Main symptoms of myeloma
Symptoms of myeloma may include:
- bone pain – you may feel this in your back, hips, shoulders or ribs
- feeling very tired for no reason
- shortness of breath
- muscle weakness
- headaches
- feeling very thirsty and needing to pee more often than usual
- losing weight without trying
Sometimes myeloma does not cause symptoms at first. You may find out you have it after having a blood test for another reason.
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
- you think you may have myeloma
Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have:
- difficulty breathing – you may be more short of breath than usual
Immediate action required: Call 999 if you or someone else:
- suddenly lose feeling in your arms or legs, or cannot walk or stand
- suddenly feel confused
- suddenly cannot control when you poo or pee
These could be a sign of a condition called spinal cord compression which needs to be treated immediately.
Do not drive yourself to A&E.
The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.
Important
Some of the symptoms of myeloma are very common and can be caused by other conditions.
Having the symptoms does not definitely mean you have myeloma, but it's important to get checked by a GP.
If your symptoms are caused by cancer, finding it early may mean it's easier to treat.
What happens at your GP appointment
Depending on your symptoms, the GP may ask to check parts of your body that are painful.
You can have a friend, family member or another member of staff in the room with you during the exam if you’d like.
They may also ask you to give a pee sample or have a blood test.
Referral to a specialist
The GP may refer you for more tests or to see a specialist in hospital if they think you have a condition that needs to be investigated.
This does not definitely mean you have cancer.