Primary periodic paralysis (PPP) is a group of rare diseases that temporarily make muscles stiff, weak, or unable to move. These episodes can last from a few minutes to a few days, depending on the type of PPP you have. It’s not necessary to have all the above symptoms before seeking medical help. A person with alcohol poisoning who has passed out or can’t wake up could die. A general sense of fatigue can make you feel weak, but this is not the same as paralysis, which is due to a problem with neurological control of a muscle or muscles.

Diagnosis and Tests

When this message is interrupted due to damaged nerves, the muscles cannot function as they normally would. People with a lengthy history of alcohol misuse might experience loss of balance, pain, tingling, weakness, or numbness after drinking alcohol. Both the toxicity of alcohol and nutritional deficiencies have been linked with alcoholic neuropathy, which is one of the most common but least recognizable consequences of heavy alcohol use. Learn more about this condition, including its symptoms, how it’s treated, and ways to cope. Alcohol-related neuropathy is a condition caused by consuming large amounts of alcohol over a long period. The toxic effects of alcohol may damage your peripheral nerves, which play a role in movement and sensation.

What Causes WK Syndrome?

Over time, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome worsens and can be life-threatening. It may relieve symptoms and prevent permanent damage to memory and other brain functions. When these symptoms become long term, they cause lasting brain and nerve cell damage. This causes severe memory loss and the inability to form new memories, leading to Korsakoff syndrome. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is a brain and memory disorder that requires immediate treatment.

Can Drinking Alcohol Trigger a Brain Aneurysm?

• Although there are various conditions that can cause Wernicke’s encephalopathy, it is mostly the result of AUD.
• If you think that someone has alcohol poisoning, seek medical care right away.
• If you’ve received a diagnosis of a brain aneurysm, maintaining healthy blood pressure levels can also help decrease your risk of a rupture.
• Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder.
• Also, if you already have a brain aneurysm, a doctor will likely recommend that you avoid alcohol.
• Pain seems consistent in the literature as 1 of the most common complaints and can be the first clinical indication of the disease.
• Acute management of alcohol intoxication, delirium tremens, and withdrawal is primarily supportive, to monitor and treat any cardiovascular or respiratory failure that may develop.

Thiamine— A B vitamin essential for the body to process carbohydrates and fats. Alcoholics may suffer complications (including Wernike-Korsakoff syndrome) from a deficiency of this vitamin. A December 1999 NIAAA study suggested that because they absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men, women may be more susceptible to its adverse effects. This was based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the brains of alcoholic women, compared with both non-alcoholic women and alcoholic men.

• This article will describe the symptoms of paralysis, types, possible causes, diagnosis, and treatment, and when to see a healthcare provider.
• When you have too little thiamine, your brain doesn’t have enough energy to work properly.
• Korsakoff’s syndrome can also affect a person’s long-term memory.
• It is defined by axonal degeneration in neurons of both the sensory and motor systems and initially occurs at the distal ends of the longest axons in the body.

Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes

However, some people notice an improvement in symptoms a few months after discontinuing alcohol intake. Acute management of alcohol intoxication, delirium tremens, and withdrawal is primarily supportive, to monitor and treat any cardiovascular or respiratory failure that may develop. In delirium tremens, fever and sweating may necessitate treatment of fluid loss and secondary low blood pressure. Agitation may be treated with benzodiazepines such as chlordiazepoxide, beta-adrenergic antagonists such as atenolol, or alpha 2-adrenergic agonists such as clonidine. Alcohol causes neuropathy via multifactorial processes, many of which are still under investigation.

But for other neurodegenerative conditions, the disease will likely worsen over time at various speeds. If you have developed paralysis, it is important that you get prompt medical attention. You will need to have medical treatment to prevent the condition causing it from worsening. Paralysis is serious, but you can have a good outcome with consistent rehabilitation and medical care.

Effects of acute intoxication

These symptoms can occur in addition to the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. It usually develops as symptoms of Wernicke’s encephalopathy go away. This is a severe and short-term neurologic disease that can be life threatening. You can find more information and connect with other people who have primary periodic paralysis through the websites of Periodic Paralysis International and the Periodic Paralysis Association.

People with hypoKPP can also take the drug acetazolamide (Diamox) to keep potassium levels in balance. The FDA hasn’t approved this medicine for the treatment of PPP, but your doctor may suggest it if they think it will help you. There’s no cure for PPP, but some people who have it can live active lives. Those who have severe symptoms, though, will have a hard time being active. But the amount of alcohol in one drink may be much higher than those in the list above.

A wide range of support networks and medical treatments are available. 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. While not specifically approved for the treatment of alcoholic neuropathy, antidepressant medications are often prescribed to help control the pain. Anti-seizure medications are sometimes prescribed as a way to manage pain. There’s no is alcoholic neuropathy dangerous exact timeframe for how quickly alcohol-related neuropathy develops.