Neuropathy in hands, feet, and face that came on quickly

Posted by ajwajw19601953seg @ajwajw19601953seg, Jun 27, 2023

I experienced intense painful muscle cramping in both of my calves for approximately. Immediately following this I had rapid onset mild numbness in my feet, face, and hands. Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

Hi @ajwajw19601953seg, I haven't experienced neuropathy symptoms like yours. My symptoms started 25+ years ago and progressed gradually over the years. Fortunately I don't have any pain with mine. While we wait for other members who have had a similar experience you might find it helpful to browse through the discussions in the Neuropathy Support Group to see if there is one similar to yours.
--- Neuropathy Support Group discussion list: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/neuropathy/

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My mothers family has a five generation history of CMT. I developed those PN symptoms when I turned 60. My middle daughter Cindy started experiencing PN symptoms when she was 45. I then went to Weill Cornell Hospital in Manhattan with my three daughters and we underwent EMG and Needle EMG exams and we underwent a Whole Exome Test which looks for mutations in your entire genome. The results were shocking. I have Chronic and Severe Sensorimotor Axonal Polyneuropathy, CMT2, CMT4B, and I’m a SMA carrier (entire deletion of the SMN1 gene). Daughter one did not inherit any mutations. Daughter two has CMT2. Daughter three has both CMT2 and CMT4B. None of my daughters inherited the SMN1 gene mutation so that sucker dies with me. So the hereditary PN disorder that plagued my mothers family for five generations has no reached seven generations. My symptoms include loss of sensation in my feet, calves, fingers and hands. I also experience cramping in my feet and legs. I have recently noticed my lips are becoming numb. I know that a genetics company called INVITAE does genetic testing for Neurological disorders. They have a Comprehensive Neurological Panel that looks for the known gene mutations that cause many PN disorders. They have a self pay option for $250 per test. Look them up at INVITAE.com

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Thank you so much. I will look up the website. Take care

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Mine came on over a 10 day period, pretty sudden compared to most. I wouldn't say I had "cramping" in my calves - for me, I woke up with a little foot & leg weakness/heaviness that continued to worsen. My then PCP suggested watching it and scheduled a Neurologist visit (for 2 months later!) By the 8th day I was struggling to walk & found evidence of a UTI; I landed in the hospital for treatment, where I finally fell and started my life in a wheelchair for 6 months, and the Neuropathy also took over my hands/arms. The 2 weeks in the hospital & 5 weeks in a rehab Nursing home gave my husband time to try to make our condo villa handicap accessible. (We made a mistake in thinking our 2 carpeted rooms were manageable for a wheelchair patient with little arm strength though, but was blessed to have a friend with a friend who got us in hardwood floors in 2 days). This sudden illness came with sudden major expenses!
It would seem my case sounded like Guillain-Barre, but the test was negative then, so I've been labelled an Idiopathetic puzzle. I'm thankful how I regained enough strength to ditch the wheelchair, walk/waddle and perform basic life necessities, including driving. I can't thank physical therapy enough, which I still do to maintain my strength and keep getting ideas on how to accomplish things most effectively. This Mayo Connect forum has been a Godsend to learn from people living with Neuropathy and knowing better than doctors how to manage & live with symptoms as well as how to try to cope with acceptance. I know I'll never get back to where I was and have accepted that I'll never be able to work again, but I still wish there was medical interest and research funds to help take the Idio out of many of our "diagnoses"! In the meantime, I'm living life to my fullest capability and trying hard to keep up with a husband 18 years senior!

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@dbeshears1

Mine came on over a 10 day period, pretty sudden compared to most. I wouldn't say I had "cramping" in my calves - for me, I woke up with a little foot & leg weakness/heaviness that continued to worsen. My then PCP suggested watching it and scheduled a Neurologist visit (for 2 months later!) By the 8th day I was struggling to walk & found evidence of a UTI; I landed in the hospital for treatment, where I finally fell and started my life in a wheelchair for 6 months, and the Neuropathy also took over my hands/arms. The 2 weeks in the hospital & 5 weeks in a rehab Nursing home gave my husband time to try to make our condo villa handicap accessible. (We made a mistake in thinking our 2 carpeted rooms were manageable for a wheelchair patient with little arm strength though, but was blessed to have a friend with a friend who got us in hardwood floors in 2 days). This sudden illness came with sudden major expenses!
It would seem my case sounded like Guillain-Barre, but the test was negative then, so I've been labelled an Idiopathetic puzzle. I'm thankful how I regained enough strength to ditch the wheelchair, walk/waddle and perform basic life necessities, including driving. I can't thank physical therapy enough, which I still do to maintain my strength and keep getting ideas on how to accomplish things most effectively. This Mayo Connect forum has been a Godsend to learn from people living with Neuropathy and knowing better than doctors how to manage & live with symptoms as well as how to try to cope with acceptance. I know I'll never get back to where I was and have accepted that I'll never be able to work again, but I still wish there was medical interest and research funds to help take the Idio out of many of our "diagnoses"! In the meantime, I'm living life to my fullest capability and trying hard to keep up with a husband 18 years senior!

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Did you have the Covid vaccine? The rapid development and progression of peripheral neuropathy is similar to that experienced by patients who had adverse neurological reactions to the vaccine, including me. Like you, some lost the ability to walk. The good news is that most are slowly improving with time.

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My neuropathy came on quickly as well, about 2 weeks. At first it was bad in my hands and mild in my arms, legs and feet. Gradually it got worse all over and became bad in my feet and very bad in my hands. It’s been close to 3 years now. The numbness is always there, accompanied by varying degrees of burning sensations. The burning is what is so debilitating.

The cause was disk compression at C4, C5 level for which I had ADCF surgery. Unfortunately there remains damage to my spinal cord at that level.

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@pacer3702

Did you have the Covid vaccine? The rapid development and progression of peripheral neuropathy is similar to that experienced by patients who had adverse neurological reactions to the vaccine, including me. Like you, some lost the ability to walk. The good news is that most are slowly improving with time.

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I did have the vaccine and several boosters, as well as Shingles vaccines. No problems with any of those, as my Neuropathy came 4 years before Covid came along. The vaccines, for me, did not make my Neuropathy worse.

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...my P.N. woke up with 2 weeks after finishing a course of Quinolone drug Norflox for UTI. Could feel every fibre in carpet as walked across floor, started to prepare breakfast and fingers number/tingling/etc. That was 2016. Still have it the same .. it progressed to lower legs and lower arms but thankfully I escaped taking meds for it due to problems with all meds.. its still the same but a more "sore" - also last few years if I touch something or stand on something cold (with bare feet) it feels wet but not a problem... I have a list of other problems including "burning face" for a year and not sure if connected or any of 10 other reasons and it is very very painful. It's so hard to sometimes to trace back to a cause isn't it.. best wishes. J.

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I’ve been having almost cramping in my calves after each chemo round, and a day or 2 after.
I take 400 mg magnesium every day religiously. And I have for many years.
It WILL stop the cramping!

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@dbeshears1

Mine came on over a 10 day period, pretty sudden compared to most. I wouldn't say I had "cramping" in my calves - for me, I woke up with a little foot & leg weakness/heaviness that continued to worsen. My then PCP suggested watching it and scheduled a Neurologist visit (for 2 months later!) By the 8th day I was struggling to walk & found evidence of a UTI; I landed in the hospital for treatment, where I finally fell and started my life in a wheelchair for 6 months, and the Neuropathy also took over my hands/arms. The 2 weeks in the hospital & 5 weeks in a rehab Nursing home gave my husband time to try to make our condo villa handicap accessible. (We made a mistake in thinking our 2 carpeted rooms were manageable for a wheelchair patient with little arm strength though, but was blessed to have a friend with a friend who got us in hardwood floors in 2 days). This sudden illness came with sudden major expenses!
It would seem my case sounded like Guillain-Barre, but the test was negative then, so I've been labelled an Idiopathetic puzzle. I'm thankful how I regained enough strength to ditch the wheelchair, walk/waddle and perform basic life necessities, including driving. I can't thank physical therapy enough, which I still do to maintain my strength and keep getting ideas on how to accomplish things most effectively. This Mayo Connect forum has been a Godsend to learn from people living with Neuropathy and knowing better than doctors how to manage & live with symptoms as well as how to try to cope with acceptance. I know I'll never get back to where I was and have accepted that I'll never be able to work again, but I still wish there was medical interest and research funds to help take the Idio out of many of our "diagnoses"! In the meantime, I'm living life to my fullest capability and trying hard to keep up with a husband 18 years senior!

Jump to this post

I also have what they're calling idiopathic polyneuropathy which came on quickly after my admission to the hospital with a clot on my lung. People started asking me if I had the vaccine and I did. a few months into the vaccine my knees became numb and my feet. w

When I was in the hospital it started to spread up into my trunk, arms and hands. My quality of life has been significantly downgraded. I tried to discuss the vaccine with my doctors but none of my doctors had any comment. I feel that it was from the vaccine. I hope that my condition will improve. I hope that yours will too.
Stay Well!

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