[Defcon Dragon]

Re: Counteracting anemia

by Defcon Dragon on Sun Jul 29, 2018 8:06 pm

I'm wondering if anyone has any information or thoughts about combating anemia with increasing aerobic exercise? This is the first time that my red blood cell count has been flagged as low. It's very slightly under the normal range, with hemoglobin and MCHC just barely in the normal range, so I'm not (yet) considered to be anemic. It's just worrisome that I show an 11% drop since my last labs 12 weeks ago.

Just for grins, I had my PCP order labs to test for low iron, B12, etc. hoping, just like Multibilly, that there would be a more pedestrian reason for my RBC drop than disease progression. Turns out my mostly plant-based diet is very healthy and I'm not lacking any nutrients. So, I'm thinking of upping my aerobic exercise, hoping it might up my RBC production. I do exercise daily, but I could definitely up it a notch or two.

My situation is smoldering, with a free light chain ratio as my most worrisome marker. It popped up over 100 once, but has been hovering around 70. Low RBC count is a new development, but the free light chain ratio has improved, to 60! My M-spike is stable at 1.6 g/dL (16 g/l).

Thanks for any input. I see my myeloma specialist in 2 weeks and try to be as knowledgeable as possible, doing everything I can do to ward this thing off.

[Ron Harvot]

Re: Counteracting anemia

by Ron Harvot on Mon Jul 30, 2018 12:56 pm

I am an avid cyclist and thus do a lot of aerobic type exercise. (Did a 70 mile event this past Saturday). With my long rides, I get my heart rate up to a max of around 160 bpm with a sustained average of 130 bpm for up to 5 hours. On average, I ride 4 times a week with around 12 hours of riding per week. I am not smoldering but full multiple myeloma and am in treatment and have been for 9 1/2 years. My white, red, hemoglobin and hematocrit counts are all slightly below normal despite all my activity. That however, is likely caused as much by taking Revlimid, dex, and Velcade as it is the myeloma. The activity may not be building my counts but it has improved my overall health and I believe has improved my overall endurance.

[Pippy]

Re: Counteracting anemia

by Pippy on Tue Jul 31, 2018 10:13 am

Multibilly and Dragon,

I agree with Ron that exercise is extremely important for maintaining your strength and your health, especially for anyone fighting this disease. But watch your numbers very closely. Iron, exercise and good diet can only get you so far. I was anemic for several years (iron-deficiency anemia, my doctor thought), but my daily 5-mile runs were becoming increasingly difficult. A blood test revealed my iron stores had finally righted themselves thanks to iron supplements, which signaled something else was responsible for my worsening anemia. I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma the next day. I can only assume I was smoldering in those years leading up to my diagnosis.

But my caution is this: I got very, very sick very very quickly. Your kidneys can be damaged in weeks. Apparently, once the myeloma took off, it really took off. So keep exercising, ramp it up, eat well, be as strong as you can. And get your blood tested regularly.

I wish you all the best, and may you never progress to multiple myeloma.

By the way, I had an autologous stem cell transplant last year (the same year as my diagnosis), and I am running five miles again. I believe my fitness helped save my life, and it continues to be my top priority, after my drugs, in dealing with this disease. I'm only slightly anemic now, probably thanks to the drugs. But I feel amazing.

I wish you all the best!