What is Alcoholic Neuropathy? Causes, symptoms, & treatment

These include confusion, cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, and cognitive impairment. Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption is the primary cause of peripheral neuropathy. It is worth noting that peripheral neuropathy has no reliable treatment due to the poor understanding of its pathology. Alcoholic neuropathy, also called alcohol-induced peripheral neuropathy, is nerve damage in the body caused by the toxic effects of alcohol.

Health Conditions

• A person should speak with a doctor if they are experiencing any symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy or if they are concerned about their alcohol use.
• A closely matched control population minimized the impact of comorbidities, and a sensitivity analysis of patients without comorbidities clarified NAION’s isolated impact.
• In addition, they may order blood tests to check for vitamin and nutrient deficiencies.
• While peripheral neuropathy generally cannot be cured, there are several medical treatments that can be used to manage the pain of alcoholic neuropathy, aiding in your recovery.
• Nerves that are part of the autonomic nervous system help to regulate heart rate, body temperature, respiration, and blood pressure.

Treatment will depend on the type, location, and severity of your symptoms. Exposure  International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) is alcoholic neuropathy dangerous diagnosis code for NAION or age-related cataract. Lauren Smith has worked as a journalist and copywriter for the last decade, covering a range of topics including health, energy, and technology in the US and UK.

How Does Alcohol Impact Neurological Health?

The authors concluded that malnutrition, including low blood concentrations of B vitamins, is not a prerequisite for the development of alcoholic neuropathy, and ethanol per se plays a role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic neuropathy. Females, generally tend to drink less alcohol, are better abstainers, and present the smaller probability of the development of alcohol-related diseases 127, 128. However, compared to males, the symptoms of excessive alcohol consumption manifest earlier in females 129, 130.

• Primarily, thiamine deficiency is the crucial risk factor of ALN since it induces the progression of Korsakoff’s syndrome and beriberi 144, 145.
• Seek medical care right away if you notice unusual tingling, weakness, or pain in your hands or feet.
• There is damage to the nerves due to the direct toxic effect of alcohol and the malnutrition induced by it.
• It also can affect other areas and body functions including digestion and urination.
• We found more potent effects with tocotrienol as compared with α-tocopherol 55.
• Alcoholic neuropathy occurs when too much alcohol damages the peripheral nerves.

The application of N-acetylcysteine for peripheral neuropathy

Alcohol causes neuropathy via multifactorial processes, many of which are still under investigation. Alcohol enters the bloodstream from the digestive system within 5 minutes of consumption, and peak absorption is seen within 30 to 90 minutes. Patients who abuse alcohol tend to consume fewer calories and have poor absorption of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract. There are also direct toxic effects of alcohol and its metabolites on neurons, affecting cellular cytoskeletons and demyelination of neurons.

• A diet poor in nutrients or avoiding eating can make nutritional deficiencies worse.
• However, neuropathy is generally an exclusion criterion for transplantation.
• You might look for a support group specifically for alcoholic neuropathy or for people coping with chronic pain.
• This damage prevents the nerves from communicating information from one body area to another.
• It’s important to speak with a healthcare professional if you experience any symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

What are risk factors for alcoholic neuropathy?

A doctor may suggest an inpatient detox when a person’s alcohol use disorder is very severe. They may also recommend other options, such as medications for alcohol reduction or cessation maintenance, support groups, and psychotherapy. Having a healthcare professional come to your house to assist with your needs can relieve a lot of added stress on you to keep track of your treatment plan alone. Keep reading to learn more about the symptoms, causes, and treatments for alcohol-related neuropathy.

Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholic Neuropathy

• Alcoholic neuropathy is caused by nutritional deficiency, as well as toxins that build up in the body.
• Alcoholic neuropathy is a severe condition that can lead to pain, loss of some bodily functions, and loss of mobility.
• The exact mechanism behind alcoholic neuropathy is not well understood, but several explanations have been proposed.
• After PSM, the SMD for all variables was less than 0.1, suggesting the achievement of balanced cohorts.
• When speaking with a doctor, a person should be honest about how much alcohol they consume.
• Intensive research has been done on medications like alpha-lipoic acid, benfotiamine, acetyl-l-carnitine, and methylcobalamin.
• 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.

Women are more likely to develop alcohol polyneuropathy and suffer from a more rapid onset and greater severity. In general, most of the aforementioned diseases are the result of chronic excessive alcohol use. Limiting alcohol consumption and avoiding excessive alcohol use can help prevent or stop the progression of many alcohol-induced neurological diseases.

Alcoholic Neuropathy: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

The histologic features of sural nerve biopsy specimens demonstrated small fibre predominant axonal loss as characteristic of the pure form of alcoholic neuropathy. Primarily, it was assumed that the progression of ALN symptoms is due to malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency (mainly B1 hypovitaminosis) 82, 83. Indeed, these factors contribute to the progression of ALN symptoms; however, they do not constitute direct factors that manifest in ALN development 84.