Best M-Spike in Four Years

Thursday, August 22, 2013,    

Pomalyst Study Cycle 71:

M-Spike was 0.9 g/dL this morning, compared with 1.1 last month. The last time that M-Spike was 0.9 or less was December, 2009, so we had a little celebration this morning. IgG was down as well, from 1290 mg/dL to 1100, although it has been at least that low three other times this year, so the combined results are definitely good news but probably not a breakthrough.

Lambda and Kappa light chains were both just above the tops of their respective reference ranges. That seems to be a new normal for me - they're both slightly high. The ratio was fine.

Magnesium:

I have only a very little peripheral neuropathy, in the form of numbness and tingling of fingers and toes. No problem - most days I don't even think about it. However, I have regularly experienced painful muscle cramps, especially in the calves, most frequently at night or after a long run. Some people call this peripheral neuropathy but it's just muscle cramps, also known as charley horses.

Since I started taking magnesium about a month ago in the form of magnesium taurate, 125 mg of elemental magnesium twice daily, I have not had one cramp, neither at night nor after a run. I've had one or two close calls, where I had to jump out of bed and stretch the calf to prevent an oncoming cramp, but no actual full-blown cramps.

When I mentioned this to Dr TR, she confirmed that magnesium can be helpful in treating cramps. I got the impression, though, that she doesn't often recommend magnesium to her patients because it can also have a significant laxative effect. More often, I think she and others may actually suggest pickle juice. Yes, dill pickle juice, not the pickles themselves, and no one seems to know why it works. Since the taurate form of magnesium has less laxative effect than the oxide or the hydroxide form, and 250 mg per day is a small dosage, I have not had a problem with the laxative effect, so I prefer a couple of magnesium capsules. Results may vary, and I'll have more evidence after the next marathon.


Most-Recent Test Results:

Test		May 30		Jun 27		Jul 25		Aug 22		Remarks
M-spike g/dL		1.0		1.0		1.1		0.9		\ Tumor marker
IgG mg/dL		1070		1300		1290		1110		/ Tumor marker
Lambda mg/dL		3.72		2.61		3.10		2.93		L free light chains
Kappa mg/dL		2.00		1.95		1.67		2.00		K free light chains
Ratio 0.26-1.65		0.54		0.75		0.54		0.68		Kappa / Lambda
Calcium mg/dL		9.3		9.5		9.7		10.1		OK
Creatinine mg/dL		1.3		1.2		1.3		1.1		Kidney, OK
HGB g/dL		14.8		15.1		14.5		15.6		Hemoglobin, fine
RBC M/uL		4.33		4.38		4.23		4.44		Red cells, OK
WBC K/uL		4.8		5.1		4.9		4.2		White cells, OK
ANC K/uL		2.7		2.4		2.6		2.0		Neutrophils, OK

Related Links:

My Myeloma		A discussion of my myeloma, not very technical.
My Treatment History		Not technical.
My Test Charts		Graphic displays of several key test results over time.
My Test Result Table		Somewhat technical. Best with a wide browser window.
My Supplement Regimen		With links to where I buy them.