These symptoms often respond poorly to treatment in people with alcoholic neuropathy. People who drink too much may start to feel pain and tingling in their limbs. The medical community has recognized that addiction is a disease and some people are predisposed to it. As a result, it is usually necessary to get medical help to manage alcohol use disorder.
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Getting help as quickly as possible can also reduce the alcoholic neuropathy recovery time, which can vary based on the extent of a person’s nerve damage and other factors. Alcohol can have alcohol neuropathy toxic effects on the body, especially in excessive amounts and over a long period of time. Treating alcohol-related nerve damage, therefore, must begin with treating a person’s alcoholism.
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Because the symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy can be similar to those of other conditions, your doctor may first rule out other possible causes of your symptoms. As with any medical condition, prompt treatment is key to heal existing damage and prevent further harm. It’s also essential to seek treatment from a physician, as they possess the specialized knowledge to determine the best course of action. Regular monitoring and an adherence to treatment plans can speed up recovery times and ensure a better quality of life. Understanding the multifaceted nature of alcoholic neuropathy is crucial.
ALN and Gender
Gastrointestinal symptoms include delayed stomach emptying and intestinal transit, dyspepsia, and faster emptying of the gallbladder [165]. Besides, approximately 55% of men with AAN develop erectile dysfunctions [167]. Cardiac arrhythmias in patients with AAN might increase the probability of sudden cardiac death, which is probably due to toxic effects of alcohol on a cardiac muscle that is also observed in alcoholic cardiomyopathy [168, 169]. The prevalence of impairments in ANS in alcohol-dependent patients varies from 20 to 99% [160]. Symptoms of AAN are due to impairments in both sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic fibers of the cardiovascular, digestive, and urogenital systems.
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- Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy appears to be characterised by severe loss of myelinated fibres; and although profound small fibre loss can also be present, this appears to occur more variably [3, 51, 53, 59, 85].
- Symptoms can develop just 5 hours after the last drink and persist for weeks.
- Here we discuss a few of the therapeutic options which are tried and could be tried for prevention and treatment of alcoholic peripheral neuropathy.
- Alcoholic neuropathy is one of the most common adverse effects of chronic alcohol consumption.
The reduction of internodal length contributes to the decreased speed of nerve conduction which may be implemented in impairments in perspiration, baroreceptor reflexes, and functions of internal organs. To determine the functions of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), sympathetic skin response (SSR) is used; the abnormal results of this test suggest subclinical transmission impairments [162]. Navarro et al. (1993) showed that nearly half of the alcohol-dependent patients without AAN symptoms and any aberrations in electrophysiologic studies presented abnormal SSR results [163]. In a similar study, SSR was used to assess the number of reactive sweat glands (SGN), which turned out to be decreased in alcohol-dependent patients [164]. Overcoming alcohol use may not reverse the damage that has been done, but it can prevent nerve damage and other health issues from getting worse.
Involvement of the sympatho-adrenal and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in alcoholic peripheral neuropathy
It also impacts the myelin, which is the fatty coating that protects the nerves. This may help reduce neuropathy-related pain, though more research is needed to determine its full effectiveness in this space. This technique triggers the nervous system to release chemicals that can change the pain experience or threshold. Acupuncture helps to provide an energy balance to the body that can affect your emotional well-being. Another form in which some herbs might be helpful for neuropathy is through essential oils. They also have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties that could boost healing.
Methylcobalamin for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy
Thus, it is clear that all the above pathways are potential targets for novel pharmacological agents for the treatment of alcoholic neuropathy. Even though alcoholic neuropathy may not go away, there are things you can do to cope with this condition. People with a lengthy history of alcohol misuse might experience loss of balance, pain, tingling, weakness, or numbness after drinking alcohol. A doctor may also want to test the functioning of the kidneys, liver, and thyroid. In addition, they may order blood tests to check for vitamin and nutrient deficiencies.
- Four studies reported abnormalities only in sensory nerves [33, 47, 63, 64], while ten reported abnormalities in both sensory and motor nerves [2–4, 16, 38, 54, 56, 58, 59, 65].
- The morphological basis of post-alcoholic damage of neural tissue includes primary axonopathy and secondary demyelination of motor and sensory (especially small) fibers [105].
- A diet poor in nutrients or avoiding eating can make nutritional deficiencies worse.
- In addition to thiamine deficiency, recent studies indicate a direct neurotoxic effect of ethanol or its metabolites.
- Lettsom has observed that paralysis and hypoesthesia related to ALN presented a higher prevalence rate in lower limbs compared to upper limbs [60].
What is alcohol-related neurologic disease?
- Affected nerves include the peripheral nerves, primarily located in the arms and legs, and the autonomic nerves, which help regulate our internal body functions.
- The percentage of alcohol-dependent patients affected by ALN is estimated to be 66% [50, 51].