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Post viral syndrome peripheral nerve hyperexcitability
Hi everyone,
I’m a 36-year-old navigating recovery from what’s been described as post-viral small fiber involvement and motor nerve hyperexcitability.
How It Began:
It started after a viral illness in August 2024, during a time when my whole family had upper respiratory symptoms.
I developed fever, diffuse headache, and left-sided temple pain, which later localized and became persistent.
By January 2025, I began to experience:
Burning sensations
Pins and needles
Odd wet or sunburn-like skin feelings
Muscle fasciculations (twitches) across my body
Migratory muscle pain and intermittent joint discomfort
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Workup So Far:
MRI of brain and cervical spine: Normal
Autoimmune workup: Negative
Skin biopsy: Normal epidermal nerve fiber density
Nerve conduction studies & EMG (lower extremities): Normal
CBC, CMP, CRP, ESR, CK, aldolase, B12: All normal
No evidence of large fiber neuropathy or motor neuron disease
No clinical weakness or atrophy
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Current Working Diagnosis:
Post-viral small fiber sensitization
Motor nerve hyperexcitability (likely benign fasciculation syndrome or similar)
Significant health anxiety, especially due to my medical background and profession
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What’s Helping Me:
Gabapentin (600 mg at night)
Supplements:
Magnesium glycinate
CoQ10
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)
Omega-3
Curcumin
B-complex
Vitamin D3 + K2
Ashwagandha, glycine, apigenin (for calming and sleep)
Exercise: Strength remains intact and working out reinforces my confidence
Mind-body tools:
Headspace and Curable app
Weekly visits with a psychologist
Gratitude journaling
Somatic calming techniques (breathing, grounding, mantra work)
New mantra I use daily:
> “One in a million. I am strong. This will pass.”
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Biggest Lessons:
Even with scary symptoms like widespread twitching or burning, the body can be in a state of hyperawareness, not disease.
I’ve learned the importance of regulating fear and stress to support nervous system healing.
Benign doesn’t mean painless—but it does mean hopeful.
Working with a neurologist, psychologist, and staying grounded in scientific reasoning has helped me reclaim my peace.
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Happy to connect with anyone navigating something similar. You're not alone—and your body is capable of calming, rewiring, and healing.
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@fryski43 Hi, thank you for sharing the story. What is the timeframe for recovery of hyperexcitable nerves, according to your Neuro? Best of health! Ivana
@josh701 That is what my doctor says - anxiety makes it harder and longer to heal. I hope we all feel better. My doctors don't believe that estrogen or hormonal imbalance can do this to you but I think it can.
@ivce still have body wife fasiculations, more focal in my right calf but they are elsewhere as well. My right hand symptoms seem to be improving. Now im dealing with right lower extremity tightness aches. My twitches started 7 days after starting SNRI (coincidence??) So im reluctant to trial any other serotonin regulating meds
@josh701 Oh my God. Thank you for that information. I thought it started after a viral infection. So, your twitching started after SNRI? But if it was a side effect, it should stop after stopping the meds. What did the doctor say? Is it listed as a side effect of SSRI? Thank you so much for this information.
@josh701 Which medication did you try? Sertaline/Zoloft? Please let me know so I don't use the one that caused your twitching. I used Sertaline two years ago and I was ok. It did not give me any twitching. My doctor told me that I need to take care of the anxiety first and then the twitching will go away.
OMG, this sounds exactly like me but what most struck me was that someone actually also have has a wet like sunburn sensation. I have it all over my legs and my feet all I do. I had tendinitis in my 1 foot. I also did have happen to have a virus in the beginning of 2024 but other stressful events And the neurological type of symptoms only started happening about a year later to this degree they started suddenly but a year could it. I wonder if it could still be caused by that post viral I always everything has been normal except I haven’t been able to move much Michael’s my feet are so swollen so I am very limited.
Hey just jumping onto this post again. Have been getting similar to Josh said at the start appears wide spread now in hands and feet vibrating and pains in feet. I can see the muscles in my feet moving so I am assuming the nerves are excited and causing pain due to sensitivity. Anyone done anything lately with similar symptoms that helped? Feel like getting worse but not sure if I need to reach a peak before getting better hopefully. Much appreciate any response
@celia16 anything you took or found good to assist with the symptoms?
@ivce Hi, thanks for checking in. I’m think my circumstances are different in that I’m dealing with sensitization rather excitably. Either way I’m well beyond the original timeframe I was originally given for resolution, I’m not thinking about this in terms of an end date. Things have changed and morphed, sometimes for the better sometimes worse. I’ve tried a couple of different treatments and am currently thinking about an SNRI. It’s been a real challenge and still is.
Since I can’t find any other solutions, I can continue to use Neuroplastic treatment modalities, highly recommend Website from the association for the treatment of neuroplastic symptoms, symptomatic.me.
Since I haven’t found any other good options, and I have a really hard time coping with my tingling pains all over my lower body, especially when trying to sleep