I am sorry that you have not yet received any responses to your post. My name is Ellen and I am one of the Myeloma Information Specialists here at Myeloma UK, I hope you don’t mind if I reply on this occasion.
Nerve damage or peripheral neuropathy can unfortunately be one of the most significant and problematic side effects of some of the treatments for myeloma. Peripheral neuropathy caused by treatments for myeloma often improves once the treatment that caused it has stopped. However, for some patients this may take some time, others may be left with a degree of neuropathy.
I would encourage you to speak to your medical team (haematologist and clinical nurse specialist) as peripheral neuropathy can often be managed and the symptoms improved.
Treatments for peripheral neuropathy can include the use of drugs such as gabapentin, pregabalin, duloxetine or amitriptyline. These drugs are commonly used in the treatment of other conditions, but they are also effective in managing peripheral neuropathy. However, alongside medical treatments, there are non-medical strategies which can be effective at managing peripheral neuropathy. These can include “cooling” menthol creams or creams that create a warming sensation, such as capsaicin cream. Some patients also report finding relaxation techniques and complementary therapies such as acupuncture, gentle massage and reflexology helpful in managing their symptoms.
The following resources on our website may also helpful:
• Our Ask the nurse blog on peripheral neuropathy
• Peripheral neuropathy and myeloma video
• Our Peripheral neuropathy Infosheet
Our Patient Diary has a section to record symptoms and side effects. This may be useful for you to keep track of your symptoms and to help accurately describe them to your medical team. To receive a physical copy of our Patient Diary, or any of our other publications, you can order them using this order form or by calling our Myeloma Infoline as below.
I hope this has been helpful but if you have any further questions, or would like to talk things through, please feel free to call the Myeloma Infoline on 0800 980 3332, or alternatively you can email directly to askthenurse@myeloma.org.uk
Ellen
