What is alcoholic neuropathy?

You are most likely already aware of the effects that excess drinking can have on one’s general health. However one of the most common and yet least understood effects of heavy alcohol consumption is a condition known as alcoholic neuropathy. Because it is such a widespread problem that up to 65% of heavy drinkers suffer from some form of neuropathy or other.

Neuropathy is a disorder that causes the nerves in our bodies to malfunction. When neuropathy affects only one nerve is it called mononeuropathy and when it affects multiple nerves it is called polyneuropathy. As a neurotoxin alcohol damages the bodies nerve functions. Persistent alcohol use can progress toward polyneuropathy (with nerve damage running down both sides of the body). Essentially the neural signals between body parts and the brain essentially disconnect or get disrupted – which in turn leads to a number of skin, muscle and organ dysfunctions.

These dysfunctions cause a feeling similar to that of pins and needles that often times starts in your hands and feet. The condition progresses to general aching that is accompanied by a burning sensation in muscles which can also include spasms, cramps and other persistent aches.

The condition may persist, even when alcohol use is stopped.

Alcohol use obstructs the absorption of vitamins, minerals and enzymes which are essential for general organ and bodily health. People struggling with highly symptomatic alcohol use often neglect their diets and do not replenish lost nutrients caused by alcohol consumption this cycle causes a cascade malnutrition based side effects.

Even when the person stops drinking the malnutrition cycles may still continue because behaviorally the cycle of proper nutrition has not been adjusted to a restorative level to be recovering the body adequately.

Alcoholic neuropathy may start with a tingling numbness, pain and weakness often in the hands or feet but it may spread to other parts of the body, including legs, arms and torso and neck. Over time – without treatment – additional symptoms appear and or increase in severity. This discomfort makes it harder to move around or do things (even when sober).

Apart from the pain and the weakness, the symptoms of neuropathy expose sufferers to risks due to imbalance the lack of being able to feel certain warning pains due to the nerve damage.

In some cases, people with alcohol use disorders can actually become acutely aware of it only after they had stopped drinking because they are no longer desensitised by the alcohol and become more conscious of their bodily discomforts.

Although the first step is to stop drinking, the symptoms may persist until the neural disorder itself can be treated. Neurological tests and hospitalisation may be required to properly diagnose and start to recover from alcoholic neuropathy.

The risk of further, permanent neural damage increases with age and becomes worse when the person continues to drink, specialised care and talk therapy can help to get to what emotional factors are still driving the persistent use of alcohol however the cure for neuropathy stems from a more holistic approach which includes physical and biological factors.

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Can alcoholic neuropathy be cured or reversed?

How long it takes for alcoholic neuropathy to go away usually depends on how much damage has been done to the nervous system and how quickly you stop using alcohol and restore the right nutrients. Even though some damage may be permanent, alcoholic neuropathy can usually be cured sufficiently for a person to resume a normal life. If some permanent damage remains, then they can mitigate it with alleviating medication. The body has a remarkable ability to recover, however, it needs to get the right kind of support to enact full behaviour changes.

Complete reversal is possible in the early stages.

As nerve cells can be regenerated, it is possible that all the damaged cells can be replaced thus reversing alcoholic neuropathy. However, the body’s ability to regenerate nerve cells is limited, so the degree of success is restricted by the state of the nervous system. The more damage there is, the less the chances of the total recovery.

Stopping the alcohol consumption helps to restrict the damage to some degree, however it is always reccomended to speak to a medical professional about the required level of care. Hospitalisation to recover from neuropathy may be required to administer medication and nutritional supplements required by the body.

If hospitalised, the patient will have the advantage of constant evaluation and adjustments in medication. It is not a good idea to self-medicate at home, as the combination of alcohol withdrawal and neural remediation is too complicated and risky without medical supervision.

Going forward, the person will need to sustain a healthy diet and make some lifestyle changes. They may also require physical or occupational therapy to correct muscle and movement problems. This can be done with the help of dieticians and therapists.

The neural disorder can return and cause more permanent damage if the patient continues to use alcohol. Continued alcohol use after a clinical diagnosis of alcoholic neuropathy not only extends the condition / recovery time may classify as an alcohol use disorder which in turn may require counseling from a qualified therapist to work through the drivers of the behaviour.

Related risks

• Loss of feeling leads to inadvertent cuts, burns, other injuries. Because they can not feel pain or heat, there are no warning signals when they, e.g., step on something or touch warm objects.
• They may be unaware of wounds and develop infections, due to loss off feeling and emotional disinterest in examining themselves for signs of injury.
• Dizziness, loss of balance and poor coordination can cause injuries, due to falling or colliding with objects.
• Relapsing into drinking mode after a period of sobriety, can cause relapse of neuropathy, with more damage than the previous time.
• Postponement of medical treatment may lead to increased and permanent nerve damage, organ damage and other disabilities.
• Avoiding treatment and attempting self-healing at home can result in disability or fatality, due to the complexity of healing multiple serious disorders at once.
• Alcoholics may become addicted to pain killers and other medications. This should be monitored during the healing process.
• With ageing, people become more vulnerable. Alcoholics become even sicker if they start drinking again after a few years.

Taking care of yourself

Ways to avoid or alleviate alcoholic neuropathy:

• Do not use alcohol
• Seek help if unable to stop using alcohol
• Eat healthy and balanced diet meals
• Take vitamin, mineral supplements
• Get professional medical advice, assistance
• Use prescribed medication as indicated
• Get physical therapy for muscle problems
• Get orthopaedic support appliances
• Wear compression stockings
• Sleep with your head elevated
• Check temperature of water (avoid burns)
• Be cautious when moving (avoid falling)
• Inspect yourself for cuts, infections
• Treat injuries to prevent infection
• Use decent footwear for injury protection

Rehabilitation treatment

Immediate short-term medical treatment is needed to stop further damage to the nerves and to achieve the resumption of normal body and brain functions. This is done by stopping the drinking, getting medical advice and, most probably, submitting to hospital or care centre for treatment. Several medications can be used for soothing the normal withdrawal symptoms of alcohol. In the presence of neuropathy, this should be done under medical supervision.

After detoxification and the restoration of nutrients, some of the neuropathic symptoms will fade naturally, whilst others will require further medical treatment. In some cases, there may be permanent nerve damage. Long-term treatment includes eating a good diet and taking health supplements to preserve neural health.

Psychotherapy is recommended for psychological recovery.

After the medical phase, you will need counselling from therapists experienced in alcohol treatment to achieve long-term success. Neuropathic problems become worse as one age. People who attend treatment in a therapeutic community have better long-term success rates. Nothing will help for neuropathic damage, unless the main culprit, alcohol, is removed.