[dbthump]

Started daratumumab - what to watch for?

by dbthump on Tue Feb 16, 2016 11:36 am

Preface: I thought this was going to be a shorter post about what to watch for after daratumumab, but I guess I needed to tell my story first. I wrote this preface after proof reading my post.

Thanks for reading on.

My mother has high risk 17p myeloma. She has spent nearly a year on the "tried and true" initial salvo of treatment hoping to get to an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). Although the response to chemo was able to get her numbers below detectable levels, her myeloma aggressively regained its hold within 2-3 weeks after chemo while waiting to get to transplant; twice now.

Just prior to Christmas she could walk, drive, pick my kids up from school and such. Just after New Year she could not walk, had severe leg, shoulder, jaw, sinus pain, to the point where I had to move her into my home to be cared for.

In the past three weeks she was admitted to Moffitt Cancer Center for 10 days for high fever, a week straight on the third visit. They started localized radiation to deal with the nerve pain in her leg and shoulder, steady regimen of two different morphine, and never discovered the reason for the high fever. After a MRI and CT of her head, they discovered a mass on her sinus: myeloma. The biopsy actually helped to relieve pressure on her sinus and resolved her headaches, for now.

They started Pomalyst while in Moffitt. It's been a week now. After three different attempts finally started daratumumab yesterday.

What reaction / side effect symptoms has anyone noticed over the next few days. Any clues of what I should watch for would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You.

[rumnting]

Re: Started daratumumab - what to watch for?

by rumnting on Tue Feb 16, 2016 4:13 pm

My husband (also 17P-) has now had about 6 weeks worth of daratumumab. He said that if it weren't for the dex they are also giving him, that he would think the IV's were just water. He has had no side effects, and his M-spike has lowered.