Originally Posted by Susanne C.

I hesitated about posting this, because it isn't really positive, but my son, who has inherited neuropathy, does drink to excess at times. He is not in pain (yet) suffers more from extremely weak ankles, walks on the sides of his feet, and is beginning to have trouble with weak calf muscles, walking up stairs, etc. he is 27, so is experiencing some symptoms earlier than I did. He is 6'4", thin, asthmatic, but otherwise in good physical condition.
I do think that his drinking is a form of self medication, but in his case for Asperger's syndrome rather than PN, since he isn't in pain. It seems to help his social anxieties, but he sometimes has trouble knowing when to quit. He is not on any medication, so that is not a worry. I have heard that drinking with inherited neuropathies is not quite the danger that it is with other types, but I am not certain if this is true. He does fall a lot and has had several severe concussions, so I don't think it is a good idea, even without the meds.
He lives and works in China, where heavy drinking is a more generally accepted part of the culture.