This condition can be identified through blood tests, which can detect levels of essential nutrients in the body. If you or your loved one’s nutrient levels are very low, this may predict or otherwise explain why you are experiencing these symptoms. Additional testing of the kidneys, liver, upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and the nerves directly can also identify nerve problems. Seeking professional help is the best way to determine an appropriate treatment plan for both the nerve damage and alcohol use. Once a person has completed a medical detox program, additional treatment for neuropathy can be integrated into their recovery treatment plan.
Can alcohol cause pain in your feet?
Chronic alcohol consumption can have deleterious effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems. One of the most common adverse effects seen in patients with chronic alcohol use disorder is alcohol neuropathy. This commonly presents with pain, paresthesias, and ataxia in the distal lower extremities. The exact number of people affected by this condition is not known, but studies have shown that up to 66% of patients with chronic alcohol use disorder may have some form of the disease. The cause is multifactorial, from both nutritional deficiencies and alcohol metabolism’s direct toxic effects on neurons.
Causes and Symptoms
They get worse with more alcohol consumption, so if you stop drinking and seek professional medical attention, you can manage the symptoms of the disorder and potentially keep the nerve damage from worsening. We’ve all heard the devastating effects of alcohol dependence on the body and the mind. Cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, mouth and throat cancers, hepatitis – these are just some of this disorder’s risks. One of the lesser–known effects, however, is alcoholic neuropathy, a damaging of the nerve cells that can cause pain, burning sensations, numbness, and a variety of other problems as well. And as with most diseases, spotting the signs early is absolutely key to mitigating its harmful effects.
- Alcohol-related neuropathy is a condition caused by consuming large amounts of alcohol over a long period.
- About a year ago, T noticed that it became difficult for him to play guitar.
- Diabetes causes neuropathy because high levels of blood sugar cause nerve damage.
- The alcohol use itself is the most significant player in alcoholic polyneuropathy.
- Sufferers will often experience numbness, feelings of pins-and-needles, and possibly other sensations that can become extremely painful.
- ALN with thiamine deficiency was manifested as a variable mixture of these symptoms.
- If you are having difficulty avoiding alcohol, there are resources that can help you quit.
How to Prevent Alcoholic Neuropathy
Patients who have ALN might present such symptoms as cramps, impaired movement of the limbs, muscle atrophy, muscle weakness, spasms, or contractions, loss of sensation, or feeling of tingling. Besides, the gastrointestinal and urinary systems are also affected and include the presence of diarrhea, constipation, nausea, swallowing difficulties, abdominal bloating, and urinary retention. The key to a successful recovery is to seek on-time treatment. The sooner you recognize the condition, the easier it is to treat it.
- The cause is a diverse multifactorial process caused by damage by free radicals, the release of inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress.
- In order to diagnose ALN, usually, several tests are needed to be performed to provide a complete and reliable diagnosis.
- By Sarah Jividen, RNJividen is a freelance healthcare journalist.
- Alcohol causes neuropathy via multifactorial processes, many of which are still under investigation.
- A person can improve their outlook by significantly reducing or stopping their alcohol intake and ensuring that they are receiving the right balance of nutrients.
- The constant pain in the legs and arms will make it extremely difficult for people to function normally.
- While taking supplements can help you manage your deficiencies.
- They work to send signals throughout the central nervous system and the rest of the body.
If you stop consuming alcohol and work on your diet, you can achieve a full (or moderate) recovery. While taking supplements can help you manage your deficiencies. Here is how alcoholic neuropathy can affect your life, including viable treatment options. The only way to prevent alcoholic neuropathy is not to drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Impotence, diarrhea, constipation, or other symptoms are is alcoholic neuropathy dangerous treated when necessary.
Exams and Tests
Treatment will depend on the type, location, and severity of your symptoms. It’s important to share any history of alcohol use with the doctor to receive an accurate diagnosis. Keep reading to learn more about the symptoms, causes, and treatments for alcohol-related neuropathy. Research suggests that up to 66% of people with AUD have some type of alcohol-related neuropathy. But, instead of putting needles into skin and muscles, it places electrodes on the skin. The electrodes give detailed information regarding the speed and strength of the nerve signals.
Alcoholic polyneuropathy is not reversible, but it is treatable. There are several signs and symptoms that can indicate whether someone has developed alcohol-related nerve damage. Further, ECG changes and functions of the digestive tract (dyspeptic symptoms, stomach and gallbladder motility, orocecal transit time) can also be assessed 162, 165. ALN can manifest differently, and patients might experience one, two, or even more clinical manifestations of ALN.
Alcoholic Neuropathy Symptoms
It was proposed that ALN pathogenesis, besides thiamine deficiency itself, could be due to its inappropriate use in the organism or transketolase deficiency 150. Further, alcohol impairs vitamin B1 absorption and its storage in the liver 151,152,153. As mentioned above, recovery from alcoholic neuropathy is not assured. Some people experience complete relief from their symptoms in a number of weeks or years and others may have to cope with the effects for the rest of their lives. The most notable common thread for nearly all sufferers is that the sooner you seek help for your neuropathy from alcohol dependence, the less the overall damage is likely to be. This makes the effects of alcohol withdrawal a small price to pay for relief.
