First, Ehlers-Danlos is a real disease that afflicts people in various ways.
However, I have recently noticed a huge upswing in patients being admitted with the EDS hypermobility type.
These patients share very specific traits:
Chronically ill. Laundry list of diagnoses (or claimed diagnoses) including Lyme Disease, fibromyalgia, mast cell activation disorder, gastroparesis, POTS, dysautonomia, Mold toxicity/sensitivity (but reactions don't occur when they don't wish them - say with friends visiting). Always on medicinal marijuana.
They seem to be able to walk perfectly fine, but also have very sporty wheelchairs. They almost always have ports. They are able to eat when they want, and swallow pills when they want, but they have extreme desire for GJ PEG tubes, which they immediately insist all of their medications go through.
They are always young, 20's or early 30's and female. They appear healthy looking. And they demand, and get tons of PRN IV benadryl.
The first patient I had with these traits got her coveted PEG tube, but was ravenous during her NPO period after surgery. She was disappointed to be told she could not eat until 24 hours after the tube was placed. I went in to start her tube feeding (and tell her she could eat) and when I checked her gastric residual, I pulled out what looked like chocolate shake.
She said, "Oh...my tube is telling on me!" I said, "What did you do?"
She had drank an entire carton of Kate Farms (they ALWAYS demand Kate Farms) chocolate tube feed. Then she proceeded to order a regular lunch tray and eat the whole thing. With zero nausea or vomiting.
But then when tube feeding started at 10ml hour, she complained of "bloating." What the??
Is anyone else seeing an increase in this type of patient? Has EDS hypermobility type become a "desired" diagnosis?
