Answer is “it depends” I’m afraid. They can measure signal delays on larger nerves, but have no real way to measure the smaller peripheral ones - that is done through biopsy (and not always 100% conclusive either).

In my case the results were 100% conclusive and enough for me to be determined “disabled” without any further questions.

Needles sting a bit but can’t remember any real pain from them.

Disclaimer: my info/experience is 6 years old, so there may have been improvements I’m not aware of.

Thanks so much for your response. I am new to the forum, but what exactly were your symptoms? You put "disabled" in quotes, does that mean you were generally functional and every day life activities, but these tests determined you were "disabled" or were your symptoms more severe?

Well, you asked!

The quotes are because some of the time I'm feeling quite good, and the more I manage my diet and my stress levels, the longer those periods last. But I started out with severe burning, stabbing, feeling like walking on crushed glass, feeling like both feet were broken, someone cutting my soles with a box cutter, and, from time to time, cramps in my toes that make my left foot look like it is going solo and wants a life of its own, big toe bending outwards like it is going to snap off. I can not really "feel" my toes, but when I do it feels like they are encased in cement. I also feel like I just walked 50 miles in bad shoes.

The EMG showed that apart from the suspected PN I also damaged my sural nerves starting a few inches under my knees. (which is part of the poly-neuropathy diagnosis)

The good periods make me feel I should go back to work (I had my own company), the bad ones make it clear I'm not up to it - not even close. I feel a lot better than when I started out, no doubt about it, but that progress stops at some point, which is typical for PN.

So those quotes are doing some heavy lifting.

Really sorry to hear that you have those types of symptoms. You did a way better job at describing my neuropathy than I've been able to ever do. Thanks so much as I makes me feel a lot less crazy hearing it for someone else.

The EMG tests were conclusive for me too. They knew right away that I had it based on that test. I never needed a biopsy or MRI or any other tests.

I too worry about the plateau of improving. I recently had another milestone that I thought I would share. I am a big fan of live music. When I came back home to NYC after being in treatment last August, I remember my first show that I saw and I was unable to stand up at a concert for more than 10 at a time. I would need to lean on something or take breaks sitting, or just sit the entire show.

Over labor day weekend I saw music 4 nights in a row. I was able to keep on the move cause the venue allowed for it, but rarely needed to sit, so that's an absolutely massive improvement than where I was a year ago. It's amazing what being with a group of people, with your adrenaline pumping can do for your strength. I find we are capable of a lot more than we think.

Neuropathy can be funny as I think we all know. The pain is still there in the same way, but I've gained strength. I have heard time and time again that it makes you weak, and I am sure that is part of it. But perhaps its also that there was muscle atrophy in my case as I was so sedentary for many years leading up to putting down the bottle?

Either way, I am happy with the improvements and hope that staying focused on diet and exercise can lead to more. Trying to make the most of my 40's as it seems that this doesn't get any easier as the time goes by.

Thanks for the additional info. Interesting that you mention the progress stops at some point. How long was that time period for you? Was it a few months, years, before you plateaued?

Hopefully it resumes again at some point.

Funny you mention that. In the summer of 2011 I finally got to see a hero of mine whom I admire since 1978. I felt awful, and thought about actually getting a wheelchair to get to the concert. This was before I got sober. I sat through the whole concert, and had a hard time concentrating on the music.



In 2014, they played in Belgium again, I was 2 years sober, and I stood & danced for 2 hours. Sure, I felt some pain the next day, but the difference was night & day. Even though it was the end of September, the concert was outdoors in a beautiful park, and it was 30°C. That night felt like a dream and made me realise how far I had come. I also realised that if I hadn't quit drinking I might probably be dead at that point...




I would say 4 to 5 years*. The current pains are nothing compared to what they used to be, but, at times, still bad enough to make working a very tough prospect. The most difficult to come to grips with is the swings. Some weeks/months go perfectly. No-pain-what-so-ever. I was able - 2 times - to drive 1000 miles & back without any real discomfort last year. Last week, just driving to the grocery store, 3 miles down the road, hurt, and I spent the rest of that day on the couch. It will get better again, it always does, but those swings mess with your head.


* those 5 years match up with scientific literature, that's really the window in which nerves can regenerate as far as they can in the best of conditions

That's good to know about the 5 year window. I was told something along those lines. That I could see improvements, anywhere from 1-3 years, or maybe even 5.

Early on when I was counting days, my head was still telling me that maybe I could have a drink one day again. And I would say well maybe this goes away and I can have one here or there. I would know it was a ridiculous thought and I didnt want to really act on it. But it was there. The good news is the more I lived with this pain, the more I started to see how alcohol was such a poison and to open that door again now seems crazy.

Since I've changed my diet, the way that I look at food has also changed. I know it takes a long time but the fact that people develop neuropathy because of their diet leading them to diabetes is just frightening. I am on other forums and I read about peoples struggles and its crazy to me that we have gotten to this place where there is so much disease in our culture as a result of what people think is OK to put in their bodies.

The only reason that I see this now is because I had to change because of what I'm dealing with. Otherwise, I would have continued to eat a ton of sugar, and most likely would have not made the strides I have with exercise.

There was a great scene in The West Wing, where Leo, the (recovering alcoholic) Chief of Staff, when asked if he never wants a drink again, said: “I don’t want “a drink”, I want loads of them.”*

I knew this from the first day I got sober. I never entertained the thought, and I think I spared myself a lot of hassle that way.

* I remembered it half right . The full quote:

Yeah, I do a lot of entertaining for work, I took a month off from booze completely, but had a couple light beers on Monday (watching football) and a couple of glasses of wine last night at a work event.

I plan on really keeping it in check going forward. The comments on here about any alcohol making it worse scare me. Even though logic would say 2 beers shouldn't further nerve damage. I am confident I will never drink like I did in the past as my fear level is higher than at any point in my life.