[Rssutherland]

Darzalex and diverticulitis

by Rssutherland on Mon Jan 21, 2019 10:00 pm

I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010. Velcade worked great, but I had to stop after 15 weeks because of peripheral neuropathy. Then took a holiday for four plus years. Revlimid was next, and it also worked, but not for a very long time. Next was Ninlaro, which worked great. But eventually side effects made this treatment stop. Darzalex and dex was next. This worked, but Velcade and Pomalyst were added. Again worked great. Transplant was the next move. I am almost 67, so they figured they should use my own stem cells for the transplant.

I am a month past the transplant. A day or two after transplant they discovered a small perforation in my colon, so they did surgery on December 24. I got out of the hospital on January 3.

It really does not matter much, but I was curious if there is a connection with Darzalex and diverticulitis?

[Dontmesswithtx]

Re: Darzalex and diverticulitis

by Dontmesswithtx on Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:11 pm

I have been on Darzalex for 21 months. I have not had any stomach or digestive problems at all. Also, most everyone with multiple myeloma has received treatment of some kind, which can affect the entire digestive tract. Before my autologous stem cell transplant they gave me high-dose melphalan which gave me nausea, cramps, abdominal pain, and an inability to eat (for many months after that). I got better after 4 months or so little by little. Or maybe your diverticulitis is just something you would have gotten whether you had multiple myeloma or not. If it runs in the family you would be prone to get it.

[MrPotatohead]

Re: Darzalex and diverticulitis

by MrPotatohead on Mon Jun 03, 2019 1:36 pm

Hi Rssutherland,

I was on Darzalex for many months and never developed diverticulitis on it, despite having many diverticula in my intestines.

It may indeed just be a coincidence, as dontmesswithtx suggests. Plenty of folks have diverticula (the little pouches in the intestines that cause diverticulitis when they become infected or inflamed). The older you are, the more likely you are to have them.

But I have never heard of a cause-and-effect connection between Darzalex and diverticulitis.

[vmeyer]

Re: Darzalex and diverticulitis

by vmeyer on Mon Jun 03, 2019 9:51 pm

My husband has been on Darzalex for nearly two years and hasn't had any signs of diverticulitis. He did have C diff. a couple of months ago (probably because his gamma globulins are really low).