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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@avmcbellar

@bendeb thank you for the information 99% the deaths related to covid is high. How many deaths are you talking about in that study? To get the full picture, how many of those had health issues? Knowing the ages would be helpful. Overall how many of the total population survived the covid infection? From what we heard in the news media in the beginning of the pandemic most people who died were in nursing homes, sadly. I believe it is important to get enough information to form a decision as you had done and be comfortable with the decision. I agree with some members, knowing what may become a health issue due to vaccinations is important to consider when making a decision although the risks are low. Yesterday we heard on the news media of 100 people developing Guillian-Barre Syndrome as a result of the J&J vaccine. This syndrome is a nerve disorder which could lead to paralysis. 95 had to be hospitalized and one person died. We heard again that this is a rare occurrence and the benefits of the vaccines outweigh the risks. I don’t think those 100 people believed that. I would think the health officials can only mention the immediate benefits because they don’t know the long term effects. No one does. Time will tell. True, everyone reacts differently making it even harder to find a proper treatment helpful if one exists. I find it true people may not possess the important critical thinking skills or know mathematics as well but many seek the advice of their physicians or medical staff who should know better. Let me remind you those physicians know as much as they are being told with the vaccines. Perhaps they cannot offer much help. I wish you well.

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Sorry, the report did say that the majority of these current cases were those in the 40-50 age group.
It’s my experience, being in the senior population, that most of us at high risk due to age and all the fun stuff that your aging body can be subject to, have been vaccinated. That is probably why the virus is no longer being reported as much in nursing homes, etc.
Also, where many people have been out and about more this summer, and not as worried about getting together, younger people are picking up the variants.
I believe any vaccine can cause problems in any number of individuals. Not just this one. Ultimately, it’s a personal choice. Life is full of risks.
Good luck with
all of your health decisions. It isn’t easy these days!

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Thanks @bendeb I agree it is a personal choice and not everyone has the same risks to consider. It all depends on lifestyle and medical history whether or not to get vaccinated. I have heard some members believe that the side effects of the vaccine are better than the alternative, death with the virus. That may be true for those who have a high risk of exposure and underlying health issues. I can understand the reasoning and I respect their decision. We all make choices in our everyday living and those choices will depict our risks for the virus. Our choices depend on what is most important to us. For me, a person with a low exposure risk for the virus (due to my actions), by getting vaccinated I would definitely increase my chances for whatever health issues develop from the vaccine. Why would I do that? Folks have been known to become depilated as a result of the side effects of the vaccine when death from the virus may not be the alternative. I understand there are possible side effects after covid but again that is if covid is contracted depending on our choices. Don’t forget people who get vaccinated can still get the virus and infect others. They would have a lower risk of severe illness but some have been known to have gotten hospitalized and some even died. Unfortunately the vaccines offer no guarantee. It all is a big gamble. I agree in the past different vaccines have been known to cause health issues and even death that is why we have to seriously decide what is best. We all hope for the best. Thank you for your response @bendeb and I wish you all the best with your health.😊

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@mawagner13

Oh I’m sorry. Flouroquinolone toxity is horrible. Happy to connect and I’ll share information. FQT symptoms,severity and recovery vary greatly and Covid adds such a twist.
There’s also a website Floxiehope that offers a ton of information but some of it scary. There might be some other vaccine stories on there though to help with your decision. There wasn’t when I got mine but that was a few months ago.
Let me know how to connect directly.

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May I ask how they Diagnose that?

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I was given a Quinolone drug by dr in 2016. Black box warning on pamphlet. Neither Dr. nor Pharmacy warned me. I was over 65. It was for a simple UTI not tested in a Lab as I requested. Nothing to do with Covid but couple weeks later got Peripheral Neuropathy, still have, and when I checked Internet it is a known result of Quinolone drugs in some people .. up to months/even years after taking various Quinolone drugs... I was given Norflox, in Canada. Maybe not relevant to this discussion but I rue the day I took this drug as when I read the accompanying pamphlet said to spouse, I really don't feel like taking this prescription: sometimes should listen to our gut feelings - and should have checked out on Internet as well before taking, as how many of us read all the info attached in fine print, and the pharmacists always say oh don't worry, thats just for insurance purposes! Ugh

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@cduncan123

May I ask how they Diagnose that?

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Curious why you are asking - are you having symptoms related to a quinolones antibiotic?
Sue

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@hurannette

One month after I had the second shot of Moderna I developed very unusual symptoms of probably autonomous system activation with GI symptoms, shaking inside, high blood pression lasting for 1-2 hours . At the same time my peripheral neuropathy get significantly worse with pin and needle extending to my thighs imbalance more pain
Not able to walk safely without a walker.
Any body experienced similar symptoms?

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I have it all over my body its awful

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Hello, and welcome to Mayo Connect. Can you tell us more? Is it neuropathy you have, and when did it begin?
Sue

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@lacy2

I was given a Quinolone drug by dr in 2016. Black box warning on pamphlet. Neither Dr. nor Pharmacy warned me. I was over 65. It was for a simple UTI not tested in a Lab as I requested. Nothing to do with Covid but couple weeks later got Peripheral Neuropathy, still have, and when I checked Internet it is a known result of Quinolone drugs in some people .. up to months/even years after taking various Quinolone drugs... I was given Norflox, in Canada. Maybe not relevant to this discussion but I rue the day I took this drug as when I read the accompanying pamphlet said to spouse, I really don't feel like taking this prescription: sometimes should listen to our gut feelings - and should have checked out on Internet as well before taking, as how many of us read all the info attached in fine print, and the pharmacists always say oh don't worry, thats just for insurance purposes! Ugh

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I am going to chime in here, and let you know that I do read ALL the fine print. Sometimes I will question myself before questioning my doctor. What is the percentage of people who get this side effect? Is it worth the risk to fix or help what this drug is treating? I believe doctors in some form are all like risk managers. They look at the cost vs benefit of the available treatments. Then we need to be an active participant in this, and decide if that risk is worth it to us. It is miserable to be the one in a thousand to get the side effect. I feel bad you are miserable. Please talk to your doctor about this, waiting until it becomes even a bigger problem is never a good idea.

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I want to extend a warm Mayo Clinic Connect welcome to @billd @rudy1208 and @joslyn. Thank you all for joining the discussion on COVID vaccines and neuropathy. Sharing your experience with other members and offering support can be very helpful as we continue to understand more about this topic.

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@lacy2

I was given a Quinolone drug by dr in 2016. Black box warning on pamphlet. Neither Dr. nor Pharmacy warned me. I was over 65. It was for a simple UTI not tested in a Lab as I requested. Nothing to do with Covid but couple weeks later got Peripheral Neuropathy, still have, and when I checked Internet it is a known result of Quinolone drugs in some people .. up to months/even years after taking various Quinolone drugs... I was given Norflox, in Canada. Maybe not relevant to this discussion but I rue the day I took this drug as when I read the accompanying pamphlet said to spouse, I really don't feel like taking this prescription: sometimes should listen to our gut feelings - and should have checked out on Internet as well before taking, as how many of us read all the info attached in fine print, and the pharmacists always say oh don't worry, thats just for insurance purposes! Ugh

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Usually 2-3% doesn't include us. I try a drug for a few weeks and if it doesn't agree, I stop it. I have been on hydroxycholoroquine for over 20 years, all is well. Another usual thing is as we age, other features appear - can be coincidental effect, not causal.

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