Alcohol-Related Neurologic Disease: Types, Signs, Treatment

April 3, 2023

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 https://ecosoberhouse.com/ syndrome, dementia, and alcoholic neuropathy. Thirteen studies provided data from the biopsy of the sural nerve or the skin in patients with alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy.

• The lack of thiamine in the nervous system affects the cellular structure and can cause cell membrane damage and irregular ectopic cells.
• Those signals then travel to your brain, which processes those signals into what you can sense of the world around you.
• A significant decrease in the activity of anti-oxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and an increase in lipid peroxidation were observed in sciatic nerves of diabetic rats with established neuropathic pain [40].

Chronic heavy drinkers may be at risk for several different alcohol-related neurological issues. Hi @bocagrande, I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with @colleenyoung and other members. My small fiber peripheral neuropathy is not related to alcohol but as soon as I was diagnosed I stopped consuming any form of alcohol. Mainly because all of the research I found that alcohol can induce neuropathy and for me it stands to reason if it can cause neuropathy it can also make it worse.

Sensory Neuropathy

Specifically, the study demonstrated worse NCS study dysfunction amongst wine drinkers, than those who drank beer or spirits alone [6]. No matter what type of neuropathy you have, your condition can be exacerbated by drinking too much. Alcohol can damage nerves and blood cells, which, in turn, can lead to neuropathy and make neuropathy symptoms worse. Avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol is the primary way to prevent alcoholic neuropathy. If you notice you are developing any signs of alcoholic neuropathy (such as numbness after drinking alcohol), in addition to seeing a doctor, try to stay away from alcohol altogether. If you are having difficulty avoiding alcohol, there are resources that can help you quit.

Caspases, or cysteine-aspartic acid proteases, are a family of cysteine proteases, which play an essential role in apoptosis (programmed cell death), necrosis and inflammation. Translocation of NFkβ to the nucleus has been reported to result in activation of the endogenous proteolytic enzyme system caspases [69]. Consequently, the cascade events promote further apoptosis [70]. Joseph & Levine [71] suggested that activity in signaling pathways that ultimately lead to apoptosis plays a critical role in the generation of neuropathic pain, before death of sensory neurones becomes apparent. Activator and effector caspases, defining components of programmed cell death signalling pathways, also contribute to pain-related behaviour in animals with small fibre peripheral neuropathies.

How can I reduce my risk of developing peripheral neuropathy or prevent it entirely?

This study showed that as well as thiamine replacement, corrections of low circulating levels of nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6 can result in an improvement of alcohol-related peripheral neuropathies. Malnutrition has been implicated in the pathology of alcohol-related neuropathy by several authors. The data, however, is conflicting as to the role which malnutrition alcohol neuropathy plays. The majority of studies which investigate the relationship between malnutrition and neuropathy focus on thiamine deficiency as an aetiological factor, drawing upon existing knowledge of Beri Beri. A smaller number of publications do attribute thiamine deficiency, but generally speaking these studies were older or of lower quality evidence [4, 6, 30, 58, 76, 77].

Impotence, diarrhea, constipation, or other symptoms are treated when necessary. These symptoms often respond poorly to treatment in people with alcoholic neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy may be reversible in some cases, but many factors influence whether or not this is possible. Because there are so many factors involved, your healthcare provider should be the one to answer this question for you.

How do I know if I have peripheral neuropathy?

Your chances for recovery depend on how early the disease is diagnosed and how much damage has already occurred. Some tests can be performed by a doctor to rule out other causes of neurologic symptoms. These symptoms can occur in addition to the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drinking less or not at all may help you avoid neurological harm. In total, 585 papers did not meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria and were excluded.