Alcohol induced neuropathy
 

I have small fiber neuropathy and my docs are trying to determine whether the cause is alcohol or impaired glucose tolerance. For three years I drank two and sometimes three glasses of red wine a day. Is this enough to cause neuropathy does anyone know? Also, are there any members of this forum who have recovered from ETOH-induced neuropathy? If so, how long did it take?

If people believe alcohol is a culprit, a trial of thiamine B1 may be helpful. Some people have dehydrogenase enzyme errors, which allow aldehydes to build up in the body.(poor alcohol metabolism)

There is a more efficient form of thiamine now, called Benfotiamine. It has been used in PN for many years now and has come down in price. Typically 300mg a day to start, and you may reduce to 150mg after some progress if it works.
Many of us use iherb.com for our supplements. Benfotiamine is typically not available in stores locally.
example:
http://www.iherb.com/Doctor-s-Best-B...e-Caps/42?at=0


The plain old thiamine is less expensive, but it is eliminated from the body quickly. 300mg a day in divided doses, may show you some improvement. Try this for a month and see what happens. You should feel some improvement to clue you to continue.

two drinks a day also
 

could 2 drinks of light beer make my feet burn like this really!I hope I'm in the right place to post this as i'm new.But your message got me wondering if this could be part of my foot problem.

It could depending on your genetics. Some people do not metabolize alcohol well.

Some people with PN can have occasional drinks, and other can't...it is all very personally determined in the body.

Nice info mrsD, thanks.

Alcohol is exactly the reason I am here. I have developed slight numbness in the front of my feet and numbness along the area that the Ulnar nerve deals with.

I have since stopped drinking and I am awaiting my methycobalmin arriving so that I can start taking it with bonfotiamine on Monday.

I will keep this thread posted on my results. :)

Well I am back 7 weeks later, and what an improvement! :eek:

When I last saw the 'hand specialist' they wanted to see if they could rush me into surgery because very soon I would not be able to make a fist. :eek:

I had never even thought of this (I am a lover not a fighter! :D) and it took ages for me to make a VERY weak fist. When I managed to make it, my medial nerve screamed out in agony. :(

Well last night I tried again... holey moley - what a change! :eek: Straight into a tight fist you could hit a punch bag with, (and my wee pinky finger moved with all the rest into a tight ball)

My medial nerve didn't even blink an eye! :hug:

Tomorrow I have been invited to answer questions at the 'The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh' as well! Scary stuff!

Long may it continue... more updates along the way! w00tage. :wink:

I know I have hijacked this thread, would you like me to start a separate one?

Quick update, if this gives anyone a bit more hope....

Since the last post the fingers in my left hand are now starting to straighten on their own and the feeling is coming back.

My right that was completely numb down one side but now has COMPLETELY regenerated it's nerves and it 100% good as new! :eek:

I couldn't believe it, bear in mind I have had no surgery to either arm yet!

Methycobalamin and Benfotiamine are miracle workers. I have to stay away from alcohol though as that reverses all the good progress in the blink of an eye.

The long and short of it is that I was pretty depressed about it originally, but now I feel feel positive and I am not just going to lye down and take a beating.

Keep positive folks and have faith in your bodies ability to heal. :sunchair:

Hello,

I am new to this forum, but not a stranger to forums, so I hope that I can get some feedback on my situation.

I am an alcoholic, currently 201 days sober, and I feel great. I have been drinking pretty much daily for 20+ years. BUT, here is the thing, about 2 years ago I was drinking very heavily, triggered mostly by losing my job,a divorce and then moving to a different state to escape. A gallon a day was not uncommon and I slowly started to lose feeling in my legs (numbness, weakness). I brushed it off. I continued to drink and I got to the point where I could not walk on my own. I put myself in a wheelchair.

6 months later I wound up in jail after a binge. Well, 87 days ala the state and then 3 months in a hostel, I am back on my own.

So, I am now walking with a cane and am quite mobile, but I am not near what people call 'normal'. My legs are still "weak" and if I walk on my own I have trouble with balance and my legs feel "heavy" at times.

This all points to Alcoholic Neuropathy and unfortunately I fit the symptoms.

SO, to my point, and question. I am NOT looking for sympathy, I am looking to better my life. I have been taking B12 for about 3 months and I dont know if its helped or not. The one Doctor I visited was no help at all, he claimed it was low potassium.

So, I came across this forum and also a product called 'Neuropathy Support Formula'......

Does anybody have any REAL words to say about it? Does it help a drunk (albeit sober) like me get back to some normality?

Are there any other tips or tricks that may benefit me in some way?

Thanks for any help,

Icehouse

OK....found a thread on the 'NSF' product......

Still would like some info as it pertains to alcoholism though....

The Benfotiamine is the most helpful for the people who cannot tolerate alcohol, or who drink heavily. B1 is the cofactor used in alcohol metabolism and safe clearance from the body. High levels of alcohol are poisonous, and damaging.

Being in jail I would expect poor diet too.
Drinking heavily for a long time, leads to vitamin deficiencies in most people. That is why alcohol withdrawal treatments often include a B-complex.

Benfotiamine is a special better form of B1 thiamine.

My objections are that with the formula you ask about are:
1) they don't instruct you to take on an empty stomach which you should.

2) it is a fixed combo which you cannot change doses of the individual ingredients to meet your own needs.

3) it is expensive. If it works you cannot determine which ingredient is being the most helpful for YOU. Each person is different and you may not need all that is in there.

Most people with alcoholic neuropathies recover after they stop drinking. You have to however, provide a good diet, high in nutrients and antioxidants to see improvements. Eating junk food or high sugar high starch fast food, will not heal you up and provide success. People who are avoiding alcohol because of previous heavy use tend to
crave sugar and carbs...to keep the same blood sugar levels.
Chocolate is often substituted for alcohol. But donuts, and cookies can also be tempting. You have to watch that.

Thanks mrsD..

I think I will spend a little time researching the ingredients of the NSF product and then combing through all the info I can find of the individual ingredients and then trying to determine what has worked for others similiar to me.

As far as diet, fortunately for me, I am not a sweet eater at all. I do like the occasional chocolate bar but its a take it or leave it issue for me.

I do eat well and walk a couple miles a day when its nice out. But, I am looking for a vitamin supplement to replenish and\or rebuild the 'stuff' I have lost over years of drinking.

No where to go but up from here...

Do you know your A1C levels? This is a predictor to determine
if you need help with blood sugars during the day.

R-lipoic acid is very effective (and not in the supplement you asked about in the best form). If you have some beginning
diabetic issues, R-lipoic STABILIZED form (also called NaRALA)
can help. Take one an empty stomach. 2mos supply at one a day.
http://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-S...9848484&sr=1-1


But for you and the drinking history, I'd do at least 300mg of Benfotiamine daily to start. This helps with the thiamine problem. 2 mos supply at 2 a day.
http://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-B...9848441&sr=1-2

A good Bcomplex to start is easy to find.
This is one:
http://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formula...9848314&sr=8-1
This one is affordable, has methylB12, and a good formula 50 to 100 days supply

You can also take a generic Centrum Senior for savings too.
That has all the other vits and minerals without iron.

That is the nucleus for alcohol induced neuropathy. Your diet should have EFAs in it --omega-3's from salmon and flax, canola oil, walnuts. Some smart foods have Omega-3's added as well as some eggs now. Some almonds for magnesium,
and this is a good start for you.

You can leave off the R-lipoic until you see how the rest work, in a month or two. You can add it in later if you like.
This is the typical diet given to recovering alcohol excessive users.

Amazon has free shipping for $25 which is the lowest I've seen yet for quality supplements. I am buying most of mine now there as well.

No, I don't....but I will look into it as Diabetes does run in my family but I don't have the "normal" symptoms....

I have saved the list of vitamins you mentioned in my amazon wish list...thanks for the info, you have been great so far mrsD!!

I have thought about the Bcomplex vitamins when I started taking the B12, so thats a definite on my list.

Hey! What are you trying to say? I am only 38!! :D

I will still keep doing some research but this is a great start...I am a total noob to vitamins and such, never taken much in my entire life, I dont even take aspirin!

So, thanks again.....I will let the board know what I purchase and the results....

Ok, update. I did some more research and ran the info past a RN friend of mine too and I bought the following for an initial testing.

Centrum Men Under 50, Multivitamin, 200-Count Bottle
Doctor's Best Benfotiamine (150 mg), Vegetable Capsules, 120-Count
Jarrow Formulations Jarrow B-right Complex, 100 Capsules

As posted here and with a second opinion, it is a good start to getting myself back on track - healthwise - from what is considered Alcoholic Neuropathy.....

I will post weekly reports on if the above make a difference in my daily well-being. I have not bought the R-Lipoic yet, but I will add that if needed.

Merci!

Month one down. Overall I feel better and have noticed minor improvements at this point. I only use my cane if I leave the house now, I am taking the stairs a few times a day and have managed to carry large objects without a fear of falling on my ***. So, for me its a big step, but for most its just life as normal. I know.

I dont have the "drunk" feeling I normally would get if I stood too quickly or exerted myself too much.

With a decent diet (not great) and walking a couple miles a day even with the cane, I am getting slowly better.

So, IN MY CASE, diet, moderate exercise and ZERO alcohol (242 days) and a daily vitamin regiment is helping me get back to normal.

One day at a time, as they say.

I will report back May 1 unless something great happens... :D

Month 2 down.

Still sober @ 272 days, been on the vitamins religiously and I can say that I am feeling better steadily. I have been only using the cane when I leave the house and I have found that I 'carry' the cane every so often and walk without it.

Now, here is the kicker, the good part. I have a client in Oregon that refuses to shop at big box stores so she offered me a $200 giftcard to Walmart in exchange for some IT work. I took it and went shopping. I am now the owner of a brand new 18spd mountain bike that I ride about 3-5 miles a day. Now, I live in the Blue Ridge Mts so finding a flat straight road is like a needle in a haystack...:D...but I ride around my neighbourhood and up to the main street for shopping. Its tough on the legs for sure, but my balance is improving and I have pretty much lost that 'drunk' feeling when trying to walk. Its kinda nice.

So, to recap, good diet, moderate exercise and ABSTINENCE is absolutely working for me to beat "Alcoholic Neuropathy". Slowly but steadily.

Thanks again MrsD ;)

I am happy for you that you are feeling so much better.

Keep it up! ;)

:):):):)

judi

Minor Update. Perhaps I should have my own thread :p

I have started to walk without the use of the cane. Mind you, not any long distance, but sometimes up to a half mile. Now, I know that does not sound like a lot, but it is! What I do is when I am on my normal day to day activity I just hold the cane to my side horizontally and walk "normal". I do this daily now and I am getting more confident.

See, its true, if ya have a problem with the drink, just stop and things do get better, I am proof of that. BUT, I tell ya, I have been through some pretty tough stuff in my short life and abstaining from alcohol has been the hardest thing I have ever encountered.

It does not have to be the end.

Month 3 down on vitamin regime - check
10 months sober (tomorrow) - check
walking unassisted - check

Sobriety sucks, but its so worth it.

Thanks for the great news and update!

Keep it up! ;)

Rewiring your brain - check - :cool:

judi

11 months sober yesterday.
Cane use about 25% of the time.
Working FT at a Christian Foundation (IT grunt)

Can I complain? Absolutely not.

:cool:

<- One Year Sober
 

Well, I did it. I am one year sober today, going to hit a Celebrate Recovery meeting and have dinner at the local sushi joint...sans le saki.

:D

Its been hard, real hard, but I can say that it really does get easier and its the best thing I have done in 39 years....if I can do it, you can do it.

I am walking without the cane almost everywhere, still have trouble with anything over a couple miles and stairs are still a little sketchy, but it sure beats the wheelchair.....

:popcom:

Happy belated birthday, did you get a candle on your raw fish?

Best wishes for another year.

judi

Wouldn't fit...:D

13 months sober -check
Forgetting to use the cane - priceless

congrats on a full year ICEHOUSE!! way to go!

426 days sober.
Feel great.
Back to FT work.
Get my license back in 3 weeks.

Life is good.

Moral of the story? Stay off the booze if you cant handle it and life will improve.

You are an inspiration to many readers here on NT.

I am so happy for you. I link to this thread for new members who might profit from your courage and dedication to your health.

Are you going to Haiti? I'm happy life is good for you even though you do laugh at my rudimentary computer skills. :o

judi

Yep, most likely over Christmas, still have to renew my CDN passport from within the US..thats a 4 week process.

Woohoo!
 

Premature update.

I have not used my cane in a week. :D

I found myself forgetting it occasionally, then I would leave it in a friends car, then all of a sudden, its been a week.

Maybe I dont need it as much as I thought.

458 days sober.
I think I am done with the cane, its been over 2 weeks.
Still on the "mrsD" approved vitamin regime plus a 989 daily.
Who is happy? <hand up>

:Talkative:

This is wonderful.... I am so happy for you!

486 days sober - check
license to drive - check

You know, the only reason I still post these is on the hope that I will save one life from the demise of alcohol. If all it takes is for one person to read this and put a bottle down I have done my job.

So, to that person, I CHALLENGE you to beat my record....can you do it?

Its not for me, its for YOU....

500 days sober, cane is collecting dust.....

I remember when you first came and things still looked a little dark. You really have done great.

judi

p.s.Got wireless, woo! hoo!

518 days sober. Conquered New Years by not going out to the bars, or parties, just me the cat and a 2litre of Sierra Mist.

Woohoo!

We spent New Year's with our 2 black kitties too! LOL ;)