I'm diagnosed with lipoedema and have been told manual lymphatic drainage will not help- is this true?

Possibly: Lipoedema is primarily a disorder of hypertrophied , excess fat in the limbs [ usually the legs } . Sometimes manual lymph drainage and compression can help. There may be some overlap with a separate medical condition lymphedema. There is no harm in trying.

Yes: Unfortunately, many treatments have been tried for lipedema, but not many have been helpful. Compression, weight loss, lymphatic drainage don't provide benefit. There have been some who have good success with liposuction, but you need to find a surgeon who is experienced in the procedure for this particular indication. Dr Stefan Raprich in Darmstadt Germany is an expert in this.