Resulting disturbances in protein and lipid metabolism lead to undernourishment which adversely influences other metabolic pathways, including those influencing the function of the nervous system. If you have a diagnosis of alcoholic neuropathy, abstinence from alcohol is the primary treatment to restore nerve function. Drinking alcohol with any neuropathy could cause further damage to nerves. Talk with your doctor before consuming alcohol if you have any diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy. Long-term heavy alcohol use can result in a disorder called alcohol-related neuropathy. Alcohol’s harmful effects can harm your peripheral nerves, which are involved in movement and feeling.
Is There a Cure for Alcoholic Neuropathy?
- Chronic alcohol usage can also lead to inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.
- Our daily research-backed readings teach you the neuroscience of alcohol, and our in-app Toolkit provides the resources and activities you need to navigate each challenge.
- Behse & Buchthal 31 compared 37 Danish patients with alcoholic neuropathy with six patients with nonalcoholic post gastrectomy polyneuropathy.
- Prevention efforts safeguard nerve health and contribute to overall physical and mental well-being.
- Maintaining proper hydration throughout the day is essential for lowering inflammation and preventing pain receptor activation.
If alcohol neuropathy progresses long enough, the liver can become damaged, and a transplant may be necessary. A transplant has the potential to improve your symptoms, but this is usually when alcoholic neuropathy has progressed to a point where the damage is irreversible. There’s a possibility for little to no improvement in these cases for certain symptoms. Many short-term effects can become long-term if a person continues to drink and doesn’t seek treatment for an AUD or alcoholic neuropathy.
Alcohol and Health
In one clinical study, aimed at studying distinct clinicopathologic features of alcoholic neuropathy, 64 patients were assessed. In 47 of these patients sural nerve biopsy was performed, with discrimination in terms of their thiamine status 3. The ethanol consumption of these patients was more than 100 g day–1 for more than 10 years. The subgroup without thiamine deficiency consisted of 36 patients, while the subgroup with thiamine deficiency consisted of 28 patients. In addition, 32 patients with nonalcoholic thiamine deficiency neuropathy were also evaluated for comparison.
Alcohol Neuropathy In 20S: Causes, Treatment & Recovery
A person’s risk of the neurotoxic effects of alcohol, the quantity and duration of alcohol usage, and nutritional inadequacies are risk factors for developing alcoholic neuropathy. Alcoholics, or those who drink a lot of alcohol over a long period, are more susceptible, particularly if they don’t eat enough of the essential nutrients for nerve function and repair. Long-term heavy alcohol use, particularly when accompanied by nutritional deficiencies, can damage the body’s nerves, leading to a host of painful and debilitating symptoms. Alcoholic neuropathy can affect both sensory and motor nerves, causing pain, hypersensitivity, numbness, muscle weakness, and lack of coordination and fine motor controls, largely in the extremities.
Nutritional factors responsible for alcoholic neuropathy (indirect toxicity)
The alcohol will continue to circulate in the bloodstream and eventually affect other organs. Risks for the baby can include brain damage and developmental, cognitive, and behavioral issues. No amount of alcohol is safe to drink while pregnant, according to the CDC. This is a severe and short-term neurologic disease that can be life threatening. Antioxidants found in berries, peaches, cherries, red grapes, oranges, and watermelon, among other foods, aid in lowering inflammation and lessen nerve damage. Additionally, it has been discovered that cranberries, blueberries, and grapes are rich in resveratrol, a potent anti-inflammatory substance.
Symptoms of Alcoholic Neuropathy
- Alcohol can seriously affect a person’s health, damaging the liver, kidneys, heart and brain.
- Alcoholic neuropathy affects people who consume excessive amounts of alcohol over a long period of time.
- Speak with a healthcare professional if you experience symptoms of alcohol-related neuropathy or are struggling to stop drinking.
- It primarily affects the peripheral nerves, leading to symptoms such as numbness, tingling, pain, and muscle weakness, typically in the limbs.
The only way to prevent alcoholic neuropathy is not to drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Call for an appointment with your provider if you have symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy. The medical establishment has acknowledged that addiction is a sickness and that certain individuals are more susceptible to it than alcoholism symptoms others.
Is alcoholic neuropathy fatal?
A medical detox program followed by a comprehensive alcohol rehab program can manage alcoholism alcohol neuropathy and help a person to get sober and stay that way. Many alcohol rehab programs help to manage co-occurring disorders, such as alcoholic polyneuropathy. A program that caters to co-occurring disorders ensures that the alcoholism is being treated and so are any other medical or mental health issues.
