Sunday, August 14, 2011

Small Fiber Neuropathy

Last week I posted a question, asking others if they had Small Fiber Neuropathy

...and I found out that no one knows what it is! 
So, I thought I would give you all a little more information.


Small Fiber Neuropathy effects/damages your nerve endings, primarily your hands and feet. It can be difficult to feel heat or cold on your hands/feet and even vibrations or feelings. Often people experience numbness or tingling in the extremities and it can feel a bit like "Raynoud's Phenomenon".

There are different causes of small fiber neuropathy. One of the main causes is diabetes, but researchers have found that it can also be caused my hereditary or autoimmune disorders.

When the nerve endings get damaged or weakened, the blood circulation becomes poor. This can lead to things such as loss of balance, low blood pressure, low muscle tone, body weakness (especially in the arms and legs), sweating, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and more.

A lot of these symptoms can exaccerbate POTS and (according to my neurologist) many patients with POTS do not have "just POTS", they have other conditions that are associated with POTS and Small Fiber Neuropathy is one of them.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me :)
(Some information for this post was adapted from this website)

Now for the questions...

Cheyanne's Question(s): How well do you tolerate meat? And do you get terrible stabbing constant pains through the abdominal area? When I was seven, I was diagnosed with IBS. Throughout the years, I tried multiple things trying to figure out triggers, reading up on books, research, you name it. The one thing that I read and tried that seemed to really help is avoiding red meat and caffeine of all kinds. Now, I can't tell you exactly why the red meat was particularly difficult, but I will let you know that I eliminated that from my diet for YEARS and it did help. Also, make sure you avoid high fructose corn syrup, and caffeine! Do you have trouble watching movies in a theater? YES! I tend to get motion sickness really easily and movies can be an awful trigger.

Rhianne's Dare: I want you to write a positive paragraph about whoever posted before you on the blog (Cheyanne). Girl, you seem incredibly sweet and such an optimistic, encouraging girl! I wish the best for you and want you to know that I am here if you ever need anything. Also, you are absolutely beautiful! :) 

Miranda's Question: Are temperature regulations common for everyone else?
Yes. My temperature average is usually 96.5(ish) - I always run a LOW temperature (as does my mom) and I tend to get 100.2(ish) fevers quite often...especially when I have a period. Usually I am very cold, but I have awful night sweats. My temperature fluctuates so much!

My Question: What is your favorite television show? I want to see if anyone shares with my love of certain television shows :)

Take care girls & have a great week!
xoxo
-Erin

5 comments:

  1. I have POTS & small fiber neuropathy. The neuropathy was diagnosed with a skin biopsy at the Cleveland Clinic. It causes me have extreme reactions to hot/cold (feels like I'm burning my skin in luke-warm water), very poor balance, and burning sensation in my legs during exercise. I haven't been given any treatment options :(

    Cheyanne: I also don't eat much meat b/c I seem to feel sick when I do.

    Miranda: I am freezing all of the time - except when I sleep when I am like a little oven.

    It's nice to hear your stories & know I'm not alone.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So glad that you could relate Angela! We all are here for you if you need anything - you are most definitely NOT alone!

    xoxo
    -Erin

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi ladies,
    I have been diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy as well. We know that my sensory and autonomic small fibers are severely damaged. I had this discovered by chance when they took a skin biopsy looking for something else, and then confirmed by additional tests at Cleveland Clinic. I believe small fiber neuropathy is the cause of most of my POTS symptoms, if not all of them.

    As soon as they told me I had neuropathy, I started pressing my doctors to figure out what was killing me nerves, since I'm pretty sure the don't spontaneously combust! Many docs just told me there is no way to know what causes it, but I was determined. Finally, after a year of searching and MANY MANY MANY tests, Cleveland Clinic diagnosed me with Sjorgen's Syndrome - an autoimmune disease that can cause neuropathy in severe cases. So now I am supposed to start IVIG treatment. I am scared, but hopeful that if we treat the Sjorgen's, the nerve damage will heal and my POTS symptoms will subside.

    I encourage all of the POTSies I meet online to see a good neurologist willing to test them for small fiber neuropathy, because the only way to know for sure if you have it is a skin biopsy. The other nerve conduction and EMG tests won't pick it up, because those tests only look at larger nerves.

    Love the blog - keep up the good work ladies!

    -Lauren a/k/a POTS Grrl

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just found your blog. Love it! I have POTS, AI, and ?MCAD. Numbness in my hands that I think is small fiber neuropathy but not investigated yet.

    Here's my blog

    http://mastcelladrenalinsufficiencypots.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  5. I also get fevers before my period, night sweats and crazy reactions to heat/cold. I also have flushing and severe allergies

    ReplyDelete