Conditions and symptoms
What Is Peripheral Neuropathy? Nerve Damage Explained
Peripheral neuropathy · say it: peh-RIF-er-ul noo-ROP-uh-theeAlso written: neuropathy, nerve damage, peripheral nerve damage
Short answer
Peripheral neuropathy is damage to nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, often causing numbness, tingling or pain in the hands or feet.
What it means
Peripheral neuropathy means damage to the peripheral nerves, the nerves that carry messages between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. It often starts in the feet and hands, with numbness, tingling, pins and needles, burning pain or weakness. Common causes include diabetes, low vitamin B12, alcohol and some medicines.
Labels for some medicines, such as fluoroquinolone antibiotics, some cancer medicines, some HIV medicines and some others, list peripheral neuropathy as a possible side effect. With some of them it can be long-lasting, so labels ask you to report new numbness, tingling, burning or weakness promptly so your doctor can decide whether to change treatment.
Peripheral neuropathy is different from problems of the brain or spinal cord, which are 'central' nervous system problems. It is also different from short-lived pins and needles from sitting awkwardly.
Where you may see it
- Fluoroquinolone antibiotic warnings
- Chemotherapy and HIV medicine leaflets
- Diabetes and neurology clinic letters
📄 How it looks on a report
Peripheral neuropathy: Discontinue if symptoms of neuropathy such as pain, burning, tingling, numbness, or weakness develop.
🙅 What it does not mean
- Brief pins and needles from sitting awkwardly is not neuropathy.
- It does not always mean a medicine is the cause; diabetes and vitamin levels are common causes.
- It does not mean the nerve damage is always permanent; it depends on the cause.
🎯 Check yourself
Which of these is the right meaning of “Peripheral neuropathy”?
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Peripheral neuropathy”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Apixaban
A factor Xa inhibitor, a blood thinner medicine (anticoagulant)
- Ciprofloxacin
a fluoroquinolone antibacterial medicine
- Isoniazid
An antibacterial medicine of the antimycobacterial type, used against tuberculosis bacteria
- Levofloxacin
an antibiotic of the fluoroquinolone type
- Metronidazole
An antimicrobial medicine of the nitroimidazole type, used to treat certain bacterial and parasitic infections
- Nitrofurantoin
an antibacterial medicine of the nitrofuran type, used for urinary tract infections
- Pregabalin
an antiepileptic drug, which is a seizure medicine that is also used to treat certain types of nerve pain and fibromyalgia
- Sildenafil
A phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor, a medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction
- Tadalafil
a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, which is a medicine that blocks an enzyme called PDE5
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Peripheral neuropathy” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “peripheral neuropathy”
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