6 Early Signs of Multiple Myeloma

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Multiple myeloma is a rare type of blood cancer. Fewer than 1 in 100 people will be diagnosed with multiple myeloma in their lifetime.

People with multiple myeloma often don't have any symptoms at first. But as the condition progresses, early signs of multiple myeloma appear.

Multiple myeloma can interfere with your body's ability to fight infection, make healthy red blood cells, and maintain strong bones. Let's look more closely at how this condition affects your body in order to understand the early symptoms of multiple myeloma.

What is multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells found in your bone marrow. They make antibodies (proteins that help the immune system target harmful invaders).

Multiple myeloma begins when abnormal plasma cells grow out of control. This usually starts inside bones where your bone marrow is most active like your:

• Spine

• Skull

• Rib cage

• Pelvis

• Humerus

• Femur

Over time, the abnormal plasma cells take over and "crowd out" other cells in the bone marrow. This makes it harder for your body to make healthy white blood cells (to fight infection), red blood cells (to carry oxygen), and platelets (to stop bleeding).

The other problem with multiple myeloma is that cancerous plasma cells keep making antibodies. Rather than helping your immune system, these antibodies can build up in your blood, damage your kidneys, and even attack healthy parts of your body.

What are the first signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma can cause a wide range of symptoms. Let's look at six early signs of multiple myeloma.

1. Bone pain

Bone pain is one of the most common symptoms of multiple myeloma. Any bone can be affected but it's often bone in your back, ribs, or hips. Bone pain from multiple myeloma may feel like a dull ache that's worse with movement.

People with multiple myeloma are also more likely to have broken bones (fractures). Multiple myeloma weakens the bones. As a result, bones can break after an injury that wouldn't normally cause much damage.

2. Anemia

People with multiple myeloma may feel weak or become easily short of breath. That's because people with multiple myeloma are often anemic (have a low red blood cell count).

Red blood cells carry oxygen in your blood. When a person is anemic they can quickly run out of energy because their cells are struggling to get enough oxygen. Anemia is an extremely common symptom of multiple myeloma - in fact 60% of people with multiple myeloma have anemia at the time they're diagnosed.

3. Infections

People with multiple myeloma are 15 times more likely to have an infection than those who don't. In multiple myeloma, the immune system doesn't work well for a couple of reasons:

• The bone marrow cannot produce enough white blood cells.

• The antibodies being made by the abnormal plasma cells don't work like they're supposed to.

The result is that there aren't enough healthy white blood cells or antibodies to fight infections.

4. High calcium levels

Many people are told to increase the amount of calcium in their diet. So it may be surprising to learn that high levels of calcium in your blood can be dangerous. When bones are broken down, large amounts of calcium are released into your bloodstream. High calcium levels can cause:

• Constipation

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Weakness

• Confusion

• Decreased appetite

• Increased thirst

• Increased urination

If calcium levels get too high it can cause a coma or even cause your heart to stop.

5. Kidney problems

The kidneys are at risk of injury in multiple myeloma. High calcium levels and lots of extra antibodies in your bloodstream can damage your kidneys. Experts estimate that as many as half of people with multiple myeloma have kidney injury at the time they're diagnosed.

Most of the time, there are no symptoms of kidney damage until it's very severe. People with kidney failure can have symptoms like decreased urine output, leg swelling, and itchy skin.

6. Stroke-like symptoms

Increased protein in your blood can cause the blood to be too thick, which is called hyperviscosity. This can happen to people with multiple myeloma if the cancerous plasma cells make too many antibodies. Hyperviscosity can affect blood flow to your brain and lead to confusion or dizziness. It can also lead to symptoms of a stroke, including:

• Difficulty speaking

• Double vision

• Balance problems

• Weakness on one side of your body

When should you seek care for multiple myeloma-like symptoms?

The symptoms of multiple myeloma can also be caused by conditions other than multiple myeloma. And most people with the above symptoms don't have multiple myeloma. Talk with your healthcare professional about your symptoms as soon as possible.

But some symptoms are more serious. Seek out urgent medical care if you have:

• Severe bone pain: If you have bone pain that isn't going away over time, or if you think you may have a broken bone, you should see a healthcare professional.

• Loss of bladder or bowel control: A fracture of the spine can put pressure on your spinal cord, called spinal cord compression. People with spinal cord compression often have severe back pain plus sudden weakness in their arms or legs. Depending on where the spinal cord is compressed, it can also cause incontinence or make you unable to pass urine.

• Dehydration from severe nausea and vomiting: If you're having severe nausea and vomiting, you can quickly become dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration include decreased urine output, weakness, or dizziness.

• Weight loss: If you're losing weight without trying, or losing more than you would normally expect to with dieting, you should see a healthcare professional.

• Shortness of breath or weakness: There are many possible causes for feeling tired or short of breath. Anemia is one of them.

• Confusion or signs of stroke: If you have symptoms like sudden difficulty speaking, double vision, balance problems, or weakness on one side of your body, you should go to the emergency room.

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