--while the most typical presentation of peripheral neuropathy is slow and length dependent, starting in the extremities farthest away from the body center and slowly progressing upward/inward (the phenomenon is known as "die-back"), it certainly is not the only presentation. I, for instance, had an acute-onset (hours) body-wide burning.

There are many variations, and part of the problem is that symptoms of dysfunctional peripheral nerves may be exactly the same as symptoms of dysfunction in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord, caused by demyelinting diseases such as MS, B12 deficiency driven subacute degeneration, spinal stenosis, etc.). One absolutely has to get to specialists in neuromuscular disorders and/or to neuropathy centers to get anywhere near a comprehensive workup if possible. Most standard neuros, never mind most general practitioners, just don't have the expertise to work with patients on this.

The Liza Jane spreadsheets are a good resource for suggesting tests to doctors when neurological symptoms are present, and for following test results over time to discern patterns:

www.lizajane.org