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Old 04-24-2008, 09:52 AM #1
cheryllawson cheryllawson is offline
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Default alcohol related neuropathy

I have drank alcohol everyday for about 5 years. About a year ago I started getting numbness, tingling and pin prick sensation in both feet. It moved into my legs and I had a feeling of wearing stockings and my balance is affecting my ability to walk. My fingertips have slight numbness. I stopped drinking 11 days ago. On the 3rd or 4th day I noticed better sensation in my feet. My legs are better and my balance is slightly better. The problem is my feet and ankles are swelling extremly bad. I have tried elevating them but that doesn't help. I take Prilosec OTC, Vitamin C 500mg twice daily, Bupropien 100mg twice daily, Folic Acid 1mg, Gabapentin 300mg 3 times daily, B12 1mg weekly, Fish oil 1200 mg twice daily and a multivitamin for women once daily. Also, I am 40 years old and just started the above medicine again when I stopped drinking. Could any or all of the meds be causing the swelling?
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Old 04-24-2008, 10:08 AM #2
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The Gabapentin does have a s/e of edema (fluid retention/swelling)
for some patients-especially in the lower extremities.
You should see your doc about taking a diuretic for the edema.
Do not
drink pop (carbonated beverages-even plain,
carbonated, or mineral, waters)
and keep all of your fluid intake very low.
If this doesn't help, or If the swelling doesn't respond to a diuretic,
a change in meds may be in order.
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Old 04-24-2008, 10:24 AM #3
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Thanks for the info. Should I limit my intake of water or just other fluids?
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Old 04-24-2008, 10:49 AM #4
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Hi Cheryl

Please allow me to congratulate you on your sobriety.

It's tough but you can do it.

Proud of you.

I was addicted to food, so I know how hard it is to change one's way of thinking.

All the best.

Melody
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Old 04-24-2008, 11:01 AM #5
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Lightbulb anyone who drinks

alcohol, or has a history of it, should be using thiamine (or the better benfotiamine form). I think you will see the swelling go down rather quickly.

Thiamine 200-300mg daily in divided doses, or Benfoitamine (by online at iherb.com) 150mg to 300mg. Benfotiamine is not commonly available in local stores, yet.

I'd start at the high end of the dosing for a month, then after you get results, you can go a little lower.

I would also up the B12 to once a day.
Another thing that helps with swelling is pyridoxine. I recommend P5P version,
which is also very inexpensive and at iherb too. I use the NOW brand.
The pyridoxine in your multi--is not the activated P5P form. When you add this to what you have already, you will have a very close approximation in dose to the RX vitamin Metanx (for neuropathy).
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Old 04-24-2008, 12:41 PM #6
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When I had severe edema I had to wear support hose. You may want to try.They told me to keep my liquids up. I am not sure now since the other poster said no. You may want to call your doc too cause I know they wanted to make sure mine didn't effect my heart. It may just be a side effect to your meds or a side effect to stopping drinking. Sometimes good changes can make the body get confused but it levels out. Congrats and keep up the good work. Take one day at a time.
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Old 04-24-2008, 05:03 PM #7
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Default Your body is detoxing....

While the edema could be a side effect of meds, you also need to know that your body is in major shock right now. Alcohol detox is an extreme ordeal and can cause all sorts of things. I hope that you are supporting your sobriety with some sober people who have been there. Try Alcoholics Anonymous. I have been sober for over 10 years due to the things AA has taught me and their unwavering, non judgemental support.

If you ever want to talk about drinking or not drinking please feel free to send me a private message.

Ann

P.S. Your detox should be medically supervised.
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Old 04-25-2008, 01:49 PM #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cheryllawson View Post
I have drank alcohol everyday for about 5 years. About a year ago I started getting numbness, tingling and pin prick sensation in both feet. It moved into my legs and I had a feeling of wearing stockings and my balance is affecting my ability to walk. My fingertips have slight numbness. I stopped drinking 11 days ago. On the 3rd or 4th day I noticed better sensation in my feet. My legs are better and my balance is slightly better. The problem is my feet and ankles are swelling extremly bad. I have tried elevating them but that doesn't help. I take Prilosec OTC, Vitamin C 500mg twice daily, Bupropien 100mg twice daily, Folic Acid 1mg, Gabapentin 300mg 3 times daily, B12 1mg weekly, Fish oil 1200 mg twice daily and a multivitamin for women once daily. Also, I am 40 years old and just started the above medicine again when I stopped drinking. Could any or all of the meds be causing the swelling?
One of the side effects of Gabapentin (generic Neurontin) is swelling. I don't know of any sides related to the other meds you're taking. Wellbutrin (Bupropien) isn't known to cause problems with PN or RLS. In fact for PN it's used to treat symptoms and for RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) it's one of the few anti-depressants that don't worsen RLS symptoms as SSRI's often can and do. And please be aware that Prilosec and other drugs of that family can interfere with other meds. So you might want to take a look at drug interactions for what you're taking.

You've got a good start for supplements known to help PN. Here's what I take daily:
B-12 - 5mg (Methylcobalamine form rather than the more commonly found cyanocobalamine)
Super B complex
Both B's are taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach for max absorption.
Fish oil caps, 3xdaily with food.
Vit E - 400 IU
Vit D - 400 IU
Vit C - 1000 mg twice a day.
SlowMag - 2 a day with food
Folic Acid - 400 mcq (A total of 800 a day, the Super B contains an additional 400)

Given by or told to take by Doctor:
Niacin - no flush - 1000mg's at bedtime for cholesterol.
81mg baby aspirin 30 minutes before the Niacin.
Mirapex 0.125 mgs - an hour to two hours before bed. (For Restless Leg Syndrome)
Zyrtec - 1 tab in the evening for idiopathic itching.
Tramadol - 25 mg's as needed for PN pain.

I'm going to be adding some more supplements that can be found in the second listing of stickies...at least I think that's where it's found. The stickies at the top of this forum are a great place to do some research. Also, Rose has a page that's listed in the stickies for B-12. Very good information there and reading Rose's site is what got me on the road to healing.

I couldn't take Gabapentin for three reasons, the biggest is it made me suicidal, I bloated and swelled and felt like crap and it also depletes B-12 causing my pain to get worse which in turn led to an increase of Gabapentin which made things worse...started a vicious circle.

For many people Gabapentin controls the PN pain very well. I was just one of the weirdo's that had problems with it. Tramadol works very well and has a very low risk of dependence.

Congrats on giving up the drinking!
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Old 04-27-2008, 12:51 PM #9
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Default Alcohol

I haven't had a drink in 5 years and my Doctor thinks my Neuropathy could be alcohol even though my symptoms just began a few months ago.
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Old 04-27-2008, 01:50 PM #10
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Arrow doctors

will jump on anything ANYTHING you say, to give a reason for your PN, even if it is WRONG, OLD info, or whatever.

They are desperate to label...that is what they are taught...label...label.
If you are diabetic, they will look no further either.

I believe that anyone with alcohol in the past or present, and you don't have to be an alcoholic or binge drinker, may have errors in the metabolic pathway
alcohol and some drugs use (like Flagyl) which lead to aldehyde buildup and
toxicity to the nerves. That pathway detoxes all the chemicals you consume with an ---OH on the end...these are all called alcohols. Ethanol that you drink is only one type we are exposed to. They are turned into aldehydes which if those build up can be very
toxic.

So taking thiamine (or the more efficient benfotiamine) to boost this pathway, often helps.

Keep in mind the new info on formaldehyde (this is an aldehyde) and its new implication for causing ALS.
Formaldehyde is found in new homes in high amounts. And it is also metabolized thru those pathways like alcohol.
Alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases use thiamine as a cofactor.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.js...81474977326987

This new information is pretty scary, IMO
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