I've read, and worried myself, over the effects of long-term AL abuse. We worry over bloodwork, facing our doctors, being shown the facts of our abuse. I've heard the term 'wet brain' without truly understanding it. It sounded like a made-up condition, assigned to 'those people' who live under the freeways, stand in line at the soup kitchens. It's come home to me recently, though, through a friend I have cherished, laughed with, planned with, talked to almost daily. It is REAL, and can be one of the most horrific outcomes of our uncontrolled excess with AL. This doesn't sound like the party life we hate to give up, or the social drinking expected in our 'crowd'. This is real, and it happens.
Wet Brain – Alcoholism and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
Wet Brain
An ultimate and tragic consequence of years of alcoholic drinking, wet brain (Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome) occurs from a thiamine deficiency due to malnutrition. In early stages, the syndrome can be partially reversed through treatment with large doses of thiamine; in late stage cases, there is no effective treatment.
Alcoholics become deficient in thiamine (vitamin b-1) through poor eating habits (liquid meals), damaged gastro intestinal systems that do not absorb nutrients well, and through liver damage (leading to a reduction in thiamine processing). Thiamine is an essential nutrient for glucose conversion in the brain, and over time, a thiamine deficiency leads to significant brain cell death and serious structural damage in certain areas of the brain. Areas of the brain most affected include the brain stem, the cerebral cortex and the pons.
Symptoms of Wet Brain
Ataxia, an irregular gait – wide stance and short step
Confusion, which often manifests as apathy to external surroundings and low voluntary verbal participation
Confabulation – telling of events that did not happen, and believing them to be true
Dementia
Hallucination – visual, aural or tactile
Loss of control over eye movements
Treatment for Wet Brain
Patients suffering early stages of wet brain may respond well to large doses of intravenous thiamine, and may see a substantial symptoms improvement. Late stage patients will not benefit from any known treatment.
The mortality rate for wet brain is about 20%. Prompt treatment will lead to a full mental recovery for about 20%, a recovery from ataxia for about 40% and a recovery from irregular eye movement for about 60%.
Most patients suffering from wet brain have abused alcohol heavily for many years. The rate of occurrence in the general population is not known, but it is higher amongst certain subsets, such as the homeless and the elderly.
Anyone concerned about symptoms indicative of wet brain needs immediate medical attention.
Long years of heavy drinking may lead to a thiamine deficiency, and a syndrome known as Wernicke-Korsakoff (wet brain). Much of the brain damage experienced is unfortunately irreversible.
Wet Brain Syndrome is known by several names including Korsakoff psychosis, alcoholic encephalopathy, Wernicke's disease among others. The most common medical term for Wet Brain Syndrome is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and is caused by a deficiency in one of the B vitamins called thiamine. Thiamine is also occasionally referred to as vitamin B1. Thiamine is important for a large number of cellular processes, many of them involving glucose metabolism and amino acid synthesis. One of the reasons that thiamine deficiency can cause such havoc in the brain is because the brain, unlike other organs, needs a steady supply of glucose from the blood and does not have the ability to store it. Also, many neurotransmitters, like glutamate and aspartate are amino acids, while others depend on amino acids for their synthesis. In addition to Wet Brain Syndrome, thiamine deficiency can also lead to a disease called Beriberi.
Causes of Wet Brain Syndrome
One of the most common causes of thiamine deficiency, and therefore Wet Brain Syndrome, is alcoholism. People who have severe alcoholism will drink so much alcohol that they neglect getting nutrition from sources other than alcohol. This leads to B1 deficiency as well as overall malnutrition. Thiamine deficiency is also seen in people who eat a diet rich in polished rice since the process of polishing rice removes vitamin B1. People that undergo stomach bypass and stapling surgery can develop vitamin B1 deficiency and so can those who have long stays in an intensive care unit.
Symptoms of Wet Brain Syndrome
Wet Brain Syndrome is characterized by many different neurological and psychiatric symptoms. Two of the main symptoms, which are also seen in alcohol intoxication, are confusion and ataxia. This is why the disease is sometime difficult to diagnose in severe alcoholics. Many symptoms of Wet Brain Syndrome involve the eye including nystagmus (a lateral tremor of the eye), ophthalmoplegia (paralysis of the eye muscles), anisocoria (unequal pupil size) and sluggish pupil reflexes (the eyes only slowly react to light). Korsakoff's psychosis is characterized by amnesia, hallucination and confabulations. A confabulation is a fascinating psychiatric symptom in which people incorporate a fantasy or a figment of their imagination into their working memory. They are also extremely suggestible. An example of a confabulation is when a doctor, who has only just met a patient with Wet Brain Syndrome can easily convince him that they are long time acquaintances. The patient then begins to confabulate other instances in which the two have interacted.
A Serious Disease
Sadly, if left untreated, Wet Brain Syndrome can lead to coma or even death. In fact, if amnesia and psychosis have already occurred, it is unlikely that a full recovery will be achieved. One pitfall for physicians that treat alcoholic patients is that thiamine deficiency is often sub-clinical meaning that it does not yet result in obvious signs of Wet Brain Syndrome. Since many people with alcoholism are malnourished, one obvious intervention is to give patients glucose. Unfortunately, giving glucose to someone with thiamine deficiency without first giving thiamine can result in a terrible exacerbation of Wet Brain Syndrome and put them into full blown encephalopathy. Medical students are routinely taught if you are going to treat for malnutrition that you better give thiamine before the sugar!
What is a wet brain
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The term you are referring to applies to someone who has abused alcohol to the point that normal brain function is permanently impaired. There are several degrees of "wet". I have been on 12 step calls and witnessed this first hand. It is a "very awakening" experience.
If you were able to type a post here, then you are not likely wet brained. What you are going through is known as the "paws": Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. Now I am not a doctor and not trying to offer advise, but in my early attempts at sobriety were me trying to "study" this disease. I thought if I knew my nemesis, I could defeat it. Of course, this did not work.
The "paws" is caused by a sudden withdrawal of a substance that your body has become "dependant" on. After abusing alcohol and drugs, the brain stops producing certain chemicals such as dopamine and seratonin. The abused substance causes the transmitters and receptors in the brain to stop "firing" the chemicals. Once the abused substance is no longer ingested, the brain experiences a chemical imbalance. The severity of the paws related episodes depend and the frequency, substance used, and length of abuse. Most experts state that the paw starts 7 to 14 day into recovery and can last 3 months to two years. The severity of paws can also depend on the stress level experienced in sobriety as well. Here are some examples of paws symptoms:
1. Inability to think clearly
2. Memory problems
3. Emotional overreactions or numbness
4. Sleep disturbances
5. Physical coordination problems
6. Stress sensitivity
Do not fear this. It is merely a sign that the brain is trying to stabilize. There are things that help, such as exercise, proper nutrition, meditation, and most of all, working the program with the help of your higher power. In time, these chemicals will flow again. They call this "getting your brain out of hoc" in AA. Doctors can also treat with certain non addictive drugs, such as Serzone, or Zoloft. (Anti-depressants)
To read more, check out: ---PAWS
Post Acute Withdrawl - Relapse Prevention Specialists - TLC The Living Center
Are you scared yet? Are you convinced? I almost believe it's worse when it happens to a friend than to ourselves, since we don't even know it has happened. When it's us, we are shuttled off to nursing care, lost in our own mind (what's left of it). When it's someone we care about, we watch helplessly. I PRAY someone will see this and it will make a difference. What have you lost today, or had stolen from you, by drinking? How has your family suffered? Consider what AL has done for you today.
Rubes
Wet Brain – Alcoholism and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
Wet Brain
An ultimate and tragic consequence of years of alcoholic drinking, wet brain (Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome) occurs from a thiamine deficiency due to malnutrition. In early stages, the syndrome can be partially reversed through treatment with large doses of thiamine; in late stage cases, there is no effective treatment.
Alcoholics become deficient in thiamine (vitamin b-1) through poor eating habits (liquid meals), damaged gastro intestinal systems that do not absorb nutrients well, and through liver damage (leading to a reduction in thiamine processing). Thiamine is an essential nutrient for glucose conversion in the brain, and over time, a thiamine deficiency leads to significant brain cell death and serious structural damage in certain areas of the brain. Areas of the brain most affected include the brain stem, the cerebral cortex and the pons.
Symptoms of Wet Brain
Ataxia, an irregular gait – wide stance and short step
Confusion, which often manifests as apathy to external surroundings and low voluntary verbal participation
Confabulation – telling of events that did not happen, and believing them to be true
Dementia
Hallucination – visual, aural or tactile
Loss of control over eye movements
Treatment for Wet Brain
Patients suffering early stages of wet brain may respond well to large doses of intravenous thiamine, and may see a substantial symptoms improvement. Late stage patients will not benefit from any known treatment.
The mortality rate for wet brain is about 20%. Prompt treatment will lead to a full mental recovery for about 20%, a recovery from ataxia for about 40% and a recovery from irregular eye movement for about 60%.
Most patients suffering from wet brain have abused alcohol heavily for many years. The rate of occurrence in the general population is not known, but it is higher amongst certain subsets, such as the homeless and the elderly.
Anyone concerned about symptoms indicative of wet brain needs immediate medical attention.
Long years of heavy drinking may lead to a thiamine deficiency, and a syndrome known as Wernicke-Korsakoff (wet brain). Much of the brain damage experienced is unfortunately irreversible.
Wet Brain Syndrome is known by several names including Korsakoff psychosis, alcoholic encephalopathy, Wernicke's disease among others. The most common medical term for Wet Brain Syndrome is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and is caused by a deficiency in one of the B vitamins called thiamine. Thiamine is also occasionally referred to as vitamin B1. Thiamine is important for a large number of cellular processes, many of them involving glucose metabolism and amino acid synthesis. One of the reasons that thiamine deficiency can cause such havoc in the brain is because the brain, unlike other organs, needs a steady supply of glucose from the blood and does not have the ability to store it. Also, many neurotransmitters, like glutamate and aspartate are amino acids, while others depend on amino acids for their synthesis. In addition to Wet Brain Syndrome, thiamine deficiency can also lead to a disease called Beriberi.
Causes of Wet Brain Syndrome
One of the most common causes of thiamine deficiency, and therefore Wet Brain Syndrome, is alcoholism. People who have severe alcoholism will drink so much alcohol that they neglect getting nutrition from sources other than alcohol. This leads to B1 deficiency as well as overall malnutrition. Thiamine deficiency is also seen in people who eat a diet rich in polished rice since the process of polishing rice removes vitamin B1. People that undergo stomach bypass and stapling surgery can develop vitamin B1 deficiency and so can those who have long stays in an intensive care unit.
Symptoms of Wet Brain Syndrome
Wet Brain Syndrome is characterized by many different neurological and psychiatric symptoms. Two of the main symptoms, which are also seen in alcohol intoxication, are confusion and ataxia. This is why the disease is sometime difficult to diagnose in severe alcoholics. Many symptoms of Wet Brain Syndrome involve the eye including nystagmus (a lateral tremor of the eye), ophthalmoplegia (paralysis of the eye muscles), anisocoria (unequal pupil size) and sluggish pupil reflexes (the eyes only slowly react to light). Korsakoff's psychosis is characterized by amnesia, hallucination and confabulations. A confabulation is a fascinating psychiatric symptom in which people incorporate a fantasy or a figment of their imagination into their working memory. They are also extremely suggestible. An example of a confabulation is when a doctor, who has only just met a patient with Wet Brain Syndrome can easily convince him that they are long time acquaintances. The patient then begins to confabulate other instances in which the two have interacted.
A Serious Disease
Sadly, if left untreated, Wet Brain Syndrome can lead to coma or even death. In fact, if amnesia and psychosis have already occurred, it is unlikely that a full recovery will be achieved. One pitfall for physicians that treat alcoholic patients is that thiamine deficiency is often sub-clinical meaning that it does not yet result in obvious signs of Wet Brain Syndrome. Since many people with alcoholism are malnourished, one obvious intervention is to give patients glucose. Unfortunately, giving glucose to someone with thiamine deficiency without first giving thiamine can result in a terrible exacerbation of Wet Brain Syndrome and put them into full blown encephalopathy. Medical students are routinely taught if you are going to treat for malnutrition that you better give thiamine before the sugar!
What is a wet brain
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The term you are referring to applies to someone who has abused alcohol to the point that normal brain function is permanently impaired. There are several degrees of "wet". I have been on 12 step calls and witnessed this first hand. It is a "very awakening" experience.
If you were able to type a post here, then you are not likely wet brained. What you are going through is known as the "paws": Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. Now I am not a doctor and not trying to offer advise, but in my early attempts at sobriety were me trying to "study" this disease. I thought if I knew my nemesis, I could defeat it. Of course, this did not work.
The "paws" is caused by a sudden withdrawal of a substance that your body has become "dependant" on. After abusing alcohol and drugs, the brain stops producing certain chemicals such as dopamine and seratonin. The abused substance causes the transmitters and receptors in the brain to stop "firing" the chemicals. Once the abused substance is no longer ingested, the brain experiences a chemical imbalance. The severity of the paws related episodes depend and the frequency, substance used, and length of abuse. Most experts state that the paw starts 7 to 14 day into recovery and can last 3 months to two years. The severity of paws can also depend on the stress level experienced in sobriety as well. Here are some examples of paws symptoms:
1. Inability to think clearly
2. Memory problems
3. Emotional overreactions or numbness
4. Sleep disturbances
5. Physical coordination problems
6. Stress sensitivity
Do not fear this. It is merely a sign that the brain is trying to stabilize. There are things that help, such as exercise, proper nutrition, meditation, and most of all, working the program with the help of your higher power. In time, these chemicals will flow again. They call this "getting your brain out of hoc" in AA. Doctors can also treat with certain non addictive drugs, such as Serzone, or Zoloft. (Anti-depressants)
To read more, check out: ---PAWS
Post Acute Withdrawl - Relapse Prevention Specialists - TLC The Living Center
Are you scared yet? Are you convinced? I almost believe it's worse when it happens to a friend than to ourselves, since we don't even know it has happened. When it's us, we are shuttled off to nursing care, lost in our own mind (what's left of it). When it's someone we care about, we watch helplessly. I PRAY someone will see this and it will make a difference. What have you lost today, or had stolen from you, by drinking? How has your family suffered? Consider what AL has done for you today.
Rubes
awprint: RUBY Imagine yourself doing What you love and loving What you do, Being happy From the inside Out, experiencing your Dreams wide awake, 
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