Electric shocks from peripheral neuropathy

Hi mlee. I too, get zapped predominately in my feet mainly at the end of day. Here in regional sml town in far north qld Australia we have virtually NO allied health services & only 3 GP clinics. I would love to know about this as well. I've been living with type 2 diabetes 10 yrs & am "seni I r" in age .

Hi @mlee5309 and @aussiefrankie, I've had numbness and some tingling but never felt the electric zaps that some members have as symptoms. There is another discussion that is similar where members have shared their experience that you both might want to take a look at here:
-- Can Severe (electric shock-like) Pain be a sign of Regeneration?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/can-severe-electric-shock-like-pain-be-a-sign-of-regeneration/

Also, I thought you might find the following article on electrical shock symptoms interesting if not helpful.
"Dysesthesia often involves sensations, such as burning, electric shock, or a general tightening around the body. It generally occurs in the legs, feet, arms, and hands, but it can affect any part of the body."
-- Everything You Need to Know About Dysesthesia:
https://www.healthline.com/health/dysesthesia

@aussiefrankie, since you mentioned having type 2 diabetes I thought you might want to check out the discussions in the Diabetes & Endocrine System Support Group here - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/diabetes-and-endocrine-problems/.
You might also find this video by Dr. Jay Wortman helpful.
https://youtu.be/Cx6xw3wOAMc

I had a list of questions for my neurologist a few weeks ago, and “I don’t know” was the answer to most of them. But, to my question of if these shocks and zaps meant that nerves were regenerating, or degenerating, he basically responded “Not necessarily, that’s just what nerves with neuropathy do.” He explained that comparisons on EMGs would tell changes in either direction, which in my case, we’re unchanged in past few years.

When I went to John Hopkins in Dec 2021, I had asked neuro doc about these "shock like" effects in the legs which tend to occur more frequently in afternoon/evenings. I makes me jump which I can assure you can produce some odd looks. I get these in lower legs, perhaps 2 or so daily. And, it can last a few seconds. Also, at times, I get what I call quivering nerves. I can put my hand on the spot and actually feel the nerve quivering below the surface, mostly between knees and ankles. All started about 4 years ago. I was told oh yea...some people get those. Some? My personal opinion with no medical experience tells me these are nerves that are degenerating.

Well...good news for you with EMG unchanged. I was told by my local neuro doc who I see in fall of each year that she thought my PN (numbness) is unchanged in 12 months. She said at times, PN can sort of become stable for a while. On other hand, balance is worse. Anytime you get the EMG and it is unchanged, that is great news!

It’s just so frustrating to see a specialist and then another and another and get I don’t knows on everything. I get a few maybes as well when I ask my notepad list of questions. I always end up nowhere. Not sure why I bother.

I'm going to apologize now for the rambling. I'm 50 years old. For the last two weeks, I've been having what I would describe as very intermittent feelings of electrical/shooting pains in my feet. I am 6'0" about 255 lbs. My A1c in March was 5.4. Last weekend, I went to the ER due to high blood pressure. My glucose was 101.

This is not the first time I've had this feeling. In 2018, I was having pins/needles feelings intermittently in my feet. This was after I felt out of the shower on to my butt. The feeling went away on its own.

In 2016, I was having pins/needles feeling, too. Blood test discovered I was lower on Vitamin D. A Vitamin D prescription and supplement fixed that issue.

The question I have right now is: how worried should I be? This reoccurrence has me so stressed out and filled with anxiety at times that it's hard for me to function (e.g. eating).

Saw podiatrist on Thursday. She said it's probably because my shoes don't fit right (too tight) and to take a B vitamin supplement. My PCP (same hospital system) didn't agree with her at all. In fact, when I mentioned the intermittent pains in my feet he didn't even seem concerned which I found strange. So far, I've no pins/needles, numbness, or issue with mobility.

I'd appreciate ANY feedback/thoughts on this. Thank you.

@sinjin I’m sorry you are having so much stress and worry about this and can’t get a straight answer. That happens to so many of us is just totally unacceptable.

I have severe polyneuropathy caused by autoimmune diseases. There is no cure for neuropathy so those of us who suffer with it generally rely on medications like Gabapentin, or Lyrica for pain relief.

If you can get an appointment with a neurologist and have them test you, you can get treatment if you need it. If not, there’s nothing you need to do about it right away. You can wait and see if it changes. Neuropathy is not life threatening.

Best wishes

Hello @sinjin. You will notice I have moved your post into an existing discussion on a similar topic, which you can now find here:
- Electric shocks from peripheral neuropathy: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/electric-shocks-from-peripheral-neuropathy/

Have you had your vitamin levels checked as a starting point?

My electric shock starts in my left hip and radiates out to, basically my elbows and knees. It happens about once a month. It decreases over several days. I have an 8% bone deterioration in that hip. Wonder if that may cause. Idiopathic is the answer I get from the docs. Nothing suggested to stop it.