Hi Mark and welcome to this forum,
I use to drink beer and i could guaranty that if i had a couple of beers about 1 hour later my feet would start burning like hell, same with a heavy load of sugar from sweets or even icecream would start of my burning a lot worse than normal, i don't drink any alcohol these days and try to not to be tempted with sweets.

With your up comming tests, the Nerve conduction test and the EMG was a piece of cake for me, but others here say the opposite, i suppose its up to the individual we are not all the same and perhaps who is performing the tests may make a differance, i don't really know, the thermal testing [Quantitative Sensory Testing] was a walk in the park too, that's the one that tests responses from your small nerves, here is a bit about it that may interest you. http://www.medoc-web.com/qst.html.

With smoking, well everyone is not the same just like how an EMG hurts some and others it doesn't, there is good evidence its no good for you, but i have smoked for nearly 40 years, i have no intention of quitting, i know i am silly but i have had a 98% recovery from PN so who knows really, if i give it up now perhaps the last 2% recovery may happen sooner.
No preaching please.
Brian