What are the symptoms of familial Mediterranean fever?

Signs and symptoms of FMF attacks vary, but can include:

• Fever.
• Abdominal pain.
• Chest pain, which can make it hard to breathe deeply.
• Painful, swollen joints, usually in the knees, ankles and hips.
• A red rash on your legs, especially below your knees.
• Muscle aches.
• A swollen, tender scrotum.

What triggers familial Mediterranean fever?

Although episodes of FMF can occur spontaneously for no identifiable reason, certain triggers have been identified in some cases. These triggers include infection, trauma, vigorous exercise, and stress. In women, onset of their period (menses) can trigger an episode.

What is the Mediterranean sickness?

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an inherited disease, characterized by recurrent attacks of fever, inflammation of the abdominal lining (peritonitis), inflammation of the lining surrounding the lungs , painful, swollen joints, and a characteristic ankle rash.

How do you get rid of Mediterranean Fever?

How is familial Mediterranean fever treated? There’s no cure for FMF. However, it can be controlled with daily, life-long use of the anti-inflammatory medication colchicine. The medication is taken once or twice per day and prevents episodes in most people with FMF.

Can an FMF disappear?

Conclusion. Our study suggests that the diagnosis of FMF in very young heterozygous children should be cautious. Heterozygous children can present with an FMF-like disease during early childhood that may disappear with age, while others will suffer lifelong from their disease.

What does colchicine do for FMF?

Colchicine. Colchicine is so effective in preventing attacks of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and preventing the development of amyloidosis that the most important aspects of medical care are to make the correct diagnosis and to institute therapy.

Does FMF cause nausea?

Prodromal symptoms can occur around episodes; these include headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, dyspnea, and low back pain. Apart from fever, the most common feature of FMF is serositis, which manifests as abdominal pain due to peritonitis in up to 90% of patients.

Does FMF get worse with age?

Similarly, different manifestations of FMF have been observed among populations of various ethnic origins. However, attacks generally tend to decrease with aging in most FMF patients. Each attack lasts 1-4 days on average and resolves spontaneously.

Can you have familial Mediterranean fever without fever?

FMF diagnosis is supported by the presence of fever lasting less than 2 days, chest and/or abdominal pain, ethnicity. Otherwise, the absence of: fever lasting more than 6 days, enlarged cervical lymph nodes, urticarial rash, aphthous stomatitis supports the diagnosis [20].

Can FMF go into remission?

Then, FMF attacks have discontinued and patients entered remission (for a mean of 15.4 years). Only when the attacks resumed, a diagnosis of FMF was established and colchicine prescribed. Linkage between colchicine-free remission and diagnosis of FMF*.

Is FMF a disability?

As a chronic, recurrent disorder, FMF can cause short-term disability and significantly impair a person’s quality of life. Fortunately, newer anti-inflammatory drugs have all but eliminated many of the more severe manifestations of the disease.

Do steroids help FMF?

For sacroileitis accompanying FMF; anti TNF drugs may be considered. If you have fever and muscle pain that lasts for more than 5 days, you can take glucocorticoids (steroid medicines) to relieve the symptoms.