Alcoholic neuropathy - panicking
 

Hi!

I'm a 27 year old male and I've never considered myself an alcoholic but I've definitely been a problem drinker on and off. These past few months I've been drinking twice a week, not to the point of blacking out or anything, but I've been drinking quite a lot. I had hangovers that lasted 2-3 days but that didn't deter me from drinking. Last friday I drank at a club with my friends and it got a bit out of hand. Following this, I had a hangover for a week and on the eighth day I started feeling tingling in my feet and numbness in my hands along with tremors. This affected my balance and I felt "round" underneath my feet. This alone made me vow to stop drinking entirely and I think I'll be able to do that, but I'm worried about permanent damage to my nerves and that this will last forever. I went to the hospital and got a vitamin B1 injection. I've read that alcoholic neuropathy is reversible if caught early and the alcohol intake is ceased but I'm scared to death that this will last a life time. I'm now taking vitamin B supplements daily and I'm on day 10 since my last drink. My balance is slightly improved but the tingling is still there.

Anyone here have experience with alcoholic neuropathy? Did you recover? How much were you drinking before? How old are you?

Please tell me there's a chance my body recovers. This has been a real wake up call. I'm never drinking again. I know what's at stake now.

Grateful for replies!

Welcome,
I moved your post here to the PN forum.
Explore the sticky threads above and past posts or use our site search to find specific topics. Also near bottom of page is related topic threads to check out..

Hey Jaybot,

At 27 you have every chance of making a full recovery. There is a period after ceasing alcohol where the body, symptoms wise, appears to make no progress. This is common in toxic neuropathies and known as coasting. It can even feel like things are getting worse. Typically it takes thirty days to see any progress. The liver may be ridding itself of toxins so eat plenty of fruit and veg, rich in anti oxidants and/or supplements like Triphala or Grape Seed Extract [sorry Caroline]

Your questions are irrelevant in the sense that it depends on the sensitivity of the individual to alcohol as a neurotoxin. Some get PN after one drink. Alcoholics may never experience PN.

Set yourself a 1 month or 3 month challenge to do everything you can to get better. Eat an optimum diet. Take the optimum supplements. ( Don't overdo B6 - that can cause neuropathy) Exercise. Drink water. Those hangovers suggest dehydration. Meditate. The body is a great healer. Give it every chance do to its job.

Best wishes,

Atty

Please don't panic! Stress is not good for neuropathy. Please read my story here:
https://www.neurotalk.org/new-member...ighlight=cured

Although I am now experiencing a setback, but things are way better than last year. I am 50 and have been drinking way more than you have.

The tingling will probably go, it takes time and good diet. It can take weeks, months, but every week or month will be better than the last one. You have a good chance!

Don't give up and don't drink!

Welcome Jaybot95. :welcome_sign:

Thank you Atty, this was really encouraging. I've set a mental horizon of 3 months during which I shall live sober, take vitamins and exercise and try not to worry about the symptoms. I have hope that I will see improvements by then. I will never drink again, that's for sure. This was an eye opener.

Thank you! This was encouraging. I read your story and I am inspired. Here's to complete recovery for the both of us!

Hey Jaybot95

What would be really good is if you could send us updates and share things you have learned along the way.

Good luck,

Atty

Hi Jaybot,
Welcome to the NeuroTalk Support Groups.

If you can, please check out the information in the

https://www.neurotalk.org/alcoholism...-and-recovery/

forum here. There's a wealth of information and very helpful and courageous people there to give advice.
take care.

Hi guys!

So it's 16 days since my last drink and 8 days since I first started having symptoms. My worry has been on peaks and in valleys but today I can confidently say that I feel a change. The tingling and pain in my feet have lessened. Now they're mostly just cold.

I took a walk, about 3 miles and I felt slightly uncomfortable but it wasn't like walking on pillows anymore, but rather, my leg muscles felt weak.

Instead of going out to the club with my university mates, I went out to the countryside to my mum's cottage. I do confess that I felt like going out drinking, that I was missing out on something, but I realized I was in the best place I could be considering the circumstances. In the future, I will go out with my mates without drinking.

I will update you further on my journey to recovery later.

Stay blessed!