Peripheral neuropathy

March 2008     View PDF     En español

The bottom line

• Peripheral neuropathy affects about 1 in 3 people living with HIV.
• There are many risk factors for PN in people with HIV, including low CD4 count, high viral load, poor nutrition, older age, later stage disease, an AIDS-defining infection, using drugs that damage nerves, and diabetes.
• The symptoms of PN can range from mild and non-existent to severe and disabling.
• Treating PN should include finding its underlying cause as well as relieving its symptoms.
• It may take time and effort on you and your doctor’s parts to properly diagnose and treat your condition.
• You can make many changes in lifestyle to manage your PN symptoms.
• Many different types of drugs are used to treat PN, though many of them interact with HIV drugs. Talk to your doctor about which is best for you.
• Current research is showing hopeful results on a couple of new treatments for PN.