Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns and SymptomsEffectsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentCopingPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Signs and Symptoms
Effects
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Coping
Prevention
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).
Both the toxicity of alcohol and nutritional deficiencies have been linked with alcoholic neuropathy,which is one of the most common but least recognizableconsequences of heavy alcohol use. Learn more about this condition, including its symptoms, how it’s treated, and ways to cope.
Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholic Neuropathy
Alcoholic neuropathy signs and symptoms can progress gradually and are usually subtle at first. In fact, a person who drinks heavily might not recognize that the symptoms they are experiencing are related to their alcohol consumption.
Signs and symptoms can include any combination of the following:
People with a lengthy history of alcohol misuse might experience loss of balance, pain, tingling, weakness, or numbness after drinking alcohol.
Effects of Alcoholic Neuropathy
Decreased Sensation
Alcoholic neuropathy damagessensory nerves.This results in decreased sensation in the hands and feet. If the sensation is decreased enough, you may feel actual numbness after drinking alcohol.
This may not sound like a terrible problem, but diminished sensation actually causes very serious consequences, including:
Increased Pain and Hypersensitivity
Another prominent effect of alcoholic neuropathy involves painful and uncomfortable sensations. Alcoholic neuropathy can result in hypersensitivity to touch and even resting pain.Light touch can feel exaggerated and painful, particularly in the fingers and toes.
Constant painin the hands or feet is one of the most bothersome aspects of alcoholic neuropathy. The pain can feel like burning, throbbing, or sharp pins and needles. As the condition progresses, the pain may vary in intensity, sometimes diminishing for months before worsening again.
Muscle Weakness
Autonomic Neuropathy
Autonomic nervescontrol functions of the body’s organs, such as the bladder, stomach, and intestines. Alcoholic neuropathy can weaken the autonomic nerves,causing impairment of bowel and bladder function, and sexual dysfunction.
Causes of Alcoholic Neuropathy
In general, it takes years for alcoholic neuropathy to develop, so a long-standing history of heavy alcohol use is typical. Some people experience a faster onset and progression of alcoholic neuropathy than others. It’s not completely clear why some people are more prone to this complication than others.
Alcohol also alters the function of the stomach, liver, and kidneys in ways that prevent the body from properly detoxifying waste material. This waste then builds up and harms many regions of the body, including the nerves.
Nerve damage typically affects the axons, which are the projections that send electrical signals from one nerve to another. It also impacts the myelin, which is the fatty coating that protects the nerves.
Nerves don’t have a resilient ability to regenerate if they are severely damaged. So, the nerve damage of alcoholic neuropathy is generally permanent and likely to worsen if the person does notstop drinking.
Diagnosing Alcoholic Neuropathy
The diagnosis of alcoholic neuropathy involves a combination of medical history, physical examination, and possibly blood tests or nerve tests such as electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCV).
Conditions That May Mimic Alcoholic Neuropathy
There are a number of other medical conditions that can be confused with alcoholic neuropathy. The most common of these include:
Treatment for Alcoholic Neuropathy
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. These includepain medicationsand antidepressants.
While not specifically approved for the treatment of alcoholic neuropathy,antidepressant medicationsare often prescribed to help control the pain. Anti-seizure medications are sometimes prescribed as a way to manage pain.
Since nutritional deficiencies are partly to blame for alcoholic neuropathy. To combat these deficiencies, supplementation with vitamin B12, folate, vitamin E, and thiamine may be recommended.
If you feel muscle weakness or numbness after drinking alcohol, quitting drinking may help improve these symptoms.
Sometimes alcohol causes such severe damage to the body that a liver transplant may be necessary. In this case, there may be some improvement in the symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy after the liver transplant, but the neuropathy may also be so advanced that there may be little, if any, improvement, even after a transplant.
Coping With Alcoholic Neuropathy
Even though alcoholic neuropathy may not go away, there are things you can do to cope with this condition.
Get a Professional Caretaker
If you are diagnosed with alcoholic neuropathy and currently take care of yourself or havea loved one taking care of you, you might consider getting professional help. A nurse or professional caretaker can be part of your treatment team and visit you at home regularly to help with a variety of tasks, including:
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.
Verywell acknowledges that a private nurse or caretaker may not be feasible for everyone and that readers do not have uniform access to safe, affordable, high-quality health care.
Join a Support Group
In addition, a support group can help you cope with the life changes you’re experiencing as a result of your condition. You might look for a support group specifically for alcoholic neuropathy or for people coping with chronic pain. You may also benefit from asupport groupto help you reduce your drinking or completely quit drinking alcohol.
Especially if you have been drinking heavily for many years, coping withalcohol use disorderis not easy. But with the proper resources to help, you are better set up for success with sobriety.
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How to Prevent Alcoholic Neuropathy
Avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol is the primary way to prevent alcoholic neuropathy.If you notice you are developing signs of alcoholic neuropathy (such as numbness after drinking alcohol), in addition to seeing a physician, try to stay away from alcohol altogether. If you are having difficulty avoiding alcohol, there areresources that can help you quit.
If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Takeaways
Alcohol use disorder is a challenging condition. The medical community has recognized thataddiction is a diseaseand some people are predisposed to it.As a result, it is usually necessary to get medical help tomanage alcohol use disorder.
Some of the symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy can be partially reversed. But if the neuropathy becomes advanced, it might not be reversible.
What Happens When You Stop Drinking Alcohol?
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Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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