Female mouse with injected testosterone showed the decreased activity of cytosolic isoform of ALDH which implies that those enzymes are sensitive to estrogen and testosterone and alcohol metabolism is greater in females. Ethanol and its toxic metabolites affect neural metabolism including metabolic activities in the nucleus, lysosomes, peroxisomes, endoplasmic reticulum, and cytoplasm 104. The morphological basis of post-alcoholic damage of neural tissue includes primary axonopathy and secondary demyelination of motor and sensory (especially small) fibers 105. Demyelination is probably the effect of axoplasmic transmission slowdown; such degeneration so-called dying back bears semblance to Wallerian degeneration 64, 84.
Signs and symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy
- Unfortunately, patient compliance is poor, and the condition often progresses, leading to poor quality of life.
- Indirect effects are mainly induced by vitamin deficiencies (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12) 84, 88.
- Further progression of ALN leads to the weakening of tendon reflexes or total areflexia and disturbed proprioception, which additionally impair the ability to walk 28, 113.
- The lack of thiamine in the nervous system affects the cellular structure and can cause cell membrane damage and irregular ectopic cells.
- Here we discuss a few of the therapeutic options which are tried and could be tried for prevention and treatment of alcoholic peripheral neuropathy.
These functions are achieved by PKC mediated phosphorylation of other proteins 16. Apart from above function, over-activation of epsilon form of protein kinase C (PKCε) is known to be involved in mediating neuropathic pain, such as pain induced by marijuana addiction cancer chemotherapy (vincristine) 56 and diabetes 57. PKC and protein kinase A (PKA) are both known to be important in nociceptor function 57–59. There are several studies suggesting the involvement of protein kinases in alcoholic neuropathy. Dina et al. 16 maintained rats on a diet to simulate chronic alcohol consumption in humans and found mechanical hyperalgesia by the fourth week which was maximal at 10 weeks.
How to Prevent Alcoholic Neuropathy
However, more severe and prolonged cases may be irreversible, even with abstinence, and lead to lifelong impairment. Thus, treatment with TCAs may provide symptomatic relief in patients with alcoholic neuropathy. Therefore, topical application with capsaicin may provide symptomatic relief from neuropathic pain in patients suffering from alcoholic neuropathy. 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. Our writers include physicians, pharmacists, and registered nurses with firsthand clinical experience.
Antidepressants for the alleviation of neuropathic pain symptoms
- A healthcare professional can offer support for people with alcohol use disorder.
- Sometimes alcohol causes such severe damage to the body that a liver transplant may be necessary.
- Furthermore, astrocytes and microglia are activated by such pain relevant substances as substance P, calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP), ATP and excitatory amino acids from primary afferent terminals, in addition to viruses and bacteria 67, 68.
In addition, acetyl-L-carnitine did not interfere with the antitumour effects of the drugs. Chronic consumption of alcohol has been implicated in end-organ alcoholic neuropathy damage to multiple systems. Patients with multisystem damage as a result of alcohol consumption often die of cardiac or liver failure. If you have a diagnosis of alcoholic neuropathy, abstinence from alcohol is the primary treatment to restore nerve function. Talk with your doctor before consuming alcohol if you have any diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy.
There are also direct toxic effects of alcohol and its metabolites on neurons, affecting cellular cytoskeletons and demyelination of neurons. 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. Vitamin E is used to refer to a group of fat-soluble compounds that include both tocopherols and tocotrienols. Treatment with vitamin E was found to be beneficial in the treatment of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy 104 and neuropathic pain in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats 105. Recently findings from our laboratory also suggest the benefecial effects of both α-tocopherol and tocotrienol, isoforms of vitamin E, in the prevention of hyperalgesia and allodynia in rats administered ethanol for 10 weeks 55.
A doctor may suggest an inpatient detox when a person’s alcohol use disorder is very severe. They may also recommend other options, such as medications for alcohol reduction or cessation maintenance, support groups, and psychotherapy. When speaking with a doctor, a person should be honest about how much alcohol they consume. There are several possible causes https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/writing-a-goodbye-letter-to-alcohol/ of neuropathy, and knowing about a person’s alcohol intake can help the doctor to make an accurate diagnosis.