Duration & amount of alcohol consumption that can lead to neuropathy

[JustCurious64]

In another thread, "yobuck" stated that he consumed an average of 4 light beers daily for four years and wondered if this was sufficient to have caused his neuropathy symptoms.   He also asked, "How long does it take one to get  alcohol neuropathy?"  The response seemed to indicate that this was a sufficient amount and duration to cause his symptoms but a specific answer for the other question was not given.  

In considering the above scenario involving four light beers a day, this would result in consumption of slightly more alcohol than 3 regular beers (If comparing something like Bud Light to Budweiser).  Can drinking 3 regular beers a day lead to nerve damage?  What about two glasses of wine (5 ounce servings)?   Although the response given to the person asking the question (regarding his light beer consumption) implied that a person could get neuropathy under such conditions, my question is to ask specifically just how much and for how long?  I have begun to have symptoms after about 3 years of getting on a red wine kick.  Supposedly, drinking red wine regularly, but in moderation, is good for you.  The amount commonly recommended is one 4 or 5 ounce serving daily for a woman and up to two 4 or 5 ounce servings for a man.  I have done this I'm guessing probably slightly more than 300 out of 365 days a year for about three years, occasionally going beyond the recommendations and having a third serving, or part of a third serving--but staying within the recommendations the vast majority of the time.  I would usually consume my wine right after dinner or within about an hour to an hour and half after dinner.  

Could my symptoms have been caused by my consumption or wine?  If so, why is it that thirty years ago, when I was in my late teens and early 20s, I binge drank (partied) quite regularly for most of 4 or 5 years with no ill effects (and was less well rounded in my dietary habits)?   Also, what would be the minimal amount and duration of alcohol consumption that would put a person at risk?    


This discussion is related to Alcohol Neuropathy.

[Bennett41]

It definitely depends on the person.  I was a binge drinker in high school, college and through my 20s, with no persistent effects.  At the age of 29, after a single night of particularly heavy drinking that (unusually for me) included liquor, I was left with numbness most evident in my penis.  I wasn't impotent, but my sexual sensation has been diminished ever since.  That was 20 years ago (good lord!).  I have had subsequent symptoms, typically brought on after another incident of heavy drinking, including burning in my hands and feet, muscle weakness in my legs and arrhythmia.  All of this at drinking levels where I was not drinking most days and maybe drinking more than 3 drinks only once a month.  So doctors told me alcohol wasn't responsible for my problems.  But it was evident to me that the onset and progression of my symptoms were directly linked to drinking episodes.  Friends of mine who drank and continue to drink much more heavily than I apparently have no problems.

I have cut back on my drinking, particularly in the past few years.  I have found it particularly helpful to track my drinking explicitly (for instance 280 drinks over 166 days in 2012).  Maybe I have avoided becoming a raging alcoholic, but I have paid a great price.  I have to echo what others here say from hard experience:  if you think alcohol may be causing you problems, it almost certainly is.  Doctors deal in generalities, and may not recognize relatively rare presentations.  Just as some people enjoy alcohol more than others, some people are more susceptible to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol.  Unfortunately, some of us experience both.  When that happens, it's hard, but still the only sensible thing to stop or restrict drinking.  Good luck.

[JustCurious64]

Yes, the B12 thing was discussed and tested for.  So far, all of my lab work has been coming back normal, including B12 and folate.   I have more blood work results pending and am scheduled for an MRI of the brain and neck.    

[South635]

I have read that peripheral neuropathy is a major symptom of B12 deficiency.Maybe you need a B12 blood test. Sometimes the first sign of B12 deficiency is just anemia. If your B12 is low, you can take supplements. Some people's stomach lining doesn't allow the absorption of B 12 and those people have to take injections of B12. I have read that peripheral neuropathy is a major symptom of B12 deficiency. Also, it wouldn't hurt to get a Vitamin D level because it can cause some muscle and bone pain - most people are low anyway as we get older, and they are saying how important VD is.

[JustCurious64]

Ben, Yes, as it says on the Mayo Clinic website regarding the benefits of red wine, one should consume it in moderation or not at all--more isn't better.  

[Ben727]

Same thing with coffee. Many centurions, when interviewed, say they have a daily cup of coffee or wine. There is, of course, no definitive proof or explanation, but it would seem that when used in moderation, there are mind-altering substances that can make us live longer. This forum, of course, is for people who have problems with the 'moderation' part of the equation. Most people must always be on guard against a habit that can escalate unexpectedly in times of stress. A good litmus test for ethanol-drinking is this: If you skip a dose, do you think about it? Are you pre-occupied about whether you'll have it available at the usual time? Using an addictive substance on a regular basis is playing with fire. You may be fine, or you may get burned, there are a lot of factors that go into it.

[JustCurious64]

No, I'm not diabetic and of course my neurologist did eliminate that right away.  And yes, he did also say that it varies from person to person but stressed that the amount that I mentioned simply would not cause neuropathy in his opinion.  He has been practicing for a very long time and apparently has never encountered such a situation.  And moderate regular drinking, especially red wine (one 5 oz serving for a woman, up to two for a man) is often touted as having health benefits.  Red wine has also been found to be a "blue zone" factor--people that drink it as part of an overall healthy lifestyle actually live longer.  

[nursegirl6572]

I agree very much with ABN.  Something like this would greatly vary from person to person.  While I would generally agree with your doctor that the consumption you report probably wouldn't cause neuropathy, it's impossible to tell for sure.  Are you diabetic by chance?  That's usually the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy, although there are others.

If you get anything out of this, it should be that long term, regular drinking can be harmful to one's health.  There are no guarantees.  We're all given our own set of predispositions due to genetics, and with all of the right factors in place, engaging even if light drinking for a period of time could have significant health consequences.

Best to you!

[Beckers74]

Wow, was diagnosed with neuropathy. I was a heavy drinker, alcoholic, for 8 years. Didn't know this could have caused my neuropathy.

[JustCurious64]

Doesn't look like you can edit your own comments here either...  I meant to say "two glasses of wine 'OR' four light beers..."

[JustCurious64]

Actually, for the most part, I think I addressed my own initial question in my second post because I did see a neurologist.  As I was saying, from what the neurologist said to me, it doesn't sound like it is likely that a person is going to get neuropathy in from 2 or 4 years of alcohol consumption that isn't other than extremely heavy.  What I concluded after talking to my neurologist is that two glasses of wine of four light beers over a 2-4 year period probably isn't going to cause neuropathy.      

[JustCurious64]

Just to update my post since yesterday...  I saw a neurologist today and I asked him if drinking two glasses of wine everyday would cause alcohol neuropathy and he said, "No, two BOTTLES, maybe, but not two glasses" and then I asked "how much" and for "how long" would someone consuming alcoholic beverages be put at risk and he said that it varies with the individual, for example, a guy might have "started drinking 8 beers in college and I am just seeing him now at age 52" for neuropathy.  So, then this makes me wonder if drinking 4 light beers for four years could really but someone at risk as discussed in this other thread: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Addiction/Alcohol-Neuropathy/show/1687726