Living With Fabry Disease

Gastrointestinal symptoms are very common in Fabry disease patients and are among the first signs of the disease. Many patients can tolerate only small meals. Maintaining a certain diet may help people with Fabry eat more and relieve gastrointestinal distress.

Struggling with physical activity is a common experience for people with Fabry disease due to decreased lung function and heart issues. Patients usually become tired even with mild activity, and exercise can also trigger pain episodes. People with Fabry disease may have to modify their physical activities and exercise routine, or avoid exercise altogether.

Not all cases of Fabry disease are the same, and certain factors can affect disease progression and life expectancy. On average, people with Fabry do not live as long as those without the disease. But there are good reasons to believe that, going forward, the disease will have less of an effect on life expectancy.

Patients may need multiple treatments to manage the different symptoms of Fabry disease. For this reason, a healthcare provider may develop a treatment plan for each patient, a detailed treatment strategy tailored to an individual’s needs.