COVID vaccines and neuropathy

Posted by cue @cue, Feb 15, 2021

I am 85 with small fiber neuropathy that is getting worse. My neurologist thought it would be a good idea for me to wait with the covid vaccine and not be first in line to see how it affected other people with neuropathy. Probably because it is a new technology. Has anyone had a problem with neuropathy after receiving the vaccine? If so, which vaccine?

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@cduncan123

Hello everyone,
I had Covid in Nov. 2020 and was in the hospital with acute lung failure. I was on very high supplement of Oxygen given a lot of IV medication steroids, antibiotics and a plasma transfusion. My body had already taking a beating. I was weak but had no neuropathy symptoms. I had started working myself back up with exercise and was slowly recovering. I got the first Morderna shot 90 days out from my hospital stay. My Dr. pushed it and recommended and got really sick. I had all Covid symptoms except the lung issues. I was in the bed for a week. My Dr. and Pharmcey both recommended me getting the second one. A small voice in my head said don’t do it but I listened to everyone else and got the second and I became worse. with all symptoms BUT the new symptom was neuropathy. I had pins and needles, tingling in my hands and feet and burning all over my body and my limbs were weak. It’s been 7 months and working hard to get my strength back up in my legs and arms, the pins and needles has went away but the pain and burning is left on my scalp and sometimes face.
My opinion only…..I wished I would have not gotten the shot. I was healing from Covid and the acute lung failure but got so much worse after the shots. I now have a private Dr. that will treat Covid with ivermectin and other meds to help fight off Covid if I get it again. He is not for the shot because of all the side effects he’s treating from the shot and has read. I will not take the shot again. I truly feel the shot made me into a Covid Long Hauler. My husband and his family got the same shot and they had no reactions but did not have Covid. It’s like gambling who will it effect and who will it not. Best of luck to you.

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Gambling is the right word. I’m sorry you have suffered so. I didn’t have Covid, however I took the Moderna vaccine, one dose 14 weeks ago. It’s been a nightmare and I’m left with neuropathy in my extremities. Have pain in my eyes, tinnitus, and bulging veins. The vaccine has aged me 20 years in a few months. I hope some of my symptoms go away, but so far they haven’t. Wish you a speedy full recovery.

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@tiredoftingling

I received the Moderna shot and no problems with the first dose, it was the second that started all the tingling and burning. Does the Gabapentin seem to help? How often and how many mg do you take a day?

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I’ve had to increase my dosage to 600mg 3X day. It does seem to help. I haven’t had weight gain.

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@zailey

I had the vaccine 3 months ago, I have advanced neuropathy but I had it before I took the vaccine and it didn't affect my neuropathy. So sorry this has happened to you and yes the gabapentin helps. I take it every 6 hr.

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Thank you I hope it helps.

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@dhamil

I’ve had to increase my dosage to 600mg 3X day. It does seem to help. I haven’t had weight gain.

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How long have you been taking Gabapentin?

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@tiredoftingling

I am just joining the group and it saddens me to see so many people that have gotten neuropathy after the vaccine. I have been post vaccine for almost 2 months and just went to the doctor last week. He said he has seen several cases like mine and prescribed Gabapentin but yet to take it because of the side effects. Has anyone take this drug and if so has it worked. I am having tingling and burning in my hands and feet and it is at it's worst during the night. Sometimes when I wake up it feels like a creepy crawling feeling all over my body. I regret getting the shot, but at this point there is nothing I can do about it. Feeling very depressed 🙁

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I have neuropathy in my lower legs and feet. I had it before my Pfizer two vaccines and I still have it, same rate. I took gabapentin two or three years ago for six weeks. Made no difference. After the second Pfizer vaccine after one week I had diarrhea for nine weeks

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@tiredoftingling

How long have you been taking Gabapentin?

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For an unrelated issue I was taking half the dose I take now for about a year before my vaccine. My doctor increased it to help treat my new neuropathy pain.

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@biro62

I have neuropathy in my lower legs and feet. I had it before my Pfizer two vaccines and I still have it, same rate. I took gabapentin two or three years ago for six weeks. Made no difference. After the second Pfizer vaccine after one week I had diarrhea for nine weeks

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That’s horrible. Good you didn’t end up with C-diff.

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To all of you suffering from distressing symptoms after your vaccine, I would like to offer another bit of emerging research. This has not yet been peer reviewed, but it is quite interesting. From the New York Times http://e.startribune.com/Olive/ODN/StarTribune/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=MST%2F2021%2F06%2F17&entity=Ar00104&sk=A65A6C20&mode=text

In short, the article from the New York Times reports that over 20% of people who had Covid, whether severe, moderate, mild, or even asymptomatic, suffered adverse health effects afterward. Sometimes even months later. Among the most reported are nerve and muscle pain, including in people who never had such problems in the past. Nine months after a severe, non-hospitalized case of Covid, my 41 year old daughter was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis, even though she never had ANY symptoms pre-Covid. Her partner at work was diagnosed 9 months after infection with asthma for the first time.

So, it is possible that some of the people reporting reactions after vaccine, especially those who had Covid, may have had these symptoms without the injection.

Also, I would like to see an evaluation of the percentage of the population reporting lingering or severe effects after Covid vs after vaccine. I know the number of event reports is far below 20% of the number of doses given. Last time I checked (in May) it was below 2%.

Just another piece in the puzzle that is Covid.
Sue

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@thx1

I took only one Moderna shot because that alone has caused me severe problems for 14 weeks now. I take 300mg of Gabapentin at bedtime which is a low dose. That enables me to get to sleep, however I’m in considerable pain from the neuropathy during the day.

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I am up to 1800mg of Gabapentin (600 3X per day). It doesn't really help for the pain. My doctor says I could take even more. Why bother?

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@sueinmn

To all of you suffering from distressing symptoms after your vaccine, I would like to offer another bit of emerging research. This has not yet been peer reviewed, but it is quite interesting. From the New York Times http://e.startribune.com/Olive/ODN/StarTribune/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=MST%2F2021%2F06%2F17&entity=Ar00104&sk=A65A6C20&mode=text

In short, the article from the New York Times reports that over 20% of people who had Covid, whether severe, moderate, mild, or even asymptomatic, suffered adverse health effects afterward. Sometimes even months later. Among the most reported are nerve and muscle pain, including in people who never had such problems in the past. Nine months after a severe, non-hospitalized case of Covid, my 41 year old daughter was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis, even though she never had ANY symptoms pre-Covid. Her partner at work was diagnosed 9 months after infection with asthma for the first time.

So, it is possible that some of the people reporting reactions after vaccine, especially those who had Covid, may have had these symptoms without the injection.

Also, I would like to see an evaluation of the percentage of the population reporting lingering or severe effects after Covid vs after vaccine. I know the number of event reports is far below 20% of the number of doses given. Last time I checked (in May) it was below 2%.

Just another piece in the puzzle that is Covid.
Sue

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Thanks for this. The first large study I've seen that relates covid to nerve damage. If that's how some immune systems react to covid I assume they might react the same way to the mRNA vaccines?

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