Idiopathic Small Fiber Neuropathy

Posted by gooilers18 @gooilers18, Dec 31, 2024

I'll try to keep this as short as possible. About 2.5 years ago I (35M) woke up one morning with tingling on my left side. Symptoms quickly spread and within a week or two I had numbness that moved around, cold/burning extremities, weird heart rate spikes, what felt like vibrations throughout my wholebody, and random other symptoms. Most of them would come and go but the tingling in my left leg has been consistent this entire time. After a month or two things settled and while the symptoms would still come and go overall they were steady. Some days were ok others not so much. As time passed I would say there was slight improvement just very slow for about a year. After things were fairly consistent overall despite the coming and going nature of most symptoms. About 6 months ago things started getting worse and numbness became consistent throughout my body instead of just flaring every so often. Recently, that has gone away and been replaced by numbness mostly in my lower leg/feet at night especially when something like clothing or a bed sheet touches it and that's where I'm at today.

Full disclosure I have been a weekend drinker for 10ish years. Never daily but over the course of 2-3 days I'd average about 15 drinks per week. Once this started I drank maybe twice in 6 months. After I started to drink again and it didn't seem to matter if I did for symptoms. I'd drink and feel great for a while after or not drink and feel awful with everything in between. 6 months ago when symptoms started to worsen the drinking did pick up a little more to maybe 3-4 days per week instead of 2-3. About a month ago I stopped again and things seem to have settled. I've asked 4 different doctors including 2 specialists about if drinking was the cause and they all said no and I'd need a lot more for alcohol to cause it and the presentation doesn't match typical alcoholic neuropathy. Plus I've never had any blood test show signs of liver damage. While that doesn't entirely rule it out it makes it less likely. Of course they all told me to cut back anyway because it does me no good to drink with nerve damage.

I've had a whole array of blood tests and genetic testing and the only thing that came back was one test of my B6 being triple the ref range but everything after came back normal. Vitamins, minerals, diabetes, autoimmune, inflammation, you name it. I know vitamin deficient is a common cause with drinkers but none of my tests were even close to low. I was on a multivitamin at the time so it's harder to gauge but I did get off it for a while and repeated tests and all were normal. I have had slightly high blood pressure for many years but not high enough to go on beds. Cholesterol bubbles between fine and barely above the ref range. Normal EMG and MRI of head and lumbar spine. Skin biopsy about a year ago confirmed small fiber neuropathy at my left calf site with the other 2 being normal.

I have no clue where to go from here. I've seen 2 neurologists at different hospitals including a neuromuscular specialist. Both have tried everything they can think of to no avail. I'll probably go back again soon since he did say to return if symptoms worsen which they have. But I'm truly at a loss on how to continue. All I can do is be as active as possible. The more active I am the better I feel so I try to run, hike, gym, etc as much as I can. No issues walking or anything like that yet so I'm fortunate.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

You could ask your neurologist about Alpha-lipoiec acid---a natural supplement. My neurologist recommended it and I find it does reduce the symptoms. Maybe it will get even better from it? Not sure but I'll take it--better than some of the medical drugs I think as this helps enhance your bodies systems rather than ust numbing the pain. Good luck.

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Any updates here? I’ve had Idiopathic SFN for 10-ish years now. Recently the numbness got worse at night coming back from a work ski trip that involved some drinking. I’m the same type of drinker as the OP, but I’ve basically stopped for the past year out of concern.

Only thing I’ve ever had was higher than normal B6 and high homocysteine, which I fixed via folate intake.

Interestingly I did have something show up on a new EMG this year that showed cervical radiculopathy, but no real solution.

Doctors recommend pain meds, but I’m focused on the root cause, which seems impossible to find….

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Any updates here? I’ve had Idiopathic SFN for 10-ish years now. Recently the numbness got worse at night coming back from a work ski trip that involved some drinking. I’m the same type of drinker as the OP, but I’ve basically stopped for the past year out of concern.

Only thing I’ve ever had was higher than normal B6 and high homocysteine, which I fixed via folate intake.

Interestingly I did have something show up on a new EMG this year that showed cervical radiculopathy, but no real solution.

Doctors recommend pain meds, but I’m focused on the root cause, which seems impossible to find….

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@anon1616 I have Sjogren's caused SFN (no pain or numbness) which over time caused Large Fiber Neuropathy and then caused balance problems. I also have very low gamma globin which made IvIg the natural choice. I don't know of any tests for LFN so you have to go by symptoms. Your autonomic nervous system handles a lot of duties so that can be a wide range. But I too would want to know more about the radiculopathy.

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Hi
I also was a weekend drinker and I got small fibre neuropathy I thought overnight but when I look back there were signs of damage being done with a little tingling in my fingers or the odd burning sensation. I had a chronic sub acute onset and the burning tingling and ants clawing went all over me. It has now settled down leaving me with burning feet if I’m wearing shoes . I burn up one leg up to my knee if I’m wearing clothes . My fingers and hands tingle and on one side of my face and neck tingle. I’ve stopped drinking and my symptoms are bearable. I also had all the tests done and found it to be idiopathic, they couldn’t find a reason . Looking at my drinking history the neurologist said it was probably the toxicity of alcohol overtime has caused my neuropathy. So I’ve virtually stopped drinking and only have a couple if I’m at a function . It sounds your case is similar to mine so please be aware of drinking too much it could further damage your nerves
Alan

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