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Discussion about multiple myeloma treatments, stem cell transplants, clinical trials, alternative medicines, supplements, and their benefits and side effects.

Re: Fenofibrate (Tricor) and multiple myeloma

by Multibilly on Mon May 11, 2015 3:26 pm

Below are my up­dated graphs with my latest test re­sults as I con­tinue my fenofibrate ex­peri­ment.

My M-spike has been up at 2.5 g/dL (25 g/L) for the past two tests – and outside the standard deviation range – but my FLC ratio is now back down to where it was when I was first diag­nosed.

As always, I don’t think one can draw any cause-and-effect conclusions from this experiment. All of these changes could simply be due to normal variations associated with smoldering mye­lo­ma. I started taking fenofibrate back in February 2014.

IgG.png
IgG.png (29.58 KiB) Viewed 2983 times

MSpike.png
MSpike.png (28.96 KiB) Viewed 2983 times

LambdaFLC.png
LambdaFLC.png (28.76 KiB) Viewed 2983 times

FLCRatio.png
FLCRatio.png (37.8 KiB) Viewed 2983 times

Multibilly
Name: Multibilly
Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012

Re: Fenofibrate (Tricor) and multiple myeloma

by Spanish Mary on Tue May 12, 2015 5:23 pm

Hi Multibilly,

You included haemoglobin in your July 2014 results. Have your numbers improved since then?

Spanish Mary
Name: Spanish Mary
Who do you know with myeloma?: Self, MGUS
When were you/they diagnosed?: May 2014
Age at diagnosis: 59

Re: Fenofibrate (Tricor) and multiple myeloma

by Multibilly on Tue May 12, 2015 6:46 pm

The downward trend of my hemoglobin since last July did not continue. At that time, I started getting more iron in my diet. See the forum thread "Counteracting anemia" (started July 22, 2014).

But my hemoglobin still bounces around (like most of my numbers) in a new, lower range. My hemoglobin is still currently within the standard deviation of my numbers at 12.9 g/dL. A read­ing of 11.4 g/dL or lower would have me anemic enough to meet the "A" in the "CRAB" criteria.

Hgb.png
Hgb.png (9.11 KiB) Viewed 2914 times

Multibilly
Name: Multibilly
Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012

Re: Fenofibrate (Tricor) and multiple myeloma

by Spanish Mary on Thu May 14, 2015 4:46 pm

Thanks Multibilly.

Spanish Mary
Name: Spanish Mary
Who do you know with myeloma?: Self, MGUS
When were you/they diagnosed?: May 2014
Age at diagnosis: 59

Re: Fenofibrate (Tricor) and multiple myeloma

by Spanish Mary on Mon Jul 06, 2015 8:43 am

This is a report back on my fenofibrate experiment.

I used to take Lipitor to reduce risk (LDL) due to an extremely high congenital LP(a) level.

I switched to fenofibrate 7 months ago, and my M-spike is now hovering around 1g/dL (down from about 1.3 g/dL, peaking at 1.5 g/dL).

I used to take many nutraceuticals, which my haematologist insisted I stop a year ago when my MGUS was discovered. I have since added some nutraceuticals back, under supervision of an integrative doctor and also halved my thyroid medication.

I remain optimistic about fenofibrate although my light chains have not improved.

I tried to post a graph of my results, but I must be doing something wrong :)

Spanish Mary
Name: Spanish Mary
Who do you know with myeloma?: Self, MGUS
When were you/they diagnosed?: May 2014
Age at diagnosis: 59

Re: Fenofibrate (Tricor) and multiple myeloma

by TerryH on Tue Jul 07, 2015 12:00 am

Thanks for sharing your experience with fenofibrate, Spanish Mary. It's great that your M-spike has gone done. Has there been any change in your immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgA, IgM, etc.) along with your M-spike? And what about your serum free light chain levels; do you get them tested regularly and, if so, what has happened with them?

I think that, to post a graph or other image, you have to first save it as a file on your computer and then include it as an attachment to your posting. When you are writing your posting, there is some text at the bottom that says "Click here to add an attachment." When you click on that, it asks you what file you want to add, and you can choose one from your computer, then "add the file" as an attachment when you've selected it, and it will be included with your posting when you press the "submit" button to finish the posting.

I'm going to try it myself with an image and see if it works. Here goes:

HeavyChainLightChain.png
HeavyChainLightChain.png (14.44 KiB) Viewed 2787 times

(It seems to work, although I can't seem to insert the image where I want in the posting. A code gets inserted, which you may see above, but the image isn't shown there. Instead, it's shown at the end of the posting.)

Moderator's Note: Placement of images within a posting has to be confirmed by a moderator. The placement should work now as intended.

TerryH

Re: Fenofibrate (Tricor) and multiple myeloma

by Spanish Mary on Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:16 am

Hi TerryH,

Thanks for the advice. I'll try to attach my graph at the bottom.

My light chains and immunoglobulins have been analysed every 2 months since starting feno­fibrate, and whilst there is no significant pattern emerging, my IgG has come down slightly from 17.1 to 16.5 g/L. IgA hovers around 0.7 and does go out of spec now and then. IgM remains 0.9 - 1,0 g/L.

My lambda light chains came down 2 months after starting fenofibrate from levels between 52 and 57 mg/L to 48.5, which made me very happy. Unfortunately it has been increasing steadily since : 58.2 ; 58.7 ; 62.3.

I am very healthy otherwise despite a very low neutrophil count (1.12) and I've decided to take a break from testing as the 2-monthly analyses were very stressful.

Now I'll try the graph!

Kind Regards

Spanish Mary
Name: Spanish Mary
Who do you know with myeloma?: Self, MGUS
When were you/they diagnosed?: May 2014
Age at diagnosis: 59

Re: Fenofibrate (Tricor) and multiple myeloma

by Beacon Staff on Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:55 am

Hi Spanish Mary,

The graph won't appear in the forum if it's in a spreadsheet file that you attach. The graph has to be saved as a .JPG, .GIF, or .PNG file and then uploaded, in which case it will then be viewable directly in the forum.

Could you send us your spreadsheet so that it can be edited? There were some formatting issues with the graph in the spreadsheet you posted, but we could not edit the text in the graph.

We've helped others here in the forum prepare and finalize images for posting.

You can email us the spreadsheet at info [{at}} myelomabeacon {[dot]} com . Again, please make sure the graph is fully editable and formattable. The easiest way to do that is to send a spreadsheet that has both the graph and the source data in it. We will only upload the final graph (as an image file); we will not upload the full spreadsheet.

Thanks!

Beacon Staff

Re: Fenofibrate (Tricor) and multiple myeloma

by Spanish Mary on Thu Jul 09, 2015 3:39 pm

Thanks Beacon Staff, I've forwarded my graph and spreadsheet.
Kind Regards

Spanish Mary
Name: Spanish Mary
Who do you know with myeloma?: Self, MGUS
When were you/they diagnosed?: May 2014
Age at diagnosis: 59

Re: Fenofibrate (Tricor) and multiple myeloma

by Multibilly on Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:33 pm

Well, it's been some time since I last updated my fenofibrate experiment figures. None of my key markers are really improving, but then again none of them are really going south either, which is just fine by me. As stated several times before, I don't think anyone can draw any con­clusions as to whether fenofibrate has had an impact on my markers or not. A smoldering patient who wasn't taking fenofibrate might just as easily have experienced the same results as I did.

However, my hemoglobin levels have continued to improve ever since I tweaked my diet and began eating red meat again, as well as taking an iron supplement. So, I cautiously attribute cause and effect to that marker's improvement over the past few months.

I'll continue to take fenofibrate since it is a pretty inexpensive date and my lipid levels continue to do well by it.

IgG.png
IgG.png (28.18 KiB) Viewed 2576 times

MSpike.png
MSpike.png (25.31 KiB) Viewed 2576 times

LambdaFLC.png
LambdaFLC.png (27.23 KiB) Viewed 2576 times

FLCRatio.png
FLCRatio.png (29.1 KiB) Viewed 2575 times

Hgb.png
Hgb.png (24.61 KiB) Viewed 2575 times

Multibilly
Name: Multibilly
Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012

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