Hi there. New to the forum. Hoping this doesn't end up contentious in any way, just looking for folks with similar journeys who can perhaps give me some insights.

43/M, 6', 190lbs - healthy by and large (don't drink, walk 50-60 miles a month) - could stand to lose 10lbs. Am lifelong vegetarian but have good B12 levels.

Early mid-year last year I began experiencing tingling / numbness in my right hand, feet and left side of my face. After a few months the tingling subsided and was replaced with a sensation of 'latency' in my hands/wrists, spontaneous muscle twitching mostly in my legs but a bit in my arms and now, itching -- again, mostly in my legs.

Initially my thought was I'd missed some diabetes signs. Had been a bit on the heavy side a few years back but had gotten that under control. Pandemic times had shifted my patterns so was worried about that. Another possible factor was I'd just finished the two boot Moderna vaccine series.

Went to my primary care physician early on in the tingling phase. He did a blood test. Everything came back normal. He felt I looked good, seemed healthy but referred me to a neurologist just in case. By the time of my appt with the neurologist, tingling had mostly disappeared and been replaced by the subsequent symptoms described above. He did some basic tests and felt there was nothing of concern as the symptoms I described didn't appear to be progressing but ordered another, more targeted, blood test. Results for that also came back normal (B12, B6, A1c). B6 was slightly high, but not enough to concern the doctor though I've since stopped eating fortified cereal as regularly just in case. He said despite itching sensations and the latency feeling, I hadn't lost strength, wasn't displaying balance issues or other progressing symptoms and to not be concerned unless things got worse.

So, this is where I'm at today. It's all tolerable, but my hand latency is annoying, making things like playing the piano slightly more difficult, though my hands do seem to 'get going' after a while.

I don't really know what I'm after here. Assurance? The most likely explanation seems to be some side effect of my vaccination that did cause a bit of nerve damage (immune system attacking - I think can happen w/ real COVID too) and perhaps now that's healing slowly? Or it's something that's just progressing very slowly and will get worse over time.

I'm mostly just doing everything normally as I always was but did start taking some Alpha Lipoic Acid once a day - though haven't been super consistent with it yet.

Anyone have any similar experiences and/or advice? Mostly just want this all to make sense. What the doctors have said has reassured me, but will it ever go back to normal?

Variant, you sound pretty darn healthy. And my money goes on side effects of the jabs. There are so so many and I read of them daily. I deal with neuropathy from a hip replacement gone wrong and a lot of nerve damage so I know that one.

Welcome, variant!

I'm not sure what you mean when you say you have a sensation lf "'latency'" but it sounds as if you're finding that initiating a movement is slow.

I'm like that, and I'm assuming it's my arthritis. I have to work up some momentum before I can do anything at a regular pace. But you're young for arthritis--though it's not unheard of.

Sometimes there's some nerve impingement going on, and that's often just a wear-and-tear thing that comes on as we get older. Sometimes it's severe enough to require medical intervention or at least diagnosis but it sounds as if you've been that route by seeing a neurologist.

I don't think the COVID vaccine could have caused your symptoms. The vaccines are remarkably safe and side effects have been minimal for most people. Too many respected medical authorities have stated this repeatedly, citing lots of evidence.

Congratulations on your healthy lifestyle! I hope you can find some solutions to the problems you've been having.

Welcome Variant.

i have never heard the term latency used for a symptom before either. can you explain?

Sorry for the odd term. I'm in IT so it was the best way I could come up with to describe it.

It's like everything works, but just feels a little "slower" than normal. If that makes sense.

I obviously haven't ruled out arthritis (as another poster suggested) but has felt unlikely it would manifest itself in both hands and both feet at the same time and in the same way. I have arthritis in my knee (from multiple ACL reconstructions) and it's quite a bit different - including actual pain rather than just sluggishness.

Anyway, more or less trying to find others out there with the same sort of journey. Keeping an eye on things in the interim and hoping for improvement.