Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy--or CIDP for short--is a disease that affects the nerves in your arms and legs. This condition occurs most commonly in young men, though people of any age can be affected. CIDP is considered to be the more advanced, or chronic, form of another disease called Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), an inflammatory nerve disease that causes sudden symptoms. Discuss CIDP with your doctor if you or a loved one develop any symptoms of this condition.
Weakness and Fatigue
Symptoms of CIDP initially begin with weakness in the toes, feet or ankles. Patients with this condition can develop foot drop due to ankle weakness, which can cause the patient to abnormally drag the affected foot while walking, explain doctors at the Neurology Muscular Dystrophy and Neuropathy Institute in Beverly Hills, California. These symptoms tend to develop progressively over several months and may diminish and relapse repeatedly over several years. Muscle weakness can extend from the feet up into the legs and can contribute to severe fatigue in affected patients.
Numbness, Tingling or Paralysis
Patients with CIDP can experience unusual sensations of numbness, tingling or pain beginning in the toes and radiating up into the legs, explain health officials at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Numbness and tingling occur due to progressive damage of myelin--the protective covering that surrounds the nerves--caused by this disease. These sensations can occur intermittently and may worsen over time, leading to severe walking difficulties in certain patients. In severe cases of CIDP, patients can develop complete paralysis, according to the Neurology Muscular Dystrophy and Neuropathy Institute. Numbness and tingling can also extend into the hands and fingers, which may affect a patient's ability to type on a keyboard or hold a pen.
Breathing or Digestive Difficulties
Breathing and digestive difficulties can arise in patients with this disease, explain health officials at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. These symptoms of CIDP occur when the nerves involved in breathing or digestion are damaged. Patients can experience shortness of breath or may find chewing or swallowing unusually challenging. Left untreated, these symptoms can cause patients to stop breathing, and they may result in death.
References
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
- American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine: CIDP
- Neurology Muscular Dystrophy and Neuropathy Institute: Symptoms of CIDP
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: Guillian-Barre and CIDP
- Phoenix Neurological Associated, Ltd: Symptoms of CIDP
