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Drinking Beer & Alcohol After being diagnosed with NON-ALCOHOLIC Neuropathy

Can you still drink a few Beers/Drinks after you’ve been diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy?

Are you familiar with this scenario?…

So, there you are – at a holiday party or some other social event. You sit there, ignoring your pains and trying to get in the mood for celebrations. You see friends and family having their usual drinks and you’re tempted to join in the fun – but can you?

Sure, you’ve never been an alcoholic, perhaps not even a regular drinker, but you’re sad and feel left out this night. You know a few drinks will lighten your mood, but does having PN forbid you from ever drinking again? Will you ever be able to enjoy a little buzz with your friends or family again?

First off, we all know that drinking any alcohol is bad for Neuropathy. Still, many of us, including myself, find it hard not to have a few drinks on the weekend. (About 5 or 6 Lite beers in my case)

But how much alcohol can be tolerated before it becomes damaging?

Is it different for each person?

Does it matter what kind of beer, wine or liquor you drink?

I was once even told by a doctor that since my PN was NOT from Alcoholic Neuropathy, that it didn’t much matter what I drank. This I knew through common sense was pure horse-crap. …Astounding what some doctors will tell you, isn’t it?

I’ve gotten many different answers on this so far, and I will post my own experiences along with some links and others opinions I’ve gotten from other PN sufferers.

This is a thread I hope will collect lots of new info and opinions, as it’s one that many people seem confused over – including myself. But here are a few more questions to start this off:

Is Alcoholic Neuropathy the same as Diabetic Neuropathy or other Drug/Toxic Neuropathies?


What in Alcohol causes PN? --Toxicity to nerves or lack of B vitamins?

One doctor claims PN from alcoholism comes from the lack of B vitamins and NOT the toxicity from the alcohol itself, while another claims it’s both. Many lab researchers still debate this issue.

For people who have PN, but NOT the alcoholic type, will taking B vitamins and other supplements such as A-L carnitine help protect your nerves when drinking light or socially?

Some say this is true; pointing out that these supplements help protect nerves from certain cancer drugs and other toxins, and thus conclude it will do the same, as long as we don’t “Over-do-it” on the drinks. Can this actually be true?

Some claim that drinking lightly and doing so in a paced time frame is the trick. Does this sound logical?


I hope you all weigh in on these thoughts, so we can get a better understanding of alcohol and how it effects our lives…good or bad.

If you have PN and have been drinking a few beers/drinks from time to time, I'd like to hear about your experiences.

I'm sure we could all benefit from some down-to-earth genuine talk about having a few drinks after being diagnosed with PN (Not Alcoholic PN) I mean. As long as you’re honest about it, we can all benefit in some way or another.

My PN is NOT caused from drinking but I can tell you this, I do not even drink, not really at all but maybe a special occasion..But I was visiting my sister and she made strawberry daquiries and that is like sugar heaven but it had rum, well it killed my feet.

Now mind you, I don't eat sugar either so I am sure it was the sugar and the rum but on that trip, everytime I even touched alcohol I paid for it the next day.

So for me, alcohol triggers a flare up.

It's difficult to discuss these various opinions without links to their sources to examine the source, context, qualifications, etc. If the source is your own doctors, then their opinions are just that -- opinions, albeit medical opinions based on their knowledge, continuing education, and experience.

I think you've really answered your own questions though. Common sense, moderation, and experience govern alcohol consumption for most mature adults who do not have abuse issues, regardless of whether or not they have PN.

I used to be a moderate responsible social drinker. I stopped drinking when I developed chronic pain issues (a few years before PN manifested) because some of the meds I was on at the time would not mix well with alcohol. I guess, as you say, it's different for each person, because I've never once felt tempted, sad, or left out.

Could I try it sometime? Probably, but I don't need it to participate in social situations, and my gut tells me that I would pay for it afterward, and it's not worth it to me now.

A commonality of those here who've learned to cope/live with and/or conquer PN is to listen to our bodies. Bottom line, if drinking exacerbates one's symptoms, either during or afterward, it's probably not a good idea for that person to drink.

Not to preach, but to weigh in with honest down-to-earth genuine talk, one of the definitions of addiction is the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse consequences.

Doc

I agree largely with what you've written here. The odd thing with me is that I feel like I'm more enticed to drink, or more so, look forward to the day on the weekend when I drink a 6-pack more than I did before my PN. I can't drink more than that without getting nauseously sick, so that 6-pack is really the limit for me.

Once, I quit drinking for an entire month and did not feel a bit better at all - I actually felt worse that month. But I figure that was from stress. I also have a spouse that badgers me a lot, so I get more stressed during arguments and that often triggers flare-ups. Honestly, it's her drinking that causes more stressful situations for me than the beer/alcohol itself. I also believe, had I had a wife that did not drink so heavily, that I, myself, would be less tempted as well.

That's not to say it's her fault - I just have to learn how to avoid her prompting (this woman does not believe drinking can hurt people like us, despite the fact that I say that every weekend!!!)

The reason, is that I feel more like relieving stress now than I ever did before, and drinking about a 6-pack of light beer every weekend seems to work fine for me. I can't say that I've noticed it making my pn worse or better. Before my pn, I drank about 8 beers (just 2 beers more than I do now) on a weekend (Friday or Saturday) and this over a long night as well.

Still, I am taking extra B vitamins on the weekend and other supplements known for protecting the nerves, so, there might be some possible shielding factor from the alcohol's overall effect.

Also, I never drink enough to get a hangover, and I do eat in between the drinks. Consequentially, it takes me about 6 hours to drink 6 beers, so maybe that, too, has something to do with my tolerance.

I did however, go to a party some months ago, and drank 9 beers once. I felt quite sick and nauseated afterward and quickly figured out that my body has set limits for itself. Thus I never did that again.

However, I never was a truly heavy drinker and I do not drink during any other days. Despite this, I would be considered a "Binge" drinker, since by definition, it fits anyone that drinks more than 4 beers in one night.

Now, since I no longer have any drug interactions to be concerned about (I quite my clonozepam sometime ago) so, I feel a tad bit safer drinking beer now-a-days.

I have noticed that I get buzzed much faster than I did before pn, and that's probably why I don't drink more than I do.

I listed some links below that perhaps echo what I've said here in some ways.

Mostly, it seems that drinking alchol in "Moderation" is essential to anyone who can't resist taking the drink or the peer pressure of the social climate. My wife is quite a heavy drinker in my opinion, so social gatherings with her are very difficult times, as far as restraining myself from drinking 4 to 6 beers. Still, it's difficult to say what is moderation?

I am 6 feet tall and 240 pounds and it takes me about 6 hours to drink 6 beers -would that be moderation or abuse. ...I do not know???

I'd be interested in knowing what you think of these articles.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4496727.stm

http://www.diabetesmadeeasier.com/av...and-long-term-

complications/neuropathy/is-it-okay-to-drink-alcohol-if-i-have-peripheral-neuropathy

https://www.foundationforpn.org/livi...neuropathy.cfm

http://www.diabetesmadeeasier.com/av...ral-neuropathy


http://alcoholrehab.com/alcohol-reha...nd-alcoholism/

I think 6 drinks in one night is not moderation. One or two is.
Drinking alot and then abstaining has been shown to affect the brain. It is called binge drinking.

If you have symptoms from drinking any alcohol then don't do it.

There are many posts here about this subject that you can search.
I explain about products of fermentation and congeners in those posts.

Type in "alcohol" to our search function on page one of this forum.
Or use the word "congener".

Alcohol which contains YEAST is more likely to trigger PN symptoms IMO. You are drinking aldehydes that the yeast produce during fermentation, and aldehydes are not good for you.

BTW, There is no test to prove anyone's PN is from drinking or not. If your doctor went out on a limb and told you, yours was not I have a problem with that with 6 drinks in one evening! People usually underestimate their drinking data when discussing with doctors. Doctors know this and therefore in their minds actually round up to a higher amount in their heads.

The mere admission of alcohol in a medical interview, is common enough to get a premature diagnosis of alcohol induced PN. We've seen it here, where some posters come on who have been sober for YEARS and still their doctor will not test for other PN
causes!

everyone is different, but personally two beers for me makes me high. i dont think i could drink six. im 6'3'.
I think that the fact that you look forward to and feel compelled to drink a six pack on a certain day or in a certain situation may be indicative of a psychological need that could lead to a problem on its own.
Many people these days go to social events where there is drinking involved by some or many but dont drink themselves. there really is no social stigma to not drinking at parties or even bars anymore as there was in the 70's and 80's. Many people drink bottled water or club soda at bars and clubs.
I havent drank anything in many years because i just dont feel its worth it. Its certainly not going to help and it will hurt long term, for the reasons delineated by Mrs. D above.
Im not judging you and i certainly have plenty of my own faults so im not pointing fingers, but you did ask.

Are you asking for opinions, or validation? I don't care which; I just want to be clear (for understanding) and for anyone reading this to be honest with themselves.

emphasis mine

I think that's your answer/solution in a nutshell.

relieving stress

Doc

I am a social drinker, but since my symptoms are getting worse, I may stop altogether. When I say social I mean 2 drinks. 6 beers is the same as 6 shots or 6 glasses of wine. Maybe gradually cut down until you are down to 1 or 2 drinks, and encourage your wife to support your decision.

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I do drink with people that are most certainly heavy binge drinkers. That is to say they don't drink during the week, but really get pretty smashed, or at least buzzed-up during the weekend. These people are my family and long time friends. I love them. My wife being among the worst of them as far as drinking goes.

I find myself now-a-days asking her to "slow-down" or don't drink the higher content alcohol drinks. She has been through a lot of depression and stress lately and recently, this has gotten even worse. She even gets angry or disappointed sometimes when I don't have a beer with her during the weekend.

When I talk about cutting down on the drinking, she is merely indifferent about it - basically not supportive at all. Actually, she is more likely to tempt me to drink than stop, despite me trying to change this around.

"Life is too short," she says. "You worry too much, you need to relax - a few drinks won't hurt you!"

Words I hear all the time from her. Words hard to deny, when you're dieing to let go of the problems in your life...and just have a good time with friends.

More so, I have a friend who has diabetic neuropathy and he smokes Marijuana for his pn - he suggests I do what he does: quit drinking and start smoking weed!!!

No way!!! First off it's freaking illegal, man. And it's got to be just as bad as beer! I can't seem to find an answer or more so a "substitute" for my beers. I have high anxiety issues and quit my long term, addictive anxiety medication recently, so this makes things even harder to deal with.

My cat of 12 years had just died last week, and she was pretty much my best friend, and only real comfort in these times.

Oddly, I do keep a daily journal of my symptoms, and had done so for months (over a year now) and I haven't noticed any worsening of symptoms from my drinking.

I'm telling the truth about this. Had I had flare-ups from the drinking, I would have certainly noticed it the next day, but I have not. I do not know why this is. I had simply figured it was because I was somehow shielded by lots of vitamins and that I'm not drinking all that much - in the sense that I drink only one day of the week. Plus drinking water after every other beer, too.

Am I the only person here who felt this???

Yes, those 5 or 6 beers are a binge, but to me that's still less than the so called "moderation" standards of 12 beers throughout the whole week.

For the record, I consider myself a binge drinker, but in comparison to other binge drinkers around me - my intake of beer, and the time I take to consume it, is simply laughable.

Essentially, I admit my purpose for drinking is to get a buzz and release stress. Honestly, what's the purpose of drinking in the first place if you don't get that little "happy" feeling it provides. Sure, it sounds like I have a drinking problem - probably because I admit DO.

I don't know how you guys make it through the weekends, or how you release stress from pain. My doctors are urging me to get back on Clonozepam, because he feels I'm too stressed out and anxiety driven.

And I do admit that my quality of life does go down when I stop drinking for a few weekends -I just get so depressed. Not because of the drinking, but because, I feel I need something to boost me out of the depression.

I feel I do need help to relieve the stress of pn, but simply don't know what to do - and my doctors aren't exactly dishing out the best advice.

Throwing Gabapentin and Lyrica at me doesn't seem to be the answer, not for me.

I'm so wound up by the weekend, as I take absolutely no drugs for the PN pains I have at all. I refuse to take anymore mind-altering anti- depressants or anti-anxiety drugs; it took me so long to get off of them.

And yes, in my opinion, for me, it appears that a few drinks is indeed the lesser of the 2 evils, as I have not had any really bad effects from my drinking yet. Certainly I had bad effects from my once-prescribed drugs.

Sure, I don't get drunk and despite what others may say -there is most definitely a huge difference from getting hammered (stone drunk) and getting a light buzz (light euphoric feeling). I don't drive so that's not an issue - and for those who can't differentiate between a man stumbling drunk and a man just pleasantly buzzed - they are far different. Again, just my honest opinion.

I'm not saying alcohol is good for people with pn, it is not. But it is a tough and hard road to quite drinking, during times of stress and pain, especially when it appears my best friends and family are somewhat dependent on it.

Still, I will try hard - no...I WILL cut down on my drinking. I've done this before, drinking only 3 or 4 beers on the weekend, so at least this is certainly possible for me...and fairly easy, too.

I think I really need to learn how to enjoy myself in social climates without drinking, or at least by cutting back quite a bit.

I'm being honest here - I'm weaker than you guys when it comes to this issue. And if I could quit altogether, I would, but I haven't been able to do that just yet, and this signals a problem in of itself. I hope you don't judge me too harshly on this.

What an irony this is - I can't get drunk, because, I'll get sick, yet I can't seem to stop the social binge drinking either. For the immediate future I will make sure to drink only in TRUE moderation, (2 to 3 beers) and then start exploring how to quite altogether, if I can.

Please wish me luck in this...I need it.

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No, pot is not anywhere near as bad as a beer, it's not even comparable. It's also not illegal everywhere. And it's been proven as a pain reliever for neuropathic pain (look it up). Pot doesn't kill your liver or kill you at all. All my docs ever say is "get a vaporizer". But hey, I'm in CA where the stuff is everywhere and it's good quality. For me it helps with both pain and depression. I was really bad on Monday at work because of the pain from this past weekend. I went home and cried, then I went out to the garage and took my "meds" and I was able to feel better both physically and emotionally and could be a normal human for the rest of the night. Sucky thing is because the feds are still all uneducated and backwards and all, I can't get opiates from my pain doc for breakthrough pain. The feds would rather see you addicted to pain pills instead of taking something natural. I need to find somebody to write to about that!

I don't drink often at all. And I live in the land of wine, where I went to a PTA meeting last week that had wine served. I really wonder if it's a type of drink that'll make things worse or not. I've had pain the next morning from one drink, but then not from 4 some other time. I'd love to know if hard liquor vs. wine vs. beer/cider make any difference?