[AprilLeigh0401]

Itchy skin + neck, back, and rib pain at diagnosis?

by AprilLeigh0401 on Mon Dec 07, 2015 1:14 am

Hello all,

I am 33 years old and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma on November 18. I have yet to start treatment because I am moving from Pensacola, Florida back to Kansas City, Missouri so my husband and I can get support from our family.

The questions I have relate to some possible symptoms. Has anyone else experienced itchy skin, neck and lower back pain, stomach pain, and sharp rib pain, much like a knife being stabbed into them for a moment?

I have multiple myeloma with high lambda light chain, no lesions, have yet to get an MRI or CT, no protein in urine, no anemia, lots of bone pain though.

Thank you in advance!

[Multibilly]

Re: Itchy skin + neck, back, and rib pain at diagnosis?

by Multibilly on Mon Dec 07, 2015 9:05 am

HI April,

Welcome to the forum.

You say you have "no lesions". Was that the result of a skeletal xray survey?

If that is the case, I might suggest a PET/CT (or a whole body MRI, if that is available to you). Both of these imaging modalities are better than an xray at picking up various bone problems associated with multiple myeloma.

I assume if you were diagnosed with multiple myeloma, that you had a bone marrow biopsy?

Given you have a high lambda FLC involvement, a possibility to consider is that you might also have amyloidosis, which could explain some of your symptoms. If you had a bone marrow biopsy, did they run a Congo red stain test to test for amyloidosis? See:

https://myelomabeacon.org/forum/kappa-lambda-free-light-chains-t3833.html#p21748