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. Because of the diverse effects of alcohol on the body, these patients should be managed by an interprofessional team. The treatment rests on abstinence from alcohol and the replacement of key nutrients. Unfortunately, patient compliance is poor, and the condition often progresses, leading to poor quality of life. Benfotiamine (S-benzoylthiamine O-monophoshate) is a synthetic S-acyl derivative of thiamine (vitamin B1).

When nerves get damaged

These patients were divided into two groups based on thiamine status. The subgroup without thiamine deficiency consisted of 36 patients, while the subgroup with thiamine deficiency consisted of 28 patients. In addition, 32 patients with nonalcoholic thiamine deficiency neuropathy were also evaluated for comparison. The subgroup without thiamine deficiency, considered to be a pure form of alcoholic neuropathy, uniformly showed slowly progressive, sensory dominant symptoms. Superficial sensation, especially nociception, was predominantly impaired and painful symptoms were the primary complaint in most patients in this group. The histologic features of sural nerve biopsy specimens demonstrated small fibre predominant axonal loss as characteristic of the pure form of alcoholic neuropathy.

Alcoholic Myopathy

In addition, a support group can help you cope with the life changes you’re experiencing as a result of your condition. You might look for a support group specifically for alcoholic neuropathy or for people coping with chronic pain. You may also benefit from a support group to help you reduce your drinking or completely quit drinking alcohol. Alcoholic neuropathy refers to nerve damage resulting from chronic heavy alcohol use.

Differential Diagnosis

They work to send signals throughout the central nervous system and the rest of the body. Nerves help you to move (motor nerves) and feel physical sensations (sensory nerves). Some of your bodily functions are autonomic, which means that you don’t directly control them. Nerves that are part of the autonomic nervous system help to regulate heart rate, body temperature, respiration, and blood pressure. Polyneuropathy involves damage to more than one nerve at the same time, usually multiple nerves throughout the peripheral nervous system and all over the body.

Alcoholic polyneuropathy

The amount of ethanol which causes clinically evident peripheral neuropathy is also still unknown. Chronic alcohol consumption can have deleterious effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems. One alcohol neuropathy 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.

• However, when there is an illness affecting the kidneys, it becomes difficult to filter out all those chemicals.
• Researchers have not determined if this is caused by the effects of alcohol on the brain or is the result of thiamine deficiency.
• Treatment options include steps to quit alcohol use and managing symptoms of the disease.
• As a result, patients struggling with alcohol abuse are also at risk of undernourishment.
• “The character and quality of neuropathic pain tends to be pain that’s burning or electric in character,” says Dr. Williams.
• Alcoholic neuropathy is progressive damage to peripheral nerves and, in extreme cases, the autonomic nervous system, through chronic, heavy alcohol use.

Nothing guarantees a successful recovery from alcoholic neuropathy. However, it is possible for patients to experience full relief once they learn how to manage their symptoms. Depending on the severity of the condition, it can take weeks to even years to cope with the impact left by the neuropathy. But when the damage is too severe, especially to the liver, patients may need a liver transplant.

Some people experience a faster onset and progression of alcoholic neuropathy than others. It’s not completely clear why some people are more prone to this complication than others. If the sensation is decreased enough, you may feel actual numbness after drinking alcohol. Individuals with alcoholic neuropathy can make a partial or full recovery, depending on the extent and duration of their alcohol consumption. A person should speak with a doctor about their individual outlook. People should note that while “alcoholic neuropathy” is the current medical term, some healthcare professionals are beginning to use the term “alcohol-related neuropathy” to decrease stigma surrounding the condition.

In cases such as these, the transplant will provide the body with a healthy environment to begin healing from the toxic environment it had prior to the transplant. Research shows that most patients with alcoholic neuropathy displayed poor sensory features, numbness, and impaired sensation of vibrations. Only a small number of patients felt a weakness in the upper limbs. However, if you stop drinking, the symptoms can subside, and you may be able to reduce the possibility of any further deterioration. Unfortunately, in most cases, the damage that alcoholic neuropathy causes is permanent. This condition may not be life-threatening, but if left untreated, it can cause permanent damage.

• Vitamin E is used to refer to a group of fat-soluble compounds that include both tocopherols and tocotrienols.
• Also, exercise can help to prevent or slow the progression of diabetic neuropathy and strengthen muscles wasted by motor neuropathies.
• However, it is possible for patients to experience full relief once they learn how to manage their symptoms.
• Peripheral neuropathy is common, partly because this term refers to so many conditions.
• Once alcohol use has been addressed, your doctor can focus on the neuropathy itself.

Risk factors

• Overconsumption of alcohol may directly harm and hinder the nerves’ ability to communicate information from one body area to another.
• Axonal degeneration and demyelination of neurons were seen in both humans and lab mice receiving alcohol.
• Identication of alcoholic neuropathy is based on history; there is no specific test that can specifically identify alcoholic neuropathy.

Our muscles need to receive a message from nearby nerves in order to function. When this message is interrupted due to damaged nerves, the muscles cannot function as they normally would. 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. Alcoholic neuropathy is a condition in which the nerves become damaged as a result of years of heavy alcohol consumption. Symptoms include burning pain in the body, hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain), and allodynia (a condition in which normal stimulus, like a soft touch, produces pain).