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Suggest Treatment For Pain And Fatigue Due To Medications Of Multiple Myeloma
Question: Hello Doctor
My mother is 87, has multiple myeloma, is on her 2nd lot of chemo after about 18 months of fairly reasonable health (under the circumstances) She has bad side affects of the medication (neurophathy from original thalidamide and nausea, fatigue)but her main concern seems to be a fear. She is depressed and very anxious about the diifficulties and pain involved with the advance of the decease, especially in the LATER STAGES. She has read some awful things about bone cancers and myeloma and seen friends suffer long and painful deaths with other cancers. Is there anything we should know about pain control or anything I can say or do that would help allay her fears. She has a very good specialist but I am unable to speak with her. If this query should go to an encologist, please forward it. Thank you for your assistance,
My mother is 87, has multiple myeloma, is on her 2nd lot of chemo after about 18 months of fairly reasonable health (under the circumstances) She has bad side affects of the medication (neurophathy from original thalidamide and nausea, fatigue)but her main concern seems to be a fear. She is depressed and very anxious about the diifficulties and pain involved with the advance of the decease, especially in the LATER STAGES. She has read some awful things about bone cancers and myeloma and seen friends suffer long and painful deaths with other cancers. Is there anything we should know about pain control or anything I can say or do that would help allay her fears. She has a very good specialist but I am unable to speak with her. If this query should go to an encologist, please forward it. Thank you for your assistance,
Brief Answer:
Early chemo can decrease the severity.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
I can understand your concern. morbid illnesses like myeloma is often associated with pain when it gets complicated and is in later stages. In your mother's case since she tolerated her first lot of chemo well her further chemo is not likely to cause her more pain than she has already suffered.
A proficient pain specialist will prescribe the necessary pain medications and mild anti depressants to take over her illness.
Many new effective medications are available which can very well treat her symptoms. Ask her not to worry.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal
Early chemo can decrease the severity.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
I can understand your concern. morbid illnesses like myeloma is often associated with pain when it gets complicated and is in later stages. In your mother's case since she tolerated her first lot of chemo well her further chemo is not likely to cause her more pain than she has already suffered.
A proficient pain specialist will prescribe the necessary pain medications and mild anti depressants to take over her illness.
Many new effective medications are available which can very well treat her symptoms. Ask her not to worry.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your responce Dr Tayal,
I have several questions. 1st, regarding early detection of disease, how do we know how long she had had it before detection and how many months is considered early?. She had what we thought was a virus for maybe 6 wweeks before the cancer was detected. At that point she became very ill until the chemo kicked in.
2. Is the pain specialist you mention the same as the specalist who is treating the cancer or will she possibly need to be seeking other help down the track.?
3. How long have these new medications you mentioned been available?. She had bad sciatica for about 5 months when she was in remission and none of the medications seemed to help much.
Since the cancer is active again, the sciatica has gone. Now the depression is quite bad, even with anti depressants. My biggest worry right now is the neuropathy (if thats thet right word), since she never got feeling back into her feet after 1st chemo and lower legs remained tight and painful. The toes have curled up again, and now the tight bands she feels are up to the knee and around the knee. I can see her ending up with a lot more permanent nerve damage from this new chemo. Is there now way to avoid this?
I await your answer, thank you
XXXXXX
I have several questions. 1st, regarding early detection of disease, how do we know how long she had had it before detection and how many months is considered early?. She had what we thought was a virus for maybe 6 wweeks before the cancer was detected. At that point she became very ill until the chemo kicked in.
2. Is the pain specialist you mention the same as the specalist who is treating the cancer or will she possibly need to be seeking other help down the track.?
3. How long have these new medications you mentioned been available?. She had bad sciatica for about 5 months when she was in remission and none of the medications seemed to help much.
Since the cancer is active again, the sciatica has gone. Now the depression is quite bad, even with anti depressants. My biggest worry right now is the neuropathy (if thats thet right word), since she never got feeling back into her feet after 1st chemo and lower legs remained tight and painful. The toes have curled up again, and now the tight bands she feels are up to the knee and around the knee. I can see her ending up with a lot more permanent nerve damage from this new chemo. Is there now way to avoid this?
I await your answer, thank you
XXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Thanks for writing again.
1. Early detection is considered when the disease is detected in stage I- localized lesions at one place only.
2. The pain specialist is not the same as oncologist. You need to ask your oncologist to refer you to a pain specialist and a psychologist for psychotherapy so that she can deal with the situation in a better way.
3. The newer therapies for pain management are coming into use for last 3-4 years. For sciatic pain it is best to use medicines like Gabapentin and pregabalin in combination with muscle relaxants after consulting a neurologist.
The side effects of chemotherapy on the growing tissues and nerves is not avoidable. Only symptomatic treatment will help her feel better.
Hope my answer is helpful.
Do accept my answer in case there are no further queries.
Regards.
Detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Thanks for writing again.
1. Early detection is considered when the disease is detected in stage I- localized lesions at one place only.
2. The pain specialist is not the same as oncologist. You need to ask your oncologist to refer you to a pain specialist and a psychologist for psychotherapy so that she can deal with the situation in a better way.
3. The newer therapies for pain management are coming into use for last 3-4 years. For sciatic pain it is best to use medicines like Gabapentin and pregabalin in combination with muscle relaxants after consulting a neurologist.
The side effects of chemotherapy on the growing tissues and nerves is not avoidable. Only symptomatic treatment will help her feel better.
Hope my answer is helpful.
Do accept my answer in case there are no further queries.
Regards.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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