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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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@martinh11 , not really. I just keep moving and try not to get distracted by the twitches or pains. I don’t have much of either now. My only pain is really ITBS. I think that is a regular pain and not from viral infection. But, idk for sure.
Some of my other conditions like taste disorder is greatly improved. I don’t know why. And, my nasal issues are also much better. I still struggle with sleep issues, though. The other night a muscle in my leg started twitching. It was visible under my clothes! Lol. I laughed and ignored it. It lasted a couple of minutes.
My symptoms were initially thought to possibly be due to B12 deficiency or post covid syndrome. But…..I have noticed the symptoms act up the day after I take my sublingual B12 supplement. I take it 3 days per week. Odd.
My muscle fasciculations (twitches) happened about 20 years ago after taking a new prescription for Effexor (SSRN) with cough syrup. I was sick and recall asking the pharmacist if there were any problems taking the two together. I was told there was not. I believe that I experienced a Serotonin Surg.
My muscle twitches were relentless and really did a mind **** on me! At some point my doctor said that I wouldn’t still be experiencing the twitching effects that late after stopping the Effexor, but I still was experiencing them. These were exacerbated by my anxiety. I don’t recall how many months this went on, but it seemed like a long time. I did realize that for me there was definitely a mind-body component at work. Yes, my initial twitches had a real physical cause (the Serotonin Surg) but my thoughts/associations/anxiety was keeping the symptoms going. A very strange feeling and something that most people didn’t understand. Feeling like I wanted to crawl out of my skin. What helped? I believe I was taking Xanax at the time (don’t recall for sure) and had stopped caffeine/coffee. I had just been prescribed Propanol. But I vividly recall the event which stopped the muscle twitches:
It was when I flew home to see my sister who had just been paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. It was not the new propanol RX. I only took it a couple times and stopped because I have low blood pressure and it was making me dizzy. The cure for me was getting out of my head, out of my house, being in a new routine of hospital visits and visiting family and friends and focusing on something/someone other than myself (my sister). It wasn’t until some time after I got home that I realized the twitching had stopped.
My event was not viral related like yours. But I do believe there is a big mind, or rather brain/body component. I don’t even think we have the right vocabulary for this. Why do we separate brain and body? It is much more complex than the all too familiar retort of “It’s all in your head.” If you have not read it, sometime check out the book The Body Keeps the Score.
@cliffdweller
Thanks the post. Yes, I agree a nervous system which is on high alert most definitely can cause increased awareness of subtile and most likely benign sensations. I recently traveled internationally for 2 weeks. I feel as i was asymptomatic thr entire trip.