“…study finds significant variation in how drug side effects are reported, potentially making some drugs seem safer or less safe than they really are.”
Multiple myeloma (MM) is both a cancer of the bone marrow as well as a cancer of the bone. When I say that, what I mean is MM or monoclonal plasma cells damage bone marrow as much as they damage our bones. When MM and therapies to treat MM damage bone marrow it is called myelosuppression. When MM and therapies to treat MM damage our bones it is simply considered to be bone involvement.
According to research, 90% of all MM survivors will experience bone damage (bone involvement) at some point during their MM experience.
It may sound odd but bone is living tissue. Our bones are constantly dying and growing. This is called “remodeling.” Monoclonal proteins interrupt our bones from remodeling.
To say that bone damage is a symptom, side effect and COD of MM patients is to say that MM increases the risk of bone involvement and pathological fractures and that pathological fractures increases the risk of death of MM patients.
Therefore, MM survivors must spend our entire lives watching, measuring and undergoing therapies to strengthen our bones.
A major challenge to strengthening our bones is both the multiple myeloma disease as well as certain standard-of-care (SOC) MM therapies that we take to fight our myeloma.
Signs and symptoms of bone involvement may include:
- Bone Pain
- Skeletal Related Event (SRE)
- Focal Lesion
- Lytic Lesion
- Vertebral Compression Fracture
- Bone Fracture
The blog post “What is Multiple Myeloma? Oncology has it backwards…“ represents a light bulb going off over my head. When I read a study documenting that MM symptoms, side effects and causes of death all overlapped, I almost fell off my chair. Oncology has it backwards…”the cure is worse than the disease,” as the saying goes…
I think a contributing factor, a problem that contributes to conventional oncology not understanding the long-term damage done by toxic therapies is the fact that different drug companies track side effects differently.
Multiple Myeloma Symptoms Cloud Multiple Myeloma Side Effects-
Bone involvement in MM- bone pain, bone weakness, bone fractures- can be either a symptom or a side effect of FDA approved, standard-of-care, MM therapies. Conventional oncology’s SOC protocol therapy is either bisphophonate or denosumab therapy.
If the newly diagnosed MM patient suffers from bone damage to his/her spine, they may consider Kyphoplasty/Vertebroplasty.
Possible Conventional therapies shown to reduce bone health-
Possible therapies to enhance bone health.
- Myeloma Therapy- Collagen 101- Skin, Bone, Heart Health-
- Multiple Myeloma Therapy- Curcumin for Both Symptoms, Side Effects
- Multiple Myeloma Chemotherapy- Probiotic, Diet, Supplement, Pre-habilitation
- Multiple Myeloma Symptoms, Side Effects- Magnesium
- Multiple Myeloma- Symptoms and Side Effects- Omega-3 Therapy
- Multiple Myeloma Symptoms, Side Effects- Vitamin D3
- Multiple Myeloma- Black Seed Oil, TQ- Kill MM, Pro Bone, Kidney, Heart
- Multiple Myeloma- Bone Therapy Cissus Quadrangularis
If you have any questions about your MM or your bone health, scroll down the page, post a question or comment and I will reply to you ASAP.
Thank you,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director Galen Foundation
Recommended Reading:
“Overview–
Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer. It forms in plasma cells, which are made in the bone marrow, and causes cancer cells there to rapidly multiply. These cancer cells eventually crowd out and destroy healthy plasma and blood cells in the bone marrow.
Plasma cells are responsible for producing antibodies. Myeloma cells can cause the production of abnormal antibodies, which can cause the blood flow to become slow. This condition is also characterized by the existence of multiple tumors…
Causes of multiple myeloma bone pain
Multiple myeloma can cause soft spots in the bone called osteolytic lesions, which appear as holes on an X-ray. These osteolytic lesions are painful and can increase the risk of painful breaks or fractures…
Treatments for bone pain and lesions
Multiple myeloma can be painful. While treating the myeloma itself is the first priority, several treatment options are available that focus purely on relieving your pain. Medical and natural treatment options are available to treat bone pain and lesions.
Always talk to your doctor before starting a new treatment. Pain treatments may help bone pain but won’t stop the myeloma from growing on its own.
Medical treatments-Medical treatment options include the following:
- “Analgesics” is an umbrella term for different pain relievers. The most commonly used analgesics to treat bone pain are opioids and narcotics, such as morphine or codeine.
- Bisphosphonates are prescription medications that can prevent the bone cells from breaking down and damaging the bone. You can take them by mouth or receive them through a vein (intravenously).
- Anticonvulsants and antidepressants are sometimes used to treat pain that stems from nerve damage. These can sometimes interrupt or slow down the pain signals that are sent to the brain from the nerve cell.
- Surgery is most often used to treat fractures. Your doctor may recommend surgery to insert rods or plates into the fracture to support fragile and weakened bones.
- Radiation therapy is often used to attempt to shrink tumors. This can help to relieve pinched nerves or compressed spinal cords.
You should avoid over-the-counter (OTC) medications since they may interact with your other pain medications or cancer treatments. Consult your doctor before taking any OTC medications.
