Women who suffer from an abnormal build-up of fat in their legs report that their debilitating symptoms are relieved by weight-loss pills such as Ozempic.
The condition, lipedema, causes a woman’s limbs to become disproportionately large, even when the rest of the body is slim.
It affects up to one in 10 women and causes problems with self-confidence and mobility – and so far there has been no drug treatment.
However, patients with lipedema say the injections, which are mainly given to diabetics and obese people to help them lose weight, can make dramatic improvements.
Last week, Mail on Sunday GP Dr Ellie Cannon wrote in her column that she was disappointed that there were not more treatments available for lipedema patients.
Social media influencer Rebecca Hickson, 35, who often posts about living with lipedema, has experienced positive effects after starting Mounjaro last month
Lipedema causes a woman’s limbs to become disproportionately large, even when the rest of the body is slim (file image)
In response, we were inundated with emails from women with the condition who have experienced remarkable improvements after taking the new weight-loss drugs, which also include Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Although there are no clinical studies proving that these shots help with lipedema, news of their positive effect has spread through patient groups on Facebook, they say.
Some doctors are also advising their lipoedema patients to access the drugs privately – as they are not eligible for the jabs from the NHS. Some patients are now paying more than £200 a month for supplies and are turning to the NHS to fund treatment.
Hayley Brook, 42, says that until she was given a personalized Ozempic prescription, she had near-constant joint pain in her legs, which were so big they “looked like columns.”
But within a week of starting treatment, Hayley says her limbs were slimmer. “I saw a huge reduction in pain and I feel like I have my life back,” she added.
Deborah Doak, 64, who has lived with lipedema since she was a teenager, says taking Mounjaro for 10 weeks has changed her life. Not only did she lose more than 10 kg, the size of her legs was significantly reduced.
‘I’ve tried all my life to lose weight and manage my fitness, but nothing worked,’ says the shipworker from Ashford, Kent. ‘Now my legs feel lighter and a lot of pressure has been taken off my knees and joints.
Rebecca says: ‘I have suffered from lipedema since I was 12 and have felt suicidal in recent years after it got worse’
‘I went back to work and that made me more active. It’s been a life changer.’
Experts say the drugs could revolutionize the lives of people with lipedema and now want pharmaceutical companies to launch clinical trials to prove their effectiveness. This could allow it to be rolled out across the NHS.
Dr. Lesley Steinitz, head of research at Lipoedema UK, said: ‘We are calling for a trial to see whether these drugs should be widely offered for lipedema.’
Experts aren’t sure what causes lipedema, but it may be related to changes in hormones due to puberty, pregnancy, or menopause. Research shows that it runs in families.
Although there is no effective treatment, the NHS recommends controlling symptoms with diet, exercise and compression stockings. In severe cases, liposuction may be offered.
There has long been debate about whether the condition is weight-related, as most sufferers insist that lifestyle changes – such as dieting – make no difference.
For this reason, drugs such as Ozempic are not considered a possible treatment.
The new slimming drugs ensure that the body no longer produces hunger hormones, so that users no longer feel like eating. Obese people who use them can lose up to a third of their body weight within a year.
Studies have shown that people who take them are less likely to develop cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and a host of other obesity-related conditions.
‘These injections also have an anti-inflammatory effect, and I think this, in addition to the weight loss that patients experience, is why lipedema patients find their symptoms relieved,’ says Dr Harvinder Chahal of the London Endocrine Center and Imperial College London.
‘This is a poorly appreciated condition and we are finally seeing the benefits of treatment.
“But we need research data to assess why this is happening and who it can help.”
Social media influencer Rebecca Hickson, 35, who often posts about living with lipedema, has also experienced positive effects after starting Mounjaro last month.
‘Within the first week I saw a dramatic difference in the size of my legs and had less pain from the inflammation,’ says Rebecca from Stockport.
‘Before the injections, I would have days where I couldn’t use the stairs and it felt like my legs were going to give out – it was like I was dragging dead weights down.
‘I have struggled with the condition since I was 12 and have felt suicidal in recent years after the condition got worse. I’ve tried everything, but this feels like the first thing I’ve seen a benefit from.”
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