Symptoms and Related Conditions

Symptoms vary and can depend on the severity of the disease activity or the type. There is no way to predetermine the course of symptoms one may experience.

 

Physical findings may include purpura, vasculitis with multisystem involvement, glomerulonephritis, synovitis with joint swelling, chest pain, pneumonia and chronic pain.

 

A list of symptoms and conditions that can occur with this disease based on patient feedback.

Please note that a person with cryoglobulinemia may encounter no symptoms at all, only one of these symptoms, or many of these symptoms.​

 

• Abdominal pain (Stomach/intestinal pain, nausea, bloating, irritable bowel with periodic bloody stool, intestinal bleeding-colitis)

• Acrocyanosis (persistant blue color to extremities, usually hands and feet, due to lack of oxygen)

• Arthralgias (joint pain)

• Blood-low white blood cell count-high red blood count

• Bone Pain (intense)

• Burning/Stinging/Itching/Swelling Pain (intense)

• Bronchiectasis (widening and destruction of the lungs airways)

• Cold Induced Urticaria (allergy where itching, bleeding, large welts or hives occur when skin is exposed to cold)

• Cough

• Colitis

• CNS involvement (Central Nervous System)

• Depression Brain-periodic low serotonin with Intense headaches, dizziness

• Dyspnea (shortness of breath)

• Endometriosis

• Fibromyalgia

• Fever

• Frank arthritis and progressive joint deformity (very rare occurrence)​

• Flu like weakness, fever, aches, exhaustion

• Gastrointestinal Manifestations

• Heart Issues Low blood pressure, high heart rate, cardiac spasms

• Heaviness in extremities

• Hemorrhage

• Hepatitis

• Hepatomegaly or signs of cirrhosis (enlarged liver or scarring of the liver)

• High cholesterol (Low HDL-High LDL)

• Hyperkeratotic spicules (plugs that grow out of follicle areas, generally on nose and scalp)

• Hyperglycemia (low blood sugar)

• Hypertension

• Inflamatory Bowel Disease

• Intraluminal cryoglobulin deposition (circulating cryoglobulins deposit on the kidney wall plugging up the vessels)

• Ischemic Necrosis (dead tissue due to blood loss)

• Joint Manifestations - pain, swelling, stiffness

• Kidney Disease/Failure

• Leukemia

• Livedoid Vasculitis (lower extremity vascular lace-like pattern that can sometimes ulcer)

• Lupus like rash/sores on head/face

• Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (inflammation and damage to the structure of the kidney cells)

• Migraines

• Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)

• Multiple myeloma

• Mycoplasma pneumonia

• Nailfold capillary abnormalities

• Nephrotic proteinuria with resulting edema (damaged kidneys leak large amounts of protein into the urine causing fluid swelling throughout your body)

• Nervous System Manifestations

• Peripheral neuropathy (Nerves-numbness, tingling, or weakness in the hands, arms, legs and feet)​

• Pleurisy (inflammation of the lining of the lungs and chest causing chest pain)

• Pleural effusions (build up of fluid between the lungs and chest wall)

• Polyarticular arthritis Joint aches (arthralgias)

• Polymyalgia rheumatica

• Primary macroglobulinemia

• Proteinuria

• Pulmonary Manifestations

• Psoriasis

• Purpura/Petechiae skin eruptions-red or purple spots on the body, caused by hemorrhaging (broken capillary blood vessels)

• Raynauld's-purple/bloody spots (blueness, white blotchy achy hands/feet)

• Renal Manifestations

• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

• Scarring of tip of nose, outer part of ear, fingertips and toes

• TMJ

• Sensorimotor neuropathy (systemwide damage to nerves causing decreased ability to move or feel)

• Skin Manifestations

• Splenomegaly (enlarged spleen)

• Stroke

• Swelling of joints, connective tissue, hands, ankles, legs, tongue and feet

• Swollen Glands

• Systemic lupus erythematosus

• Ulcers on extremities, in mouth, nose ears

• Ultra sensitivity (to light, glares and temperature changes)

• Visual disturbances - floaters (black spots in vision), halo/blurry vision

• Weight loss/gain, muscle loss, poor appetite

 

*Information obtained from patients, personal experience and research. Duration of the skin lesions range from days to 15+ years. Even if only one patient has a symptom or condition it has been listed so that researchers and doctors can have as much information as possible to help us and find a cure. Most patients diagnosed by observation, labs, biopsies and blood tests.​ Connect with our Facebook CVO support group for caretakers, medical personal, patients, friends and family! Please contact us if you experience any symptoms that are not listed. Thank you for helping us help others.