How does it show? Is the neuropathy resurfacing?

I am active enough in the Spring \ Summer and Fall, as I live in the mountains and I will usually hike for an hour or two on a weekend, but in the Winter months (all 2-3 of them) I get lazy.

The fluidity in my walking gets a little worse as I start to walk more on my heels and I notice that about once or twice a day I will have a slight loss of balance. I am more aware of "how" I walk and that triggers the brain to think of why I am not walking properly.

My neuropathy has never gone away, it just gets a little worse if I don't maintain a steady routine of moderate exercise.

I wore my Chucks today and I felt like I was wearing a 2x4 on my feet :mad:

Icehouse, I thought of you today as I went on a stumble. I will call it a "stumble" instead of a "walk". I can't go very far but I am trying. Anyway I can't help attributing your remarkable improvement to the fact that you did so much walking as part of your recovery so I am motivated to try.

You're right SecondChances, I think although signs are pointing towards me being able to recover this time, I'm undoubtedly very suceptible to nerve damage now.

I've noticed over the combined 8-10 weeks of feeling neuropathy that eating had an impact on the levels of pain felt. I've read in this thread about certain carbs and sugar. For me, I've noticed a tendency for pain to increase with sugar and gluten products. A lot of gluten containing products are high in carbohydrates so maybe that's the link - bread, pasta etc.

Overall I'm now just over a week since stopping the Oxycodone and symptoms are down by half. I tried to post a Latin quote on here when I was skiing but I'm pretty sure my internet wouldn't have it - the quote made me think of people like icehouse on this forum. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

A month and a half without a drink and all symptoms are still just getting worse. The progression of the neuropathy while drinking was first pins and needles, then weakness, and lastly the burning. The burning has greatly intensified in sobriety and nights are very painful.

I do not want to mask the pain until I have more sober time as the neuropathy is what is keeping me sober this time. I have to believe that time will bring improvement because this is no way to live.

I don't recall feeling "good" for at least 6 months....but I spent my first three months of sobriety incarcerated...then I was homeless for another 3 months. It was at least 7 months before I could even walk without assistance.

Thanks Icehouse. I am glad you are here to share your story and offer hope.

With the millions of people who suffer from this affliction I am surprised this is not a jammin' support group. To those few who participate I am grateful.

Hi everyone! I know it has been a very long time since I posted here, and I feel like I owe y'all an update. I have had alcoholic neuropathy since May 2013 - I do have the typical pain/burning/tingling (and even on occasion, itching beneath the skin which drives me NUTS) - but the main symptom I am concerned about is the numbness. I stopped driving about 2 years ago because I couldn't tell where my feet were on the pedals.

I have been faithfully taking Benfotiamine, B-12 Meth and multi-vitamins - and I also peppered in a different supplement here and there to see if they worked (folic acid, niacin, curcumin, etc.) but after so much time passed and nothing was helping (the symptoms just got worse), I am just sticking with Benfotiamine and multi-vitamins.

My pain and numbness extend all the way to the knee now and I have very weak knees. I have to use stair railings at all times and have to be very, very careful to steady myself because I am worried about having my first fall (and possibly breaking an arm or a leg). I often steady myself using the wall while I am walking around a corner or down a hallway. I have started using the handicap stall in public bathrooms because I have to hold onto something while getting up and down from the toilet.

My fingers are numb almost halfway, but thankfully I am still able to type (albeit with more errors than I used to; I use the backspace key a LOT).

My other symptom which I think is directly related to my neuropathy is that I am losing my toenails. I lost my left big toenail a few months ago and the right one is disgusting looking - it has a blood blister beneath it and it's going to fall off any day now. I soak my feet daily in warm water & baking soda to try to soothe them and to coax the other toenail to finally come off.

So in October 2015 I went to a neurologist who did a nerve conduction study, EMG (both very unpleasant), and administered every blood test under the sun (even checking for hepatitis, which mortified me). Everything checked out OK. After all those tests were completed, I just ended up with a blank look and shoulder shrug from the neurologist. He had no idea how to treat me. I basically said "Don't worry, I know what it is and what I need to do."

I figured I'll just live with it. I can certainly handle the pain because I'm just so used to it. The numbness is really what I want to overcome. I have good days and bad days - I think it probably depends on what I have eaten.

I heard about MLS laser therapy and toyed around with the idea of trying it. Just last week I had a free consultation with a local chiropractor. He took x-rays of my spine and said that my problem is that my discs (particularly L5) are thinning out, thus blood flow to the nerves has been compromised, and that the laser therapy might be worth a try. So several thousand $ later, I signed up for a 3-month treatment program of MLS laser therapy, spinal decompression, and cryotherapy. I am VERY skeptical about it (I have read many stories from folks who said the laser thing doesn't work worth a damn), but my husband really encouraged (almost demanded) me to try it, even if it doesn't work.

I have had two treatments so far, and I must say, I actually feel a little better - like, I have a "spring in my step" that I haven't felt in years. I might not get totally cured, but just having even a little glimmer of feeling in my feet, is the best feeling in the world.

So that's my update (the abbreviated version :D). I'll continue to post as the treatments occur. I am still skeptical but hey, nothing else was helping me.

SecondChances, my experience was very similar to what Icehouse has described.

I wouldn't want to generalise from this (we are all different) but things have got better for me with time and I hope that they will for you too.

Secondchances - My experience has been that everything that can attack nerves has started attacking mine after the damage done by alcohol.

You've said it's getting worse in sobriety - mine did too, but I managed to narrow it down to gluten (well, maybe Gluten) and definitely Opiate based pain killers. Having been off the painkiller for 10 days and gluten free for a few days my pain has almost gone - it was completely overwhelming prior.

Are you taking any prescription meds - Benzos and Opiates seem to be the biggest offenders. Have you tried gluten free? A few more uncommon causes I've read about are Thyroid problems, inability to absorb B vitamins and too much B6.