Symptoms of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)

General weakness

You might feel weaker than normal.

Feeling tired (fatigue)

You might feel more tired than normal, even if you are getting a good night's sleep.

A high temperature (fever)

You might have a high temperature or feel feverish.

Frequent infections

You might pick up infections such as coughs and colds easily. Or you might find that the infections last a long time and are difficult to shake off.

Bruising or bleeding easily

You might have:

• nosebleeds

• bleeding gums when you clean your teeth

• very heavy periods

• small dark red spots on your skin

• blood in your pee (urine) or poo (stool)

You might find you are bruising more easily than normal.

Short of breath (breathlessness)

You might notice that you’re feeling breathless more than usual or for a lot of the time. You might feel out of breath after your normal day to day activities or from climbing a short flight of stairs. This could be because you do not have enough red blood cells. This is called anaemia.

Other symptoms of anaemia include heart palpations, chest pain, headaches and dizziness.

Weight loss

Pain in your bones or joints

You might feel pain in your bones or joints. This might be a dull ache or more of a stabbing pain. It might be worse at different times of the day.

Feeling full in your tummy (abdomen)

You might have a feeling of fullness or discomfort in your tummy (abdomen).

This can happen if your liver or ​spleen​ are swollen.

Other symptoms

Less common symptoms include lumps on the skin and swollen lymph nodes. Your lymph nodes (glands) might feel swollen when you touch them. You have lymph nodes in lots of places in your body. They might feel swollen in:

• your neck

• under your armpit

• in your groin

Get tips on seeing your GP about your symptoms