Hi All,

I have come to this forum to get some feedback from you all on whether or not my current symptoms could be as a result of Alcoholic PN - I am by no means expecting professional medical advice ... just a general discussion.

I recently turned 28 (male), and for the last couple of years have regularly consumed 10-15 units of alcohol a week (a small amount compared to some of the MASSIVE quantities I have been reading about on here!). This would typically be spread out over the week (3-4 days) and consist mostly (90%) of beer with the occasional wine on a weekend (half a bottle). I rarely went over the "recommended" max 21 units. I am in great shape physically, regularly running 20-30 miles a week over the last couple of years (I have found it a great stress reliever) and have a relatively healthy diet.

I have always had an anxiety in my head since 18/19 about drinking way too much alcohol, especially binge drinking and had a couple of episodes in my late teens/early 20s where i convinced myself I had some sort of alcohol related brain damage after a night of heavy binge drinking (20 units or so). I guess this has never left my conscience .... anyway:

5 months ago I was sent around the world for my job and had the opportunity to work in some great countries over a 2 month period. In the 8 weeks I was away i barely drank more than 5 pints....had actually forgotten about alcohol entirely!
However, upon returning home (to the UK) over the next 2 months leading up to the end of Jan 2016 I over-indulged and in the same timeframe (8 weeks) was easily having 21 units a week; again mostly beer with a new-found love of red wine. It didn't help that this was the xmas/new year period!!

The drinking culminated with a massive 8 pint (beer) session 4 weeks ago today - it was a 12 hour session with plenty of food etc with friends who I hadn't seen for months and we had a really good day out....I was pretty happy and although drunk, I wasn't hammered or wrecked - got home had plenty of water and went to sleep.

The next morning my symptoms started - tingling and pins and needles in my left hand, only slightly but enough to be concerned. I had never had this sensation before and immediately attributed it to my hangover .... started googling and bam, the first 10 hits that came up all said PN. I wasn't even aware of this condition and of course my panic and anxiety all set off as soon as i was reading "irreversible damage as a result of heavy alcohol consumption"....my anxiety sky-rocketed.

Since then, I have had blood tests etc that have all come back and reported that all my levels are fine (i don't have an exact read-out of all the vitamins etc) but everything came back 100% good/normal. I was told it was an over-reaction and my anxiety was causing the symptoms that I now have:

Pins and needles (bottom of feet) when walking, along with pain when walking too. As well as tingling in my face, head and chest occasionally along with some tingling in my palms and occasional pain there. Initially when I was told this was anxiety and nerves I calmed right down and my symptoms almost disappeared! Then when I went running a couple of weeks ago I felt quite a bit of pain in my feet along with a warm sensation of blood rushing in that area (which I have had since a few times a day, although that is decreasing in intensity now)....

Sorry for the long post - I am genuinely worried that I have something as a result of the 2 months of "moderate" drinking that culminated in a big binge (which I hardly ever do)....compared to a lot of stuff i've read online about people consuming 20-30 units A DAY for YEARS....I can't quite believe that I could have done myself lasting damage from a couple of months of "over-doing it" especially when I typically don't find myself reliant on alcohol or needing to drink.

Suffice to say, I haven't had ANY alcohol since my binge 4 weeks ago .... just still have anxiety....

I am planning to see a neurologist in the coming weeks to rule out any of this stuff.....its just so stress-inducing reading about all sorts of neuropathy that it makes you go mad!!

Thanks to all in advance Your stories of encouragement are very good to read, even if this is permanent it does seem that for most of you it gets better over time...

Stay off the booze (if you can) and get on some vitamins to replace what the alcohol has stolen from you. Look back at the first few pages and Mrs. D has some good advice on that. For some of us the symptoms have decreased, some are lingering. I think the important part here is to replace the bad with the good and keep looking forward!

Welcome to the community lanesra; I hope that you find it as supportive as I have.

Adding to what Icehouse wrote about vitamins, excess alcohol consumption can lead to thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency. This can lead to neurological signs.

The RDA for thiamine is about 1 mg/day but levels greater than that can generally be taken safely. Thiamine is available OTC but may also be available on prescription.

When I was in the early stages of dealing with my alcohol abuse my psychiatrist prescribed 20 mg/day, which I took for a few months.

Hi lanesra,

Signed up here to specifically reply to you since you are from the UK too and probably under the NHS!

My liver is shot and I have alcoholic neuropathy. B12, thiamine and all those can and do help but unfortunately some of the damage is irreversible. I can only suggest you stay away from the booze, or at least reduce your consumption if indeed you think you have this condition.

Initially I was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatic, however, treatment with steroids and knowing my alcohol abuse history I got the diagnosis I did.

It literally happened overnight. One day I was fine and mobile, just having the usual aches and pains, the next I was debilitated and couldn't get out of bed. That was five months ago and I haven't had a pain free day since.

I knew alcohol was bad for you, but naively I never knew my abuse could result in this. What previously would be just a walk I could do in twenty minutes, which effectively amounts to walking down the stairs in a fifteen storey building and then back up again is now a really daunting and painful prospect. Writing this I am riddled with pain through my right shoulder down my arm through my wrist and into my hand.

Pins and needles, typically circulation problems, but alcohol neuropathy affects the heart, which pumps blood and so can lead to circulation problems.

Curb the alcohol, decent diet, if you need the vitamins take them. I'm fifty one, you don't want to wake up a few decades down the line and wake up one day like me.

No one who knows me would have credited my alcohol consumption would have landed me where I am today. I am not a social drinker, I haven't lost my home or my business. I just have a quiet drink in front of the pc arguing with others on my favourite forum. I am a functioning alcoholic, awaiting to see if a liver transplant is my only option available.

Please heed my warning, don't fret and don't be anxious, oh alcohol induced anxiety I could write the book, sadly.

Take care.

Hello Mr_P
Like you I always considered myself to be a moderate drinker. Untill about 15 years ago when I started drinking every night. Then I started on the Vodka, then neat Vodka, hiding bottle around the house and stuff.
Since then it has escalated until the point where I was drinking up to about 25 units per day, lost several jobs, (I am an Electrician), even nipping off jobs at lunchtime to buy minatures, (and laughably, chewing gum). I have even been kicked off sites for being obviously p****d. Lost my home, girlfriend, friends, the lot. Then the PN started, about 8 months ago, started getting the pins and needles, cramps etc; I have tried to stop drinking several times, but stupidly going from 20-25 units a day to none the next. Bad move. What followed were violent Epileptic type seizures, unconciousness, and then trips to the Hospital. I am now on a reduction programme, cutting down my alcohol intake by 1/3 every 3rd day. I have been dry now since Sunday. I know what you are going through, and can only say good luck. Alcohol is a liar and a monster.
All the best with your progress. Coopster.

1674 days sober.

Nothing to report. Just doing my monthly update Move along....

It's Friday today, I hope you are still dry.
Thinking of you Coopster. Stay strong.

I had a look back, and saw that I started posting on this thread over 1000 days ago. At which time you almost had double sober time (650 vs 340).

Time flies when you are having sober fun.

Welcome to the new posters BTW. Stick around if you can, you can most certainly do what we did. Docs keep saying that there is no cure, yet many here have seen marked improvements with more sober time, the right nutrition and vitamins.

Icehouse and Wide-O, I reckon that we (new and old) can all benefit from the wisdom and support of others - I surely have .

Oh sure, that almost goes without saying - but you are right to point it out again. Part of being sober is accountability, and this thread for me and others is a big motivator.