Learn more about this condition, including its symptoms, how it’s treated, and ways to cope. Alcoholic neuropathy is a condition in which the nerves become damaged as a result of years of heavy alcohol consumption. Symptoms include burning pain in the body, hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain), and allodynia (a condition in which normal stimulus, like a soft touch, produces pain). It’s important to speak with a healthcare professional if you experience any symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.
Muscle Weakness
- Light touch can feel exaggerated and painful, particularly in the fingers and toes.
- Maintaining a healthy diet supplemented with plenty of B12, vitamin E, folate, and thiamine can help with the deficiency side of things.
- Most people who are diagnosed with alcoholic neuropathy are between the ages of 40 and 60.
- The muscles may feel weakened and unresponsive, making even simple movements a challenge.
- If you’d like to pursue a life without alcohol but want or need help getting started, you find your local Alcoholics Anonymous chapter or find the closest AA meeting to you.
- Symptoms may include numbness and tingling in the limbs, muscle weakness, and loss of mobility.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it is estimated that about half of those who have heavy alcohol intake will develop alcoholic polyneuropathy at some point in their life. These are all contributing factors to significant nerve damage and alcoholic polyneuropathy, or alcoholic neuropathy. As with any medical condition, prompt treatment is key to heal existing damage and prevent further harm. It’s also essential to seek treatment from a physician, as they possess the specialized knowledge to determine the best course of action. Regular monitoring and an adherence to treatment plans can speed up recovery times and ensure a better quality of life.
Medical Evaluation and Diagnosis
The body is susceptible to acquiring neuropathy when exposed to harmful substances. However, folate or B12 shortage can occur when you don’t get enough vitamins and minerals from your usual diet. Although axonal degradation frequently starts before a person exhibits any symptoms, alcoholic polyneuropathy typically develops gradually over months or even years. Additionally, alcohol changes how the kidneys, liver, and stomach work, which makes it harder for the body to effectively detox waste.
How common is alcoholic neuropathy?
As well as consulting with a medical professional to investigate further and begin treatment for neuropathy they should also urgently contact alcohol treatment services (or speak to their GP for a referral). It is likely that anyone who experiences several symptoms of neuropathy and who also regularly drinks over 20 units of alcohol a week does have the condition. Learning several pain management strategies may help to improve their condition although patients may have to make several lifestyle adjustments to achieve this. Around 15-30% of people with alcohol abuse issues have been diagnosed with peripheral nervous system disorders.
Liver disease and neuropathy
If there is a large amount of scar tissue or a space between the severed nerve ends, surgery is required. Alcoholic neuropathy also frequently causes unpleasant and painful sensations. Light contact can feel unpleasant and exaggerated, especially in the fingers and toes. Telling your doctor that you abuse alcohol is crucial because the symptoms are so similar. These can have an impact on your sensations and both controlled and involuntary motions. Chanel describes herself as a humanistic therapist focused on building rapport and trust.
- Be patient with yourself and take each day at a time, celebrating progress and learning from setbacks along the way.
- Medicines may be needed to treat pain or uncomfortable sensations due to nerve damage.
- However, nerve damage is sometimes permanent, and your symptoms are likely to worsen if you don’t stop drinking.
Define Treatment Goals
- This is a special kind of nerve damage that happens because of drinking too much alcohol for a long time.
- Alcoholic neuropathy can happen to people of different ages who have a history of drinking too much alcohol.
- Chanel describes herself as a humanistic therapist focused on building rapport and trust.
- As a result, this leads to alcohol-induced neuropathy in an estimated half to two-thirds of chronic alcohol users in the United States.
- Light contact can feel unpleasant and exaggerated, especially in the fingers and toes.
In her time here, Karlie trained as a clinical supervisor and an Acudetox therapist. She has a passion for working with clients to help them develop a more profound sense of identity to navigate depressive and anxious symptoms. She’s passionate about working with clients to work through trauma and improve mental stability. In her personal life, Karlie likes reading sci-fi and fantasy and going to Marvel movies.
Decreased Sensation
At this stage, everything should be coordinated to help the patient join an alcohol rehab program where alcohol neuropathy they can receive specialist treatment to help them give up drinking. The main way to halt further damage is to help the patients abstain from alcohol as soon as possible or the condition may worsen. Many parts of the body which suffer from neuropathy are not part of the central nervous system but instead form part of the peripheral nervous system which does not have any designated mechanism to protect it. The blood-brain barrier can prevent harmful elements from entering the central nervous system and negatively impact brain functioning.
How Can We Diagnose Alcoholic Peripheral Neuropathy?
For those people, neuropathy symptoms sometimes improve following the liver transplant. In very advanced cases of neuropathy, there may not be an improvement even after the transplant. It can take years for someone to develop alcoholic neuropathy following heavy alcohol use. Some people experience a faster onset than others or a more rapid progression, but we don’t completely know why some people experience this nerve health condition, and Drug rehabilitation others don’t.
- The bladder, stomach, and intestines are among the organs in the body whose activities are regulated by autonomic nerves.
- He describes his area of expertise as treating substance use disorders, compulsive behaviors, and co-occurring mood disorders such as depression and anxiety that may travel with a substance use disorder.
- Avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol is the primary way to prevent alcoholic neuropathy.
- Alcoholic neuropathy is a condition in which the nerves become damaged as a result of years of heavy alcohol consumption.
- A doctor may also recommend treatments to manage neurological symptoms, such as pain relief medications, physical therapy, and mobility aids.
Is it possible to cure nerve damage?
People who consume more than 40 grams of alcohol per day over an extended period may develop cirrhosis, a form of alcoholic liver disease. Benfotiamine may assist persons with diabetic neuropathy, according to another study. They tested doses up to 900 mg daily, even though 300 mg was the suggested amount. Examining benfotiamine’s effects in conjunction with other B vitamins is equally crucial. A nerve biopsy, which may occasionally be recommended by a physician, may reveal a pattern of nerve degeneration that is Suitable for alcoholic neuropathy. The body requires a steady balance of chemicals and salts in the blood for the nerves to work correctly.
Alcoholic Neuropathy: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment
She believes in healing the whole person in a safe and supportive environment. Jill enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, friends, and pets when she is not in the office. She spends most weekends in the mountains hiking, fishing, 4-wheeling, and camping.