Warning Signs of Alcoholic Neuropathy Residential Alcohol Rehab

Alcoholic neuropathy is a condition caused by chronic alcohol abuse. It damages the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, known as peripheral neuropathy. Symptoms can include pain, numbness, tingling, loss of balance and coordination, muscle weakness, problems with digestion, and other issues. A review of the human literature implicates nutritional deficiencies, most often thiamine deficiency, that are common in alcoholic patients, as commonly accompanying complicating factors in the development of this neuropathy. Persons with alcoholism may consume smaller amounts of essential nutrients and vitamins and/or exhibit impaired gastrointestinal absorption of these nutrients secondary to the direct effects of alcohol. Accumulating evidence suggests a pivotal role for metabotropic glutamate receptors in nociceptive processing, inflammatory pain and hyperalgesia .

Needle Electromyography – Commonly seen with alcohol neuropathy and include positive sharp waves and/or fibrillation potentials and complex repetitive discharges. Changes in muscle strength or sensation usually occur on both sides of the body and are more common in the legs than in the arms. Once you’ve started to recover, you can have a loved one or caretaker help you with tasks, such as adjusting to a cane, walker or wheelchair.

Alcoholic neuropathy: An electrophysiological and histological study

MCV, motor conduction velocity; MEP-AMP, motor-evoked potential amplitude; SCV, sensory conduction velocity; SEP-AMP, sensory-evoked potential amplitude. Nerve degeneration progresses alcohol neuropathy from sensory symptoms to include motor function problems of the lower and upper extremities. Patients may stand and walk with a wide base of support to maintain balance.

These drugs have central and peripheral anticholinergic effects, as well as sedative effects, and they block the active re-uptake of norepinephrine and serotonin. Recently, extended release gabapentin relieved symptoms of painful polyneuropathy . Lamotrigine was effective in relieving central post stroke pain and painful diabetic polyneuropathy , but recent larger studies have failed to show a pain relieving effect in mixed neuropathic pain and painful polyneuropathy . Valproate demonstrated varying effects in different studies of neuropathic pain, with three studies from one group reporting high efficacy [125–127] and others failing to find an effect . One of the other important issues in alcoholic individuals is the source of their calorie intake.

The role of inflammation

Ammendola et al., 2000) there seems to be a greater female sensitivity to the toxic effects of alcohol on peripheral nerve fibres. These results confirm the presence of mostly axonal neuropathy with more frequent and early involvement of sensory nervous fibres specially of the lower limbs. How long it takes for alcoholic neuropathy to develop depends on many factors, including the amount of daily alcohol consumed, a person’s overall health, their nutritional intake, and other individual factors. But in most cases, alcoholic neuropathy takes several years or even decades to develop, depending on the amount of alcohol consumed. However, it is known to be directly related to heavy and long-term alcohol consumption.

Gabapentin and pregabalin have better safety profiles than other options. Choosing recovery close to home means your support system is just a few miles away. Give us a call and we can help find the right treatment program for you or your loved one – even if it’s not ours! This is a summary of independent research carried out at the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre . The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health.

Additional Tests

Multiple variables contribute to this painful neuropathic syndrome, including the toxic effects of alcohol on neurons and nutritional deficiencies. Alcoholic neuropathy is one of the most common adverse effects of chronic alcohol consumption. There is damage to the nerves due to the direct toxic effect of alcohol and the malnutrition induced by it.

Alcohol can have a toxic effect on nerve tissue, and alcohol abuse is a frequent cause of neuropathy. People suffering from alcoholic neuropathy may feel burning and tingling sensations in their feet, which may persist or may last from a few months to a few years. People with alcoholic neuropathy who stop drinking, may alleviate their current symptoms and prevent further nerve deterioration. Damage to nerves caused by alcoholic neuropathy, however, is usually permanent. Four studies addressed the management of patients with alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy.