Does anyone else have MGUS?

Posted by mjlandin @mjlandin, Jun 4, 2022

I was diagnosed with MGUS last October and although I've done a lot of research, I feel there's still so much I don't know. Does anyone else have MGUS?

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@whitepine66

Hi, I was diagnosed with MGUS 13 years ago. It was progressing slowly until I got Covid and the numbers increased significantly the IgA went up a 1000 points. That made me a little nervous to say the least. Then three months later the test show a decrease, holy moly it went down, a long with many other test results. This is like riding a roller coaster!

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That would have been scary indeed. I’m glad to hear there is a decrease this last go-around. Here’s hoping that the IgA continues to decline.
Patty

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@mitten

Hi Becky,
Thank you for sharing your post. Like you... I was diagnosed with MGUS/ IGG Lambda subtype as they put it in 2020, which is slowly progressing towards SMM. MM runs in my family. I am required to see my oncologist every (3) months. Although, still in the normal range, my platelet count since then has been dropping and unfortunately, my bone marrow is hypocellular. I do my research as we all have to be our own advocate. I focus on helping others and having fun. My only thing is I want to know what I can do to keep my platelets from dropping further as that can create even more issues for me.
Mitten1

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Mitten1, I was just rereading your post again and judging your condition against me. So I looked at my own diagnosis of Kappa light chain IgM. You and I are in the same type of situation, that being good and bad. IgG is the least likely to progress to cancer, my IgM is the most likely. My Kappa classification is the lesser of the two to be dangerous. Your Lambda is more likely to be aggressive. So your IgG progressing to SMM or MM will need to be watched for a sudden burst of progression. My IgM is progressing to a rare form of NHL and an even rarer form of WM. One that is slowly progressing but also is incurable and less likely to go into remission. I like to use percentages rather than decimal points in watching my numbers. My M spike jumped 25% between May and September in 2021. Then between September and December 2021 , my M Spike jumped another 100%. So between May and December it jumped 125%, now that fact makes an impression on me or you, compared to saying it jumped 3 tenths of a point, right. So look at your results and judge it buy percentages to get the true affect of your progression.

In case you didn’t know this fact, vitamins can thin your blood by weakening the stickiness of platelets. Also, garlic is another danger to platelets. I had to stop using them before my abdominal aneurysm repair to keep me from bleeding to death during a long delicate procedure. Hope things are working out for you. Keep in touch.

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@mommatracy5

Hi, I’m 49 years old and just got an Mgus diagnosis. I’ve been trying to find out all I can and have so many questions. I’d like to connect with other Mgus people with more experience and knowledge. Thank you!

Jump to this post

Hi, I was diagnosed with MGUS 13 years ago. It was progressing slowly until I got Covid and the numbers increased significantly the IgA went up a 1000 points. That made me a little nervous to say the least. Then three months later the test show a decrease, holy moly it went down, a long with many other test results. This is like riding a roller coaster!

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@mitten

Hi Becky,
Thank you for sharing your post. Like you... I was diagnosed with MGUS/ IGG Lambda subtype as they put it in 2020, which is slowly progressing towards SMM. MM runs in my family. I am required to see my oncologist every (3) months. Although, still in the normal range, my platelet count since then has been dropping and unfortunately, my bone marrow is hypocellular. I do my research as we all have to be our own advocate. I focus on helping others and having fun. My only thing is I want to know what I can do to keep my platelets from dropping further as that can create even more issues for me.
Mitten1

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Hi Mitten, sorry to hear your diagnosis, my brother died from MM he developed from being exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Because of that, my Oncologist naturally zeroed in on MM when we discovered I had. MGUS. My precancerous cells fooled her and are progressing into a rare form of Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma called Waldenstrom Macroglobulemia. My platelet count is also low but still in low normal range, so I looked for foods that can increase them. I also looked for foods to avoid that reduces platelets. Because of other blood issues “I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t” as the saying goes. You see, I tend to throw clots because to many platelets stick together. I’ve thrown clots that have almost killed me in fact. So my options are to either bleed to death from lack of platelets or throw a clot big enough to kill me because they’re to sticky. It’s a delicate balance, my last count was 170,000, low level is 140,000, 50,000 is a disaster waiting to happen. So as the saying goes, “Be carefully what you wish for, you just may get it”!!!

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Hi Becky,
Thank you for sharing your post. Like you... I was diagnosed with MGUS/ IGG Lambda subtype as they put it in 2020, which is slowly progressing towards SMM. MM runs in my family. I am required to see my oncologist every (3) months. Although, still in the normal range, my platelet count since then has been dropping and unfortunately, my bone marrow is hypocellular. I do my research as we all have to be our own advocate. I focus on helping others and having fun. My only thing is I want to know what I can do to keep my platelets from dropping further as that can create even more issues for me.
Mitten1

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@mommatracy5

Hi, I’m 49 years old and just got an Mgus diagnosis. I’ve been trying to find out all I can and have so many questions. I’d like to connect with other Mgus people with more experience and knowledge. Thank you!

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Absolutely! Happy to chat. It does seem a bit overwhelming when you are first diagnosed. This has helped a lot to chat with others.

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@mommatracy5

Hi, I’m 49 years old and just got an Mgus diagnosis. I’ve been trying to find out all I can and have so many questions. I’d like to connect with other Mgus people with more experience and knowledge. Thank you!

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Hi @mommatracy5 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Oh gosh, anytime we get a diagnosis it’s always a time of anxiety and questions, isn’t it?
MGUS~Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a condition in which an abnormal protein — known as monoclonal protein or M protein — is in your blood.
For most people it doesn’t pose a problem but it can progress into more serious diseases. We have quite a few members in our forum who have also been diagnosed with MGUS. I’m posting several links to discussions on MGUS below, along with Mayo Clinic’s webpage on MGUS.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mgus/symptoms-causes/syc-20352362
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- MGUS: Please, let me know I not alone https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mgus-2d464e/

- MGUS diet: Any tips on food to enjoy or prevent progression? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mgus-bgus-diet/

I’d like to introduce you to @momsys and @dazlin who were recently diagnosed with MGUS and @pmm. These would be great people to Connect with for support. ☺️

Where you having symptoms that prompted this diagnosis or was this discovered with a routine physical? Have you had a chat with a hematologist (blood specialist) about the diagnosis going forward?

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Hi, I’m 49 years old and just got an Mgus diagnosis. I’ve been trying to find out all I can and have so many questions. I’d like to connect with other Mgus people with more experience and knowledge. Thank you!

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@colleenyoung

Welcome, @whitepine66. Yes, the waiting game is rough. Even if your MGUS develops into MM (or when as your oncologist prepared you for), treatment may still be watch and wait for a time. Enjoy feeling great and continue to do the things that bring you joy. What keeps you busy and brings you joy?

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I really like my oncologist. I am a former math and science teacher. I enjoy our talks about the chemistry and the statistics. Understanding what is going on with my body is reassuring.

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@whitepine66

We believe that my numbers increasing may have to to Covid. I have all 2+2 available but still had Covid in February, lucky a mild case. Ratio shot up and so didn't everything else. The oncologist told my it is no longer if but when I transition to MM. So now blood draw every three months rather than every six months. The waiting game is difficult so I keep very busy and am grateful that I feel great.

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@whitepine66 Talk about adding unwanted anxiety into your life, right? As @colleenyoung mentioned, the waiting game is nothing we should be focused on. But, that said, we all do it.

The biggest majority of MGUS patients go for many years with no advancement of their condition. Our bodies are miracles, and the way all those different systems work together is amazing. Keeping a good healthy diet, moderate exercise, and a positive outlook can be keys to achieving the best we can be. Being aware of possibilities but not focusing on them is easier said than done, I know. Been there, done that myself!

Are you satisfied with this doctor? Do you feel you can tell him how his comment made you feel? Ask him where his prediction came from, scientific proof. As a patient, you have the right to explain how his interaction has affected you.
Ginger

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