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Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Signs and symptoms of amyloidosis depend on which of your organs are affected. When signs and symptoms are evident, they may include:

  • Swelling of your ankles and legs
  • Weakness
  • Significant weight loss
  • Shortness of breath
  • Numbness or tingling in your hands or feet
  • Diarrhea or constipation
  • Feeling full quickly
  • Severe fatigue
  • An enlarged tongue (macroglossia)
  • Skin changes, such as thickening or easy bruising
  • Purplish patches (purpura) around the eyes
  • An irregular heartbeat
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Protein in the urine

When to see a doctor
If you persistently experience any of the signs or symptoms that may be associated with amyloidosis, see your doctor so that he or she can determine whether the underlying cause may be amyloidosis or another problem.

References
  1. Seldin DC, et al. Amyloidosis. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2863105. Accessed June 11, 2009.
  2. Amyloidosis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec12/ch160/ch160a.html. Accessed June 12, 2009.
  3. Gertz MA, et al. Amyloidosis. Best Practice & Research Clinical Haematology. 2005;18:709.
  4. Amyloidosis and kidney disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/Amyloidosis/. Accessed June 12, 2009.
  5. Gorevic PD. An overview of amyloidosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 12, 2009.
  6. Dember LM. Modern treatment of amyloidosis: Unresolved questions. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2009;20:469.
  7. Merlini G. Amyloidosis: Is a cure possible? Annals of Oncology. 2008;19(suppl):iv63.
  8. Jaccard A. High-dose melphalan versus melphalan plus dexamethasone for AL amyloidosis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;357:1083.

DS00431

Aug. 8, 2009

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