Numbness
 

Do you non-length people have numbness?

Was it present when all this started?

I know everyone is different......just curious.

No, just pain.

sort of
 

numbness. and pain, and burning. all over my body.

Can you define non length dependent for me? I'm not sure what mine would be considered. It started with mild tingling and mild numbness in part of my right foot and big toe area a couple of years back, but started to affect my left foot and legs about about 6 months ago, I now have weakness in both legs that bothers me more than the tingling and numbness. I do not have a whole lot of pain, occasionally I will get a burning sensation in my thighs but not everyday. I would say it's more of an uncomfortable feeling. I do know mine is large fiber, because it showed damage to the sheath and axons on my NCS, I'm not sure if I have small fiber involvement though.

I have both, rarely at the same time, not noticeable anyways. Sometimes, I think I have feeling and don't. Like the day I spilled hot tea on my hand and thought I had not put it in the microwave long enough, it didn't feel hot to me. When I looked at the cup and saw it steaming, and my hand turning red, I realized I do have some loss of feeling. All hard to explain.

I may stand to be corrected but.......
 

I think from what I understand, non-length dependent is all over the body, involving trunk, face, scalp, etc........which is what I have, I have had sensations, pain, pin pricks in every part of my body, except in my mouth. I do not have numbness or temperature problems though and no weakness or motor involvement (yet). I do get occasional muscle fasciculations though.

I am not sure though, if non-length dependent can involve large fiber or is limited to small fiber.

I also think mine must involve my memory......I think I recall asking this before and forgetting the answer, I think that is stress and being overwhelmed and misunderstood by my friends/family/doctors, it really takes a toll along with these symptoms, as I am sure you all know........

Length dependency in neuropathy--
 

--refers to the tendency, especially in vasculitic/metabolic neuropathies (which have numerous etiologies) for nerves to "die-back", starting at the nerve tips farthest away from the center of the body (and the center of circulation) and progressing (usually slowly) towards the center. In such cases, symptoms are noticed in the toes first, then feet and maybe fingertips, then calves and hands, leading to what is called the "stocking and glove" distribution.

The mechanism of the neuropathy in such cases is primarily ischemic. Whatever the etiology, it results in cirucltory insufficiency, and this is most pronounced the farther away from the heart one gets. When circulation is compromised, the nerves farthest from the center have the most trouble getting nutrients and oxygen, and removing metabolic toxins, so they experience dysfunction first.

This is also why circulatory helpers--from exercise to blood thinners--may help symptoms and slow/halt progresssion.

Problem is, symptoms in extremities can be caused by a lot of other things--peripheral artery disease, spinal compression on certain nerve roots, localized bony spurs, or compromise at natural nerve "choke points", as in carpal or tarsal tunnel syndromes.

NON length dependent syndromes usually result in symptoms in many parts of the body, not just those farthest from the heart, and, especially if they come on fast, imply an autoimmune or toxic etiology.

And hereditary neuropathy syndromes are a real wild card--some progress slowly or not at all, some quickly, some involve die-back, some are more global, and often the same syndrome will affect different people in different ways.

Absolutely! We all share symptoms, and we all have individual symptoms. It's a "crap shoot!" Whatever will happen, will! Mine started in my hands, then my feet, up my legs, into my neck and shoulders..there was a time when my face would burn, I felt like I was on fire, yet if I looked in the mirror, there was no visible sign of the fire, not even red cheeks. I haven't had that symptom for a long time, knocking on wood!:p

This is true. Speaking about CMT, symptoms vary greatly even within the same family even being the same type (in the family). And there are many types of CMT. It is complicated.