COVID vaccines and neuropathy
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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I took Moderna vaccine 2 months ago, afterwards I woke up the next day in severe pain in my arm, shoulder, and neck area. I already suffer from CRPS in my right lower extremities. My physical therapist refused to do any treatment for this area, due to the fact the swelling was so bad he couldn't find my lymphnoides around my neck area. I ve been to 3 emergency rooms for the pain because none of my previous meds take the pain away. After 2 CT, a host of x rays nothing. At first they told me shot given to low, maybe hit bursa. So I had an MRI results were I have 3 mild bulging dics, a rotor cuff tear, severe arthritis in arm. Can someone please tell me why these symptoms never bothered me until I took vaccine. The CRPS feels like it more in the arm, sholder, neck area than my feet and leg, this pain is calming now.
Sorry if I posted in wrong area...
@neverrest- Good morning. I hope that today will be a better day for you. Moderna's second shot was a doozie, wasn't it? I was pretty ill with it and wound up with a very high fever, aches, pains, and a very sore arm!
The vaccine jump-started your immune system to fight covid but it can also exacerbate other silent problems. There are man, many posts that tell the same story about "newly found problems." Research is still on-going with the chicken and the egg dilemma with this.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/what-covid-vaccine-side-effects-can-and-cant-tell-you-about-your-bodys-immune-response
I'm very glad that your pain is subsiding. Hopefully, it will disappear very soon. What are you taking for it now that it is less painful?
If I read this to my daughter, a telehealth triage nurse, she would say "Yup, we hear it every day. My Pain doc referred to it as "your immune system going into overdrive" when this happened to me after the influenza vaccine last fall, and said it has been happening with quite a few vaccines over the years. According to her, in her practice she has nearly always seen it settle down. I ended up on a course of steroids to calm the inflammation.
I am glad you are seeing a reduction. Unfortunately, some of our bodies just mount a louder response than others!
Keep healing,
Sue
Thanks for your reply
Hi. I am so very sorry to hear of your experience with the vaccine. I’ve decided not to get it. I’m pretty healthy and sure I can handle Covid. But, the reason I wanted to respond to you, is that you say you burn all over. I have idiopathic small fiber neuropathy from head to toe. For about 10 years. Because I can’t hardly stand anything touching my skin, and I can’t even stand air movement, I always wear plush fleece pajamas or lounge wear. I also had these thick plush fleece throw blankets lying around. Then one day a couple of months ago I thought, I want Some sheets and pillowcases made out of this. So I got a twin size blanket to go under me, and a twin size blanket to go over me, and a third twin size blanket and a friend of mine sewed pillowcases for me. It made such a difference in my comfort during the night. I’m just so happy about it I wanted to share it. I even have plush fleece washcloths! I seriously don’t like anything touching my skin.
This is my first comment on this site. So I’ll share just a couple quick things: I take gabapentin 600 mg 3X, Nucynta 50 mg 4x, and Nucynta ER 100 mg 2X. And if it gets really bad, I add a Benadryl. Surprising how well Benadryl helps me. I’ve been very stable for several years. I’ve never escalated with my medication and I feel well managed.
I also have the autonomic problems related to small fiber neuropathy. High heart rate, low blood pressure, thermal dysregulation etc. but I’m OK pretty much. There is a Small fiber neuropathy researcher at Harvard medical/Mass General named Anne Louise Oaklander And she has some Informative lectures on YouTube. FYI.
You take good care now. Godspeed.
Hi. I wish I hadn't gotten the Mdrna shots. I am a 67 yr. old male, was in excellent health, no meds or issues. After my second shot in March, I started to get numbness, needles and burning in feet in June. Now it has been going to my hands and arms. After reading comments from everyone here, other sights and just last night on Fox News, they had 2 people that have been going through many tests and these circulation, neuropathy issues are becoming common cases! But the hospitals don't want to relate to covid and told them to see a psychiatrist!! I have been taking natural meds with little help, but now it appears that it's time to see the doctor. Are there any suggestions from the Clinic?
I had the same symptoms . I spoke to my doctor and he offered no solution or no relation to the Covid vaccine 😡 he suggested that I stopped eating / drinking any thing that sparks inflammation . I followed his advice and It’s getting better ! Some other people on this thread also have had these symptoms. They seem to improve over time . Hang in there .
I am a 53 yr old female, had covid back in December. I received the Moderna vaccine in March, second shot in April and immediately started symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. No other variables in my life or lifestyle, so I am sure it was the vaccine that caused this. Maybe because I already had the virus, my body produced too many antibodies and they started to attack my nerves? Started with numb toes, pain in ball of foot, now have burning and cold sensation, worse at night, and it radiates up my ankles. I went to my primary care doc, she prescribed steroids for a week. The symptoms were much better, but came back after discontinuing the meds. I have been trying to get into a neurologist since- and where I live, the resources are very limited. New patient waits are well into the winter. My doctor recommended seeing a podiatrist that deals with neuropathy. I have an appointment today. I do not think it matters which vaccine you receive. I too have been researching the correlation between the vaccine and new onset neuropathy, and you are right. More and more cases being reported. Back in Feb, there was only 27 cases reported to VAERS. I too believe that physicians do not want to link the vaccine to any side effects, and am sure there are more cases out there than are being reported. I will update my own case after I see the podiatrist today, and see what they say.
I'm was a healthy 61 yr. old male, with mild idiopathic neuropathy in both feet prior to receiving the Moderna vaccine in March. Within 48 hours I was in the emergency room with extreme paresthesia throughout my entire body. The following 2 weeks the partial paralysis subsided but the foot neuropathy has increased from a 2 to a 9 on a 10 scale. My neurologist said to keep taking gabapentin, which frankly is almost useless for pain in this case. I agree with you that it's probably our immune system's over response to the vaccine. And that no one wants to talk about that possibility or have any idea about how to treat it. It sounds like we both need very competent neurologist/immunologist's help, but we could spend years and a fortune tracking down and securing that help. My thought's are mainly surrounding the question of why the pain doesn't subside? What can we do to dampen that response our bodies had to the vaccine? I wish you luck with your podiatrist today, might be able to directly address your pain.