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July 19, 2004

What is Alcohol Myopathy?

Ever hear of it? I have - Now!!!

I just discovered that the modern world - meaning Google and Yahoo have reference to it. A few years ago - they didn't. Not their fault - it just wasn't listed anywhere. Honestly.

I have been trying to research Alcohol Myopathy and/or Alcoholic Myopathy for years - never, ever - could I find answers.

Just what the heck is Myopathy and what is Alcohol Myopathy?

It started in 1996. I had this pain in my knee caps. Pain - when I went up a flight of stairs. Pain when I walked. Pain when I bent down.

So - I go to a local Health Care Clinic and ask: Have I been bitten by a tick [and knowing that I've lived on Martha's Vineyard - I worried about Lyme Disease]. Again - this was 1996.

So I am tested for all circumstances - including Arthritis.

Nothing shows up - for bacterial arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

But I am in terrible pain. Oh well - when I returned to Martha's Vineyard and consulted with my Doctor there - I learn a new word - called - Alcohol Myopathy.

What was it? Well - it just wasn't explained much - it was just that I shouldn't drink alcohol. And so - I'm an alcoholic and I say - okay - I'll cool it.

But did I? No. In time - I get these awful experiences of pain - up my legs [I learned afterwards that the pain in my legs - started first - because - a person bears the weight of their body - on their legs][makes sense].

Then - the disease - travels up my back. And I start to get muscle spasms. A lot. To the point where it was debilitating - during some very weird moves. Like, I would be backing up the street in my car - and as I turned around - I would get this excruciating pain - as a muscle spasm - on my back - and I'd have to stop driving. Wait for the spasm to subside - and then I could continue.

I didn't connect the leg pain to the back muscle spasms.

*****

The Doctor on the Vineyard didn't say much more about Myopathy - except to say - cool it on the drink. Yup - I've been hearing that - all of my life.

*****

So eventually - in 1996 - something new happens - and this - took me to the emergency room - 2 times - before I could get back to my Doctor and get the problem resolved.

The myopathy traveled up my back and lodged itself on my left wing bone - of my back. And then I got a spasm and then a numbness - in the left side of my back - and down the left arm and hand. I was paralized and went to the Hospital emergency room.

Nothing. Not a single thing that they could do. After Xray and Xray - not a single thing could be done.

Ibuprofen didn't help. Aspirin didn't help. Acetaminophen didn't help. Even - Doans didn't help. I suffered excruciating pain for many, many weeks. To the point where - I couldn't sleep at night - and I couldn't sleep on the left side of my body. I was numb - on the left side.

I had Alcoholic Neuropathy.

*****

So - what becomes of me. I end up seeing my Doctor again and he gives me cyclobenzaprine.

Finally - it works. It is a muscle relaxant. And guess what - the Neuropathy went away.

I'm back to normal after a month.

*****

So - what is this Myopathy. I couldn't find anything about the topic - Alcohol Myopathy. And when I did some research on the word Myopathy - the penny dropped.

I remember as a kid - visiting my elder relatives - and they suffered from - whatever ailments - they could describe in those days. And I'm talking about the 50's and 60's. And what it was - was this.

My aunt for instance - we would go and visit - and there she was - on a Sunday afternoon - late in the day - sipping her Sherry. And the lady was walking with a cane - and would remark about her Rheumatism - on these certain days. And so - the reality of the story is - is that many - I believe - suffered from this Rheumatism - which was probably Alcohol Myopathy in disguise.

Why - because I've experienced it. Alcohol is a numbing agent - an analgesic. You are in the state of numbness - muscle wise.

And why do I know. It is because - when you don't drink - you get excruciating pain - when you have alcohol myopathy - when you stop drinking. Your muscles - scream out in pain - as you detox. The alcohol - as it leaves your muscles causes unbelievable pain.

I was at the point one time - that the calves of my legs - had to be ICED - and I mean this seriously. The only relief that I could get was - to put two bags of ice on each of my calves on both legs.

I didn't know then - what I know now.

Plus - if someone only told me - that myopathy meant - your heart will have myopathy - well then that's a different story.

Would I have stopped drinking? Probably. If I was scared enough as I became when I learned of Cardiomyopathy. Was it hereditary? Who knows!!!

But you have to realize - that there just isn't enough warning signs out there - for a person with alcohol myopathy.

My Aunt was self-medicating with her own version of therapy and so haven't many others. A shot of Sherry - numbed the legs. How many others in the early 1900's experienced the same remedy.

*****

So - now we know - that the pain - from my legs - to my back - to Neuropathy - resulted in - Cardio Myopathy.

Why wasn't this explained.

*****

It makes sense to me now. CardioMyopathy - a disease of the muscle of the heart - caused by many reasons - but alcohol can be a contrbuting factor.

And I do have genetics that fall in place here re: heart disease. Nothing on my Mother's side of the family. On my Father's side - my Aunt died of a Heart Attack - my Father died of Renal Failure - but that is a catch all - probably for many - other things he sufferend from - and what if he had CHF [undiagnosed] and my Aunt's Son - my 1st cousin John Dennis who was my primary abuser - had a triple bypass. Who the Christ knows why - these might or might not fall into place - in my genetics.

*****

All - I know is - is that you could not get a reasonable explanation of what alcohol myopathy was - even two years ago. So - read up on it at:

Go online to WebMD.com or MayoClinic.com...................NOT

These are the only ones that I've checked so far. That's proably why I didn't find things years ago. I was going to the wrong sources - but why wouldn't these places - of all places have something to report.

Skip it - Go to Google.

Posted by Nealus at July 19, 2004 12:22 PM

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