I have alcoholic neuropathy that didn’t start in my feet.

pha29205, you have a slightly unusual presentation in symptom type and origin of your neuropathy.
You might consider testing for RA.
You are probably already taking remedy for nutritional imbalance.
Best wishes

Hello, pha29205 (@pha29205)

Welcome! When you say you have "alcoholic neuropathy," can you explain a bit more? I have large-fiber neuropathy, so no pain but lots of balance problems.

I'm 81. When I was a young man, I was a heavy drinker, but I quit when I was in my late 40s; in other words, I've something over 30 years of sobriety. Only once in all my many visits to neurologists' offices was anything ever said about my long-ago years of drinking, and that one mention was by a nurse who noticed what she saw as a "shadow" on a brain MRI. Both she and the neurologist assured me that the so-called shadow was neither the cause nor a present-day accelerant of today's balance difficulties.

You can probably see why I'm curious about your "alcoholic neuropathy."

I wish you well in managing your neuropathy!
Ray (@ray666)

My son who is a dr thinks it’s alcoholic neuropathy because I drank 4 drinks a day for 30 years. . I quit 8 months ago. I have bad balance problems and only pain in thumb and wrist and back of hand. Never any foot pain or tingling.

Hi, @pha29205. Four drinks a day for 30 years is a lot, but not unlike my drinking history. I started drinking at 17 (18 was legal then in NYC), but I had a fake ID, drank all through my undergraduate years, all through my Army years, all through my grad school years, and on and on. That's a lot of years, too. I finally quit not because I'd lost a job or had a love affair fall apart but because I came to my senses one day and realized that I'd lost ALL ambition, all but being sure I could get to that next drink. Crazy, I know. My PN gives me only balance trouble. No pain, for which I'm powerfully grateful! –Cheers! Ray (@ray666)

Hello @pha29205, I have neuropathy in my feet and hands with only numbness and some tingling. I also have some pain in both hands and wrists which is related to carpal tunnel syndrome along with degenerative arthritis. I also have balance issues that I'm pretty sure neuropathy plays a part in but so does my old age (almost 83) and the degenerative arthritis. Like you I do try to exercise regularly and work on my balance and leg strength. Have you had X-rays of your hands to see if the cause of the pain might not be due to neuropathy?

I have had X-rays and it shows arthritis and bone shifts. I had shots in my thumbs and it worked. Pain has returned after 3 months and I am going back to hand orthopedist.

Also see this related discussion:
- Alcohol-related Neuropathy: Anyone had good treatment results? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/alcohol-related-neuropathy/