Because severe alcohol abuse triggers this condition, comprehensive addiction treatment is generally needed. There are no medications that can help improve loss of sensation, strengthen muscle weakness, or assist with the coordination and balance problems caused by alcoholic neuropathy. However, some people notice an improvement in symptoms a few months after discontinuing alcohol intake. 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.
Alcohol, Nerve Function, & Malnutrition
Alcohol-related neurologic disease refers to a range of conditions caused by alcohol intake that affect the nerves and nervous system. Neurologic disorders can include fetal alcohol syndrome, dementia, and alcoholic neuropathy. Electrical nerve stimulation sends a small electrical current through the skin and nerves that can help with sensitivities and pain, making it an option for treatment. Alternative therapies like chiropractic care, body manipulation, acupuncture, meditation, and massage therapy can be helpful in managing pain and symptoms of alcoholic polyneuropathy. The main goal of a treatment program for alcoholic polyneuropathy is to improve quality of life and offer relief from symptoms. A healthcare professional can offer support for people with alcohol use disorder.
Motor symptoms
Other vitamin deficiencies seen with alcohol abuse include but are not limited to, B vitamins, folic acid, and vitamin E. Poor absorption and low intake of these vitamins have clinical features of dermatitis, neuropathy, and anorexia. Speak with a healthcare professional if you experience symptoms of alcohol-related neuropathy or are struggling to stop drinking. Alcohol-related Sober living home neuropathy is a condition caused by consuming large amounts of alcohol over a long period. The toxic effects of alcohol may damage your peripheral nerves, which play a role in movement and sensation.
What Is Alcoholic Neuropathy?
- There is damage to the nerves due to the direct toxic effect of alcohol and the malnutrition induced by it.
- They will be prescribed the smallest dose of medicine needed to reduce symptoms.
- Treatment options include steps to quit alcohol use and managing symptoms of the 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.
Patients present with pain, ataxia, and paresthesias in the lower extremities. This activity describes the evaluation and management of alcoholic neuropathy and reviews the role of the interprofessional team in improving care for patients with this condition. 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. 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. Alcoholic polyneuropathy is progressive and gets worse over time, as the damage to the nerves increases with continued alcohol abuse. The problems that alcoholic neuropathy causes with muscle weakness, balance, and coordination can make a person more at risk for falling down and getting injured.
- Alcohol-related neuropathy is characterized by damage to the peripheral nerves, which transmit signals between the body, spinal cord, and brain.
- However, researchers have found that consuming too much alcohol for long periods of time can damage the peripheral nerves.
- You’ll likely also be asked to participate in physical therapy to help regain and maintain your strength.
- How does alcohol cause neuropathy, and how do you know if your neuropathy is caused by alcohol?
For those who have insurance, using health neuropathy alcohol treatment insurance to pay for rehab should cover at least some of the cost of addiction treatment. Depending on your individual insurance plan, treatment at a specific facility may or may not be covered. It’s important that you know what is covered prior to attending a rehab. Use the free online insurance coverage checker tool below to find out if your health insurance provides coverage for addiction rehab and other rehabilitation treatment plans for substance abuse recovery. The first step in treating alcoholic neuropathy is abstaining from alcohol, sometimes through rehab. Abstinence can prevent the progression and recurrence of neuropathy and, after a few months, improve symptoms in some people.
Decreased Sensation
Probably the most common symptom of mild neuropathy is chronic prickling, burning, or numbness in the arms and legs. In more severe cases, muscles will cramp, suffer frequent spasms, or even become too weak to function. People with extreme neuropathy may develop chronic (essential) tremor or other movement disorders. Medicines may be needed to treat pain or uncomfortable sensations due to nerve damage. They will be prescribed the smallest dose of medicine needed to reduce symptoms. This may help prevent drug dependence and other side effects of chronic use.
Other studies have shown a direct, negative effect of alcohol and its many metabolites on the nervous system. Axonal degeneration and demyelination of neurons were seen in both humans and lab mice receiving alcohol. The cause is a diverse multifactorial process caused by damage by free radicals, the release of inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress.
- If that diagnosis is confirmed, you’ll need supervised detox in a hospital, plus long-term counseling to reinvent your life and avoid relapse.
- However, severe alcohol-related neuropathy may cause permanent nerve damage.
- At Healthgrades, our Editorial Team works hard to develop complete, objective and meaningful health information to help people choose the right doctor, right hospital and right care.
- People with a lengthy history of alcohol misuse might experience loss of balance, pain, tingling, weakness, or numbness after drinking alcohol.
- This is similar to how chronic alcoholism and alcohol toxicity dramatically increases one’s risk of developing a wide variety of different forms of cancer.
- Initially, they may be barely noticeable but can progress to more severe and disabling conditions if alcohol consumption continues.
Diagnosing Alcoholic Neuropathy
You can call our free, confidential helpline at for more information about rehab. Your health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about symptoms. Join 40,000+ People https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Who Receive Our Newsletter Get valuable resources on addiction, recovery, wellness, and our treatments delivered directly to your inbox. Heavy drinkers may experience several health scares, not short of liver failure and severe health implications like ALN. Even though alcoholic neuropathy may not go away, there are things you can do to cope with this condition. Many support systems and professional services are available in person or online to help you on your journey.
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. Alcoholic neuropathy damages the nerves due to prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption. This damage prevents the nerves from communicating information from one body area to another. Alcoholic neuropathy affects people who consume excessive amounts of alcohol over a long period of time.
Symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy may vary, but they can generally be grouped into sensory, motor and autonomic categories. Identifying these symptoms is key to understanding the progression of this condition. To find out if your policy covers alcohol addiction rehab, click here, or fill out the form below. Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy (ALN) can occur when someone drinks a lot of alcohol, which is often the case in individuals suffering from alcohol use disorder and high alcohol use.