Ug...I can tell you it will get easier, a whole lot easier, but probably not any time soon. It took me about a year before I shook the "need" for a drink. I counteracted that feeling with soda (the brain thinks it likes the carbonation) and smoking (I don't advise this by the way). I quit the cigarettes a few years later and still enjoy the odd cigar.

It's a psychological game to me. I had to trick my brain into thinking it liked other stuff.

I have since quit drinking soda (pop for the northerners) and that was super easy.

Don't touch my coffee though....

Thanks!!! Really appreciate the perspective. Also, the Neuropathy has gotten noticeably worse in the 3 days since I stopped drinking. Is this typical that it spikes right after you cut alcohol? Thanks again!!!

I was a daily drinker for a while and from what I can tell, it didn't get bad until I dried out for a few days. First it was just tingles and twitches. But in the end when I dried up in a detox I was in a world of pain.

It could be that it's now out of your system and you are feeling it. But I am not sure our situations are comparable if you weren't drinking in the same way I was.

With that said, perhaps knowing that it's there is bringing it into focus.

For mild cases, Ive read it can clear up. Best thing that I could do for myself was to try and get healthier. That's just my experience but even starting off with a little here and a little there. Getting in tune with my body was key. Understanding how to fit in exercises and stretches throughout the day to get my blood circulating. Eating better. Making sure I had done enough in the day that I would be able to sleep. It was a process for me, but aside from the nagging neuropathy, I'm much healthier because of it.

Not sure if this has been posted here but it's got a lot of good info.

Alcoholic neuropathy: possible mechanisms and future treatment possibilities

Hey folks, a quick one:

1) I had it confirmed 2 days ago, unequivocally, that glucose (sugar/carbs) does affect the nerve endings - that’s one of the reasons diabetics are prone to PN - and does make them “swell” in layman’s terms, but with no way to go. Ouch! He is an expert neurologist only working with PN patients. I felt a huge reduction in pain after cleaning up my diet in 2013. My previous neurologist looked at me like I was an idiot after I reported this, but it is science, not just “internet knowledge”. You can get a fatty liver from soda & fruit juice without ever touching a drop of alcohol. There are 8 year olds with fatty livers. (after all, alcohol is fermented fructose).

2) Alcohol is a very effective pain killer, so it is perfectly normal to feel much much worse immediately after quitting. This does go away, but do not expect a complete reversal. It happens, but it is rare. But the really bad pain will subside, no doubt about that. It does get better.

3) Do not let that discourage you. Continuing to drink after the diagnosis will cause a world of pain and/or disability (depending on what type of nerves were damaged). I’m perfectly happy not drinking, it’s not a thing anymore. I was sure it would be impossible to quit. I found out it’s not.*. I was sure my life would be empty and boring. It’s not. I thought I would no longer be able to play music, to be creative, etc. All wrong.

4) Sugary stuff can help you quit, that’s the paradox. Indulge if that helps you stay sober, you can always take that next step when you find your footing. Obviously, if you can do both, go for it!

* It’s 9:30 PM here and it’s the first time today, well, this week, that I think about alcohol, and only because I’m writing about it here. I feel - pinky swear - zero attraction to drinking though. And that in itself feels great. My wife still drinks (one of those weird normal drinkers) and it doesn’t trigger me anymore. Do not do this in the beginning though, make it as easy on yourself as you possibly can, it’s not a challenge.

Good luck, and keep asking questions!

Thanks so much!!! Appreciate!

[QUOTE=On_A_Freeway;1279079]I was a daily drinker for a while and from what I can tell, it didn't get bad until I dried out for a few days. First it was just tingles and twitches. But in the end when I dried up in a detox I was in a world of pain.

It could be that it's now out of your system and you are feeling it. But I am not sure our situations are comparable if you weren't drinking in the same way I was.

With that said, perhaps knowing that it's there is bringing it into focus.

For mild cases, Ive read it can clear up. Best thing that I could do for myself was to try and get healthier. That's just my experience but even starting off with a little here and a little there. Getting in tune with my body was key. Understanding how to fit in exercises and stretches throughout the day to get my blood circulating. Eating better. Making sure I had done enough in the day that I would be able to sleep. It was a process for me, but aside from the nagging neuropathy, I'm much healthier because of it.

Not sure if this has been posted here but it's got a lot of good info.

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Thansk so much!!! This is really helpful!

Ctman, adding to the wise thoughts of everybody else.

I stopped drinking when I spent about a month as a voluntary patient in a psychiatric hospital, taking first steps towards dealing with alcohol abuse and Major Depressive Disorder.

The first week was not fun; sweating, agitation and feeling generally lousy. I was closely monitored by the nurses during this and I expect that they reported
back to the psychiatrists in case more intervention was indicated; it wasn't.

After that week it was a nice feeling to notice my mind starting to clear. That has been a big factor in my staying sober since then and I hope the same will be true for you.