Hi,

I am new to the group and have symptoms suggestive of small fiber neuropathy. I have had the big workup including Brain, neck MRI's etc. I saw an neurologist who specialty is neuropathy and muscle disorders. He felt I had history consistent with small fiber disease but not a classic neuropathy. Have other members noted flares of symptoms after stressful events? I had two foot procedures in October which was a big stress load.

Glenn

Yes, yes,and yes, my neuro and well all my Drs. have let me know,
as well as my very own body stress is bad...I for one have some
stress issues and I pay for it...Why because it makes the pain,worst
so what I do is meditate..Why I think stress kills,or makes you
feel like your going to die..Focus on something you love,or a beach,
or something you would like to be doing...Throw that stress away
if you can,or come here vent let it go,be free of it...Someone
may even make you laugh...Hugs to all Sue

i have found that stress definitely increases the pain and inflammation, which may be the reason the pain increases. I know that stress increases airway inflammation and airway reactivity in the lungs.

Sorry your not feeling well,hope you feel better soon. Sue

--stress can certainly induce neuropathy symptom "flares", and this is not only restricted to small-fiber syndromes, although those syndromes with small-fiber involvement often produce the most neural pain.

This seems at the very least to have something to do with the release of inflammatory substances that happen in stressful situations--part of the "fight or Flight" reaction of the sympathetic nervous systems.

BTW, have you seen the interesting artciles in the Useful Websites section about small-fiber syndromes? (Look for the long list under my name--there are other as well.) Small-fiber syndromes due to diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance and vasculitis are quite common, as are "idiopathic" syndromes involving small fibers in which it is suspected autoimmune factors play a role:

http://www.neuro.wustl.edu/NEUROMUSC...ory-small.html

Hi & welcome to this forum, i agree with all the others, stress definitely aggravates damaged small fibres.

Brian