Peripheral neuropathy

March 2008     View PDF     En español

What causes peripheral neuropathy?

There are over 100 types of PN and many different causes for it. They include injury, inherited diseases, chronic conditions, infections, medicines, lack of vitamins or HIV itself. A common example of PN is carpal tunnel syndrome.

Peripheral neuropathy can be due to damage to the coating (myelin) of the nerve endings. The damage may also be due to a breakdown of the nerve endings themselves. Some chronic conditions can also cause PN, like diabetes, arthritis and lupus, as well as some viral infections, like CMV or herpes. In the US, PN is caused most often by diabetes and alcoholism.

For those living with HIV, HIV itself can cause PN by infecting nerve cells. Some HIV drugs—notably Zerit (stavudine, d4T) and Videx (didanosine, ddI)—and drugs used to treat HIV related infections, like Dapsone (diamino-diphenyl sulphone ), can also contribute to nerve damage. More recently approved HIV drugs have not shown this risk for PN, though it may take several years before evidence of this side effect appears.