Quote:
Originally Posted by scared49
hi atticus,
i have been reading and reading on this forum about alcohol neuropathy and keep coming back to your comments and your knowledge about it. i’ve been scared to write anything, but today, the tingling and pins and needles are so distracting, i decided to reach out.
my symptoms started about a month ago. tingling in both feet and hands, occasional numbness on bottom of feet, toes, and fingers, sharp electrical like stabbing sometimes when i walk on bottom of foot, only lasts a quick second, feels like my toes are crammed in shoes like there’s something there, feels like i’m stepping on a rock or pebble when nothing is there. i can walk no problem, my hands and fingers are mobile, i have strength in legs, feet, hands and arms. but the pins and needles feeling throughout my body and the constant tingling in feet, legs, arms and hands is scaring me. i went to the doctor 3 months ago for a routine blood work, my triglycerides were pretty high at close to 400 ( i am small and weigh about 42kg) so the doctor advised me to cut bad carbs. which meant no white bread, pasta, sugar, alcohol, etc. my last drink was 11/25/21 (thanksgiving day). i thought i was a social drinker but i have read otherwise. i have had at least 2 glasses of wine every night for the last decade. on weekends and parties, i would have more… maybe 3 glasses and sometimes a shot of something.
i think it was way over the daily or weekly limit especially for my small build. my symptoms of neuropathy did not start till about a month ago. never had any symptoms except for my 2 small toes going numb maybe once a month or so. did not think anything about it since feeling would come back after half hour or so. my full on neuropathy symptoms started roughly 2 months after ceasing alcohol. and it’s rapidly getting worse. it’s like i’m having a new symptom that appear daily. sometimes i feel great, and have no symptoms for several hours, then it comes back and it reminds me. i am not debilitated, i can walk and do daily things, but the feelings of pins and needles, numbness, and sharp stabbing like pain is not normal.
i have taken your and mrs d’s advice and started the following with some extras i have already been taking for years…
womens multi vitamin
stress b complex
methylb12 1000mcg (started yesterday)
benfotiamine 150mg with 300mg ala (started yesterday)
vitamin c 1000mg
fish oil 1000mg
probiotic
turmeric 1000mg
milk thistle 500mg
digestive enzymes
vitamin e 400iu
vitamin d3 2000iu,
my question is, do the symptoms really get worse before it gets better? why didn’t i have any of these symptoms post ceasing alcohol?
i am scared and really need to know it will get better. i have read you saying distract by reading and watching tv, i have been doing that and it really helps. but sometimes when the tingling is constant, i can’t help worrying and my anxiety kicks in. thank you very much for reading. you and mrs d have been tremendous help.
sacred49
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Hey Scared,
First of all I wanted to say that Mrs D was this website's greatest contributer, a genuine researcher who attended conferences and read widely. My knowledge is far narrower and based on personal experience mostly.
I hear your pain, I feel your anxiety. I understand what you are going through is horrible. It's awful. It seems to me that it's the anxiety that you need to deal with most.
Alcohol is a great relaxant. It acts as a sedative and can take your mind off life's problems. Alcohol increases the activity of the neurotransmitter/modulator dopamine in the brain that makes us feel good. It's those feelings of eurphoria that makes us want to reach for another drink. I dare say your brain/body are missing those feelings.
I would suggest that if you can learn to meditate and ideally join a meditation class you can generate relaxation and healthy feelgood dopamine. It will allow your body to heal that much quicker. Our nervous system comprises a sympathetic nervous system ( fight or flight) and a parasympathetic nervous system ( rest and digest). In times of stress the sympathetic nervous system dominates. The body is a great healer and will heal more rapidly in a relaxed state. Learn to relax. Join a meditation class. Discuss your anxiety and symptoms with friends/family. Don't keep your feelings secret. Let them help you. Walk everyday. Get outside and experience morning sunlight. Breathe.
It's important not to catastrophize.
My own symptoms peaked during lockdown. Although I went through the same terrors you describe, I also felt a sense of peace because I was able to give up my responsibilities and really rest. It was sunny and I used to fall asleep outside regularly listening to YouTube relaxatation videos. I slept a lot. I entered a short play competition and won. They finally performed it, after several cancellations, earlier this year. It was genuinely terrible! But the point is I was able to focus on something and that sense of achievement of task completion helped me. ( Again feel good Dopamine release)
Do you have a hobby you can really focus on?
In my experience and in others I have read of, the usual pattern of recovery is that the symptoms get worse before they get better. I believe the body starts regenerating demyelinated nerve fibres typically a month or so after cessation. B12 helps with this. It's a slow process so be patient. I would add Magnesium Threonate to your supplements. Take it in the evenings and it will help you sleep and ease anxiety.
You don't say if you have sought medical help. Are you self diagnosed?
Best wishes
Atty.