[gardengirl]

Fluctuations in labwork

by gardengirl on Tue Jul 22, 2014 9:56 pm

Hello! I have had monthly labwork from the same lab for the past 8 months since my diagnosis. In the beginning, my numbers were increasing each month, so much so that the treatment meds were ordered (still sitting in my pantry ) They called it "evolving".

But this last round actually showed a decrease in my numbers (Ig levels slightly below what they were when diagnosed!). It makes me question the accuracy of the labs we use! Is it possible to have a biochemical progression that takes a step back? How is that possible? And should I / would you hold off starting treatment until CRAB develops? (I know Dr. Cohen had some great advice on the previous thread.)

Thank you for your input!

[dnalex]

Re: Fluctuations in labwork

by dnalex on Tue Jul 22, 2014 10:07 pm

Hello,

I think that it's definitely normal for people with and without myeloma to have a certain amount of variation in their labs. However, you should be able to see distinct trends over the course of several measurements spanning a length of time. Without actually knowing the specific numbers, I think it's also harder to ascribe something to possible variations versus trend.