[hemse]

Hey guys, I have a question about alcohol. Have any of you noticed a link between drinking alcohol and your symptpms? Do they get worse when you drink and have any of you been advised not to drink because of neuropathy? Look forward to hearing from you knowledgable people.

Its not about how hard we can hit, its abut how hard we can get hit and keep moving forward.

[Rrae]

That's a great Question!

Here's a recent indepth thread on that discussion:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...lic+neuropathy

Others will chime in
It's good to have you

Rae

[hemse]

Thanks Rrae. It was an interesting read.

We all fall down, its whether we decide to get back up that counts.

[glenntaj]

--alcohol is not good for nerves--especially already damaged ones.

There is some controversy in the field as to whether a large degree of alcohol consumption by itself can casue neuropathy, or whether alcohol related neuropathy is primarily malnutritional (often from a lack of B-vitmains leached from the sytem by heavy consumption). But it's probably prudent to cut down/stop drinking if one has nerve damage--for any reason, so as not to exacerbate things.

[nide44]

Definite link to PN flares and alcohol consumption.
Alcoholic PN has been a diagnoses for a long time.
Many believe, and have proven - it is a cause of PN.
Consumption in any amount after a Dx of PN is inadvisable
(but do we always listen to good advice?
rim-shot-- Barump-bump!! )

[hemse]

Thanks guys, I had cut alcohol down by a heck of a lot since diaganosis of the diabetes. Then with the neuropathy diagnosis I cut it out completely. Back in May my best friend came home on leave from Afghanistan and
we had a few drinks. Since then I have slowly started to drink a bit more, certainly not heavy levels. Guess I need to go back to not drinking as the worsening of my symptoms as paralleled the drinking. I think I knew it already but sometimes need to hear it from someone elses mouth. Thanks for the as always helpful comments.

Its not about how hard we can hit, its how hard we can get hit and keep moving forward.

[RobinM]

Originally Posted by hemse

Hey guys, I have a question about alcohol. Have any of you noticed a link between drinking alcohol and your symptoms?

Definitely, I would put my PN 80% down to the years I spent drinking cheap cider day after day. I am sure that some types of alcohol are not as bad as others, but continual use will break down the protective sheath of the nerves while at the same time destroy the vitamins (B1 especially) that are there to maintain nerve health.

I can still get away with light drinking, but heavy drinking cripples my hand for days... and for some reason CHEAP cider (you know the ones that have never seen a real apple in their life!) really attacks it, even within 20 mins of ingestion.

The strange thing is, when I bring my history of drinking to a doctor or consultant as a primary reason for my condition, they don't seem to take it seriously... they just seem to be obsessed with the nerve being trapped in some way.

[Swmnupstrm]

Originally Posted by RobinM

Definitely, I would put my PN 80% down to the years I spent drinking cheap cider day after day. I am sure that some types of alcohol are not as bad as others, but continual use will break down the protective sheath of the nerves while at the same time destroy the vitamins (B1 especially) that are there to maintain nerve health.

I can still get away with light drinking, but heavy drinking cripples my hand for days... and for some reason CHEAP cider (you know the ones that have never seen a real apple in their life!) really attacks it, even within 20 mins of ingestion.

The strange thing is, when I bring my history of drinking to a doctor or consultant as a primary reason for my condition, they don't seem to take it seriously... they just seem to be obsessed with the nerve being trapped in some way.

Very different here. First thing I was asked was about alcohol, and that was automatically the cause. Strangely enough, I have been told my low back problems are not a factor, however, whenever the back acts up, the pn flares.

Many docs here cite alcohol.

[stagger]

Hello,
I believe there is a proverb that states alcohol has the sting of a snakebite.