Multiple Myeloma Symptoms

Multiple myeloma, an incurable type of cancer in the blood's plasma cell, affects more than 19,000 people in the United States every year. Initially, people with multiple myeloma have no symptoms; doctors refer to these patients as asymptomatic. Often, a person discovers she has multiple myeloma when receiving blood tests for other procedures.

Kidney Problems

• People with multiple myeloma have extra protein or calcium in the blood, so their kidneys have to work harder to filter their urine. They may experience symptoms such as weakness, appetite loss, confusion, thirst and, eventually, kidney damage and failure.

Pain

• When multiple myeloma cells accumulate, they can weaken bones and cause small fractures in the lower back or ribs. A person with early multiple myeloma may feel pain in these areas of the body.

Tiredness

• As multiple myeloma cells proliferate, the production of red blood cells is suppressed. This condition, anemia, can make a person with multiple myeloma feel fatigued and weak.

Increased Risk of Infection

• People with multiple myeloma have more than 15 times the risk of contracting infections such as pneumonia, shingles and urinary tract infections.

Nervous System Problems

• Because multiple myeloma causes bones to weaken and crack, a person may feel tingling sensations or numbness as the bone structures begin to narrow and interfere with nerve signals.