Feels like my entire body is asleep. Burning/pins & needles sensation - Neuropathy Message Board

joebloggs2 · 08-18-2007, 08:38 PM

I highly doubt this is related to diabetes or MS. I am 23, and have a healthy diet. I use nitrous oxide very occasionally but take a multivitamin + a B12 supplement daily.

Yesterday, I took 3 canisters of N2O (a normal dose), and I was under the influence of marijuana. Afterwards my body felt extremely numb; Best way to explain it would be like being injected with novacaine all my body, or being submerged in ice water for hours. Sometimes it feels exactly like being electrocuted (alternating current).

Rubbing my hands together feels foreign. Reaching into my body feels weird. I have trouble knowing how much pressure to apply to open things, turn knobs, etc. Driving is interesting. It feels like I left my foot in a bucket of icy water for a few hours. There's a burning sensation, somewhat like Icy Hot but more intense. Certain textures (a sweater or comforter) are very uncomfortable.

I feel OK standing up on tiles with boxers on, but complex textures (a sweater, comforter, etc) feel foreign and can be very uncomfortable.

I was with two guys who were under the same stuff as me, and they have no problems. I doubt the marijuana is to blame, although people have said that they've experienced what I am going through from using it, and others have experienced this from nitrous oxide.

I have always had a problem with novacaine and similar drugs. When the dentist injects me with it, my tongue/gums remain numb for days, sometimes weeks.

I was a vegetarian and then a vegen for about two months prior to this, so my B12 supply might be low -- but again, I was taking supplements the entire time.

One interesting thing is that this sort of feels psychological. If I meditate, I can ward the sensation away, but I can only do so for a few moments before my attention wanders off. I also get relief by focusing on a specific area. For example, if I am fully clothed and sitting on the sofa, I become very uncomfortable, as if my entire body is on fire, or I am being pricked with pins and needles everywhere. I can cope by focusing on rubbing my index finger and thumb together.

Others with this problem had said that it goes away on its own in a few days.. but this is very serious and I don't have insurance. Does anyone have any experience or information on this? I have increased my dosage of B12 to 1 gram a day (pills).

I recently ran out of my multi-vitamin and haven't taken it for 2-3 days, might this sensation be from a deficiency?

I might be anemic, if that matters.

(Please, no lectures on recreational drugs or religion.)

dizzyintx · 08-20-2007, 01:36 AM

No lecturces, but I find it so interesting that you are so concerned about your health (diet ,multivitamins) and yet you inhale laughing gas. Maybe this experience will teach you something or maybe not.

Motoxtriplex · 08-20-2007, 02:26 AM

What you are feeling burning and pins and needles sensation are classic signs of small fiber peripheral neuropathy, in which the small C nerve fibers become damaged, reduced, etc. These fibers are responsible for transmitting pain and sensations and are in the epidermal area of the skin.
If you are diabetic this is one of the main diseases that over time will cause these symptoms, howe ever there are several other conditions and things that can as well.
I am very troubled that you say you have low vitamin b12 because guess what on that very small list of what can cause small fiber neuropathy, a specific vitamin b-12 deficancy can do this. You would need to have blood tests to monitor this. Also it sounds like you are taking b12 injections, well how frequently and the dosage may not be enough or to much this is something I believe an endrocronologist DR can monitor or a neurologist with like I said those frequent blood tests. There may be an underlying factor on why the b-12 is low.
Also I am very troubled on your use of nitrous oxide not to be confused with nitric oxide. It sounds as if you are using laughing gas to get high. I also believe that nitrous oxide can cause neuropathys and I believe I hear bone marrow depletions and a host of other problems.
I am not sure if anemia can cause this but I dont think so and I am pretty sure smoking the green is not a cause as well.
What you need to get is to get a small fiber nerve punch biopsy done. They take 2 little 5 mm punches of skin on the ankle and thigh and test it to determine the amount of small fiber nerves, and they can see if they are low in count, damaged, etc. There is a website therapath.com that your primary care dr can order a kit and have this done it is approx $1200 or so, atleast it was for mine.
An EMG test will not confirm small fiber neuropathy only large fiber neuropathy but they usually start out with that test, as per the punch small fiber test is new and not to many drs know about it.
The reason I know so much is I myself have some of those classic symptoms you mentioned and my small fiber neuropathy was determined using that punch biopsy test after approx 2 years of tests and numerous dr's. Mine was related to a toxic exposure.
I would suggest you get this test done and go to a dr get some blood work for you b-12 and stop using nitrous oxide or any other type of toxins this includes alcholol. If the nerves are dead there are a few medications that can help like lyrica, methadone, narcotics, amitriplyine, lydocaine etc but if the nerves are dead it pretty much not reverseable and you will have alot of pain sometimes they can regenerate but takes years and never fully they sprout.
You need to look into this you do not want to have a chance of an underlying problem that may need to have treatment and have it get worse and worse and worse.

joebloggs2 · 08-20-2007, 07:20 AM

I highly doubt the nerves are dead. I barely drink alcohol (once a week at most, but usually less) and hardly use nitrous oxide. The only cases of neuropathy caused by N2O I know of from the literature is from a handful of people using 24-48 canisters a day for weeks on end. I go through 24 canisters in 1-2 months and stop for months on end, so my B12 levels should be going back up to par during that time.

I am concerned about my health, but that doesn't mean I have to stop using every single recreational drug. There is such a thing as using them responsibly, and I read as much as I can before trying something new. I stay away from nicotine, amphetamines, opiates and excessive amounts of alcohol.

I don't take B12 injections. I take a supplement daily (250mcg) + my multivitamin which contains B12 (6mcg). Ever since the burning sensation began, I've been taking about 1mg of B12 daily.

Today it doesn't feel like it did a few days ago. Now it is mainly isolated to my hands and legs.

I doubt it's the N2O, at least from my usage pattern, and because I get enough oxygen in between hits. I wouldn't think the pot causes it but my brother smoked on a regular basis and he became numb once. He still smokes regularly but the numbness hasn't come back. Maybe it's something that runs in the family?

I'm going to get insurance in two weeks, so I'll have to wait till then before I can get tests done. Thanks for the replies.

Motoxtriplex · 08-20-2007, 11:02 AM

There are hereditary cases of neuropathy but this would mean your parents or grandparents, aunts uncles etc may have it, this would probably develop over a long period of time. I may have been unclear about the alcholol but it is an aggravating factor and toxin for the nerves. You are right in order for alcholol to cause this you would need to drink tons for a long time. What I am saying is if infact you do have this you would need to stop drinking all together. Also you are right the weed does not cause neuropathy either infact it helps the symptoms, thats why they make sativix in canada for neuropathic pain and it contains THC and some of the other cannaboids that help in spasticity etc and pain because they have found there are cb1 and cb2 receptors in nerve communiction mainly the large fiber nerves though.
Anyways yeah the hands and feet take the biggest hit I dont know if it is because the contain the most nerves for sense or if they are at the end the line, in all the literature you read people have burning hands and feet effected the most where even a light touch from the blanket can cause alot of pain.
There are also from what I understand different degrees of neuropathy ranging from slight moderate all dead etc. I am preying you just aggravated the nerves maybe with too low of b12 and you said you forgot to take it for a couple days right, or maybe from the nitrous oxide and I hope they are not diminished and just aggravated and thats why you are feeling these symptoms. Let us know what happens on your tests, you sound like a very smart guy , it took me like 2 years and I would say over 100,000k in tests to find out thats what it was with me and many drs. Remember an EMG will only show large nerve fiber damage the ones covered in the myelin sheeth and not the small fibers the ones that have no myelin sheeth and can die very easy, you need that punch biopsy for that