One leg worse than other ...
 

One last question for those with AN :
Is it possible to have burning and tingling in one leg MUCH worse than the other ???
Sx

Hi Paininfoot - I'll just chime in here with my experiences. From what I've been reading here, I really do think we all have different symptoms at different times. I have had alcoholic PN in my feet (to the best of my recollection, it started around May 2013) - tingling first, then numbness progressing to the point of COMPLETE, constant numbness. I also get a burning feeling from time to time. My feet feel like two big worthless bricks. I do still get tingling/burning throughout the day, it comes and goes.

Two months ago I started feeling tingly and numb in my fingertips. I had already been taking all the vitamins that have been discussed here so I got really concerned - weren't they working at all? Well, I have become a little more optimistic just in this past week that the numbness feels like it is not "spreading" down my fingers, and might be "retreating" back up to the tips. The joints in my fingers still feel stiff, but I am having a lot easier time typing this message, for instance.

I have good days and bad days. Some days I swear I can start to feel some sensation in my feet and I walk a little better, etc. Other days I feel wobbly and unstable. I have been paying attention to what I eat, and I think sugar affects me quite a bit. When I don't eat sugar, the next day I usually have a "good day".

My symptoms are more pronounced in my left foot and left hand (which is a blessing, since I am right-handed; and the gas & brake pedal require use of my right foot). Speaking of, I still freak out about driving. I don't go long distances and I try to avoid long stoplights where my foot might slip off the brake like it did a few months ago.

And about pain: I don't usually have much pain except for the occasional quick "stab" that subsides after I move my feet around. However, pain from physical contact is a different story. If something touches my feet without warning, it HURTS. For instance, I have 3 hyper dogs who run around the house in unpredictable patterns. If they step on my feet, I shriek in pain. They have toys strewn throughout the house and I have made the painful mistake of stepping on them from time to time. I HAVE to have an even surface to walk on, that's all there is to it. I don't like to walk much in our backyard because the grass is uneven.

I can't wear the same shoes I used to wear - thongs, flip flops, heels - forget about it!!! I have to wear something secure like tennis shoes. I have a cruise coming up in a couple months and had to scour the stores for shoes that are appropriate for dinner. Luckily I found some sandals that are flat and are secured at the toes and heels (but still look dressy enough) - I had to find something that would stay on those stupid feet that I cannot feel. (When all this PN first started, I was walking along in sandals that didn't have back straps and I ended up walking right out of one of them without even knowing it. :eek:)

Anyway, hopefully all of us who are suffering through this, can one day look back on this thread and laugh because we have recovered. Like Icehouse! I am so glad, Icehouse, that you keep checking in and supporting us - I am very grateful.

Thank you Wanna ,
Have you had a doctor diagnose you with AN??
Did the tingling in your fingers start AFTER you stopped drinking ?
Hope you enjoy your cruise and that you feel better soon.
S



UOTE=WannaGetFeelingBack;1103396]Hi Paininfoot - I'll just chime in here with my experiences. From what I've been reading here, I really do think we all have different symptoms at different times. I have had alcoholic PN in my feet (to the best of my recollection, it started around May 2013) - tingling first, then numbness progressing to the point of COMPLETE, constant numbness. I also get a burning feeling from time to time. My feet feel like two big worthless bricks. I do still get tingling/burning throughout the day, it comes and goes.

Two months ago I started feeling tingly and numb in my fingertips. I had already been taking all the vitamins that have been discussed here so I got really concerned - weren't they working at all? Well, I have become a little more optimistic just in this past week that the numbness feels like it is not "spreading" down my fingers, and might be "retreating" back up to the tips. The joints in my fingers still feel stiff, but I am having a lot easier time typing this message, for instance.

I have good days and bad days. Some days I swear I can start to feel some sensation in my feet and I walk a little better, etc. Other days I feel wobbly and unstable. I have been paying attention to what I eat, and I think sugar affects me quite a bit. When I don't eat sugar, the next day I usually have a "good day".

My symptoms are more pronounced in my left foot and left hand (which is a blessing, since I am right-handed; and the gas & brake pedal require use of my right foot). Speaking of, I still freak out about driving. I don't go long distances and I try to avoid long stoplights where my foot might slip off the brake like it did a few months ago.

And about pain: I don't usually have much pain except for the occasional quick "stab" that subsides after I move my feet around. However, pain from physical contact is a different story. If something touches my feet without warning, it HURTS. For instance, I have 3 hyper dogs who run around the house in unpredictable patterns. If they step on my feet, I shriek in pain. They have toys strewn throughout the house and I have made the painful mistake of stepping on them from time to time. I HAVE to have an even surface to walk on, that's all there is to it. I don't like to walk much in our backyard because the grass is uneven.

I can't wear the same shoes I used to wear - thongs, flip flops, heels - forget about it!!! I have to wear something secure like tennis shoes. I have a cruise coming up in a couple months and had to scour the stores for shoes that are appropriate for dinner. Luckily I found some sandals that are flat and are secured at the toes and heels (but still look dressy enough) - I had to find something that would stay on those stupid feet that I cannot feel. (When all this PN first started, I was walking along in sandals that didn't have back straps and I ended up walking right out of one of them without even knowing it. :eek:)

Anyway, hopefully all of us who are suffering through this, can one day look back on this thread and laugh because we have recovered. Like Icehouse! I am so glad, Icehouse, that you keep checking in and supporting us - I am very grateful.[/QUOTE]

I haven't been to a doctor, which I probably should - but I am absolutely positive this is due to my years of drinking. I have read everything I can get my hands on about neuropathy and what causes it. Have you been diagnosed by a doctor?

Diagnosis
 

Hi Wanna, thanks for your detailed reply. I have had two neurologists say that it is NOT AN but my GP thinks it is as does a pain specialist I saw yesterday. The pain is absolutely excruciating in my right foot ... Shooting, stabbing , burning and no medication seems to fix it . My left foot is ok .. My left hand is tingly .
Have you stopped drinking completely ? Are you saying that the symptoms ( numb hands etc) appeared AFTER you stopped drinking ??
Hope you feel better.
S

I do still have a drink here and there. Right after the tingling started in my hands, I dialed back BIG-time, and that has seemed to help me. Your pain sounds downright awful! I should be thankful I don't have it that bad. From what I have gathered here, our symptoms aren't going to go away overnight - it will likely take many months for any noticeable improvement. I have really only been on the vitamins since July, so I am hopeful that in the coming months they will start to work better. My fingers feel pretty good today! (I avoided sugar yesterday...)

Thank you Wanna .. I hope you feel better soon.
S

Same to you! Keep us posted!

Vitamin D
 

On another note, although my B 12 etc was ok, it turns out my Vitamin D is a bit low ( it is 48 mmol/L .... Think we may have a different scale here in the uk than in the US) . The specialist said I should go back to the GP and get a Vitamin D shot and gave it monitored... Will this make a difference to the neuropathy do you think ? Mrs D ?? ! Are you there ? :-)
S

1187 days sober. 3.3 years. 1.7 million minutes. (I have an app for that :) )

I really do not have much to report, I am not getting any better, just hit a nice little plateau where I feel good and life is just peachy.

I am slacking on my vitamins, so I will ramp that back up to daily starting in the morning after a trip to CVS.

Anyway, keep up the good work everyone!

LOL! I get that. When I felt pretty good I started slacking as well. Then it became slightly worse so I'm on them again. :D

Despite moderate pain I'm currently remodeling my attic into a library/reading room. Full drywall/floors/electricity etc. job. I'm lucky in that I seem to forget any pain as long as I'm really busy. Pay for it as soon as I sit down though.

Day 874 here. Staying sober is getting easier still. Sobriety is like a muscle that gets a good workout it seems.

I have alcoholic peripheral neuropathy. 404 days ago, I went to the hospital with pancreatitis. Because of alcohol withdrawals, there were complications. I spent 7 days in the ICU and 7 more days in the hospital. Feeding tube, ventilator, everything. I was having normal conversations with a .34 BAC. I had an enormous tolerance and problem. So, after a few months, I discovered I had large fiber peripheral neuropathy in both feet, a pinched nerve in my back, and a torn labrum in my shoulder requiring surgery. Vodka kept the pain at bay, so I didn't discover all these problems until I quit drinking. I also was anemic. People asked me if I felt better after I quit, when in fact I didn't. I could feel pain! But I hung in there. 404 days later, surgery, EMG, NCV, colonoscopy, endoscopy, lumbar injections, 2 MRIs, Bone scan, multiple cat scans and X-rays, and a ton of blood tests, here I am....all done alcohol free. If I can do it, anyone can. It doesn't matter what the situation is in your life. Alcohol does not relieve stress, it is a source of stress and destruction when abused.

I continue to improve. It will take a lot of patients and time, but I am determined. I have been reading this thread and thought I would say hello. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories. It has really helped me through some dark times. It's nice to know you aren't alone.

Welcome Okone1. :Wave-Hello:

Wow, another incredible story - thank you for sharing, Okone1. At the risk of repeating myself, it's incredible to me that this condition has not been SHOUTED FROM THE ROOFTOPS for years now, being that so many of us suffer from it. Good God, if I had known I'd be feeling like this (numb feet continuing up the legs, numb fingers, weakness, balance problems, occasional pain), I would NEVER have drunk as much alcohol as I have across the years. I honestly don't crave it, it's just a habit and "the thing you do" when you're with friends. When life handed me a bunch of crap, my drinking rose exponentially, which I am sure led to my condition.

I knew what I was doing might harm my health, but when I was drinking almost nonstop daily, the worst thing I thought would happen would be liver disease or the like...I would check for the symptoms - yellowing of the eyes, etc. - never had it, never had any other symptoms at all, felt fine, so I figured, the worst thing would be a hangover. And I don't get those, either! Just this DAMNED neuropathy. Again, if I had known, I would N-E-V-E-R have consumed so much alcohol. I had actually never heard of neuropathy until I went onto WebMD a couple years ago when my feet started getting numb and tingly.

You know... maybe you need to think this through again. It's never exactly been a secret that alcohol abuse is horrible to the body. It is neurotoxic in larger doses, it destroys quite a few internal organs, and it leads to dramas at home and on the roads. It's not like we didn't know drinking in excess was bad for us.

Oddly enough, the last place you'd feel any pain is in your liver. That's because there are no nerve endings in the liver - so it's not exactly a good idea to drink until you feel pain there.

This thread is mainly uplifting, it's about people who have seen the error of their ways, and in many cases see improvement in their neuropathy. Which in a way is unfair to the vast amount of users here that have neuropathy because of 99 other reasons. People who did nothing wrong, but received the wrong medication, are forced on statins, have to undergo chemotherapy, or are simply born with the disease. They can do very little about it but hope, and learn to live with the pain. We on the other hand can take the decision to stop drinking, and are very very lucky that the disease can be reversed (or at least not get any worse) for many of us.

I'm sorry to pick on you, but your post screams of "it's so unfair to me, why did nobody warn me" and it rubs me the wrong way.

Let's focus on getting better, and on doing everything we can to avoid falling in the alcohol trap again, and give hope to others who consider taking that step. Let's not blame others, society, the world, for what went wrong: let's find joy and support in reading other people here who managed to turn their life around, and share their story with us.

Oh, believe me, I take full responsibility. As I said, I knew what I was doing was harming me. (Frankly, I didn't care if I lived or died.) My point is, out of all the warnings that have been given for abusing alcohol, why is peripheral neuropathy not one of them? Is it just in recent years that the medical community discovered that alcohol abuse causes it? If so, OK...then let's get the word out going forward! As you said, you can stop it, unlike those who suffer from the condition because of chemo, diabetes, etc.

Maybe because PN is not life-threatening? I am not 100% sure of that, more of a big PITA (or limbs for that matter)...HAHA

On Tuesday I am going to do something that would never have crossed my mind a couple years ago. With all the numbness and tingling in my hands I was lucky to be able to hold a pen. Now, I am taking guitar lessons :)

Awesome! And finally something where I have more days than you. ;)

Mind you, after installing laminate flooring all weekend, it feels like a steam roller passed over my fingers, so not many guitars will be touched this week. :eek:

Good luck and keep it up. There will be ups and downs while learning, but every time you get to that next step you will feel very happy and proud. The key is to keep doing it no matter what, even when (especially when) it feels like you are not making progress. Because suddenly ... it works, and you are making music. :cool:

I am going to give it a shot for sure, but I am NOT musically inclined (but I did play the piano as a kid) so this will be a challenge. I have a great teacher and access to more instruments than I can shake a stick at. So, no excuses!

Throwaway post: I have the flu (even worse, the man-flu!). It occured to me that it feels very much like... hangovers as I remember them. Ironically, I also don't feel my feet in this situation (I would give it a 1 on the pain scale). Rather odd, as it seems to amplify other niggles.

Anyway, I can live with feeling crappy for 3 days. I don't think, nah, make that: I'm very sure I don't, could ever again live with feeling like this every morning. On topic after all. ;)

I had to google that one....:D

where did I go?
 

I haven't checked in for a while. Well that's just not very smart. Howdy everyone, I noticed some comments about about "slacking on vitamins, etc" and things getting a bit worse when you do. Let me chirp in on that: Last time I posted I think I was a salesman for Methylcobalamine, it was seemingly that effective.....70 mgs. Well, I got lazy about it, Betho, ALA, and everything else I was taking. Big Mistake!! I got my order in to refill all that stuff. If it helps ya, stay wid it.

Hi Newstown - I remember you saying the Methyl B-12 works well - after I saw that, I found 5000 mcg dissolvable pills (as opposed to the puny 1000 mcg ones that I had been taking). I have been taking five 5000 mcg pills each morning on an empty stomach (MrsD had recommended taking vitamins on an empty stomach). Question: so you are taking 70 mg, which equates to 70,000 mcg ? I am confused on the mg / mcg thing. If I am figuring right, I would have to eat 14 of these 5,000 mcg pills to get the dosage that you are taking...am I figuring it right? Forgive me if I sound dumb ;) I just want to make sure I am getting enough.

I take 40 mgs, not 70, sorry bout that. So yes, that is 8 of the 5 mg daily.

Thanks! So I have been taking 25 mg - maybe I should up it to 40 as you have been doing. From what I have read, it's not harmful to take too much. MrsD?

Just watch out for side effects. Really high methyl doses may activate stored mercury in the body.
http://www.whale.to/w/b12.html
However, this remains to be confirmed further.

Those high doses were done with medical supervision. And in the studies were IV I believe. Taking orally is very different. Most of the B12 will remain in the intestines.

High dose B12 in the past had acne as a side effect, but I believe that was with Cyano form. (the cyanide in it might be problematic for some people).

I would space out your multiple doses. This is because there is a carrier in the small intestine which has limits on how much it can latch onto. This carrier is called transcobalamin.

One can search all day about these topics online. I don't really think it is 100% safe to take such huge doses orally. This might become more of an issue over time, as well. The B12 itself is not toxic unless someone is intolerant to cobalt, which is rare.
It is the other effects that B12 may have on the tissues that haven't been studied in depth yet.

Oral B12 is not well absorbed normally, so a true toxicity is not likely from it.

Well, according to my own history it is actually better absorbed from the daily 5mg methylcobalamine than from the 3x/week 2mg injections I used to get (hydrocobalamine). But I agree there is a limit beyond which you basically just pee B12 ;).

I'd say 10mg in the morning and 10mg in the evening would probably make more sense if you want to take a high dose (but I'm not a doc etc.).

Most important I think is to have a steady supply. 5mg every day may be more valuable than taking high doses switched with not taking any for a while.

It's not likely to be toxic, but one can not be sure. It's like iron: most people are deficient or normal, so "fortified" foods were once the norm. Great when you are "normal" and potentially deadly when you have hemochromatosis. On the other hand: people who survive a house fire are often treated with up to 15 gram (yes, gram) of B12 over the course of a day (monitored obviously), so I guess it's safe to say it's safe in most cases.

Mind you, all this is based on my experience and reading over the years; there is very little hard science on these things it seems, so I might be proven totally wrong in the future no doubt. I've recently seen it happen with the LD50 of nicotine. For decades nobody ever doubted the established values, and now it appears to be off by a factor of 10 to 20.

worried sick about my brother
 

Hi folks,

I'm hoping you can help me.

My brother - unbeknownst to me because I live overseas - is a chronic alcoholic. He was taken to the hospital after he could no longer walk. Well, three weeks later, what they thought were DTs and alcohol psychosis - are, in fact, alcohol neuropathy evidently. He is, among other things, still confused ( thinks for instance he is on a cruise ship rather than in a hospital), doesn't make much sense when he talks, is incontinent (urine), can not walk and could not swallow until a day or two ago (after 3 weeks). Contemplating things is that our mother is forgetful and quite up in years. My question: have you known someone exhibiting all of these symptoms and how much did they recover? I read on the Internet that the nerve damage from alcohol neuropathy is generally permanent but then read some posts from Icehouse where it sounds like he is doing well (and good for you! congratulations!). Please give them the straight story folks....Need to know what will happen. Thanks

Sorry to learn about your brother. If he has severe liver damage, that could be why also he is delirious. Severe liver damage causes encephalopathy which affects behavior and cognition. Some never recover from this.

While in the hospital, they will help him heal. But it will take a long time I fear.

Welcome wrist. :Wave-Hello:

Hey Wrist! Thanks for the kudos!

I was lucky to not have severe liver damage, and I think I caught my neuropathy in time and treated it semi-properly. I am not out of the woods yet, but maybe someday.

I really have no advice.....sorry.

Hi All,

I have been a social drinker for 25 years, occasionally drinking more at parties, weddings and Christmas.

I have been suffering from depression for over a year, and in September this year I began to self-medicate. My drinking peaked in October when I estimate I drank around 500 units of alcohol, including 2 36-hour binges where I drank 2 bottles of spirits and 2 bottles of red wine on both occasions.

Since then, I have been troubled with pins and needles, numbness and burning in all 4 limbs, poor balance, blurred vision, and difficulty starting to urinate.

My own doctor did some basic tests, which were normal. I was then hospitalsed for 4 days, during which time different doctors performed various rwflex tests which they said were normal, and also a CT scan and an MRI scan, both of my head, both of which were normal.

All of the doctors I have seen have said that one month of heavy drinking would not cause these symptoms and the symptoms do not represent alcoholic neuropathy.

However, I am extremely worried.

What do you think?

I think you are lucky to have survived those binges.

Binge drinking has been found to be more dangerous in some ways compared to just frequent heavy drinking.

Alcohol is classified as an anesthetic. Its chemical makeup is 2 carbons, and and OH group-- which makes it very easy to cross the blood brain barrier and enter the brain. It also permeates nerve tissue in the spinal cord and rest of the body easily.

In large quantities taken in during a binge, the liver cannot metabolize it away fast enough. If enough is taken in fast enough it becomes a poison, and kills cells. Alcohol applied to the skin illustrates this poisonous quality by disinfecting wounds and skin, removing bacteria. You can also lose consciousness and vomit, and inhale the vomit and die of aspirated stomach contents. This can damage the lungs severely, if you survive it.
Some people can suffocate if lying on their stomachs during unconsciousness.

Cat scans and conventional MRIs (not the new high Tesla ones still in experimental use), do not show chemical damage unless it is in a massive scale as in trauma, or stroke, hemorrhages etc.
So a clean MRI or CAT scan doesn't mean much if symptoms are present.

There is a new study on this thread, from PsychCentral discussing one heavy drinking session a week in healthy college students, who showed DNA cell damage:
http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/01...dna/64002.html

This article discusses potential healing from brain damage from chronic alcohol use:
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12...brain/491.html

And this, brain damage from binge drinking:
http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/06...age/27301.html

When alcohol is metabolized, the byproducts are called aldehydes, and these can also be damaging and cause nerves to complain as well. Using Thiamine B1, can help this, because thiamine is a part of the enzyme that metabolizes alcohol.
Also some alcoholic drinks contain other chemicals, called congeners, which maybe toxic themselves, and not typically considered by doctors at all. Google "congeners" to learn more about this.

I really hope you read this whole thread. And I really recommend you avoid alcohol completely in order to heal the damage already done. A severe binge can damage the lining of your stomach, and lead to ulcers. Severe binge drinking can cause pancreatitis also, which is a nasty thing to have to live with, if you survive it.

So take care now, and please use the tips on this thread to help yourself heal from this current situation.

Agreed. I look back at the 'habits' I had while drinking and I cringe. I can now think with clarity and I am appalled at myself for some of things I did while under the influence. The one thing that boggles my mind is how I let my body deteriorate and not see it coming. WTH was I thinking?

I think that it is quite clear that binge drinking (and consuming large quantities on a regular basis) affects brain function and rational decision making. It also has a detrimental affect on our physical bodies.

I plead with you to either quit drinking or cut-down the intake to something that normal society considers reasonable.

I am proof that the affects of alcohol are somewhat reversible and you CAN lead a "normal" life again.

You can do it.....

Today it's 900 days AF, 330 days SF. #teamyoucandoit ;)

1218 days sober.

Back on the vitamins, what an idiot I am thinking I could slack off. Anyhow, I am back to "normal" and looking forward to maybe skiing again this winter. But, here in Central VA the weather is like a yo-yo, 70F one day, 35F the next....amazing I don't sick more often.

Started my own company this month, been a long time coming. I have never been wired to work a 9-5 job and this is up my alley. I can still spend the 30+ hours a week volunteering with the homeless and get paid to do it :D

Keep your stick on the ice folks!

Icehouse in the cold.

Awesome effort
 

Hey Ice, are you allowed to say what your company is on here? Just asking out of interest, I love to hear of people finding the oomph to kick off a venture.

Hubby went 60 days and fell off with a small thud, went another 7 days and had a big thud. This weekend we have a family wedding, not going not really an option. He is driving, pray for us he can find his way back to the wagon. In the 60 days off, his skin cleared, he lost 8 kilos and looked fabulous. I suspected he was having a fall and chose to say nothing figuring if he thought I didn't know he would at least have days of not drinking. Now he knows I know, I fear we will be back to daily excess within a week. Sorry to whinge! To those of you who get through every day, I am in awe of your spirit and strength. :hug:

Well, I am not sure if the rules of the "board" allow it but I will tell ya anyway :p

For the last couple years I have been volunteering at a place that caters to the homeless and recovering. I have been using it as my "accountability" to keep myself sober.

Well, it turns out I have a knack for getting other people jobs, specifically those who are homeless, recently incarcerated or have a minor record. I have created about 200 resumes and put about 45 people to work in this town since I found my niche.

Well, I turned it into an online portal: http:www.newleafemployment.com

I have one employee now that handles sales, and I will hiring more in the new year.....

This is SO inspiring, Icehouse - just wonderful. Best wishes to you in your endeavor, I know you will be very successful!

Icehouse. I just called to make skiing reservations at Chestnut Mountain in Illinois (think Really Big Hill) for my kids and me in January. I asked about senior discounts, but I forgot to ask about alcoholic peripheral neuropathy deals. Suppose there are any? ;)