SFN/Weakness
 

Is weakness ever a feature of SFN? I was dxed with SFN a few years ago (no biopsy) but have few or no symptoms unless I go above a tiny dose of COPD meds. I increased dose of inhalers 2 days ago and today I could barely finish grocery shopping because my legs were so weak. I also had numbness, tingling and aching pain with some burning in my feet after evening med dose.
At the time I was dxed I had a nerve conduction test that showed no evidence of damage beyond some carpal tunnel which also does not bother me unless I take meds.

Thanks for any comments.

True muscle weakness--
 

--is not generally a feature of small fiber neuropathy, as the small fibers subsume the sensations of pain and temperature and many autonomic functions but not muscle control--that is the province of larger, myelinated fibers.

But, it is not uncommom to have neuropathy involving multiple types of nerves. And, dealing with any type of neuropathy can make one move a lot less and get weaker over time, or feel weak from fighting the fatigue that is a common symptom.

Thanks you, that is what I thought. Newest data seems to show that people with COPD tend to develop sub-clinical axonal neuropathy and I have wondered if it just becomes acute. But it is always associated with increased medication dose and also occurs when I take some of the other meds known to cause neuropathy such as fluoroquinolones but so far the symptoms while I am on the meds have not lingered afterwards.

I am relatively out of shape after a hard, inactive year but was moving furniture last week so I don't think I am too weak from that. Thanks again, any ideas appreciated.