Symptoms
Symptoms of multiple myeloma include:

• Bone pain. Tumors associated with multiple myeloma release osteoclasts, or bone-absorbing cells, which cause painful bone weakness.
  
• Bone weakness, or osteoporosis, can lead to bone fractures from relatively minor stress or injury.
  
• Blood problems. As myeloma growth takes over the normal formation of marrow cells, there is a shortage of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. This can lead to anemia, infections, and serious bleeding due to small cuts.
  
• Nervous system issues. Weakness in spinal bones may compress nerves, causing numbness, severe pain, and weakness in the limbs.
  
• Kidney symptoms. Too much myeloma protein can injure the kidneys, reducing the patient’s ability to dispose of bodily waste, fluid, and excess salt.
  
• Infections. The most serious infection picked up by a multiple myeloma patient is pneumonia. These patients are 15 times more likely to develop pneumonia than other people.
  

Last updated: 01-Jan-00