Elevated CPK and Myoglobin ???

[Lovemyboys3]

Hi All,

Well of course here I am asking yet another question. :-)
My Onc recently called me back into the office for additional blood work as it appears my CPK and Myoglobin levels are elevated. She didn't give me specific numbers but wanted me to get them checked again. I had surgery Tuesday of last week and then had my herceptin treatment and blood work done on Thursday. So she is thinking it may have something to do with the recent surgery. Therefore I went in this week and had blood work done again. She hasn't called me with the results yet but I wanted to get some feed back on what exactly this means. I read online it has something to do with the muscles which could explain the weakness and achy muscles I have been having since chemo in Jan. The aches and weakness feel like they are getting better but it is still there.
Has anyone had issues with their CPK and/or Myoglobin levels? Is there anything they can do to help get them back on track if they still are elevated?

Thank you all in advance!!

[Jackie07]

Hi,

What I've learned over the years is that if the doctor did not call me right away after a procedure/test, then everything was O.K.

That does not mean I wasn't anxious about the test results...

I'm thinking what your doctor is doing is probably similar to the echocardiogram to monitor the heart. Except the blood test is easier/cheaper/faster and can be done more frequently.

Sending you good vibes.

[Aussie Girl]

Dear Lovemyboys3,

Lots of causes for this and unlikely for there to be a real problem. It is a sign of muscle damage of any sort. Probably shouldn't have had that blood test and you'd be none the wiser. Almost certainly due to the recent surgery. Can even occur with heavy exercise. Should be trending down on the subsequent tests.

The oncologist is being cautious - inflammation in the muscle due to an immune disorder (eg. polymyositis, dermatomyositis) can cause the CPK and myoglobin to rise. This is unlikely, unless you had the condition prior to chemo. Immune disorders like this, or rheumatoid arthritis, can rebound once chemo ceases.

During chemo, there is muscle damage and I expect this would cause some rise in these tests, which would resolve as the muscles heal (takes a few months at least). I think it was bad timing to have these tests so soon after chemo and especially the operation!

Hope you find out the results soon, but I suspect your oncologist won't be too worried.

Aussie Girl

[linn65]

Aussie girl, I just had a complete panel done....I am taking vitamins and my RBC was "very low" it said 3.45 and my hemoglobin was low and MCV I think it was low too!!

What is the biggest deal with the low RBC and hemoglobin...Does it just mean I am anemic??

[Aussie Girl]

Dear Linn,

Yes, those counts mean you are anemic. If the MCV was low, it might be iron deficiency, although some hereditary blood cell disorders cause it. If you had a low MCV all your life, it might be hereditary. Iron deficiency is very common and chemo puts demands on your internal iron stores. You have had surgery recently, but that would only tip you into anemia if you were already low. You might need an iron supplement. Also you might need to be checked for blood loss (from the gut, from heavy periods etc.)

If the MCV was high there are lots of causes - mainly low folate or Vit B12, but also drugs (including chemo drugs), alcohol, low thyroid function etc.

Your doctor should be able to work this out for you. Getting your red cell count back to normal will help you feel much better.

Aussie Girl