Your symptoms might indicate a condition associated with Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia, which may need treatment. Your doctor should investigate any symptoms you report, regardless of your blood test results. WM can affect all parts of your body, causing other conditions to develop. These include:
If the levels of IgM in your body become too high, they can cause your blood to be thicker and become slow moving.
The antibodies that clump the red blood cells are triggered when your body temperature drops below normal, hence ‘cold’ agglutinin disease.
Abnormal cells that your body is producing can enter your spinal cord or brain causing problems in the central nervous system.
Antibodies called cryoglobulins can clump together and block blood flow when your body temperature drops below normal.
Amyloidosis occurs when abnormal proteins develop incorrectly, and build up in your organs, preventing them form working properly.
In rare cases, Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia can transform into a faster growing from of lymphoma. If your healthcare team suspect this, you will go through some tests to diagnose the form of lymphoma before starting appropriate treatment.