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Mayo Clinic Housecall
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When to see a doctor
By Mayo Clinic staffSee your doctor if you experience:
- Nausea or poor appetite
- Diarrhea
- Unexplained weight loss
- Severe fatigue
- Persistent fever
- Tingling or numbness in your fingers and toes
- Dizziness or a drop in blood pressure upon standing or sitting
If your doctor suspects that you have a condition that causes high blood protein, he or she may recommend additional blood tests. A total protein test can determine whether you have high blood protein and where it's coming from, for instance, the liver or the bone marrow. A serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) test separates and measures individual blood proteins, indicating which specific protein type is causing your high blood protein levels. The SPEP is often done when a bone marrow disease is suspected.
References
- Total protein and A/G ratio. American Association for Clinical Chemistry. http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/tp/tab/glance. Accessed Oct. 13, 2011.
- Amyloidosis and kidney disease. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/amyloidosis/. Accessed Oct. 13, 2011.
- Monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance. The Merck Manuals: Home Edition for Patients and Caregivers. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec14/ch175/ch175b.html. Accessed Oct. 13, 2011.
- What you need to know about multiple myeloma. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/myeloma/AllPages. Accessed Oct. 13, 2011.
- Wilkinson JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 13, 2011.
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