Women affected by abnormal fat accumulation in the legs report that their disabling symptoms are relieved with weight loss injections such as Ozempic.
The condition, lipoedema, causes a woman’s limbs to become disproportionately large, even when the rest of the body is thin.
It affects up to one in ten women and causes problems with self-confidence and mobility, and until now there has been no drug treatment.
However, lipoedema patients say the injections, which are primarily given to diabetics and obese people to help them lose weight, can cause dramatic improvement.
Last week, Mail on Sunday GP Dr Ellie Cannon wrote in her column that she was disappointed there were no more treatments available for lipoedema patients.
Social media influencer Rebecca Hickson, 35, who often posts about living with lipoedema, has experienced positive effects after starting Mounjaro last month.
Lipoedema causes a woman’s limbs to become disproportionately large, even when the rest of the body is thin (file image)
In response, we were inundated with emails from women with this condition who experienced noticeable improvements after taking the new weight loss medications, which also include Wegovy and Mounjaro.
While there are no clinical studies showing that these injections help with lipedema, they say news of their positive effect has spread through patient groups on Facebook.
Some doctors also advise their lipoedema patients to use private services to access medications, because they are not eligible to receive NHS injections. Some patients now pay more than £200 a month for supplies and ask the NHS to fund treatment.
Hayley Brook, 42, says that until she got a private prescription for Ozempic, she suffered almost constant pain in the joints in her legs, which were so large they “looked like columns.”
But a week after starting treatment, Hayley says her limbs were thinner. “I saw a huge reduction in pain and I feel like I’ve got my life back,” he added.
Deborah Doak, 64, who has lived with lipoedema since her teenage years, says taking Mounjaro for ten weeks has changed her life. Not only did he lose over 10 kg (22 lb), but the size of his legs reduced significantly.
“I’ve tried all my life to lose weight and control my condition, but nothing has worked,” says the maritime worker from Ashford, Kent. ‘My legs feel lighter now and it has taken a lot of pressure off my knees and joints.
Rebecca says: “I’ve struggled with lipoedema since I was 12 and in recent years I’ve felt suicidal when it’s gotten worse.”
‘I’ve gone back to work and that has allowed me to be more active. “It has been a life change.”
Experts say the drugs could revolutionize the lives of lipoedema sufferers and now want pharmaceutical companies to start clinical trials to prove their effectiveness. This would allow it to be implemented in the NHS.
Dr Lesley Steinitz, head of research at Lipoedema UK, says: “We are pushing for a trial to see whether these drugs should be widely offered for lipoedema.”
Experts aren’t sure what causes lipedema, but it may be related to hormonal changes due to puberty, pregnancy, or menopause. Research suggests it is hereditary.
While there is no effective treatment, the NHS recommends managing symptoms with diet, exercise and compression stockings. In severe cases, liposuction may be offered.
Whether the condition is related to weight has long been debated, because most patients insist that lifestyle changes, such as dieting, make no difference.
For this reason, drugs such as Ozempic have not been considered a potential treatment.
New weight loss medications prevent the body from producing hunger hormones, meaning users don’t feel like eating. Obese people who take them can lose up to a third of their body weight in a year.
Studies have shown that people who take them are less likely to develop cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and many other obesity-related conditions.
“These injections also have an anti-inflammatory effect and I believe this, along with the weight loss patients experience, is why lipoedema patients find their symptoms alleviated,” says Dr. Harvinder Chahal of the Center Endocrinologist of London and Imperial College London.
‘This is an under-appreciated condition and we are finally seeing the benefits of treatment.
“But we need research data to evaluate why this happens and who can be helped.”
Social media influencer Rebecca Hickson, 35, who often posts about living with lipoedema, also experienced positive effects after starting Mounjaro last month.
“In the first week I saw a dramatic difference in the size of my legs and I was suffering less pain due to inflammation,” says Rebecca from Stockport.
‘Before the injections, I had days when I couldn’t use the stairs and my legs felt like they were going to give way; It was like dragging dead weights.
‘I have battled this condition since I was 12 and in recent years felt suicidal as it got worse. I’ve tried everything, but this seems to be the first thing I’ve seen a benefit from.”
What is the difference between tonsillitis and laryngitis?
Both terms describe throat infections but affect different areas.
Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils at the back of the throat, causing pain when swallowing and causing them to become swollen and red, and white or yellow spots often appear. It is caused by bacterial or viral infections.
Laryngitis affects the larynx and causes hoarseness or complete loss of voice, along with a dry cough and sore throat. Unlike tonsillitis, which may require antibiotics, laryngitis is usually viral and gets better on its own.
