When your immune system turns on your own nerves, you’re dealing with an autoimmune nerve disorder, a condition where the body’s defense system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nervous system. Also known as immune-mediated neuropathy, it’s not just one disease—it’s a group of disorders that damage nerves, disrupt signals, and leave you feeling numb, tingling, or weak. Unlike diabetes or injury-related nerve damage, this is your own body doing the harm—often without warning.
Two of the most common types are Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rapid-onset condition that can cause paralysis within days and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), a slower, relapsing form that mimics MS but affects nerves instead of the brain. Both involve the immune system stripping away the protective myelin sheath around nerves, like peeling insulation off a wire. Without it, signals slow down or stop entirely. You might notice trouble walking, loss of reflexes, or hands that feel like they’re asleep all the time. These aren’t just inconveniences—they can turn everyday tasks into battles.
What triggers these attacks? Sometimes it follows a virus—like the flu or Zika—or a surgery. Other times, there’s no clear cause. The good news? These disorders respond to treatments that calm the immune system. IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin), plasma exchange, and steroids are common first steps. Some people recover fully. Others need long-term management. What matters most is catching it early. If you’ve had unexplained numbness that’s getting worse, don’t wait. Your doctor can run nerve conduction tests and check for specific antibodies to confirm if it’s autoimmune.
The posts below cover real-world details you won’t find in brochures: how to track nerve symptoms so your doctor takes you seriously, which medications help—and which make things worse—how to spot dangerous side effects from immune-suppressing drugs, and how to talk to your provider when standard treatments fail. You’ll also find comparisons between treatment options, advice on managing daily life with nerve damage, and how to avoid interactions with other meds you might be taking. This isn’t theoretical. It’s what people actually deal with—and what works.
