Does polynueropthy ever go away?!
Question:
Does polynueropthy ever go away?
Answers:
The prognosis for people with acute or chronic polyneuropathy depends on the cause.
Polyneuropathy is the simultaneous malfunction of many peripheral nerves throughout the body.
Polyneuropathy may be acute (beginning suddenly) or chronic (developing gradually, often over months or years).
Causes
Acute polyneuropathy has many causes. It may be caused by an infection involving a toxin produced by bacteria (as in diphtheria) or by an autoimmune reaction (as in Guillain-Barré syndrome). Toxic substances, including heavy metals such as lead and mercury, carbon monoxide, and some drugs can also cause acute polyneuropathy. The drugs include the anticonvulsant phenytoinSome Trade Names
DILANTIN, some antibiotics (such as chloramphenicol Some Trade Names CHLOROMYCETIN, nitrofurantoinSome Trade Names FURADANTIN MACRODANTIN, and sulfonamides), some chemotherapy drugs (such as vinblastineSome Trade Names VELBAN and vincristineSome Trade Names
ONCOVIN), and some sedatives (such as barbital and hexobarbitalSome Trade Names SOMBULEX). Cancer, such as multiple myeloma, may cause acute polyneuropathy by directly invading or compressing the nerves or by producing toxic substances.
The cause of chronic polyneuropathy is often unknown. The most common form of chronic polyneuropathy is most often due to diabetes but may be due to excessive use of alcohol. Nutritional deficiencies (such as vitamin B deficiency) are an uncommon cause of chronic polyneuropathy in the United States, except among alcoholics who are malnourished. Anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency (pernicious anemia) may also cause chronic polyneuropathy. Other causes include an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), liver failure, and kidney failure. Rare causes include certain cancers, such as lung cancer, and taking excessive amounts of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).
Poor control of blood sugar levels in diabetes (see Diabetes Mellitus (DM)) causes several forms of polyneuropathy, collectively referred to as diabetic neuropathy. (Diabetes can also cause mononeuropathy or mononeuritis multiplex that leads to weakness, typically of the eye or thigh muscles.)