There is NOT ONE SCIENTIFIC STUDY with any correlation
to smoking and PN !!
I am a smoker !
I am not idiopathic!
I have axonal sensory polyneuropathy caused by chemical toxins and alcohol.
I have smoked most of my adult life.
I have stopped smoking at times.
Cigarettes do not make my PN worse, or better.
I have no immediate plans to stop again, unless someone can prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that smoking will worsen my PN condition.
Ever since Dr. Everett Poofball was the Dr supreme of the USA--all the medical societies and organizations have banded together to include smoking in the 'Do not Do !!' list for EVERY condition and disease on the planet!!
Yes, smoking can contribute to many respiratory and circulatory ailments under the right conditions. I've known of 90 year old smokers who have smoked for 80 years (yes, since they were ten) and they do not have respiratory problems, they do not have cholesterol problems and their hearts are as strong as a strong 50 year old.
Every doctor in the USA will tell any smoker to stop smoking.
There are doctors who are smokers who tell thier patients to stop smoking....hypocrites !! BAH!! HUMBUG !!
They'll have to pry my last cigarette, from my cold, dead, hand!!
Cause it'll be from a fall, or a car accident, or some lightning strike that'll be my downfall.
Not cigarette smoking !!

(There, 'j' , how's that?)

I definatly DEFINATLY get side effects and my symptoms DEFINATLY get worse when I smoke,not all the time but a lot of the time (since april this year for some reason) could this mean that I dont have neuropathy but may have something else, as 2 psots now say there is no correlation between smoking and PN ......

--did you get copies of your test results that you can post to us, to give the amateur diagnosticians (who are very good, actually) some more to go on?

I am particularly interested in what your MRI's have to say--did they do brain and cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine? Reason I ask is that given the presentation and timing of the symptoms you've related, my initial suspicion would be some form of central nervous system impingment or demyelinating disease. The problem, of curse, is that one can have the exact same symptoms from central nervous system disruptions as from peripheral nervous system disruptions; it's why one generally is in for a long round of testing to try to pinpoint the causes of neural symptoms.

I, too, have not seen a direct correlation between smoking and neural symptoms (though there's adequate correlation between smoking and a whole lot of other bodily dysfunction), But, if your symptoms worsen with smoking or drinking, there is an implication that there is a vascular/circulatory component to what's going on with you, and any survey should include tests for circulation as well as vasculitic autoimmune disease.

Hi there I had an MRI of the brain and cervical spine and they were fine. I would really like the rest of my spine checked because of the lower back pain that I have but I don't want to tell the neurologist how to do his job...

Like I say smoking does make the symptoms worse, about 10 days ago I smoked about 10 ciggarettes and in the evening the pins and needles in my feet were much much worse and my face was more numb and I also started getting really weird sensations around the joints in my hands/hips/ankles/lower spine it wasn't pain ,it almost felt kind of ticklish,it made me want to squirm,very hard to explain.

Alcohol also makes it worse, I have never been a heavy drinker nor a really heavy smoker but at this rate I am going to have to give up smoking (have already stopped drinking, I have had 3 drinks since april and each time the PN got worse so stopped altogether now), although im so stressed at the moment that I keep getting the urge to smoke, its a catch 22 situation...

Mark,

I am concerned about your reaction to nicotine/alcohol. Sensitivity such as this is often a sign of CNS impairment/damage. Toxicity can certainly produce such damage. I did not see your age -- may have missed it -- so that may be a factor. The younger you are, without a history of significant substance use, the more I would be concerned.

If I understand correctly, you are having follow-up tests in 4 months. That sounds like a long time. In any event, I would make it a priority to determine if you are receiving adequate diagnostic service at the present time. There is a lot of info here that could help you figure that out -- you have already been directed to the LJ charts, for instance. And you can certainly ask more questions to help in your determination.

Oh -- I just went back and see that the 4 month wait probably can't be changed under your system. You might want to post a little more about what feedback you have received so far . . . as well as other personal and medical background info.

rafi

Hi Mark, my PN hasnt gotten any better, it has changed from numbness and pain to more numbness and less pain. The main pain ihave these days is when i am on my feet , i get the broken bones feeling in my feet when i stand and walk. I was exposed to a very high concentration in a short period of time plus exposure over many months. It has not spread to any new areas in at least 2 years. As with everything with PN, it affects people differently and acts differently. Its impossible to predict what will happen over the long term. If you take care of yourself and stay away from as many toxins as possible, it is possible that you may begin to heal.

Hi there I did have a brain and cervical spine MRI and it came back clear,which surprised me quite a lot as I have never really been a heavy drinker or smoker BUT I did abuse substances for a period of time (which has now stopped, needless to say) I am not that young, im in my 30's.

I have also had some blood work done, I know there was an extensive amount of testing done in june, they took 4 or 5 vials of blood from me, unfortunatly I cant remember which tests they did except the one for B12 and another for autoimmune ,the rest I really cant remember.All these tests came back clear as well. I also had some blood taken 2 days ago and on the form im sure it said 'peripheral limbs or peripheral system testing' .

Hi to everyone else who has posted on this thread. I am feeling overwhlemed with the response and I am sure I will get to know some of you more

I am not diabetic (at least not that I know of) and I smoke. I have smoked for 20 years and several before I quit at that time.

When questioned by my dr about this habit, he said, that it COULD be a contributing factor to how I feel.. but not to this neuropathy..

I want to quit.... but I want help to do it (yep, chicken) and I can't take Chantix now while trying to be diagnosed... and I really can't consider quitting at this point under the stresses this situation has caused ..

Not a smoker and have never smoked. Central nervous system damage due to autoimmune-related severe B12 malabsorption.

Will go to the mat for anyone's right to smoke, as long as they don't smoke where others have to breathe it.

I only mentioned smoking as a nutrient issue because smokers have been found to have less usable B12 (who knows, maybe other studies found the opposite). So, if I smoked I would take methylcobalamin and a B complex.

Of course, I think people with nerve problems should take methylcobalamin and B complex.

rose