It's been 2 days that I am feeling nausea. I had a calcium test today. It was 10.8. My back is hurting and I don't feel that I'm ok. It's been 2 months that my calcium is bouncing between 10 and 10.8.
Is a bone marrow aspirate accurate to diagnose myeloma? And what about nonsecretory myeloma?
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Bringo001 - Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: In progress
- Age at diagnosis: 27
Re: Is hypercalcemia an early sign of multiple myeloma?
Bringo,
It really seems like you shouldn't be worrying about this. Your calcium levels really aren't that unusual for a 27 year old. Younger people tend to have a higher calcium reference range than older adults, as you'll see in the reference ranges in this Mayo Labs information.
Indeed, some might say that the upper limit of the reference range for your age is barely below the highest values you've gotten on some of your calcium tests.
From what you've provided, it really appears that you do not have hypercalcemia. If you just recently started working out, I think it makes sense that your calcium levels are elevated, as your bones become stronger when you workout, which leads to a higher calcium level in bones. I'm not sure if working out and exercising makes for consistently elevated calcium levels, however. See this article for
Ljunghall, S, et al, "Effects of physical exercise on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone," European Journal of Clinical Investigation, Dec 1984 (abstract)
Do you have additional symptoms? You mentioned that your back hurts and that you do not feel right. What prompted your ER visit in the first place? It sounds like you just started working out and changing your diet recently, because of the fatty liver diagnosis? You're putting your body through a lot of changes, so naturally you're bound to feel different than normal.
There are other tests that you can can get before resorting to a bone marrow aspirate, such as the serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and serum free light chain tests, which will identify all but the 2-3 percent of myeloma patients with true nonsecretory disease. Nonsecretors have clonal plasma cells in their marrow, however, so they would be found with a bone marrow biopsy if they were present.
Do you have any other symptoms? Night sweats, loss of weight? Foamy urine? You mentioned nausea; is this because of stress or diet change or lifestyle change?
Based on your calcium alone, I wouldn't be nervous of anything. There really doesn't seem to be a reason to keep getting your calcium tested. You've seen yourself that it varies from test to test, and has jumped an entire point (9.7-10.8).
It really seems like you shouldn't be worrying about this. Your calcium levels really aren't that unusual for a 27 year old. Younger people tend to have a higher calcium reference range than older adults, as you'll see in the reference ranges in this Mayo Labs information.
Indeed, some might say that the upper limit of the reference range for your age is barely below the highest values you've gotten on some of your calcium tests.
From what you've provided, it really appears that you do not have hypercalcemia. If you just recently started working out, I think it makes sense that your calcium levels are elevated, as your bones become stronger when you workout, which leads to a higher calcium level in bones. I'm not sure if working out and exercising makes for consistently elevated calcium levels, however. See this article for
Ljunghall, S, et al, "Effects of physical exercise on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone," European Journal of Clinical Investigation, Dec 1984 (abstract)
Do you have additional symptoms? You mentioned that your back hurts and that you do not feel right. What prompted your ER visit in the first place? It sounds like you just started working out and changing your diet recently, because of the fatty liver diagnosis? You're putting your body through a lot of changes, so naturally you're bound to feel different than normal.
There are other tests that you can can get before resorting to a bone marrow aspirate, such as the serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and serum free light chain tests, which will identify all but the 2-3 percent of myeloma patients with true nonsecretory disease. Nonsecretors have clonal plasma cells in their marrow, however, so they would be found with a bone marrow biopsy if they were present.
Do you have any other symptoms? Night sweats, loss of weight? Foamy urine? You mentioned nausea; is this because of stress or diet change or lifestyle change?
Based on your calcium alone, I wouldn't be nervous of anything. There really doesn't seem to be a reason to keep getting your calcium tested. You've seen yourself that it varies from test to test, and has jumped an entire point (9.7-10.8).
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mackontire - Name: Matt
Re: Is hypercalcemia an early sign of multiple myeloma?
Hello Matt,
Yes, actually I lost around 18 kilos of my weight in 3 months, but I don't know if it was because of my diet or something else.
Yes, I do feel pain in my back and my chest.
I feel that I am being tired very quickly of any activity I do, I have a higher heart rate than normal, and sometimes I feel that something is blocking my left ear, but it goes away in 10 or 15 minutes.
Don't have foamy urine, but sometimes a very dark color. And it's been a long time that I noticed that the smell of my urine is stronger. But my 24-hour protein urine test was only 6 (normal range < 120 ), so the doctors said no need for light chain serum test. Had SPEP and IFX (nothing abnormal, but 1 month ago my albumin was 50 now its 44). My ESR is 2.
But 1 month ago I heard a weird noise in the bones of my arm, I guess, when I was lying on my bed. Had a full body MRI and nothing was abnormal.
All my old test my calcium was bouncing between 9.5 and 10.2 in my entire life. Never had a 10.8 level before those 3 months.
My hemoglobin is very good (16.7 ), but it don't rule out having multiple myeloma I guess?
I'm really confused, and I'm insisting on my doctors to have a bone marrow biopsy, since the slides of my bone marrow aspirate were hemolitude.
Yes, actually I lost around 18 kilos of my weight in 3 months, but I don't know if it was because of my diet or something else.
Yes, I do feel pain in my back and my chest.
I feel that I am being tired very quickly of any activity I do, I have a higher heart rate than normal, and sometimes I feel that something is blocking my left ear, but it goes away in 10 or 15 minutes.
Don't have foamy urine, but sometimes a very dark color. And it's been a long time that I noticed that the smell of my urine is stronger. But my 24-hour protein urine test was only 6 (normal range < 120 ), so the doctors said no need for light chain serum test. Had SPEP and IFX (nothing abnormal, but 1 month ago my albumin was 50 now its 44). My ESR is 2.
But 1 month ago I heard a weird noise in the bones of my arm, I guess, when I was lying on my bed. Had a full body MRI and nothing was abnormal.
All my old test my calcium was bouncing between 9.5 and 10.2 in my entire life. Never had a 10.8 level before those 3 months.
My hemoglobin is very good (16.7 ), but it don't rule out having multiple myeloma I guess?
I'm really confused, and I'm insisting on my doctors to have a bone marrow biopsy, since the slides of my bone marrow aspirate were hemolitude.
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Bringo001 - Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: In progress
- Age at diagnosis: 27
Re: Is hypercalcemia an early sign of multiple myeloma?
Just wanted to follow up with everyone here. I had kidney stones. Went to the emergency room (ER) because of blood in urine and pain. I insisted on a bone marrow test. Had a bone marrow biopsy and aspiration : ( adequate )
Bone marrow aspiration showed 1% plasma cells
And bone marrow biopsy showed:
No infiltration
No increased number of plasma cells
Having a serum and urine tests negative (SPEP, IFX, Bence Jones, urine protein / 24-hours, ESR) with a hemeglobin of 16, a negative full body MRI. Although having a mild hypercalcemia that bounces between 10.2 and 10.8, and a creatinine that bounces between 0.7 and 1.2, and the kidneys stones I developed recently (blood and pain in urine), makes me in a safe place. And rule out myeloma for good?
Bone marrow aspiration showed 1% plasma cells
And bone marrow biopsy showed:
No infiltration
No increased number of plasma cells
Having a serum and urine tests negative (SPEP, IFX, Bence Jones, urine protein / 24-hours, ESR) with a hemeglobin of 16, a negative full body MRI. Although having a mild hypercalcemia that bounces between 10.2 and 10.8, and a creatinine that bounces between 0.7 and 1.2, and the kidneys stones I developed recently (blood and pain in urine), makes me in a safe place. And rule out myeloma for good?
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Bringo001 - Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: In progress
- Age at diagnosis: 27
Re: Is hypercalcemia an early sign of multiple myeloma?
Hi Bringo001:
I am so glad you do not have multiple myeloma, but if anyone tells you that they can rule out any cancer "for good", they would be doing you a disservice. They don't know why some people get multiple myeloma and others do not, but with the exception of a few hereditary / genetic cancers, and those caused by obvious environmental factors (mesothelioma and asbestos exposure), it is the same for all cancers
There are so many things in this life you cannot control, and getting cancer is one of them. Don't dwell or spend precious time worrying about it. If you are living a relatively healthy life style, odds are you will live a long healthy life.
Take care
Kathleen
I am so glad you do not have multiple myeloma, but if anyone tells you that they can rule out any cancer "for good", they would be doing you a disservice. They don't know why some people get multiple myeloma and others do not, but with the exception of a few hereditary / genetic cancers, and those caused by obvious environmental factors (mesothelioma and asbestos exposure), it is the same for all cancers
There are so many things in this life you cannot control, and getting cancer is one of them. Don't dwell or spend precious time worrying about it. If you are living a relatively healthy life style, odds are you will live a long healthy life.
Take care
Kathleen
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kshornb - Name: kshornber
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2015
- Age at diagnosis: 52
Re: Is hypercalcemia an early sign of multiple myeloma?
Hypercalcemia is one of the first signs of parathyroid tumors. These are typically non-cancerous.
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Anonymous
Re: Is hypercalcemia an early sign of multiple myeloma?
Dear Bringo001,
You are worrying too much.
You are worrying too much.
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Mojbahar - Name: M
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self mgus
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Jully 2016
- Age at diagnosis: 48
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