COVID vaccines and neuropathy

My Neuropathy is not painful but holding me back from doing my PT exercises due to the heavy feeling now spread above my knees after starting in my toes in January 2022

Is LYRICA available without a Prescription? My Referral probably won't give it to me unless I deal with a Neuropathy Specialist. I'm done with Doctors and have been dealing with the Neuropathy through good diet and vitamin supplements such as B12, D3, etc.
Thank you for caring. I am still using wheelchair for some tasks but using a walker to get around my Home with the help of a few handicap aids. But the Neuropathy is slowing down my activity and I will be 88 in August.

Hello,
After I received my third vaccine I started losing the feeling in my feet and toes which has prevented me from driving at all. Prior to getting
these vaccines I had the tingling and numbness in my feet, mostly positional while sitting or laying down. I saw two neurosurgeons who both agreed that surgery is not indicated. So I did six weeks of PT which I can honestly say did very little to restore the feeling in my feet.
I have no medical conditions to support this issue so my neurologist gave me a diagnosis of idiopathic
neuropathy about 12 years ago and told me she didn’t think it would worsen.
But now after having received 4 vaccines for a virus that we still don’t understand completely, I no longer have feeling in my feet up to my ankles, while sitting or lying down. An EMG confirmed that I have axonal distal polyneuropathy.
So I ask, where did this come from?

@jalcorn, You ask a good question but I'm not sure anyone can answer it. A lot of us that have been given an idiopathic diagnosis would love to know for sure. Here are a couple of research articles on the topic.

"What is the most common cause of axonal polyneuropathy?
Diabetes is the leading cause of polyneuropathy in the U.S. About 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nerve problems that can cause numb, tingling, or burning feet, one-sided bands or pain, and numbness and weakness on the trunk or pelvis."
--- Peripheral Neuropathy: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/peripheral-neuropathy

"Diabetes, HIV infection and alcoholism can cause several patterns of neuropathy. They most commonly cause a distal, symmetric axonal sensorimotor neuropathy. The second most common presentation in these conditions is a small-fiber, painful neuropathy."
--- An Algorithm for the Evaluation of Peripheral Neuropathy - AAFP:
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/1998/0215/p755.html

I believe that COvid vaccines that were rushed to the public without adequate testing could have triggered my neuropathy. I had numbness in my right foot only for a few years and now its both feet cramping so bad that I have to walk on my heels. The electric shocks only started after a traumatic accident that gave me three broken ribs. So its safe to say that my nervous system has been through a lot of trauma and there is no going back. Pregabalin only helps a little some days not at all. I am exhausted from lack of sleep I am itchy and feel like I am being pinched in the middle back mostly but sometimes every where. Its too much all the time. I just want to get some relief. Please God stop the pain.

I am 77 and have had idiopathic peripheral neuropathy for 12 years with mild symptoms. In the last six months it has gotten much worse. This corresponds with blood work that showed very low iron and ferritin. I have been on iron supplements ever since. Could low iron which I had 12 years a go when first diagnosed be the cause of my flare up

@gbrodnan1945, Interesting question, I've only had low iron recently due to giving blood to often. Here's a couple of articles discussion the topic that might shed some light for you.

--- Reversal of iron deficiency anemia-induced peripheral neuropathy by iron treatment in children with iron deficiency anemia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12200980/
--- Iron Homeostasis in Peripheral Nervous System, Still a Black Box?: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4085993/

In the United States, Lyrica is not available without a prescription. My primary care doctor does not want me to take it, however, my neurologist prescribed a low dose, 50mg, at night, and it helps me with my neuropathy. If I get a good nights sleep, I have a better day. I am 70 and I believe many doctors are very hesitant to prescribe certain meds to us « seniors ». A form of ageism, so to speak. I wish you the best!

Thank you for the articles. My conclusion is that the role of iron in peripheral neuropathy is not clear. I find it strange that my symptoms got much worse with low iron and ferritin followed by ongoing iron supplements designed to increase levels. I wish it was as simple as correcting iron levels and PN would go away.

Thank you all. Iron has not been on my list of supplements. Will research.

God Bless all of you.

I was a very healthy person until after the vaccines and now I have idiopathy peripheral neuropathy, tinnitus, and m-spike. I was told by neurologist and audiologist that vaccines most like had nothing to do with it. It is quite a coincidence that this all happened to me at once. However, just recently in an article in the Epic Times were neurologists emphasizing how they are seeing a much higher neuropathy issues with patients including tinnitus and M-Spike and contribute it to the Covid vaccines. The problem is there are no real solutions to reverse the damage. Some doctors are now willing to come forth with this information, which is good to see, but I hope that someone starts looking at some cures because I have run into many people that have neuropathy during the pandemic.