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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Common signs and symptoms
Gastrointestinal signs and symptoms are common in Whipple's disease and may include:
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping and pain, which may worsen after meals
- Weight loss, associated with the malabsorption of nutrients
Other frequent signs and symptoms associated with Whipple's disease include:
- Inflamed joints, particularly your ankles, knees and wrists
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Anemia
Less common signs and symptoms
In some cases, signs and symptoms of Whipple's disease may include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Skin darkening (hyperpigmentation) in areas exposed to the sun and in scars
- Chest pain
- Enlarged spleen
Neurological signs and symptoms may include:
- Difficulty walking
- Visual impairment, including lack of control of eye movements
- Seizures
- Confusion
- Memory loss
Symptoms tend to develop slowly over a period of many years in most people with this disease. In some cases, some symptoms, such as joint pain and weight loss, develop years before the gastrointestinal symptoms that lead to diagnosis.
When to see a doctor
Whipple's disease is potentially life-threatening, yet usually treatable. Contact your doctor if you experience unusual signs or symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss or joint pain. Your doctor can perform tests to determine the cause of your symptoms.
Even after the infection is diagnosed and you're receiving treatment, let your doctor know if your symptoms don't improve. Sometimes antibiotic therapy isn't effective because the bacteria are resistant to the particular drug you're taking. The disease can recur, so it's important to watch for the re-emergence of symptoms.
- Whipple's disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/whipple/. Accessed July 17, 2012.
- Whipple disease. National Organization for Rare Disorders. http://www.rarediseases.org/rare-disease-information/rare-diseases/byID/90/printFullReport. Accessed July 22, 2012.
- Black DF, et al. MP imaging of central nervous system Whipple disease: A 15-year review. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 2010;31:1493.
- McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2012. 51st ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6395. Accessed July 22, 2012.
- Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practices of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..001016&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&sid=1334815881&uniqId=346690210-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00101-6. Accessed July 22, 2012.
- Bioterrorism and drug preparedness. Federal Drug Administration. http://google2.fda.gov/search?q=Plaquenil+side+effects&spell=1&client=FDAgov&site=FDAgov&lr=&proxystylesheet=FDAgov&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&access=p. Accessed July 22, 2012.
- Plaquenil. Physicians' Desk Reference. http://www.pdrhealth.com/drugs/plaquenil. Accessed July 22, 2012.
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