hello my name is Neils, and have been living with alcohol induced neuropathy for the last year... I have not be clinically diagnosed, but I know it is just that... it started out with some unusual nerve sensations like hot things being cool, and cool things being hot on my feet and lower legs... it progressed to a lack of coordination it seems with my Gait... I am 40 years old, I am a RN, and very fit in that I have been into body building for the last decade...

some other things that happen are when im at rest "esp. in bed", I get cramps in my hamstrings and quads... they literally draw up for a brief moment then everything is fine... I have been alcohol free now for a week today... have been on B-1, folic acid, B-12, D3, magnesium, potassium, L-taurine, and fish oil for a week as well... my coordination seems to be getting better, im hoping I have caught this soon enough...

i can tolerate the pins and needles, and nerve sensations but i cant RUN anymore!!! this really is making me depressed... my question to those that have overcame or are overcoming this is will i ever be able to run again??? it breaks my heart not to be fit, and able to do the things i use to do...

Welcome to NeuroTalk:

You will want to make sure your magnesium is NOT OXIDE form.
This does not get absorbed and will not work.

Any other chelate or SlowMag is much much more useful and better.

There is a magnesium lotion called Morton Epsom Lotion...you can rub on your legs...it is faster than the oral typically. Available at WalMart, Walgreen's and also online at Amazon.

Use a quarter's diameter dollop on each leg, and I think you will be much more comfortable.

Alcohol induce neuropathy also improves with B1, either thiamine or Benfotiamine. Some people find a B-complex like B-right by Jarrow the best mixture for this problem. Mostly available online.

thanks for you imput
what is weird is that i can actually run a little on a treadmill at the gym if i hold on to the bars... however, my coordination is not good enough to run just on my own... i tried once "on a soft surface", and got tripped up and fell... i am really hoping with time i will gain back my full coordination and be even better than i was before, esp. mentally, spiritually and otherwise...

Hey Neils, Mrs D. already pointed you to it in your other thread, but just to be sure: http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread104096.html

My case is slightly different from yours, but Icehouse's symptoms resemble yours very much, so that whole thread is really worth a read, and gives you an excellent idea of what to expect.

Now I don't want to discourage you, but ... it's important to be realistic: it will take some time (especially sober time). Alcohol does damage over a longer period, so your body and brain will take some time to repair itself. A week is great, but in reality your brain is still readjusting to the new situation - this alone can take up to 8 weeks. As for the other symptoms, we are more likely talking months. So don't give up on what you are already taking - it's all the right stuff for sure - if you don't immediately feel better.

Everyone is different, but experience shows that you will get there if you give it enough time. Good luck!

Hi Neils,
I am in the same position with respect to difficulty walking and not being able to run (I am 42 years old), also numbness and tingling in arms and legs, twitching, burning, all of the usual symptoms. I have gone 4 or 5 months without alcohol and get a little better and think I can have just one which goes fine. Then, the symptoms come back. It is as though a beer or glass of wine takes 2 months to clear my body leading me to believe I just can't process it anymore, in any amount. The progress made from abstinence is completely reversed once I have even a single drink, only worse than before.

It is hard to refrain in social situations but if the decision is that or face the consequences of not walking and certainly not running, then that decision is a little easier to make. I just want to get better and be as healthy as I can for my age. I am too young to be in this bad of shape and so are you.