Alcoholic Neuropathy?
Hi, all.
I'm new to this forum.
I'm 22 and been a relatively heavy drinker for two years, but been drinking since I was 17 (but that was once every week or every other week). Over the past two years, I suppose I've averaged getting extremely drunk about three times a week. But even then, it goes in phases. There have been entire weeks where I don't drink, and then I might get drunk five days in a row. I'm not quite to the point of physical addiction; I don't get withdrawal symptoms when I abstain for days on end. But there's certainly a psychological dependency that flares up at seemingly arbitrary points.
To the point. The morning after my last session, I noticed a tingly/pins-and-needles/numb sensation in my left big toe. Over the next few days, it progressively spread across the rest of my toes, and up my left foot, to just below my ankle. There's also a tiny feeling in my right big toe. Over the past three days (to present time of writing this), the progress has seemingly halted where it is. I am glad it isn't progressing any further.
The inner hypochondriac within me compelled me to do plenty of research. The numbness/tingling/pins and needles seems to match up with peripheral neuropathy, and specifically alcoholic neuropathy, as drinking is the most obvious factor present.
There isn't any pain, thankfully; only the strange sensations. It is most distracting when sitting down; it feels like my toes are floating or moving around, even though they are still. Oddly enough, the sensations abate somewhat when I'm walking, or I move my feet even the slightest. It takes a while of keeping them still for the sensations to return to their fullest. Also, it seems to get better when I'm lying down, so sleep isn't an issue. In fact, when I wake up in the morning, my feet feel completely normal. It seems to get worse the later in the day it is. So there are a couple of things that seem not to match up with other reports of alcoholic neuropathy I've read (moving and sleeping is easier).
More queries began to arise when searching for evidence that it can develop after just two years of heavy-ish drinking (not more than three times a week on average), and in a person of 22. Most people reported drinking for many years beyond that. Admittedly there was no rule on how long it would take to develop, so it stands to reason it could develop in a 22-year-old after just two years. At least being at my young age, and not drinking for that long, gives me hope of reversing my symptoms after abstaining.
I haven't consumed alcohol for a week at this point. Does anyone have any input on how long after stopping drinking their symptoms took to subside, if they ever did? Does the likelihood of a full recovery increase being younger and not drinking as much? I'm seeing my doctor today, so I'll see what he says, but I figured I'll take as much input as possible.
Thanks in advance.