What is MALS?

-




  Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome is a condition where the median arcuate ligament presses too tightly on the celiac artery (a major branch of the aorta that delivers blood to the stomach, liver and other organs) and nerves in the area (celiac plexus). MALS occurs in about 10-25% off the population. This compression occurs most often in thin, younger women and is a very rare condition. 

   Some people are unaware they have MALS because they don't even show any symptoms. Those who DO show symptoms are most likely to get a diagnoses much quicker. There are a handful of tests that can be done to diagnose MALS including a mesenteric ultrasound, a CTA and even an MRA! The hard part is finding a doctor who has seen MALS before and can treat it. 


SYMPTOMS OF MALS

MALS pain has been compared to End stage pancreatic cancer. These symptoms include:

  • Pain and/or fatigue after eating
  • Nausea/vomiting
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Constipation/diarrhea
  • Sharp stabbing pain 
  • Dullness
  • Feeling of fullness quickly after eating or even without eating
MALS can look like many other things like anorexia, or any other eating disorders. Many patients have been sent home by their doctor because the pain is "all in their head". It is very hard finding a doctor who treats MALS or who even knows what it is!

Comments

  1. TisaOctober 22, 2020 at 8:01 AM

    You, my precious beautiful child, are indeed a Warrior! I love you dearly with all of my heart and soul.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SMA, May-Thurner and Nutcracker Syndrome

-
Image
I not only have MALS, I have 3 other illnesses too!   Let's start off with SMAS. Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome is a condition that occurs when the duodenum is compressed between the aorta and superior mesenteric artery. This type of compression causes partial or complete blockage of the duodenum.  It is so rare that 0.013% of people have it!    Symptoms vary from person to person but I personally experience fullness, severe abdominal pain and weight loss. My weight got so bad that I went from 115 lbs to 93 lbs in a few weeks. I was so scared to eat because of how excruciating my pain was. SMAS is life threatening because someone can get so skinny and become so malnourished that it could kill them. I don't have to worry about that since I'm receiving my food through a feeding tube, not to mention I gained all my weight back!   Moving on to May-Thurner Syndrome. May-Thurner Syndrome is a rarely diagnosed condition where patients develop what is called ili...
Read more

My journey with MALS

-
Image
       For five years, I’ve been dealing with horrible stomach pains. Over the last eight  months, it has gotten worse. I first noticed my pain when I was about twelve years old.  My mom thought it was just growing pains so we shoved it off until one night I was rushed to the ER. I remember we had nachos that night so the nurse said maybe it was what I ate... I knew he was wrong though because back then, I was a bigger kid and I ate everything. I had never had a pain like this before. So they got an IV running and did a few tests and they found nothing. We went back home with my stomach still hurting. The only thing I found that helped the slightest was a heating pad. Little did I know that thing would become my best friend for the next few years ahead.    The more things I ate the more I realized that something was off. I used to always be able to eat queso and pizza. We cannot forget the pizza. But one night I had two slices and not three minut...
Read more

My Journey with MALS pt.2!

-
Image
                                                                        MALS PT. 2   After my first MALS surgery with Dr.Patel, things still did not quite seem right. Something seemed off. As usual, my family and I found ourselves searching around for a doctor who knows what MALS is and who can REALLY get me some relief. My mom stumbled upon a facebook group called 'MALS PALS'. It's basically a group of patients or families of patients who come together to talk about their MALS journey! Little did we know that this group would have such a huge impact. We came across a girl named LewLew who also shared her MALS story. She spoke about her doctor named Dr. Petty. We had already heard that name before but never realized how great of a man he is until we kept reading blog pos...
Read more