Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Good afternoon,
For the last several months I have had issues with small and large "lumps" on my stomach.
At my recent doc apt., I was told that these were fatty tissues or Lipomas...and that Babesia LOVED them.
The doc seemed to think that they were quite common, unless they became sore or inflamed. Well, that describes what has happened with several of mine, including the one URQ lump that refuses to go away or stop hurting.
We tried going the Ulcer route, treating as if I had H.pylori for several months. This did not work.
At the apt., the doc suggested that we could biopsy the worst one to get at answers. But, he first wanted to run a three day stool sample to see what that might tell us.
So, I suppose my questions are-
Have many of you experienced these knots on your tummy? Have they gone away with continued Babs treatment? Have any of you gone so far as to get a biopsy on them? And if so...what was the outcome?
I have been on continuous Babs treatment since 5-30-06 now, and have made little to no progress. This of course not only worried my doc, but I am not too thrilled either.
I know that Babs sometimes takes forever to clear, but these painful lipomas are really getting old.
Thanks in advance for sharing any experiences you may wish to relay,
Melanie
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Good morning Miss Cavers,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with a lipoma. (and for everything else recently)
It does sound like you just took it in stride like you seem to do everything else. I am thrilled that the procedure turned out so nicely for you. And you have quelled my fear somewhat.
I can't believe you actually watched the removal! Man, you are one tuff cookie!
Much love, Melanie
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Yes, I have a lympoma right over my right eyebrow. Initially, I thought a scar from having it removed would be just as noticable. Boy, was I wrong. My face has gotten so thing, not to mention having the dental cavitation surgeries making a gaunt appearance. This thing really sticks out.
My holistic dentist always says it is full of parasites. I resently was told to begin artimisinin (sp).
The lyme bug the EAV practioner said I have is rickettsia, as long with every fungus there is.
I sure would like to have the thing removed. But now my health is precarious and I cannot tolerate antibiotics.
Deb
Posts: 54 | From Clovis, California | Registered: Nov 2006
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Miss Cave, From what I have researched and with my little understanding of the subject...
Lipoma is a fatty tissue tumor. Lympoma or Lymphoma is a cancerous growth.
We are NOT going there!
Hey Deb, I am so sorry that you are having such difficulties right now. Your practitioner that says it is full of parasites agrees with what my LLMD relayed to me.
I did notice that these began to appear once I began Artemisinin. I'm still on that supp., so perhaps, these are hiding places for the Babs bugs to avoid Art and/or other Babs meds? Just a thought.
I pray that you can gain some ground very soon with treatment!
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Probably a dumb question, Melanie, but did you do a search here for "lipoma"? There have been many previous discussions about them.
Tracy
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
lymednva
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9098
posted
One of my sons, the one I suspect has Lyme, had a lipoma on his back about the size of a baseball when he was about 18 or 19. Obviously we had it surgically removed. That was the end of that!
-------------------- Lymednva Posts: 2407 | From over the river and through the woods | Registered: Apr 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
When my lipoma began on my thigh, no one took it seriously. That's because it did not show in ultrasound or MRI. The medical opinion that lipomas are not a threat if they don't show in imaging is wrong, and is hurting us badly, as in disabling people, and worse. Folks, Lyme isn't the only thing doctors ignore. I am tired of being hurt by doctors.
Mine has spead now and I am really upset with the doctors for having allowed that to happen. Doctors need to take lipomas seriously and take them out whem they are small.
I am in a lot of pain now around my knee. This didn't have to happen. It's my worst problem.
What I'm also confused about is how do we tell the difference between Lyme arthritis of the knee and an unencapsulated lipoma? Does anyone know?
And yes, a Lyme speaker told me last year that Lyme folks get lipomas. No one seems to know very much about what lipomas are.
There is a researcher, Dr. Karen Herbst, at the San Diego CA VA who is trying to figure out what the lipomas are in dercums disease. Evidently, she will be publishing some research results soon.
Posts: 13117 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
One more lipoma comment: Dr Garth Nicolson at the Huntington Beach CA VA is seeing lipomas in Gulf War veterans. He is also of the opinion that mycoplasma fermentans is possibly involved. Google for his name and read his research. It's very interesting.
Posts: 13117 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
Hey there moonshine..
I want to tell you about MY bumps!!! I KNEW you could hardly wait.. huh?
Years ago I had one removed from near my eye.. small but bothersome.
And one removed from my leg.
And then one from my jaw bone.
And one removed from my shoulder that the IDIOTS said to leave alone cause it didn't need removing... and the next time I asked for them to remove it it had gotten bigger and they said not to worry... and it grew to the size of a half of a grapefruit. THEN they agreed to remove it.
NOT a good idea to wait that long.
Also had one removed off my back.
And now I have none!
But I didn't have any on my tummy.. unless this belly thing I have sticking out here is a BIG one I just didn't know about! ~smile~
I had several tested for keets... just for fun.. but no evidence of keets there.
Question to ponder- If someone would go to the trouble of having a biopsy.. why not just get them to remove the stupid thing? I mean a little cutting and recovery from cutting isn't much difference than having them removed totally.
The surgeries.. or spots where they were... never hurt after that. I almost can't believe there was NO pain during or after the procedures either. I was up and running the same day.
Just a thought.
Plus.. if it has babesia in it.. ugh gross.. why not scoop the whole thing away and put them in the trash!
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Thank you each so much for your help, comments and relayed experiences.
Actually, no, I have not had the time to do a search here on LymeNet- truth be told, I didn't even think of it, so thanks for reminding me of that option Tracy.
I did net searches for a few hours and then had to move on to something else. But from what I understand...
the issues with lipoma removal when there IS a problem, such as spread or swelling or pain- is the chance one takes of leaving the "door" open for more spread of the infection or whatever the lipoma contains.
So, a biopsy, whether it shows anything or not, in a way leaves an opening for further spreading.
Liposuction is another option, but this also has an added risk of not being able to remove the whole thing- therefore it can return or cause further spread. The same is true with simple surgical removal.
So, the answers are not as clear cut as they seem, I am afraid. Therefore, here I still sit holding this painful lump most of the day.
Funny, I was thinking of Napoleon and how he had his hand in his suit in most depictions...I thought, hmmmm, perhaps he was holding his lipoma too
posted
I had a lipoma on my stomach kind of underneath my ribcage. As it got larger, it became VERY painful. I finally went to the doc and he sent me to a surgeon....who said it needed to be removed right away. This was 4 years ago and BEFORE I knew I had Lyme disease. So I was knocked out and it was removed and biopsied. The result......a Lipoma (fatty tumor) Wish I had known I had Lyme at the time, because I would have been intrigued to get it tested for Lyme or co-infections, since I now know they are supposedly "common" in Lyme. I did not know that.
-------------------- Corinne Posts: 529 | From Raleigh, NC | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
I have many Lipomas on my arms, legs, & back. Years ago I had 4 removed. Two grew back. Some lipomas have nerves entangled (like mine) and some do not.
My mother and grandfather had them, too. My mother had some removed. I didn't have them as a child. They started to appear in my late teens & early 20's. My LLMD think's I've had LYme since then.
Another explanation I was told was that people who have allergies will get Lipomas. My mom, grandfather and myself all have allergies. My grandfather died of emphasema. My mother and I have asthma that started when we were middle age.
I had heard of an enzyme that dissolves lipomas. Do you know what it is?
Regarding Babesia. I have a very severe infection. So, maybe Babesia is causing the lipomas? I wish I knews..
Kayda
Posts: 582 | From midwest | Registered: Nov 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I believe the top researcher on lipomas in the country is Dr. Karen Herbst at the VA in San Diego, CA. She receives tissue from biopsies of lipomas, and she told me she would look for our organisms to see if she could find them. [email protected]Posts: 13117 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
My Ex Husband had a ton of them, went to the hosp 2 and had around 20 removed each time. But he kept getting more and they would get better over time. I divorced him, not sure what he looks like now, I know he still has them, his father had a few but nothing like him.
I am always scared my son would have them, but he didn't and he is near 30 Posts: 315 | From USA | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[bow]](graemlins/bow.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic