Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

neuropathy from drinking

With multiple treatment centers throughout the United States, American Addiction Centers offers everything from detox and inpatient treatment to outpatient treatment and aftercare. In a 2019 study, researchers showed that quitting alcohol had a positive effect on most people’s mental well-being. Cerebellar degeneration caused by alcohol occurs when neurons in the cerebellum deteriorate and die. The cerebellum is the part of the brain that controls coordination and balance. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drinking less or not at all may help you avoid neurological harm.

Benfotiamine for the treatment of alcohol related peripheral neuropathy

  • The primary axonal damage and secondary demyelination of motor and sensory fibres (especially small diameter fibres) are considered to constitute the morphologic basis of alcoholic damage to nerve tissue at present 20.
  • Alcohol-related neurologic disease refers to a range of conditions caused by alcohol intake that affect the nerves and nervous system.
  • Changes in muscle strength or sensation usually occur on both sides of the body and are more common in the legs than in the arms.
  • This article reviews alcoholic neuropathy and its symptoms, causes, and treatment.
  • The onset of these symptoms tend to be gradual, says Dr. Fertal, so it’s important to see your doctor as soon as you notice any concerning symptoms.
  • In addition to medical treatments, lifestyle changes play a significant role in managing alcoholic neuropathy.

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. However, this seemingly innocuous sensation may be an early warning sign of a condition known as alcoholic neuropathy, a lesser-known but significant consequence of long-term alcohol use. How does alcohol cause neuropathy, and how do you know if your neuropathy is caused by alcohol? To prevent alcoholic neuropathy, how much alcohol should you limit yourself to?

What is alcoholic neuropathy muscle weakness?

neuropathy from drinking

The damage from alcohol neuropathy can affect the nerves that control movement, senses, and organ function. This can result in a variety of symptoms that affect different areas of the body. Thus, treatment with anticonvulsant drugs may provide another therapeutic alternative for the symptomatic relief of pain in patients with alcoholic neuropathy. Thus, there is an urgent need to screen the vitamin E isoforms, especially tocotrienol for evaluating clinical efficacy in patients with alcoholic neuropathy. Thus, alpha-lipoic acid may have a potential in the treatment of patients with alcoholic neuropathy.

Similar articles in PubMed

Unfortunately, patient compliance is poor, and the condition often progresses, leading to poor quality of life. The primary aim of this systematic review was to establish the prevalence, character, and risk factors of peripheral neuropathy amongst chronic alcohol abusers and to identify the most appropriate management strategies. A systematic, computer-based search was conducted using the PubMed database.

neuropathy from drinking

Alcoholic neuropathy is a severe condition that can lead to pain, loss of some bodily functions, and loss of mobility. However, recognizing the symptoms and seeking medical attention early may minimize the impact of the condition. A person who drinks alcohol excessively may start to feel a tingling sensation in their limbs. 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.

neuropathy from drinking

Even though much research was done in this area, still we do not have a full understanding of the mechanism of alcoholic neuropathy. These include direct or indirect effects of alcohol metabolites, impaired axonal transport, suppressed excitatory nerve pathway activity, or imbalance in neurotransmitters. Activation of spinal cord microglia, mGlu5 spinal cord receptors, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis also seem to be implicated in the pathophysiology of this alcoholic neuropathy. The goal of treatment is to impede further damage to the peripheral nerves while also restoring their normal physiology. Alcoholic neuropathy is a debilitating condition resulting from prolonged excessive alcohol consumption, leading to nerve damage throughout the body. This condition manifests when ethanol in alcohol and its metabolites, like acetaldehyde, harm nerve tissues, disrupting their normal functions.

  • N-acetylcysteine, an amino acid, is a potent antioxidant and helps to enhance glutathione concentrations.
  • Patients with non-alcoholic thiamine deficiency neuropathy showed more abrupt onset of symptoms, mainly in a form of motor dysfunctions; biopsy showed damage to greater fibers with subperineurial edema.
  • These individuals draw the majority of calories from calorie rich alcoholic beverages with low nutritive value.
  • 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.

Clinical symptoms associated with alcoholic peripheral neuropathy

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.

  • Over time, the effects of drinking too much alcohol may cause alcoholic neuropathy.
  • The ethanol consumption of these patients was more than 100 g day–1 for more than 10 years.
  • Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions.
  • Following detox, comprehensive rehabilitation programs, like those offered at Resurgence Behavioral Health, provide the necessary support and treatment to address the psychological aspects of addiction.
  • In addition to thiamine deficiency, recent studies indicate a direct neurotoxic effect of ethanol or its metabolites.

The role of inflammation

  • The available data addressing the role of hepatic dysfunction is presently inconclusive.
  • Long-term heavy alcohol use, particularly when accompanied by nutritional deficiencies, can damage the body’s nerves, leading to a host of painful and debilitating symptoms.
  • The prevalence of alcoholic cardiomyopathy appears to be similar among males and females; however, males present a higher disease burden 132, 133.
  • However, for others, especially those with severe or long-standing neuropathy, some symptoms may persist indefinitely.
  • It has been demonstrated that incubation of neural cells with advanced glycation end products of acetaldehyde (AA-AGE) induced dose-dependent degradation of neuronal cells while the addition of AA-AGE antibodies reduced neurotoxicity 51, 90.
  • We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.

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). Research has shown that chronic alcohol use can cause long-term, painful nerve damage, known as alcoholic neuropathy. Symptoms of AAN are non-specific; in the sympathetic division, these include impairments in perspiration, orthostatic hypotension, whereas in parasympathetic hoarseness, swallowing difficulties, or cardiac arrhythmias 111, 166. Gastrointestinal symptoms include delayed stomach emptying and intestinal transit, dyspepsia, and faster emptying of the gallbladder 165.

What is alcohol-related neurologic disease?

Later, the results have been supported by Victor and Adams (1961)—among 12 patients with ALN, neuropathic symptoms were alleviated just after thiamine supplementation, even though the alcohol consumption was previously completely reduced 149. Koike et al. (2003) compared clinical and histological differences between ALN with and without thiamine deficiency 65. Also, the results of the group of 32 patients with non-alcoholic thiamine deficiency neuropathy were considered. Thiamine deficiency resulted in the progression of sensory dysfunctions; further, histological examination of the sural nerves revealed the loss of small nerve fibers and segmental demyelination. Patients with non-alcoholic thiamine deficiency neuropathy showed more abrupt onset of symptoms, mainly in a form of motor dysfunctions; biopsy showed damage to greater fibers with subperineurial edema. ALN with thiamine deficiency was manifested as a variable mixture of these symptoms.

neuropathy from drinking

Alcohol Cerebellar Degeneration

Drinking alcohol can also have negative effects on the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Alcoholic neuropathy occurs when too much alcohol damages the peripheral nerves. This can be permanent, as alcohol can neuropathy from drinking cause changes to the nerves themselves.

Markus Saunders

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