Myeloma is a type of cancer that forms in the plasma cells. In normal circumstances, healthy plasma cells help fight infections by creating antibodies. When you have myeloma, there is an accumulation of cancerous plasma cells in your bone marrow that overcrowds healthy blood cells and produces unusual proteins that may cause complications. During its initial stages, myeloma may not display symptoms, and treatment is not always required immediately. Symptoms of myeloma include the following:
1. Nausea
Myeloma causes bone damage, leading to the release of too much calcium in the blood. This leads to hypercalcemia, which, in turn, can cause symptoms such as nausea.
2. Weight loss
Myeloma can cause a complicated syndrome, known as cachexia, that causes weight loss in the affected individual. The condition instructs the body to start unnecessarily burning fat and muscle. Due to this, the body loses weight unintentionally. Cachexia affects 50%–80% of people with cancer.
3. Constipation
Myeloma impacts different body parts as it progresses. In some instances, myeloma can cause constipation. This usually happens when myeloma starts to break down bone matter, producing surplus calcium levels in the blood. Excess calcium in the blood makes your kidneys work harder to get rid of the mineral, requiring more water from the body. This results in less water for your bowels to use, potentially causing hard stools.
4. Loss of appetite
Myeloma causes various changes to your metabolism and hormone levels. Some of these changes can make you become nauseous or lose appetite. Also, as stated earlier, myeloma causes the breakdown of bone cells, which leads to the release of calcium into the blood; a loss of appetite is a common symptom of hypercalcemia.
5. Weakness or loss of feeling in the legs
Myeloma destroys bone density, which may cause osteoporosis and brittle bones. This may lead to bone pain in your hips, rib cage, or back; bone weakness; and bone fractures. Weakness or loss of feeling in your legs can also occur when abnormal plasma cells damage bone tissue, leading to soft spots on your bones known as osteolytic lesions.
6. Swelling of the legs
Myeloma proteins can sometimes damage the kidneys. Initially, this damage can be asymptomatic, though it can be confirmed through a blood test. However, when your kidneys start failing due to this damage, they can no longer dispose of excess fluid, salt, and body waste products in your bloodstream, which leads to symptoms like weakness and swelling in your legs.
7. Increased thirst
As your bones break down, calcium gets released into your bloodstream. Calcium is then naturally eradicated through urine. However, hypercalcemia makes your kidneys unable to expel all the necessary waste. Therefore, your body will require extra water to process the excess calcium, and you will likely experience increased thirst, frequent urination, and dehydration.
8. Frequent urination
When hypercalcemia sets in and causes extreme thirst, you will want to consume more water. The more water you take in, the more you’ll need to urinate. So, you may experience frequent urination when you have myeloma.
If you notice any of the above myeloma symptoms, treatment may help to slow the progress of the disease, relieve pain, stabilize your condition, and control complications. However, you may not require immediate treatment if the condition is in its early stages and slow-growing. Your doctor should monitor the situation for disease progression through periodic urine and blood tests. If the disease shows rapid progression, your doctor should recommend a suitable treatment.
