alcoholic neuropathy
 

hello to all that may read this. i was told i have alcoholic neuropathy. iam only 30 years old. my symtoms are, walking on lumps, which makes it diffcult and uncomfortable for me to walk, stand,shower, anything that involves using my feet is uncomfortable. the doctor says i consumed so much alcohol and the lack of b-12 caused me to have alcoholic neuropathy. i'am married but seperated. i have two boys, they are 9 and 3. its sometimes diffcult for me take care of them, but by the grace of GOD, i have been making it. the doctor said for me to take b-12 vitamins. they help a little. my feet aren't as cold as they were. but i have to were certain types of shoes. i can't where heels, they have to be flat wide shoes. i sometimes get depressed because i'am so young and my children depend on me. if there is anyone out there that has what i have or have any type of neuropthy, plwase share some info with me, or perhaps your story. i feel so alone in this battle. i'am also new to this site.

Hello mizz mg
 

I'm sorry you are having such struggles, but you are reaching out for help - - this is GOOD !
You will be AMAZED as you begin digging around here!
You've come upon a 'Goldmine' of knowledge and caring people here!

If you look at the top of this page, you'll see a special section of posts called 'stickies'.......there is one especially on B12 information..... I'd encourage you to just start reading there and soon you'll be getting replies from very caring and well-informed people ...... I'm glad you found us !

You'll soon see that you are certainly NOT alone in this 'battle'!

:hug:
Rae

Welcome
 

Hi mizz mg: I am so sorry to hear that you are dealing with neuropathy at such a young age. You will be so glad you found this forum. I found it not long ago myself, and am very glad I did. The people are truly caring and supportive, and I have learned a great deal. So will you.

Are you receiving anything to help with the pain? Did your doctor also check for B6 deficiency? It is rare, but can also contribute to neuropathy. I found out last year that I have a B6 deficiency. Mine is most likely caused by malabsorption from IBS, but I remember reading that it can also be caused by alcohol. I'm taking 200 mg daily and feeling a lot better.

And, more recently a Vitamin D deficiency was found. mrsD has a great post about Vitamin D deficiency, which is more common than you would think, and can also contribute to neuropathy. Here is the link to mrsD's thread:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread115722.html

Again, welcome. You've come to the right place.

also to be considered is thiamine....which is what is usually supplemented in alcholics....it is one of the B vits....and the "newer" version, fat soluble, seems to have a better effect...benfotiamine....doubt you will find it at your local store, you will need to find it on line....and the better you can make your diet, the better.

Yes, pabb is correct. B12 is not the only thing you need.

I hope you are using methyl form and not cyano for the B12.

Typically in an alcoholic, there are other things low as well.
The usual treatment involves the whole Bcomplex, and high dose thiamine. Another nutrient lost with heavy alcohol use is magnesium.

I would make sure you are taking a B-50mg complex, 300mg of thiamine in divided doses or the newer benfotiamine, and a quality magnesium supplement:
Do not choose magnesium oxide, which is not absorbed.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1138.html
People who consume high amounts of alcohol and/or caffeine during the day lose magnesium thru the urine.

If you were an alcoholic and not eating properly, you may be low in nutrients, like protein, and essential fatty acids. So those have to be provided for your nervous system and bones.

alcoholic neuropathy
 

thanks to all who have responded, iam taking b-12, however i may not be taking enough doseage. but i'm on two kinds of b-12. i do have some questions, i'm a smoker, does smoking make neuropathy worst? is neuropathy permant? i don't have health insurance and when i tried to get it, i got turned down due to the neuropathy. so i've had to pay out of pocket to see a doctor. can someone give me some tips or advice?

Yes! Smoking does make neuropathy worse, in fact smoking is one of the causes of neuropathy.

Have a look at this article, and check out the ones on the right as well. I'm sure you'll find some good info there. http://www.smallfiberneuropathy.net/...er-neuropathy/

mrs D, i'am in fact using b12 as cyano. so i should stop using that form and use the methyl?

SAVE all your diagnostic paperwork! I'm not keeping up with the political hullabaloo much, but the healthcare issue is (surprisingly) moving right along.....and even though you are currently being denied as a 'pre-existing condition', if you apply ASAP with your state healthcare aide, there's a chance your denials might get reconsideration.

Here's a recent thread on the healthcare bill being passed

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread117301.html

Not sure how it works in other states, but in my area, by applying for Medicaid, they are notoriously SLOW with the paperwork, but I've seen many cases where, once approved, Medicaid will backdate your coverage for up to a year and re-consider claims for reimbursement.

Not to get your hopes up, but if there's a slight chance, I'd go for it. Don't put it off!

i never heard of smoking causing pn before.

As Rrae stated, most all states have an insurance fund for the "uninsurable"; and each state sets their own eligibility criteria. Some states have very restrictive criteria, but NC's appears to be rather flexible. Their rates look high, but they are comparable to other states, and they do offer financial assistance.

You can check it out here:

http://nchirp.org/cost.htm

The jury is still out--
 

--on whether the substances in cigarettes and such are directly neurotoxic.

However, they can certainly exacerbate already exisiting neuropathy by contributing to vascular inusfficiency (circulation breakdown). This is the prime mechanism in diabetic neuorpathy and some others--the nerves are starved for nutrients and accumulate toxins, which are normally transported away, and wind up malfunctioning.

Hi mizz mg, the good news is that the peripheral nerves do have the ability to regenerate once the cause/s of the nerve damage have been taken away, healing is a very slow process but certainly not impossible.

best of luck to you.
Brian :)

Hey,

Are you still drinking? ANY alcohol at this point is going to further damage your nerves. You must stop drinking. Look in your local phone book for a listing for Alcoholics Anonymous. Call them and someone can help you. You must do this, as it will only get worse....I've been there.....

Ann

It doesn't cause PN !
But Glenn is very knowledgeable, and his take on it
should be considered

Hello,
Being a smoker for over 50 years I have seen in a laboratory setting the capillaries constrict due to the action of nicotine, its almost the same as putting your hand over the wind pipe and impeding the flow of oxygen. Most of us smokers don't get the message until our first heart attack.

Or worse, sometimes.

In holland there is a neuropathie center that uses acapuncture and supplements
i have seen a youtube movie of a ex-alcoholist that was threated.
His simptomes where numm feet and the feeling like walking pillows
The first 5 or 6 threadments this guys didnt feel much but after the nummnes disapeard and he began to feel his feet agian,in hs own word it was a big changes
I can post the video but none of you would be able to understand dutch

I feel what you have to go true battling this disease in my case its still not sure what its casing my problems.
I suspect it is alcohol case even if my b12 level was good but having symtomes that are typical for a b12 shortes
Or the use of a medicine like dapsone

I empathise with you. I was also very young when I got neuropathy. I was only 32. I had a severe case which also effected my autonomic system to some extent.

One thing that someone said a long time ago that is so true with dealing with neuropathy is that nerves heal so slowly, that neuropathy improvement is measured on a 6 month basis. While your nerves heal they will send screwed up signals that may make you think it's getting worse.
If you want my personal opinion, I agree with Glenntaj, your nerves are starved for nutrients and oxygen. Your smoking can only make things worse as you deliver over 1000 harmful chemicals straight into your blood stream.
By stopping smoking and taking the right supplements and nutrients to assist with healing you will be helping your nerves to heal.

The good news is that nerves can heal but they require alot of TLC.

Hi i have the same. According to dr wise young Alcoholic neuropathy is 100% reversible. You will need yo go to his website and search it. However it means you have to stop drinking for good, this is difficult and most dont stop but rather increase consumption to deal with the stress and its also good pain reliever but does and will make things much worse in time.

For b12 I would use 5g of Metylcobalamin a day.
For b1 I would chose Benfotiamine 200mg, 3 times a day.

Both don't need to be converted to be used by the body. Plus Benfotiamine is lipid based so excess can be stored. Thiamine is water stored, so too much and the body just flushes it out like an other water base vitamin.

I haver got neuropathy partly from alcohol consumption, so I definitely sympathise. Although my feet have a lose of sensitivity it my left hand that is starting to go 'claw like'. Guess which hand I write with! I am off to the specialist this Thursday, which will possibly lead to some form of surgery. Take care. :cool:

Do you have a link to Dr Wise's website please

There is a rule here about posting links to other health forums.
You can Google Dr. Wise Young yourself and his website will come up and you can go there that way.

But I have read his opinion about alcohol induced neuropathy, which is several years old. At that time there were no studies showing direct alcohol effects on nerves in the periphery. So Dr. Young's thoughts at the time were that neuropathy that occurs with alcohol may be due to low nutrient status, and when that is fixed, the neuropathy goes away.

Since then there has been a new study on rats to show alcohol does damage peripheral nerves.

Another thing is that some people cannot metabolize the aldehydes that result during the metabolism of alcohol, and it is this chemical attack that damages the nerves. That is why thiamine and benfotiamine are recommended now for alcohol consumption with PN. It it thought that Flagyl and Antabuse which use this pathway also cause neuropathy symptoms in some patients.

I think it is highly individualistic. Some people can drink and not get PN and others do. This has to be a genetic difference in the metabolism of alcohol controlled by genes.

My doctor suggested vitamin b and thyamine supplements and flooding my system with glucose(lucosade) - this didnt work for me as I am not alcoholic(just the daughter of a recovering one) but he said it helped his alcoholic patients.
Someone also said smoking makes this worse - it stands to reaon that the smoke in your system will stop oxygen getting to the extremities so will starve the nerves.
Good luck in your sobriety

Another study on alcoholic PN
to read more please go to
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1174146-overview

I posted this in another "cig and neuropathy" post

My wife has taken a "drag or 2" from our daughters cigs (she's 22), and it DOES NOT help her (at least). Can't speak for anybody else.

Cyclops is right in saying that addictive things are addictive for a reason. No matter what, cigs can cause your neuropathy to get worse.
My wifes docter told her straight as can be.."If you continue smoking, even a little here and there, you WILL lose your legs. Smoking is one of the major causes, or at least speeds up the damage to limbs, for people with diabetes and neuropathy"....this scared my wife into quitting finally.

We have been smoke free for a couple of years now and feel much better health wise also since quitting.

I wouldn't even attempt using cigs for pain control, whether it works or not.... :cool:

JMO:
Any foreign matter put into the body is going to cause some damage sooner or later.
Cigs contain cyanide...this can do serious damage to a body over long time usage, especially to an already weakened body from diabetes.

I did hear that neuropathy gets worse with smoking due to the circulation. I am so sorry you are dealing with this at such a young age. My husband is 43 and has alcoholic neuropathy. The sad thing is the pain is so severe on his feet he drinks to numb the pain. This all started in November 2009 but progressed very rapidly. I really hope I can get some support at this website. I did buy some supplements ** about a week ago. I really hope it works. He has an appointment on thursday with the top neurosurgeon. He was also taking lisinoprin for high blood pressure which we were told could cause the neuropathy and he stopped taking that about 5 days ago. thanks for your post

Hi Nide,
Thanks. My husband got the numbness on the bottom of his feet and toes November of 2009. the pain is so severe and he is only 43. How do you live with the pain every day? The doctor gives him xanax, and oxycodone and he takes so much of it, it is gone in 12 days instead of 30, just to relieve the pain. I really do not like to see him in that state (zombie). Also he still drinks to numb the pain. It is a horrible roller coaster. He drinks to numb the pain and what he is drinking is causing more damage. It is very very scary. He says he wants to quit though. So I am trying not to nag him. I told him this is his body, and he has to live with it everyday. He needs a lifestyle change. But it is his choice, and then I drop it. He drinks about 6 beers a day. It used to be a lot more, years ago.

Alcohol will only make the PN worse - permanently.
I know!!
He needs to see a PN specialist. a
A neurologist who specializes in treating neuropathy.
Many do not and are not equipped with the correct information,
nor are up to date on proper treatment.
(Do not expect to find one around the corner at your general neurologist's office.)
Only then will he get the proper medications to treat both his symptoms
and the pain.
Johns Hopkins, Jack Miller Center, Cornell - Weill, Mayo Clinics - are a few places that have PN specialist neuros to do this. There are others around the country.

Yiiiiikes!
 

Oh Monika

PLEASE get your husband whatever support he needs to get the wake up call!
XANAX + OPIOIDS + Alcohol = Disaster !

Is his Dr aware of his alcohol intake and still prescribing these meds?

If he doesn't do an 'accidental' OD, his liver will eventually fail.....he does NOT want to go that way!!

Can you get some 'backup' and do an 'intervention' ?

Frantically Praying,
Rae
:hug:

ABSOLUTELY! I really want to change my primary care doctor but every one keeps ranting and raving about what a good doctor he is. He is the one that prescribed those meds. We are putting so much faith in the doctor appointment I have tomorrow with the neurologist. He is supposed to be the senior neurologist. Does anyone have any suggestions on what we should ask? We really want to be prepared.
So far we are going to ask:
1. Does the lisinopril cause Peripheral Neuropathy
2. Did the antiboditics Cipro cause Peripheral Neuropathy
3. What other tests can we do? We have already done Liver blood panel, EMG and a cat scan.
4. what about other drugs like Cymbalta, tramodol.
5. What about the socks with the electric transmitters I see on the internet that is Medicare and FDA approved? Can insurance cover that?
6. Can we change his blood pressure meds from lisinopril to something else?
7. He still has slight skin itching, is that related to Peripheral Neuropathy?
8. Was the staph infection on his skin related to the Peripheral Neuropathy?
Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Thanks so much Monika


Thanks Monika

There is no evidence I could find that lisinopril or other ACE inhibitors cause PN. They can cause an increase in bradykinin, which may affect the skin, and is one cause of the "ACE cough"
Changing the blood pressure med would be up to the doctor.
Some people are allergic to ACE inhibitors, and most doctors will change it for that reason.

I answered your Cipro question on the other thread and gave a link.
Here is the wiki link for it...listing all the potential problems it can cause:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciprofloxacin

Cymbalta can affect the liver negatively. I would change to something else.

I can't say about the staph infection.

yes I did buy a nerve support supplement online. It was 50 dollars but he is taking everyday so that is good. It has a bunch of vitamins in it.

Ok, sorry I called the pharmacy he was taking cephalexin also known as keflex. would that antibiotic cause the NP?

No not likely. Keflex is very easy to tolerate.

Thanks so much what about doxycycline?

I really do not want my husband taking oxycontin. I hear so much about how addictive it is. Is this common, doctor's prescribing this drug for NP? Thanks so much Monika

also No, not likely on doxy, sorry.

Does he take cholesterol lowering medication? Statins?

I would start to investigate Lidoderm patches.
I have a thread here on placement.

Has he soaked in Epsom salts? Do they help?
There are cooling topical ointments/gels...like Biofreeze, which block burning sensations. They contain menthol.

I'm really not at liberty to make that judgement call, but feel compelled to suggest letting his Dr be aware of the alcohol.
Your husband 'may' be resentful about that, but the Drs REALLY need to be aware of it.
Your husband needs alot of support and HOPE. He needs to have a support system in helping him 'change gears' in how he is approaching his condition.
Right now, it's obvious he is 'numbing' himself to not feel the pain.
The pain is absolutely horrible........he needs to be in the hands of a doctor that understands PN, like the others here have stressed

You are getting some VERY good advice from everyone here....

My prayer is that your husband will open up to receiving the proper care and realise what a wonderful wife he has fighting for his life!
:hug: