OK, I've been a little hesitant to ask this. I know that alcohol abuse can cause significant PN problems. But does anyone here find that their symptoms actually improve after consuming alcohol?

My symptoms are kind of like a roller coaster, up and down on a daily basis. I've been making notes of what I'm eating/drinking/doing, to see if I can identify any triggers.

One thing I've noticed is that any time I consume a moderate amount of alcohol (say, 3 glasses of wine) - my symptoms are significantly improved for a couple of days afterward. I thought this had to be just a coincidence, but it really does seem to be a pretty firm trend.

Now I'm certainly not planning to increase my alcohol use to treat my condition. But was wondering if others noticed this - or if this could indicate deficiency or excess of some nutrient, etc.

I was under the impression that alcohol inflames the nerves. I haven't had alcohol in a couple of months so I couldn't say. I figured it would exacerbate the problem or prevent nerve healing. I don't see how alcohol could help considering it's a cause of PN in some people.

Years ago, before I had adequate pain management, I had a whole protocol I would go through with ice, ibuprofen, and a few drinks when the pain was at its worst. I have not had to use alcohol for pain management in a while. Now if I allow myself more than one glass of wine I definitely have more pain in my legs that night or the next day. So while it still has pain relieving properties it does stir up problems, particularly the allodynia. It is not worth it for me.
I have hereditary neuropathy so alcohol is not as big a concern as it is for some other types, where it is definitely contraindicated. My nerves are dying independently of what I do, only the symptoms can be treated.

Alcohol is a neurotoxin.

Are there any studies showing alcohol directly damaging the peripheral nerves? My understanding so far is that alcohol inhibits nutrition absorption, which can result in low b vitamin levels which can then lead to PN.

Well it's a little complicated (to me anyway) but here is one example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotoxin

"Common examples of neurotoxins include lead, ethanol (drinking alcohol), glutamate, nitric oxide (NO), botulinum toxin (e.g. Botox), tetanus toxin, and tetrodotoxin."

Alcohol is a known neurotoxin but it seems to be debated whether it directly causes PN or if it is vitamin deficiency and poor diet commonly associated with abuse of alcohol.

I haven't noticed it, but I also haven't been drinking hardly at all lately.

My two cents on in it, though, is that everybody's body is different. I think it's totally possible alcohol could be positively affecting your symptoms, not for any scientific reason, but just because I know how strangely alcohol affects me.

I have a horribly named problem called "Holiday Heart Syndrome." Usually it's associated with binge drinking, but I experience symptoms with just one or two drinks. The symptom is a very fast heart rate and palpitations. This goes on for hours on end with me, and if I have the audacity to have 3 or more drinks, I'll be awake all night.

Doctors and researchers have no clue as to the cause, but obviously there's something not working right with how I metabolize alcohol. So maybe the way you're metabolizing alcohol is helping you. Why not?

My crappy problem if anyone wants to read about it.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3998158/


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The pathway by which alcohol is metabolized is complex and varies from person to person and genetics:

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/AA72/AA72.htm

Alcohol and blood sugar:
http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_a...tion/page4.htm

You'll notice that in the short run, alcohol consumption may lower blood sugar. This is why oral anti-diabetic drugs have an alcohol warning attached to them.

But in the long run, alcohol over time used heavily, will cause the reverse.

People who do drink alot should pay attention to thiamine intake and/or benfotiamine. This helps get rid of the aldehydes produced and it is the aldehydes which cause many PN type symptoms.

I think both of these links are very good.

Thanks very much for links. I haven't searched for quite awhile, but I had been unable to find a good description of how alcohol is metabolized by the body. You solved that problem. I've been working on the assumption that I'm now deficient in some enzyme or substance involved in metabolic process that I might be able to supplement to help with things. I have no desire to ever drink in large quantities, but it sucks not being able to sit down and have a drink or two with friends without having problems.

I actually first bought my glucose meter when a diabetic friend noticed the non-alcoholic beer I was drinking and asked why. She thought my symptoms sounded like hypoglycemia, and suggested the meter. Turns out that wasn't the problem, but the meter came in very handy for discovering that I DO have issues with hypoglycemia when eating sugary foods on an empty stomach.

I'm just posting this link here for safekeeping. It explains a little more about the alcohol metabolization process.


http://health.howstuffworks.com/well.../hangover4.htm


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