A little update
 

Hey folks! Those who follow the thread in the alcohol section know that I have been sober for 780 days now, so I thought it was a good time to update on my PN status.

Most of the previous year had gone by on a pink cloud until about December, when there was more worrying, stress, and yes... more pain.

Incidentally, one thing I learned last year is that anorexia is a real thing - as I have experienced the beginning of it myself. Even though my weight had gone down from 128 to 91kg - and I started to look pretty skinny - I still *felt* like a fat person. Sure, I could somehow see in the mirror I wasn't, but it was like I almost didn't believe what I saw, and kept thinking "I need to lose weight." Pretty weird. My wife also started to comment that it was over the top, so now I've gone up a bit to 98kg (6'7")

Anyway, since then my PN has gone up and down in such a way that it would have been impossible to answer "did it get better?". Some days I would have said "sure, it's gone!", other days I was feeling like it was getting worse again. But overall - and this is only in hindsight - it did continue to improve, but just not in a straight line. Some weeks there were a lot of cramps (like really painful ones), some weeks I almost forgot I had PN.

However, a week ago I hurt my back by misstepping of the stairs. I thought I was at the last tred, I wasn't, and you can guess the rest. It compressed my spine (L4-L5) and after a few hours both my legs were "sleeping" again. I instantly remembered the feeling: that's how my PN got started back in 2010.

Although not as bad as then, back were the sensations like someone was pulling my big toes with pliers, some light burning, feeling heavy as a brick... so I guess I wasn't imagining that the two were connected after all: alcohol abuse had weakened my nerve endings, and the back problem was the "trigger" that set the other pains in motion in 2010.

However, this time the symptoms are much less (phew...*), and after 20 minutes on a torsion device (in which you kinda hang upside down by your ankles, gently decompressing your spine), the next morning, the "sleeping" feeling was mostly gone, as was most of the returned PN pain. I'll have to do a few more sessions, and hopefully I'll be back on the path of PN recovery - although at this point I doubt that there is such a thing as full recovery from PN: it will always be a vulnerable area.

*needless to say I literally got nauseous thinking the full blown thing was back... which causes stress... which caused more pain... and then I snapped out of that, which helped a lot.

This was such a good post! thank you for writing this. I must get myself a torsion machine? Is that what it's called? Anyways I am glad you are doing better.

aussie:)

Thanks Aussie. I'm not sure if it's a device you can fit in your room - unless you have a very large house.

It's a table where you stand against, and is then flipped upside down, so you are facing down at an angle of about 30 to 40% (estimate). Your ankles are strapped in, and your body is laying on a rest that is on rollers. You then relax and automatically your body starts "rolling" a few mm downwards due to gravity, thus gently stretching your spine/discs. You do this for 20 minutes a time, and 2 to 3 times a week. After that, it is adviced to walk around/stay busy.

I'm also not sure you can unstrap yourself, so it might be a bit awkward. :D Also, while it doesn't hurt in your back (much), it does hurt your ankles, especially if you have PN, because most of your weight is held by them.

Did you use vitamins/medication ?
 

Hi Wide-O , **
Just wondered what vitamins and medication you took for your PN ?!
Hope you are well !

Welcome Paininfoot. :Tip-Hat:

Thank you Kitt
 

Hi everyone (I posted this elsewhere - sorry for repost ! )
I am a 52 year old woman who used to have a 2 bottle of wine a day habit . I stopped for five months in 2013 but resumed little by little in 2014. Over the last two months I have had an EXCRUCIATING in my right foot and tingling/ twinges in my other foot and hands . I have had all the tests under the sun ( blood tests, brain and spine MRI, foot mri, nerve conduction tests ) and all were normal. The neurologist says he doesn't know what it is. The GP however is convinced it is related to my drinking .. And frankly, so am I . he says it is related to historical not current levels of alcohol consumption which have harmed my nerves . I am on Gabapentin which certainly calms the pain and Diclofenac . I have drunk wine sporadically over the last two months (c 10 days out of each month but binging on each occasion) . I realise now I need a loooong period without alcohol and in fact to stop completely . I am therefore on day 3 of no alcohol. I was wondering if this awful , frightening pain goes away and how long it takes . I am very scared. Is alcoholic neuropathy reversible ???
I look forward to hearing from you .
Take care

Anyone know the answer?
 

Please reply - will this alcoholic neuropathy i have had for two months ever go away ??
I am desperate to know !
Thanks

Hi Paininfoot, welcome.

Unfortunately, there are no definitive answers because there are so many variables. Abstention is your best bet along with proper nutrition & supplements (mostly B vitamins--thiamine & methyl B12).

See also:

alcoholic neuropathy prognosis reversible

Doc