Alcoholic Polyneuropathy Signs, Symptoms, And Treatment

Both the toxicity of alcohol and nutritional deficiencies have been linked with alcoholic neuropathy, which is one of the most common but least recognizable consequences of heavy alcohol use. Learn more about this condition, including its symptoms, how it’s treated, and ways to cope. Some forms of peripheral neuropathy can be avoided with good health habits.

• Patients present with pain, ataxia and parasthesias in the lower extremities.
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• Talk to your healthcare provider about the best treatment plan to start on your road to recovery.
• It also impacts the myelin, which is the fatty coating that protects the nerves.
• The psychological impact of chronic conditions such as alcoholic neuropathy should not be underestimated.

Clinical trials

Understanding that recovery from alcoholic neuropathy is a long-term, often variable process, allows us to work towards the best possible outcomes. With the right approach and support, we can achieve significant improvements in our symptoms and quality of life. Seek medical care right away if you notice unusual tingling, weakness, or pain in your hands or feet. Early diagnosis and treatment give you the best chance for controlling your symptoms and preventing further damage to your peripheral nerves.

Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes

Alcoholic neuropathy can affect both sensory and motor nerves, causing pain, hypersensitivity, numbness, muscle weakness, and lack of coordination and fine motor controls, largely in the extremities. Vitamin E is used to refer to a group of fat-soluble compounds that include both tocopherols and tocotrienols. Treatment with vitamin E was found to be beneficial in the treatment of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy [104] and neuropathic pain in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats [105]. Recently findings from our laboratory also suggest the benefecial effects of both α-tocopherol and tocotrienol, isoforms of vitamin E, in the prevention of hyperalgesia and allodynia in rats administered ethanol for 10 weeks [55].

• Patients may also experience numbness, restless legs syndrome, dry eyes and mouth, increased sweating, stomach problems, bladder control issues, skin discoloration, and cardiovascular symptoms.
• They can cause problems — sometimes severe — with mobility, balance and coordination.
• Your peripheral nervous system consists of all the other nerves in your body.
• People who drink heavily on a regular basis are at risk of developing this condition.

Alcohol addiction treatment

The available data addressing the role of hepatic dysfunction is presently inconclusive. It is possible that hepatic dysfunction and alcoholic toxicity each cause neuropathy independently, and that there is frequently overlap alcohol neuropathy stages between the two. It may also be that comorbid hepatic dysfunction is a risk factor for alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy. Further studies are required to develop a greater understanding of the interaction these entities.

Peripheral neuropathy happens when the nerves that are located outside of the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves) are damaged. This condition often causes weakness, numbness and pain, usually in the hands and feet. It also can affect other areas and body functions including digestion and urination. Fennelly and colleagues evaluated the response to vitamin therapy in 29 individuals with alcohol-related neuropathy [30]. Patients were admitted and treated with a diet containing thiamine, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid, and vitamin B12. This study found that the response to treatment depended upon the severity of neuropathy and whether there was severe cirrhosis.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Alcoholic neuropathy might sound frightening, but understanding its symptoms, treatments, and the importance of prevention puts you in control Each action step, though small, is a leap towards a healthier, more fulfilling life. Alcoholic neuropathy requires a comprehensive treatment approach focused on both halting the condition’s progression and alleviating its symptoms. This dual strategy is essential to manage the condition effectively and improve our quality of life. Various therapies and procedures might help with the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

Direct toxic effects of ethanol or its metabolites (direct toxicity)

• If your doctor thinks you may have peripheral neuropathy, they may refer you to a neurologist, a doctor who specializes in diseases of the nervous system.
• Pain from peripheral neuropathy is usually the most disruptive symptom, but medications or other treatments may help.
• It has been recognized that spinal cord glial cells, astrocytes and microglia are activated by neuropathic pain or peripheral inflammation [42].
• Referral to a behavioral health addiction facility may be required to treat alcohol addiction.
• Dina et al. [16] maintained rats on a diet to simulate chronic alcohol consumption in humans and found mechanical hyperalgesia by the fourth week which was maximal at 10 weeks.

Understanding Peripheral Neuropathy: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention