Thanks for your replies guys....really helpful to know how others view the problem positively.

I am still waiting a date for my neurologist appointment. Since my last post, my symptoms dramatically reduced to the point of about 80% gone. However, after a weekend of intense exercise (10 mile run and lots of free weights) my symptoms have come back on with a vengance. Palm pain/pins and needles and pain and pins and needles in my heels and bottom of feet.

I cannot work out if this is as a result of alcohol or something else....I have no numbness or real "burning" but it doesnt feel like muscle aches either...very hard to describe. Going to take a break from exercise for a bit to see if that makes any difference. It has been 40 days since my last drink so thats one bit of good news im happy to share :)

Congratulations on 40 days :).

40 days, love that you are happy to share the news, congratulations.

Something I just saw on TV...
 

Has anyone here tried laser therapy for your PN? It sounds like it has been successful in some cases among those with diabetic neuropathy, but I wonder if it would work for those of us with alcoholic neuropathy? Or is our PN a whole different breed and it wouldn't work? From what I understand, the laser therapy is NOT covered by insurance. But I would be willing to almost put a second mortgage on the house to pay for laser therapy completely out of pocket if it would work for me. If any of you out there have any experience or know someone first-hand who has, please post here - thanks!:hug:

No first hand experience, but I seem to remember this coming up from time to time. IIRC, it's some low energy laser device, which accomplishes next to nothing (apart from the placebo effect). PN has to do with physically damaged nerves and myelin sheaths, and I can't see a laser having much effect on that. In any case, even if there is some effect, it would be very temporary (like a day).

In other news, it was not a good week here in my country, and many people are in a weird kind of shock. That said, even terrorists can't make me want a drink, so that's 1384 days on the clock.

Wide-O, congratulations on 1384 days :).

I have visited Belgium a couple of times - I enjoyed both visits.

I hope that you and the other good people there can support each other in the light of the recent terrible events.

Update
 

Hey All. First off, would like to say thanks again to all of you for sharing your stories.

Right now I'm optimistic that this was a wake up call and I can live with the damage. My symptoms got worse at first, but over the last couple months, I've made progress. Some days are worse than others, but most days are tolerable. Both my feet are damaged, but I can still function almost normally.

I think that early intervention and aggressive treatment has helped. I have lapsed a few times and had a few drinks. Each time I lapsed, I had a resurgence of symptoms, so it's a strong reminder that my abstinence needs to be permanent.

I have been taking all kinds of supplements as recommended. Can't say for sure that they have helped - they probably have. But I'm fairly convinced that these things have helped (doing most of them daily) and I recommend trying them if you haven't :

1) Epsom salt soaks
2) Foot neuropathy exercises (google them)
a) toe taps
b) toe crunches
c) ankle extensions and rotations
d) one leg balancing exercises
e) rolling special spiky ball under feet
3) Walking and/or elliptical machine
4) Stretching (entire leg, ankle, achilles tendon)

NOTE - Each day, after the foot exercises, the symptoms get stronger, but if I evaluate my feet each morning and bedtime, there is improvement over time. I think the stimulation is important. Maybe it's training the remaining nerves to work better and the damaged nerves get less attention - who knows.. A lot of websites say it provides relief for patients, but no-one seems to speculate as to "why".

Improvements I've experienced:

1) Ankles don't have that stiff, tight sock feeling as much
2) Balance, muscle coordination has improved
3) No gait in my walk
4) Skin sensitivity on tops of feet has reduced
5) Some feeling has returned where it was previously numb

Other comments. This affliction has made me take a hard look at my health. I finally got the courage to get blood tests for my liver. All the numbers came out OK, but I know there is still a chance I have liver damage. Improved my diet, exercise daily and started watching my blood pressure and cholesterol. I've lost some weight, improved my BP and cholesterol in the last couple months. I was also suffering from severe insomnia (4 hrs a night of sleep) for over a year. Abstaining, exercising, taking supplements has improved that situation tremendously. Now averaging over 6 hrs a night and seems to be improving more.

An Update from me...

Went 61 days without a drink. Yesterday I went out with a couple of colleagues for lunch and we had a couple of pints each. I didnt feel any side effects and feel OK today. My symptoms have reduced by about 80% overall I feel since this started. Im not going to make the lunchtime beer a tradition, but I really wanted to "test the water" - Im not an alcoholic and never have been...but I was certainly taking it a bit too far on occasions with the social drinking.

I dont want to stop having the occasional drink with colleagues/friends, but will be severely reducing what I have compared to before. I also have an appointment booked with a neurologist in a couple of week to find out what these feelings are that im having.....if any tests confirm neuropathy I will avoid alcohol again entirely.

I feel a tad guilty saying that im back on the social drinking - even if it is at a level thats 70% down on what I used to do...but I guess that because I feel a fair bit better compared to when this first started, im more confident that I dont have neuropathy caused by alcohol.....

Time will tell......I hope youre all continuing to improve/staying stable. Those who are still counting that days up from their last drink, I applaud you and wish you the best :)

That all sounds very sensible to me lanesra.

I hope that the meeting with the neurologist does not show anything of concern.

Me too (insert jealous emoticon here)!

But, instead, I am 1704 days sober (it is the 2nd day of the month) and I am just checking in. :D

No change really....but I did start dating again (at 42 that is not easy) but it gives me the opportunity to eat out more and socialize.