Alcoholic Neuropathy: What Is It and Who Is at Risk?

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What Is Alcoholic Neuropathy?

Alcoholic neuropathy stems from the damage that excessive drinking can take on our peripheral nerves; those that connect our spinal cord to our muscles, limbs, and sensory organs, such as our:

Eyes
Ears
Nose
Tongue
Skin

These nerves are responsible for transmitting information between our brains and our bodies about our physical experiences in this world.

For example, you might run your hand along a smooth surface, but your brain can’t recognize that sensation, or allow you to actually “feel” it, without the information it receives from your peripheral nerves.

The experience of tingling, numbness, or pain caused by alcoholic neuropathy is a disruption in this biological conversation.

As a side effect of alcoholism, alcoholic neuropathy primarily impacts those with AUD, the official classification of alcoholism, although any prolonged period of heavy drinking could trigger some of the effects.

If you are ready to start on the road to recovery, call 800-948-8417 Sponsored today to speak with someone who can help.

What Causes Alcoholic Neuropathy?

Scientists are still learning more about the exact relationship between alcohol and alcoholic neuropathy, though there are several major explanations for how the damage is caused.

Alcohol is a mild toxin due to its corrosive ethanol base. The same chemical trick that allows ethanol to kill germs (by absorbing their fatty outer encasings, leaving their insides to dissolve from exposure) is at play when the compound is introduced into our bodies.

How our bodies break down alcohol, too, is another issue. Though the enzymes in our livers eventually convert ethanol into less harmful compounds (and, eventually, water and carbon dioxide), the process is multi-stepped.

First, alcohol is broken down into something called acetaldehyde, which is still very toxic, and a build-up of this substance or too much ethanol itself can lead to physical bodily damage.

Alcoholic neuropathy is also, in some sense, a nutritional disease. Alcohol can both alter the levels of nutrients in our bloodstream and work to impede their absorption, processing, or transportation through our bodies.

This means that essential nutrients such as vitamins E, B6, and B12, as well as thiamine, niacin, and folate, have more trouble doing their jobs when there’s too much alcohol in our blood. Deficiencies in those vital compounds can also contribute to issues with or outright damage to our nerves.

What Are The Symptoms?

What does alcoholic neuropathy actually look and feel like?

Though it targets the nerves, the effects can be felt throughout the body, mainly manifesting in several major areas in several ways, including:

The limbs
The bowls or urinary tract
Other areas of the body

In the Limbs

You may experience alcoholic neuropathy as:

Tingling or pricking sensations (“pins and needles”)
Numbness
Cramps
Muscle spasms
Muscle weakness
Loss of sensation
Loss of movement
Muscle atrophy

In the Bowls/Urinary Tract

Side effects of alcoholic neuropathy include:

Constipation
Diarrhea
Incontinence
A consistent urge to urinate
Problems starting urination

In Other Areas

Other symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy may include:

Dizziness or lightheadedness
Nausea or vomiting
Abdominal bloating
Difficulty swallowing
Slurred or impaired speech
Temperature sensitivity, especially heat intolerance
Impotence or other sexual dysfunction
Infertility, in men, in extreme cases

Diagnosing Alcoholic Neuropathy

If you’re experiencing side effects of alcoholism, you should speak to your doctor. It’s important to be honest with them about how much you’re actually drinking, as this will likely inform any decisions on potential future testing or treatment.

If you’re particularly concerned with alcoholic neuropathy, the issue can be detected in a few ways, including:

Blood chemistry tests: Measure the chemical compounds in the blood
Complete blood count (CBC) tests: Measure the physical entities in the blood
Electromyography: Measures electrical activity in the muscles
Nerve biopsies: Measure signs of nerve damage
Nerve conduction tests: Measure nerve signal speed and strength
Neurological examinations: Measure reflexes, muscle strength, and coordination
Gastrointestinal tests: Measure the function of the GI tract

If your symptoms of alcoholism are extreme or persistent, a doctor may order one or several of these tests to help determine if you have alcoholic neuropathy.

Treatment for Alcoholic Neuropathy

Nerve damage sustained from alcoholic neuropathy tends to be permanent. It is also possible to develop alcoholic polyneuropathy, or alcohol-related nerve damage affecting multiple nerves. Depending on the severity and length of alcohol abuse, partial or full recoveries are possible.

Treatments tend to center around minimizing any future harm to the nerves.

Quitting drinking is the most immediately effective way to combat alcoholic neuropathy, along with avoiding many other alcohol-related illnesses. Many doctors will recommend this as a first step and, in fact, hold off on further or more invasive treatment until this is at least attempted.

Still, further options for help are available, including:

Vitamin supplements, especially for vitamins E, B6, and B12
Over-the-counter pain relievers
Higher-strength prescription pain relievers
Physical therapy
Orthopedic exercises or aids, such as braces, to help facilitate muscle movement
Medication for urinary issues
Medication for incompetence or impotence issues.

If you’d like to pursue a life without alcohol but need help getting started, use the Sober.com directory to find your local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings.

If you’d like more information on finding other rehab options, call 800-948-8417 Sponsored to speak with someone who can help. You don’t need to recover alone.