I am about to start treatment with Thalidomide, and until I found this site I did not know that it had the potential to cause weight gain. Since being diagnosed in Sept. 2002 I have had chemo and radiation. Now my bone marrow biopsy's are showing and increase in the % of myeloma and my paraprotein is going up by 2-4 points per month--currently its 21. Apparently I am not suitable for a transplant, so Thalidomide is the drug of choice. How low is the lowest dose I can take and still have it be effective? What other types of side effects appart from constipation and weight gain can be expected? All help gratefully accepted!!