mass under my ribs, and they've called it a lipoma and a benign lymphoma. This is all been determined by ultrasound alone.

Suggestions of what to ask for. They don't want to biopsy it. They say its so big they could miss portions. Not super painful but uncomfortable. It feels very full on the inside but the outside the ultrasound showed 5 x 1.3 x 1.3 Any advice? Never had anything like this before?

thanks for the help. i have asked my doctors but the good lord who will help me and help everybody. thanks for all the advice. my lord will help me all the way. i keep telling my doctors but she said nothing wrong just a fatty tumor but now it needs to be removed. thanks.

All lipoma-tumor sufferers.

I had lipoma-tumors as well and my last operation was last year. From than no further lipoma could be detected.

I think if we get together as an example of lipoma-tumor sufferers worldwide, we can approach more open ears than any individual can. Please think about this and let me know.

Particularly, when we get information from around the globe, we would be able to bring our problem as it is a a disease and we can that accepted as such and not that lipoma-tumor is a cosmetic problem! Regards, Klaus

i have also problems with lipoma, with about more than 50 lipomas in my body.

I tried to remove it by using ayurvedic treatment. i say to doctors you will try to find out treatment of lipoma.

What food should person who had lipomas avoid?

My husband has about 10 lipomas on his arms and thigh. Doctor said it isn't necessary to remove them. After reading through all your comments, i don't find any advice of the nutrition regime. What food should person who has lipomas avoid?

Hanna

I have read all the comments posted, and none are like mine. I have two lipomas one on each foot right in the middle of my arch, I am going to a foot specialist next week. Don't know what will happen.

Thank you, there are so many resources that people don't know about. I ask a lot of questions. joan marie

You must be a great help to so many people, joan. carry on the good advice.

Drew, when I was unemployed I went to the Department of Children and Families and got my hospital and subsequent doctor bills paid in full. It's called Aid for the Medically Needy in Florida. I am now on permanent disability, medicare, and medicaid.

That still doesn't cover everything, but you may want to check with your local offices or with the Social Security Administration to see what programs are available. Good luck, joan marie

Joan, it's Drew. I have bad news. I am like so many other Americans in the sense that I am without health care and for that reason I do not have a primary care doctor.

I am also, like many Americans, on unemployment. I served my country though in the Navy (active duty). I wish a president would pass a law that if an American served his/her country they would be covered for the rest of their life. It's the least the government could do for the military personnel, but I don't have health care.

I guess I'll have to live with these little monsters until either they kill me or I get health care.

I am going for an interview tomorrow for the first time in over a year. Finally, someone has gotten back to me, so wish me luck. If I get the job I'll get health care and hopefully be able to have a few bothersome "fatties" removed. Thanks for the response and hope everything works out for you.

Hi Drew, my name is joan marie. I would suggest seeing your primary doctor for a written diagnosis and a referral to a surgeon to have them removed. I had one and it was 237 grams before removal. I will not make the mistake of letting another one get to this point.

Unfortunately, mine started inside and by the time it showed it was a giant lipoma. Get rid of them. Research removal methods on the web. I had to have surgery. Liposuction can remove them. There are alternatives to surgery unless you have more inside than is seen outside. Good luck, joan marie

Hello my name is Drew. I am a 27 year old white male and have about 25 fatty tumors all over from my upper torso to behind my kneecap. They really stink and I would love to get them removed.

It started in 2004 with one and in six years I know have at least 25 visible, maybe more deep underneath.

I don't know what to do because I am sure they will continue to multiply and yeah, the doctors don't have good answers for what to really do with these things!

I have just been diagnosed with lipoma and am having an ultrasound with fine needle aspiration just to make sure it is not liposarcoma. I'll do anything to rid of this damn uncomfortable pain. just to be able to stay asleep without waking in pain.

I can understand your anger. I had a 237 gram one removed from my chest. I will have chronic pain. Now I have one growing on my arm. It is not a contest. Deal with it or you will be miserable for the rest of your life. You should be thankful they are not cancerous.

There are many other people afflicted with worse things. Read some of my posts. This isn't my only chronic disorder. I have Bipolar disorder, Tardive Dyskinesia, Hepatitis C (I cannot take the only medicine on the market for it) and numerous bone problems. Since you choose to post anonymously, I don't know if you are a man or woman, but suck it up. At least you can do something about your non-threatening problem.

I'm afraid I win! I only wish I had the problems you people have with your so-called lipomas.

I have had three removal sessions of multiple lipomas. At least 15 were removed each time.

Now I'm ready to have a repeat surgery to remove these awful things. (I've calculated 150-plus I've had removed or will have.)

They keep on growing. I'm 42 and they started when I was in high school.

Thank you modern medicine! For not taking care of me at all!

When I met my husband he had a lemon sized lump on his abdomen and when i questioned him about it he said it was lipoma and it was just fatty tissue. Until then I had never heard of a lipoma or seen it. A few years later I noticed a small lump on my shoulder just above the blade. Now I can cup the entire lump in my hand.

I'm 52 and I hope to get it removed someday but my question is can lipoma be contagious? No one in my family has it.

I had over 20 removed from inner thigh having more removed because of Dercum's disease. The lipomas are extremely painful.

I had a lipoma removed from my back a few days ago. I had a lipoma for about five years, but it never bothered me but just became an annoyance. I had outpatient surgery at a dermatologist's office with a local admitted to the treated area. It was a large lipoma that i asked to view after surgery and it looked like pieces of steak fat. The surgery took about an hour and was rather sore remainder of day. A couple of days later, I'm feeling much better, having sutures removed next week. Have the lipomas removed; you will be glad you did.

I just had three lipomas removed. The mri didn't show any muscles, of joints problems. My surgery lasted for over three hours.

The larger one was 15 cm,by 11.5 cm and 5.5 cm thick, and I ended up with a drain tube from that one (the drain tube was very painful). The medium sized one was 7 cm, by 5.5 cm and 3.5 cm thick. And the smaller one was only 1.5 cm, by 1cm and .7 cm thick.

And yes, once the surgery started, the larger of the lipomas was attached all over. I am still recovering. My surgery was only a couple of weeks ago. But I am hoping that the pain these lipomas were causing will be gone.

As the pain these were causing before surgery was making it impossible to even sleep. I hope this information helps someone else.

It is irresponsible to tell someone just to go for it. Mine looked minor until they did a ct scan. They ended up removing 237 grams of lipoma from my chest cavity.

There are lipomas and giant lipomas. What is poking out of the skin can just be the top of an iceberg. Office procedures are fine, just make sure you know how big a lipoma you are dealing with. It took a six inch incision to remove mine and it only poked out of my back maybe three quarters of an inch. joan marie

I have had two lipomas removed from my lower back. The first was about 13 years ago and I just got done having a second removed. Both were done in my doctor's office and the medicine they use for the local anesthesia stings, but other than that it was fine. I felt a little tugging, but no real pain.

I list my allergies as pain, needles and dentists, and did just fine, so I would say go for it. It only takes about five to ten minutes.

I have had a severe back ache for a year now and it is getting a lot worse. I'm reading some of these comments and wondering if I might have lipoma. My back looking at it is crooked in a few places and I feel what may be a small bump but my lower back near the tail feels bulging, so maybe swollen?

I saw a chiropractor for three months who did not help me whatsoever. I can't even sleep. It's worse when I am sleeping. My question is, do I go to see a regular family physician or go straight to like a spine specialist? Do they show up on MRI's or on cat scans. I'm getting very concerned about this. I'm only 28 and have two babies. I just can't deal with this pain right now. Any helpful information would be great. Thanks!

I have a lipoma on my back. I want to have it removed seems to be growing it is starting to hurt me when I sit in a hard back chair. It also itches like crazy. Anyone had one on their back removed? How much pain can I expect? I do not do needles. Want to be put under. What I do that?

I also had a lipoma on my left side behind my shoulder blade. It reached 237 grams before it was surgically removed. Don't wait for the pain to become so bad you have to go through what I did. It was terrible and I still suffer repercussions of the operation over a year later.

I have a lipoma on the left said of my shoulder for a couple of years now I had an ultra scan two years ago and was told it was nothing to worry about.

At the time I did not had any pain or discomfort but recently it's grown bigger and more painful and I'm thinking of having it removed but I'm also worried about any scars that will be left visible on my shoulder. Any advice?

I am male 27 years. I had multiple lipomas in my arm, back, thighs and calf. I had them removed last week by surgery. Kindly suggest the way to prevent them developing again in my body.

Waiting for your kind response. Regards, Saqlain

To Anon3941: I have an entrapped nerve due to a poorly executed surgery to remove a giant lipoma. The scar tissue surrounding the nerve receives anti-inflammatory injections every few months with a prescription of 5mg Lortabs in case of a flare up. I cannot tell you whether or not it is the lipoma causing your pain.

In my nonprofessional opinion, I would get an MRI and see a pain management specialist or have an MRI through you primary physician's office. My surgeon butchered me, therefore I will live with this pain for the rest of my life. My new pain management doctor is competent and listens. joan marie

I have a lump protruding from my lower back. It is causing pain and discomfort into my leg at times and I also at times am awaken during the night as if I am being punched in that area or from discomfort from the pressure of laying on it.

Deaf school.

I have had lipomas for the past 26 years, and never really had any trouble with them or pain. they were very small, but started to grow in the last couple of years. Now I'm thinking of having the big ones removed - by liposuction to avoid scars. Any experience out there? I'm female, 42 years.

And yes it's genetic, and yes there is a chance it will re-grow, especially later in life.

Take care.

I just had an abdominal ct scan done and my dr. said it looks like I have a lipoma on my liver but they're ordering an mri just in case. my symptoms were actually like that of gallbladder problems. anyone else have this problem? and has anyone had a lipoma removed from their liver?

I have a couple of lipomas on my right upper arm and few on my stomach. i am getting the feeling that day by day the the number of lipomas looks like it is growing. As per my doctor this looks more like a genetic problem. so is there any way like doing physical exercise or yoga or other things that will help me avoid further increasing of lipomas throughout the body? please share your thoughts on the same.

I'm 19 years old, and I had a lipoma removed when i was in eighth grade from my left lower back. I had it for years before the doctors 'found it' as i thought it was normal. I started to suffer from migraines which they believe is to be from the nerve endings wrapped in the lipoma. Because it is right on my pants line, my pants rub the three-inch scar raw. In 10th grade i was sitting in class when i felt the knot again. The doctor does not want to take it out again, but it causes pain. Sometimes i can barely bend over to wash my face, but it was a little larger then a golf ball and is much smaller now.

KMB: Go to your doctor and tell them you need the results documented by CT scan. A CT scan will pick it up. CT's are expensive, though, so make sure you get it pre-approved by your insurance.

I suggest you take ayurvedic medicines and do yoga regularly. Anil

I had one in my upper right back, right below my neck. I've had neck pain for years. The lump formed a couple of years ago. The doctor said the neck pain would have nothing to do with it. I finally had it removed in the spring of 2008 and had not had pain since. Earlier this summer, I noticed a lump again in the exact same spot. Sure enough, it grew back and guess what? My neck pain is back. It's obviously disturbing enough nerves or space to cause discomfort. I have to call my doctor again to see if I should have another surgery.

This stinks!

I'm having mine removed in November. It's on my right outer thigh. It doesn't hurt or anything but my dermatologist said it's best to remove it so it doesn't grow. I don't know if he was serious or not but he told me I'm going to have a scar for the rest of my life. I'm only 17 so that's way too long to have a scar.

I have a 17 x 17 x 13cm lipoma attached to my liver. I have had the lipoma for 13 years; it has grown larger and it is now rubbing internally on other things causing discomfort. An oncologist, Dr. Carol Swallow at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto will remove the lipoma in January. In addition to removing the discomfort, I guess I'll lose a few pounds.

I have multiple lipomas over my arms (both). My dad had one at his back which was removed and now has another one on his arm. I am the only one in the family having these with my dad. Is this hereditary? -- CDBZib

I have a lipoma between my left shoulder blade the size of a medium apple. it doesn't hurt, but it itches terribly. Does anyone else itch? My doctor can't tell me why it itches so bad. --ber

I know someone who had lipomas start growing since he was 14 and now he is about 27 and he has them all over his body (arms, stomach, thigh, back, shoulder, armpit.). it looks scary. And he says sometimes it hurts and can feel it popping sometimes. So, what would be the good cure for this? He has been to lots of doctors but they say the same thing: you don't have to do anything. But what does that mean? There is no cure for that? Some doctors advise to remove and some say if he remove it, there can be internal bleeding. So, there will be another problem. God, what would be a good solution! looks like he will not live longer!

I'm so glad I found this site. I'm sorry for those who have had distress over the lipomas and the doctors and or insurance companies that haven't been helpful. I've had pain in my upper right arm on the underside for three years. I had an MRI on it back then which didn't show anything and the other day had an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed some small deep growth and the radiologist said it looked like a lipoma. It is deep in my arm, doesn't not protrude out of the skin. I was wondering if anyone else has had this kind? I am supposed to go back to my regular doctor soon and I'm going to find out what else we can do because my arm aches and throbs and whatever it is, is causing some pain. I think these things can sit on nerves and affect vascular tissues so they are not all "benign" in that they aren't cancer per se but they are causing us problems. Also, who can say just by looking at these things if they aren't something else? Or are not malignant?

I have a lipoma in the middle of my spine. I have noticed this lump for years and thought that it was normal as it wasn't too big and not causing any discomfort, or so i thought. I've been suffering with back pains for the past seven years and have seen numerous specialists regarding the pain but all being unsuccessful. I have vitually lived on pain medication. I have noticed the lipoma getting bigger and now i'm starting to feel pain from it directly. Is it possible that all my back pain could've been attributed to this lump?

My boyfriend has 3 on his back. One of them is quite deep on his side which is painful. I have 2 questions: Do lipomas come back once removed? Can they be the reason why my boyfriend's back hurts very very much for nearly one year now (since he discovered it on his body)? He has some overweight problems -that he is working on hard to fix -But we were wondering if this growing pain could be caused by the lipoma? Thanks.

Joan Marie: Did your lipoma cause your pain in the left arm, or was it the entrapped nerve? I have the exact same problem. I have lipoma all over my arms, and also my left shoulder hurts at the back. I have been seeing doctors for nearly 2 years now. The current neurologist says its a suprascapular nerve entrapment. Now after reading your article I am wondering if this has anything to do with my lipomas, although I considered them a separate problem till now.

I have a *lot* of them all over my body and about half of them hurt. My doctor only ordered that my thighs be looked at. She has had them before and she said that they do not hurt but, mine do. She has ordered that the largest one on my right thigh be removed. what about all the others? And why do they hurt so bad?

My pain management doctor dismissed the pain behind my left shoulder for months. I finally was in so much pain I went to the emergency room. It was 237 grams when I had it removed and very little proturded from my back. The CT scan didn't even reveal the true size. Surgery is imperative to relieve the pain and to stop it from spreading inside your body. Check the surgeon out thoroughly. I can't stress this enough. I will never let pain go for that long. I have found a pain management doctor who listens to me. joan marie

I have had one for the past seven years and it took a chiropractor yesterday to finally diagnose it.....half a dozen doctors I saw had no idea what it was.....it is on my left knee and getting larger...about the size of a baseball, and yes I want to have it removed...

Good luck to you all......

I had surgery when mine was huge. It would have been much easier to have the surgery when it was small. I would opt to have them removed immediately. Always check out the surgeon first. Even if your doctor or hospital recommends them. I didn't and paid for it. joan marie

Hi! I am a 29 year old female. I have just been diagnosed with lipoma. I have several on both thighs. Some are large and very painful. The doctor said surgery is the only cure. I am otherwise completely healthy. Can anyone offer any suggestions or any information? I am petrified!! Thanks

I had my 237 gram lipoma removed last October. I still have problems with pain. Due to lousy surgery I had an incision that didn't heal. Consequently, I had a back infection treated by infusion antibiotics every day. I now have an entrapped nerve that I receive injections for done by my Pain Management Doctor. It has helped tremendously. The scar tissue is extensive and ugly due to the six inch incision it took to remove it. I take less pain medication now. And hope to exercise by swimming to regain more use of my left arm. --joan marie

I've had three lipomas removed, one on each forearm and one on my inner thigh that had caused discomfort if I sat for too long.

I've done extensive research and, besides genetics, I can tell you that alcohol tends to aggravate lipomas. If you are susceptible to lipomas, you must abstain from *all* alcohol.

Best of luck to you all.

I have lipoma on back, left chest, both arms and on hips. There was an uncomfortable feeling in the past but now it has become very serious. I had a drinking and smoking habit. I found that when I drink the next day it pains me a lot and it will continue for days. Then I quit drinking and smoking. Now I have serious problems with these tumors. I could not sit for long time. I feel pain all the time. I went to the doctor and was given painkillers every time. Now I am planning to go to a different doctor as it’s very difficult for me to live now. If you can help me thanks in advance.

As posted above, ayurveda is, in my opinion, the only way to actually help you. Western medicine will treat your lipoma surgically, and more will appear. You must address the issue of why your body is creating these in the first place. ie. say you have a have a patch of bamboo you want to cut down, you cut down all the stalks at ground level, but the roots producing those stalks will continue to grow the seemingly destroyed trees. Within weeks to months you are right back where you started. Find an ayurvedic practitioner, and change your lifestyle. Yoga, especially the ashtanga yoga that incorporates vinyassa breathing techniques, has an amazing ability to aid your body in healing even on a cellular level. Yoga herbs, ayurveda. Good luck!

I have a small lemon size lipoma beside my shoulder...not giving any problem as such....but can it change to malignant cells???

i had a lipoma removed in september 08. every since i have been suffering from really bad headaches almost everyday. is there a possibility that a nerve was hit during surgery? i need to know. i'm not getting any answers from anyone. please help.

the lipoma was on the back of my head.

I have had a lipoma removed one week ago last monday. It was so large that the surgeon went from the top of shoulder down shoulder blade under armpit and behind left breast. Said afterward it was as much tissue as he would remove in a masectomy. I have had drain removed last monday and now I find another lump from armpit running up along incision which is about 5 inches long. When I had a follow up it was just a small thing he said was probably fluid that would be absorbed. He would do no more surgery. But I can cup what is under skin of left shoulder blade in my hand. Does it come back? Did he not get it all? How could it be so big? Could it have started growing inside a long time ago? Everything I read says size .4 inches to 1.2 inches. Mine was a hundred times that size. I am getting scared. What is happening to me?

why can't lipomas be detected by x ray or ultra sound or mri? I was in an automobile accident & developed a lipoma in my lower back shortly after about the size of a lemon, but because it does not show up on any of the above the insurance doctors are disregarding it as "not there" even though they can see the lump protruding from my lower back. It is causing pain & discomfort into my leg at times & I also at times am awaken during the night as if I am being punched in that area or from discomfort from the pressure of laying on it.

I would suggest finding an Ayurveda doctor in your area. I don't know where you live or I could help you with this, but it will treat the person not the organ only. It doesn't sound like he has anything to lose in this situation. They will give foods and herbs to eat to correct the issue. It will be slow, but it will help with whatever else is being done by Western doctors and it will not affect their treatment b/c it is 100% organic/natural. Best of luck.

I am getting one removed from the side of my head... They'll have to shave the hair away from that spot, right? It's just above my left ear...

Hi Ruth,

It sounds like your brother may have Dercum's Disease. I just learned about it on Friday because I have some of the same symptoms.

Good luck and take care, Robin

my brother has many of these lipoma things all over his body, arms, stomachache, back,. thighs and although his doctor had him do an MRI the response was that any one walking in off the street is apt to have these and that there is nothing wrong. my brother had a back injury a few years ago and that we believe is what generated the ones in his back but they are causing him pain and he has lost appetite as well as feels he is losing bowel control to some degree. is there anything someone can suggest as to the next step that he should take on getting them looked at and or removed? they all cause pain and the ones in forearm when touched send sensation to fingers.