Alcohol
 

I've had peripheral neuropathy (idiopathic) for the past 13 years, but diagnosed only about 9 years ago. It started in my feet, and about 9 years ago started in my fingertips. It reached a plateau around 2008 and has not worsened. I've been on on all the usual suspects - the side effects were worse than the pain, or the meds did nothing at all.

Two things help - Tramacet, and alcohol. I do not want to become an alcoholic... but has anyone ever noticed a DRASTIC improvement while drinking? Two or three drinks is the equivalent of two Tramacet 37.5/325mg. My 'recovery period' is always the same regardless. IE - If I take meds (or drink) and I'm on my feet a full day, the following day is full of extra tender feet, far more pain and occasional burning. The day after that I'm back to my normal levels of pain. Thoughts?

My thoughts (lucky you:))
 

Alcohol is toxic to nerves. It will not help your condition whether it is the result of alcohol use or not and certainly not long term.

Alcohol definitely deadens pain. Nerve, muscle or otherwise. The problem with it and PN is that it can do further damage that may or may not be repaired by the body. No one knows how much or how little it takes to make matters worse. Everyone is so different, but anything that gives me more pain the following day, is concerning and a trigger that is best for me to avoid.

For a CMTer alcohol was removed from the neurotoxic drug list in 2004. Mild consumption will not hurt. However, a CMTer has to realize that it could affect their balance and coordination which already is compromised. This is for CMTers.

Self-medicating with alcohol—or anything else—can be a very slippery slope. Eventually, two or three drinks will turn into three or four (tolerance), then four or five.... Or combining alcohol with the tramacet is a very bad idea. Tramacet is tramadol with acetaminophen (Tylenol, APAP, paracetamol). Mixing alcohol with tramadol is bad enough, but mixing acetaminophen with alcohol alone does a double whammy on your liver & kidneys.

The effect of alcohol on your PN may be a worthwhile observation, but one I would share/discuss with your doctor, who may have some ideas about better (safer) alternatives.

Doc

I'm not self-medicating with alcohol. I only drink twice a year (Halloween and Xmas) but was curious as to thoughts on whether or not it would cause damage. My doctor was curious that it helped but offered nothing else. I do not have alcoholic neuropathy but I see what you're saying - it's certainly not going to help in the long run. Yes, I'm aware of what Tramacet and Tramodol are. I think I've been misunderstood - I'm not looking for an excuse to drink, but from the sounds of it I'm not going to do any damage with the amount of drinking I do.

It used to be thought that the alcohol if used moderately or lightly was not harmful.

But new studies are turning up to show DNA damage from any alcohol:

http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/01...dna/64002.html

With the nervous system, you may not feel much damage initially because there is a cushion built into the system. As that cushion erodes daily from environmental assaults, eventually people begin to feel the consequences over a long period of time, and cannot pinpoint the real cause because it is so slow.

As a species humans have only been living past 40 yrs for only 100 yrs now. So damage would have been mostly unnoticed because death would have occurred before nerve damage became apparent. Our life span has doubled in a very short time evolutionarily speaking.

Alcohol is metabolized slowly after being swallowed. It is the byproducts of metabolism that cause the damage also in their own way, and the discomfort the next day. Aldehydes are the main by product and they are not good for our tissues.
So it is both issues, the byproducts, and the alcohol itself that are factors to consider. And for those who drink beer or wine or dark spirits, there are chemicals called congeners in them which cloud the issue. Also sulfites in beer and wine cause symptoms in some people. So it is pretty complicated and not just the alcohol.

Hi Marty,
I do think you may have been misunderstood. I think what your asking is if anyone ever drank a few drinks and noticed they couldn't feel the pain.

My answer, if that is the question, is yes. In the past I have had a few drinks and realized I didn't feel the pain. I believe alcohol is a CNS depressant. That may be why.

The problem for me was the next days pain. For me it was not worth the few drinks.

I too find that alcohol helps a little. On really bad nights when I'm having trouble getting the pain in check, I'll have a shot of something, Cognac usually.

It does tend to take the edge of the pain and give me a good night's sleep.

However, lately I've become a cheap drunk. I rarely drink (other than those shots to sleep). Years ago I'd have wine with the evening meal. But, a few nights ago I tried a glass of wine with my meal and was so sick!! It was like I'd completely skipped the good drunk feeling part and gone straight to the "ohhh I feel so sick" part. Laying down wishing I'd never had that wine, and about an hour later was fine again.

Point being. Seems to be some alcohol is ok for me, others are awful! Both taken within hours of Tramadol. *shrugs*

I guess my body has acquired expensive taste! lol

Sorry about that; no offense intended. I'm misunderstood/misconstrued quite often here, myself. :Dunno: I chalk it up to the inadequacies of the medium, but it is the only game in town. :wink:

As for damage, I don't know, but you asked for thoughts, and I tend to err on the side of caution. Perusing the articles/studies regarding acetaminophen & alcohol, it's being found that while either used alone in moderation may be ok, combining the two with even "small doses" of acetaminophen or "light amounts" of alcohol may be enough to instigate damage. It's the mixture.

I can't take NSAIDs, so when I began taking acetaminophen for chronic pain (many years ago—long before PN), I did 2 things:

1. I began taking NAC daily to mitigate damage to my liver & kidneys.
   (and I recommend this to anyone who takes acetaminophen—or meds containing it—e.g. Percocet, Tramacet, etc.—daily)
2. I stopped drinking alcohol—haven't touched it in ~10 years.

Doc