Does multiple myeloma affect your blood pressure?
My husband was diagnosed in September 2013. He was treated with Velcade from September to December. However, he had to discontinue treatment due to worsening neuropathy.
He suffered a stroke in January of 2011, therefore has multiple health issues already. He was able to walk with a walker from the stroke until the Velcade. After treatment, he could no longer walk, but could transport with a wheelchair.
However, in the last month, his blood pressure drops just when sitting up on the side of the bed, to the point that he passed out. Therefore he lays in the bed 100% of the time now.
Does this disease cause this?
Thanks.
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sharples74 - Name: JSmith
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Spouse
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Sept 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Does multiple myeloma affect blood pressure?
Sharples74,
The post below is cut and paste from my response to a posting months ago to somebody who was having problems with neuropathy and blood pressure from Velcade. Others have had this too.
I do not know that the issue issue I had, though, is the same your husband is having. I improved in the months after Velcade was stopped. It has been six months since Velcade was stopped for your husband and the problem has just appeared in the last month.
In any case I believe this is something that your husband's medical team needs to address. Have you brought it to their attention? What have they said?
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I was put on Velcade after my initial multiple myeloma diagnosis in April last year. I started experiencing PN sometime in late May. The PN came on very suddenly one night and it felt like someone had hit me in the back of the legs with a baseball bat. The pain was pretty excruciating, but I found that it subsided considerably during the day and when I was walking.
I was prescribed hydromorphone and Morphine ER for the PN pains, which extended all the way up to just below my knees. I also developed the usual burning, tingling, and numbness that comes with PN, mostly in the legs and feet, but some in the hands.
In July I had to be taken off Velcade because I had developed an orthostatic blood pressure condition from the peripheral nerve damage. My blood pressure was dropping significantly when I would stand up and I was blacking out. My blood pressure would drop to as low as 72 over the machine could not make a reading.
I went to the ER and was admitted to the hospital for a week while I was being tested extensively for the cause of my condition before it was determined to be peripheral nerve damage. Thankfully, I slowly recovered from my orthostatic blood pressure over the next few months. If I had not, it would have really affected my quality of life.
Today, the orthostatic blood pressure appears to be completely reversed. I still have PN in my feet that act up at time, but I can tolerate it without out the use of opiates. When the pain was bad, I really needed the opiates, but it would take a lot to get me to take them again. The PN had been getting better last fall, but I found I could not stop taking the opiates as I had become dependent on them. Thankfully when I went in for my stem cell transplant in September, I was able to quit them while in the hospital. I think the Ativan (lorazepam) helped.
This is a long response, but the point I am trying to emphasize is that it is best not to let the PN get that severe to start with. It can cause a lot of problems and may not ever go away. The Velcade did work really well on me -- my cancerous bone marrow went from over 30% to under 2%.
The post below is cut and paste from my response to a posting months ago to somebody who was having problems with neuropathy and blood pressure from Velcade. Others have had this too.
I do not know that the issue issue I had, though, is the same your husband is having. I improved in the months after Velcade was stopped. It has been six months since Velcade was stopped for your husband and the problem has just appeared in the last month.
In any case I believe this is something that your husband's medical team needs to address. Have you brought it to their attention? What have they said?
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I was put on Velcade after my initial multiple myeloma diagnosis in April last year. I started experiencing PN sometime in late May. The PN came on very suddenly one night and it felt like someone had hit me in the back of the legs with a baseball bat. The pain was pretty excruciating, but I found that it subsided considerably during the day and when I was walking.
I was prescribed hydromorphone and Morphine ER for the PN pains, which extended all the way up to just below my knees. I also developed the usual burning, tingling, and numbness that comes with PN, mostly in the legs and feet, but some in the hands.
In July I had to be taken off Velcade because I had developed an orthostatic blood pressure condition from the peripheral nerve damage. My blood pressure was dropping significantly when I would stand up and I was blacking out. My blood pressure would drop to as low as 72 over the machine could not make a reading.
I went to the ER and was admitted to the hospital for a week while I was being tested extensively for the cause of my condition before it was determined to be peripheral nerve damage. Thankfully, I slowly recovered from my orthostatic blood pressure over the next few months. If I had not, it would have really affected my quality of life.
Today, the orthostatic blood pressure appears to be completely reversed. I still have PN in my feet that act up at time, but I can tolerate it without out the use of opiates. When the pain was bad, I really needed the opiates, but it would take a lot to get me to take them again. The PN had been getting better last fall, but I found I could not stop taking the opiates as I had become dependent on them. Thankfully when I went in for my stem cell transplant in September, I was able to quit them while in the hospital. I think the Ativan (lorazepam) helped.
This is a long response, but the point I am trying to emphasize is that it is best not to let the PN get that severe to start with. It can cause a lot of problems and may not ever go away. The Velcade did work really well on me -- my cancerous bone marrow went from over 30% to under 2%.
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Eric Hofacket - Name: Eric H
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 01 April 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 44
Re: Does multiple myeloma affect blood pressure?
Thanks Eric for your reply.
Yes, we have brought this to the physician's attention and he ordered a series of blood work, all of which came back ok. He is ordering more test next week.
My husband has so many medical problems it is hard to determine if it is related to the multiple myeloma or the stroke. However, he continues to deteriorate. He isn't in any pain, just has the numbness from his knees down to his feet. He says if he didn't see his feet, he wouldn't know that he had any. His feet are starting to turn and that is with physical therapy 3x a week and boots.
He has had issues with his blood pressure from the stroke in the past, but it was normally when he stood up. Now he can't even sit on the side of the bed without it dropping to 70/54, etc.
Yes, we have brought this to the physician's attention and he ordered a series of blood work, all of which came back ok. He is ordering more test next week.
My husband has so many medical problems it is hard to determine if it is related to the multiple myeloma or the stroke. However, he continues to deteriorate. He isn't in any pain, just has the numbness from his knees down to his feet. He says if he didn't see his feet, he wouldn't know that he had any. His feet are starting to turn and that is with physical therapy 3x a week and boots.
He has had issues with his blood pressure from the stroke in the past, but it was normally when he stood up. Now he can't even sit on the side of the bed without it dropping to 70/54, etc.
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sharples74 - Name: JSmith
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Spouse
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Sept 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Does multiple myeloma affect blood pressure?
There are number of potential reasons for orthostatic hypotension (dehydration, anemia, overdose of blood pressure medications, carotid artery blockages, cardiac arrythmias, strokes). Additionally, other myeloma-related issues like amyloidosis can cause similar symptoms (although others are more likely).
Velcade (bortezomib) therapy is another. Peripheral neuropathy is not the only aspect of the neurological system that can be affected by the medication. Your autonomic nervous system can also be affected, such that your body cannot compensate for changing positions, causing dizziness / lightheadness when going to sitting from lying down, or standing from sitting.
This is your husband's problem. Whether it is Velcade related or not will be determined partly on timing and partly on ruling out other potential causes as above. The timing is not consistent with Velcade as a cause.
I would recommend that you discuss this with your husband's myeloma doctor as well his primary care physician, neurologist, and/or cardiologist, if he already has one.
We wish you the best. Please keep us updated.
Velcade (bortezomib) therapy is another. Peripheral neuropathy is not the only aspect of the neurological system that can be affected by the medication. Your autonomic nervous system can also be affected, such that your body cannot compensate for changing positions, causing dizziness / lightheadness when going to sitting from lying down, or standing from sitting.
This is your husband's problem. Whether it is Velcade related or not will be determined partly on timing and partly on ruling out other potential causes as above. The timing is not consistent with Velcade as a cause.
I would recommend that you discuss this with your husband's myeloma doctor as well his primary care physician, neurologist, and/or cardiologist, if he already has one.
We wish you the best. Please keep us updated.
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Dr. Ken Shain - Name: Ken Shain, M.D., Ph.D.
Beacon Medical Advisor
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