MedicineNet.com

About Us|Privacy Policy|Site Map
February 10, 2012

Patient Discussions: Multiple Myeloma - Symptoms At Onset Of Disease

Question:The symptoms of multiple myeloma can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?

Comment from: Jazz of San Diego, 65-74 Female (Patient) Published: February 24

I had no new symptoms when I went in for my regular check up with my doctor. She ran a blood test and noticed an increase in my anemia. I had been on the edge, but now I was below the edge. She sent me to a hemotologist. I had no idea that she was checking for everything from anemia to leukemia or multiple myeloma. I was thinking "iron" pills. I had a bone biopsy that day and got the results about three weeks later at my next available appointment. It was a shock, and I was not ready for it. I was told that at this time it is rarely curable but treatable. No time frame of survival was given, and I was not able to ask any other questions as I had never heard of multiple myeloma. After three days of shock, I went on the web and gathered all the info I could and got my grown sons to help me look up more info. My whole family was in shock. I have been undergoing treatment for almost two years now, and I am tired, I have kidney problems, and I have one blood clot so far. So I am doing OK. I do go to a support group in San Diego, and it has been more then helpful.

Related Reading: anemia | leukemia | multiple myeloma

Comment from: First Daughter, 45-54 Male (Caregiver) Published: February 24

My dad was 51 when his multiple myeloma was diagnosed in stage III. He had been very tired for quite some time. (One ignored hallmark of the disease manifested about three years previously. He had always donated blood but was refused at about 48 because his iron was low. No one advised him to immediately check into that. As a young and strong man, his iron should not have been that low ever) However, he was a firefighter getting ready for retirement, so, we all believed he would be much better after a few months in his dream home in Wisconsin. He became more and more exhausted. Finally, when he was sleeping close to round the clock, my aunt forced the issue that he go to the hospital immediately. (She was a nurse.) He was diagnosed within one day as his kidneys were shutting down. He lived beyond any expectation of the medical community (some good years). He worked hard to remodel his dream home, got to meet a few new grandchildren and died at 55. Moral: Low iron counts in an otherwise healthy younger male are never "normal." Extreme exhaustion in anyone is not always a sign of depression or fatigue. Multiple myeloma can strike any age or demographic; Dad didn't fit any of the stereotypes.

Related Reading: depression | fatigue

Comment from: gspieg, 55-64 Male (Patient) Published: October 28

My multiple myeloma started with a headache that wouldn't go away. It became slightly more severe with time. After a few weeks, enough was enough. I went to a walk-in clinic and asked for treatment. The physician ordered an immediate CT of my head and neck area. The CT was negative, and I was referred to a neurologist. I was misdiagnosed initially, and it was six months before I had another CT (or MRI). That test showed a tumor had formed at the base of my skull and the top of my spinal column. By then, I was experiencing ringing in my ears, double-vision, fatigue and pain in my neck and upper back. The tumor was biopsied and determined to be a plasmacytoma. I was referred to an oncologist who tested my blood and bone marrow and diagnosed my multiple myeloma. I went through radiation therapy to destroy the tumor. Either the tumor or the treatment destroyed part of my C-1 and C-2 cervical vertebrae. After the tumor was found, the initial CT was re-examined and a “shadow” was noted where the tumor formed. I was treated with thalidomide and dexamethasone for several months. My M-protein level began to rise and eventually got to 1.7.

Related Reading: headache | MRI | tumor

Comment from: heartbroken in London, 75 or over Male (Caregiver) Published: November 19

My father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma last October 2007. He had a very loose stool for a couple of days; later on he went to an urgent care facility. They told him it was a virus and to go home and take Imodium A-D. That was Saturday. Monday, he went to his primary care doctor. He checked him and said, “I think you have a virus too. But I want to do some blood tests before you go.” After receiving the blood tests, the doctor then sent him for X-rays. In just a couple of hours he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and now the fun begins!

Comment from: Roger, 55-64 Male (Patient) Published: November 19

My multiple myeloma was spotted very early through a blood test. The first real symptoms were excessive tiredness, noticeable tachycardia, and hyperventilation.

Comment from: Carol, 45-54 Female (Patient) Published: October 28

I found out that I had multiple myeloma (MM) when I was 39 years old. I was always tried and just could not get enough energy to do much of anything. When I fell and could not walk for more than a month is when my family found out something was wrong. During this time, I almost lost my life because my kidney was shutting down, and I still could not walk. My husband then took me to another hospital where they found out that I had MM. We have been dealing with this for seven years, and we just found out that I am out of remission. I have to find a new treatment to go with now after already going through one bone marrow transplant, 17 treatments of radiation, a blood transfusion, and chemo. Now we have to go through this all over again.

Related Reading: blood transfusion


Patient Discussions

Viewers share their comments

Multiple Myeloma - Symptoms Question: What is the prognosis for your multiple myeloma?

Patient Discussions are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on MedicineNet. The opinions expressed in the comments section are of the author and the author alone. MedicineNet does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment.

Alert If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.


Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration

 

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.



MedicineNet Doctors

Suggested Reading on Multiple Myeloma by Our Doctors

  • Related Diseases & Conditions

    • Constipation
      • Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low fiber diets, abuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.
    • Anemia
      • Anemia is the condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is, therefore, decreased.
    • Bone Cancer
      • In the U.S., more than 2,000 people are diagnosed with bone cancer every year. There are many types of bone cancer. The most common forms of bone cancer are osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, fibrosarcoma, and chordoma. Pain is the most common symptom. Treatment usually involves surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
    • Nausea and Vomiting
      • Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
    • Fever
      • Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
    • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome And Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
      • Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which irritation of the wrist's median nerve causes tingling and numbness of the thumb, index, and the middle fingers. This condition is known as tarsal tunnel syndrome in the ankles and feet. Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome depends on the severity of the symptoms and the nature of any disease that might be causing the symptoms.
    • Cancer
      • Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
    • Fracture
      • Fractures occur when bone cannot withstand the outside forces applied to the bone. Fractures can be open or closed. Types of fractures include: greenstick, spiral, comminuted, transverse, compound, or vertebral compression. Common fractures include: stress fracture, compression fracture, rib fracture, and skull fracture. Treatment depends upon the type of fracture.
    • Amyloidosis
      • Amyloidosis is a group of diseases resulting from abnormal deposition of certain proteins (amyloids) in various bodily areas. The amyloid proteins may either be deposited in one particular area of the body (localized amyloidosis) or they may be deposited throughout the body (systemic amyloidosis). There are three types of systemic amyloidosis: primary (AL), secondary (AA), and familial (ATTR). Primary amyloidosis is not associated with any other diseases and is considered a disease entity of its own. Secondary amyloidosis occurs as a result of another illness. Familial Mediterranean Fever is a form of familial (inherited) amyloidosis. Amyloidosis treatment involves treating the underlying illness and correcting organ failure.
    • Cancer Risk Factors
      • Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
    • Cancer Fatigue
    • Cancer Pain
  • Medications

  • Procedures & Tests

  • Pictures, Images & Illustrations

  • Doctor's & Expert's Views

  • Health News

  • Health Features

Cancer

Get the latest treatment options.



Symptom Checker: Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain


Multiple Myeloma

What is chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy (also called chemo) is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells.

How does chemotherapy work?

Chemotherapy works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells, which grow and divide quickly. But it can also harm healthy cells that divide quickly, such as those that line your mouth and intestines or cause your hair to grow. Damage to healthy cells may cause side effects. Often, side effects get better or go away after chemotherapy is over.

What does chemotherapy do?

Depending on your type of cancer and how advanced it is, chemotherapy can:

  • Cure cancer - when chemotherapy destroys cancer cells to the point that your doctor can no longer detect them in your body and they will not grow back.
  • Control cancer - when chemotherapy keeps cancer from spreading, slows its growth, or destroys cancer cell...

Read the Chemotherapy article »




Use Pill Finder Find it Now

Pill Identifier on RxList

  • quick,
    easy,
    pill identification

Find a Local Pharmacy

  • including
    24 hour
    pharmacies