Numb and painful feet - neuropathy

[schtevo]

Wondered if anyone has any knowledge / experience with what's sometimes called "alcoholic neuropathy". It's basically numb feet with a heavy "pins and needles" sensation. Although, for me, it's less pins... more needles. Ouch!

I've been taking a concentrated vitamin B complex (1000% daily Thiamine), for a few days now. I've heard folic acid is good too but haven't added that yet.

Just curious about anyone's experience with it.

[nandm]

I have known of several people with various forms of neuropathy. There are medications that can help. Yes, the B vitamins which includes folic acid are one of the things depleted by alcohol. I would suggest speaking with your physician. He would be in the best position to give you advice on this.

Welcome to our forum!

[lizw]

until it past and came back in my hand/arm 6 months later. Then they diagnosed me with MS. MS also sucks ones B vits too. When I got sober I had low vits B and like you described I had to got get shots at the docs etc...

All that said, I think they were a bit silly to diagnose me with the problem you have, because I was a 29 year old woman and had been sober 8 years. I started drinking at 13 and stoped at 19, so (quick math) I drank for 6 - 7 years. And when I do the math on that equation, while at times I drank heavily, last year of my drinking I spent every day wasted, I doubt it was enough to damage me in the way they claimed.

Oddily enough I do also have that other alkie illness, santa nose sydrome. My pores in my face are bigger than most peoples and creates this bright red flush. The name of the illness is Roseca. I probably spelt it wrong too.

How long have you had the sensation in your feet? And how long do they expect it to last?

[laurie6781]

I have Alcoholic Neuropathy and it does get worse. It can go from pins and needles to shooting pains up the leg, like someone has taken a hot poker and shoved it in your heel and the poker goes all the way up.

It can also feel like someone has thrown flaming gasoline on your legs. And it hits without warning, takes ones breath away. It can also cause you to walk funny, you want to go one way but the legs don't cooperate and go another way, this is what the Old Timers used to call jake Leg.

See your Doctor. There is treatment for it. Won't cure it, but will keep it in control.

J M H O

Love and hugs,

[jazpoppy]

The best advice given here to you is to contact your doctor for a thorough exam of your feet. You could see a Podiatrist (specializes in feet) or have you Primary Care Physician recommend you to a specialist that he/she thinks would be best for your symptoms. My mom has Alcoholic and Diabetic Neuropathy in her one foot (she had her left foot and ankle amputated due to something else). I'm NOT saying you'll be getting your feet amputated, she had OTHER issues. But the Neuropathy has caused her to have NO feeling her her foot at all. In fact when she had both feet, she broke one of her feet in a accident, thought it was just a sprain and continued to walk on it, causing Diabetic Charceau Foot Syndrome (if you are NOT diabetic you WON'T get that so don't worry),but because she waited so long before seeing a specialist thinking everything was fine, she had to wear a special brace on that foot for life, with lots of therapy. So what could happen to you if its just alcoholic related neuropathy, you could break a toe, or foot, possibly an ankle (depending on the degree of numbness) and not really feel it, hindering the healing time and causing more bone damage that may require surgery to straighten you foot out if you don't get this checked and treated RIGHT AWAY! It is also Painful as you may already know to have to walk around on pins and needles coursing through your foot/feet. PLEASE see your doctor right away. We here at SR only want the best for our fellow addicts and alcoholics in terms of sobriety as well as good health!!!!

Love

Jaz

PS - Your doctor may mention non-narcotic medications for Neuropathy called Neurontin or possibly a newer medication for neuropathy called Lyrica. Make sure he/she is thorough and knows of your alcoholic background so a safe medication is choosen, not one that will compromise your sobriety. I hear Lyrica CAN be habit forming, but really only have done research that has found that the people that choose to abuse it are not in recovery, and they take WAY too many more than prescribed to get a "high" feeling, which I have read is very unhealthy and unlikely to affect alcoholics and drug addicts that have a STRONG recovery, that work 12-step programs often, and have a great sponsor, spouse, family member, or friend that can help with medication questions, choices, and administration. Good luck. I'm sure there are many other treatments besides Lyrica and Neurontin as well. Talk to your doctor (I can't stress enough) VERY SOON!

[wilsonpd]

I have what they call "ideopathic" neuropathy, which means they don't know what caused it. I gave up drinking on the Doctor's advice -- as in "we can't tell if it is due to alcohol but if it is, and you quit drinking, then it won't continue to get worse."

I'm on Cymbalta from the Doctor, vitamin B-12 and Alpha Liphoic Acid supplements from the store based on research on the Internet, and I just got back from my first acupuncture session in a desperate bid to reduce the pain.

Everyone has opinions and different levels of success. Bottom line is there is no cure, but we can halt the progression unlike others that have hereditary or diabetic neuropathy. Hang in there!

[cmc]

Hello wilsonpd and welcome to SR.

Thanks for sharing. Since this thread is over a year old, may I suggest that you also try posting in some of our other forums as well as this one? This way others will have more of a chance to meet you.

[socks70]

Originally Posted by schtevo

Wondered if anyone has any knowledge / experience with what's sometimes called "alcoholic neuropathy". It's basically numb feet with a heavy "pins and needles" sensation. Although, for me, it's less pins... more needles. Ouch!

I've been taking a concentrated vitamin B complex (1000% daily Thiamine), for a few days now. I've heard folic acid is good too but haven't added that yet.

Just curious about anyone's experience with it.

Peripheral neuropathy. Stop drinking if you have not already stopped because it's going to get worse if you continue. vitamin B helps along with folic acid. Go to your doctor he might send you to a neuro for a nerve conductive study to see if you have nerve damage.

I'am on the max dosage of gabapentin(neurotin) and still have problems walking from the pain and burning.