COVID vaccines and neuropathy

My Covid/Neuropothy experience
I have brachial plexus Neuropothy due to radiation on my left side. It’s been getting worse since the effects started 15 yrs ago. I had my first Moderna on 1/18/21, on the 10th day after, my total replacement knee area started burning and could put any weight on it for 2 days. I had my 2nd on 2/14/21, 21 days later the same thing happened. I went to my surgeon to make sure nothing was wrong. There wasn’t, and we agreed it had to be something with the vaccine/Neuropothy. On 4/7/21, I woke up to shingles (diagnosed by GP), all over the area my Neuropothy originated left upper chest under arm). The rash is the little red dots I get, not the little welts I see on the pictures of shingles. 10 days post and I still feel the bee stings and have the rash. I took my 1st Shingles Shot 11/28/20, I was going to have second after finishing the Covid. My neuropathy kept acting up. PS: It took over10 yrs to get my diagnoses, I finally found a Neurologist that listened.

Yikes. Hit me like a liightning bolt. Did my PN return with such a vengeance due to the vaccine?

Never entered my mind....till now. My PN had been pretty dormant. After both Pfizer's shots, my PN could not be worse.

I have not been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease but I am not ruling it out. At one point, decades ago, I was told I had RA due to a blood test, then I was told I didn't. I also have a chronic form of leukemia ( not autoimmune i realize). I've had all sorts of "issues", some big, some small, through my 75 years. I wouldn't discount autoimmune disease as one of them.

Good morning all. How painfully awful that your PN should act up just when you’re doing the right thing by getting a vaccine for Covid! I added the link for the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy. It has some good information that you might find helpful.

Has your neuropathy improved or gotten worse the past few days?

It’s astounding that there are so many autoimmune diseases out there, most happen to middle age women, and many relate to each other. Plus, symptoms often are ignored or attributed to something else. I was diagnosed with Raynaud Syndrome and my primary said to “wear gloves.” Had she correlated it with other symptoms I had, including numb and stiff feet (“high arches”), severe itching/dry skin (use lotion), and anemia (“take more iron”) and sent me for blood analysis, the second autoimmune disease I have, Primary Biliary Cholangitis, could have been diagnosed. Instead, by the time PBC was diagnosed, it had caused Stage 3 liver cirrhosis.

A neurologist I recently saw thought my neuropathy is probably due to PBC or a related autoimmune disease. The lab analysis he ordered seems to indicate I have Sjogren’s as well; which can be secondary to PBC and does cause neuropathy and other issues.

I think it’s way pass time that comprehensive blood work become the norm when diagnoses do not lead to a solution for the symptoms presented. And, if you’re not satisfied with your primary...insist on seeing a specialist!

I know a number of people on this discussion did fill out incident reports on the VAERS website.

I can only speak for myself. However, I do not believe that the escalation of my symptoms after each shot was just “my perception” or anecdotal. If you have a neurologist, you might consult with them. I’m thinking there is nothing that can be done at this point. I would hope research will be conducted to at least find out what triggers such a reaction, especially since we’re probably going to need booster shots.

I totally agree with you!! Not just my imagination!!

I agree. I do not have PN, but I do have autoimmune/inflammatory issues. The inflammation flared significantly after the Covid vaccine, but it also did after the quadravalent influenza vaccine. My primary agrees that the vaccines provoking an immune response aggravate inflammatory issues, but I would rather be sore and protected...
I also reported the response to VAERS.
Sue