Alcoholic neuropathy: possible mechanisms and future treatment possibilities

It is important to stop drinking if you suffer from alcoholic polyneuropathy in order to stop the disease from getting worse and to correct the nutritional imbalance that is damaging the nerves and interfering with the nervous system. A medical detox program followed by a comprehensive alcohol rehab program can manage alcoholism and help a person to get sober and stay that way. Many alcohol rehab programs help to manage alcoholic neuropathy co-occurring disorders, such as alcoholic polyneuropathy. A program that caters to co-occurring disorders ensures that the alcoholism is being treated and so are any other medical or mental health issues.

Diagnosing Alcoholic Neuropathy

• Electrophysiologic and pathologic findings mainly indicate axonal neuropathy with reduced nerve fibre densities.
• Without treatment, alcohol-induced effects can cause permanent damage and severely affect the quality of life.
• To begin with, a person may feel that something is off, unusual, or painful in their senses, movement, or balance.
• Reduced glutathione is a major low molecular weight scavenger of free radicals in cytoplasm.
• This condition is typically not life-threatening, but the nerve damage from alcoholic neuropathy is usually permanent.
• Alcoholic neuropathy can result in hypersensitivity to touch and even resting pain.

Thiamine serves as an important coenzyme in carbohydrate metabolism and neuron development. The lack of thiamine in the nervous system affects the cellular structure and can cause cell membrane damage and irregular ectopic cells. 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.

Benfotiamine for the treatment of alcohol related peripheral neuropathy

Patients are encouraged to help develop their individual treatment plans, which include therapy, education, and relapse prevention. Some researchers believe the connection between alcohol misuse and poor nutrition may lead to alcoholic polyneuropathy. In order to diagnose ALN, usually, several tests are needed to be performed to provide a complete and reliable diagnosis. Besides blood chemistry test and complete blood count (CBC), esophagogastroduodenoscopy is needed when a patient vomits and has nausea for an unknown reason; X-rays of the gastrointestinal tract can also be performed.

Treatment and prognosis

• Further studies are required to develop a greater understanding of the interaction these entities.
• The percentage of alcohol-dependent patients affected by ALN is estimated to be 66% 50, 51.
• This type of degeneration, so called ‘dying-back’, resembles Wallerian degeneration.
• In an animal model, Kaur et al. (2017) showed that curcumin and sildenafil administrated alone or in combination represent a therapeutic advantage in alcohol-induced neuropathic pain 176.

Medicines https://ecosoberhouse.com/ 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. Here we discuss a few of the therapeutic options which are tried and could be tried for prevention and treatment of alcoholic peripheral neuropathy.

Causes of alcoholic neuropathy

Evidence-based addiction treatment can lead to positive health outcomes for those struggling with alcohol addiction. If you or a loved one is ready to seek help, consider visiting the rehabs.com treatment directory. This powerful online resource can connect you with treatment facilities from around the country. Recognizing the early signs and seeking prompt treatment can significantly mitigate the condition’s impact, allowing for better treatment outcomes and reducing the risk of permanent damage. However, this seemingly innocuous sensation may be an early warning sign of a condition known as alcoholic neuropathy, a lesser-known but significant consequence of long-term alcohol use.

Alcohol Addiction Treatment

The demyelination is explained as the result of a slowing down (decceleration) of axoplasmic flow and a degradation of the quality of biological properties of axonal enzymes and proteins. This type of degeneration, so called ‘dying-back’, resembles Wallerian degeneration. Ethanol and Alcoholics Anonymous its toxic degradation metabolites affect neuronal metabolism including the metabolic pathways of nucleus, lysosomes, peroxisomes, endoplasmatic reticulum and cytoplasm 21. Alcohol enters the blood as early as 5 min after ingestion and its absorption peaks after 30–90 min. The key role in the degradation of ethanol is played by ethanol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase-two step enzymatic systems by which ethanol is converted to acetate which is further metabolized in humans. Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is a mitochondrial enzyme which undergoes a single amino acid substitution (mutation) in about 50% of the Asian population in a way similar to the genetic changes in sickle cell anaemia 21.

• These individuals draw the majority of calories from calorie rich alcoholic beverages with low nutritive value.
• However, some people notice an improvement in symptoms a few months after discontinuing alcohol intake.
• The lack of thiamine in the nervous system affects the cellular structure and can cause cell membrane damage and irregular ectopic cells.
• Statistical calculation of pooled proportions was conducted in R language, using the default settings of the “meta” package and the “metaprop” function with a random effects model 8.
• Home remedies like gentle exercise, warm baths, and maintaining a balanced diet can help manage alcoholic neuropathy symptoms.
• The mechanism of this is presently unclear, one possible explanation is that is resolves concomitant vitamin-dependent neuropathy which exacerbates alcohol-related neuropathy.

Alcoholism and Alcoholic Neuropathy

The authors point out that this could be an anomaly due to the wine drinkers consuming more ethanol than other alcohol abusers but offer an alternative explanation that wine may contain more toxic impurities than other beverages. Due to the breadth of the literature surrounding this topic, this review shall focus exclusively upon peripheral neuropathy, without discussing autonomic neuropathy. Diagnosis usually involves a healthcare provider collecting a medical history, performing a medical and neurological exam, and performing blood and urine tests. Treatment options include steps to quit alcohol use and managing symptoms of the disease. This condition is typically not life-threatening, but the nerve damage from alcoholic neuropathy is usually permanent. The most important strategy against alcoholic neuropathy lies in preventing the symptoms from getting worse by decreasing alcohol consumption as soon as possible.