Is alcoholism caused by Vitamin D deficiency?

[lostsole]

Is alcoholism caused by Vitamin D deficiency?

Otter, those shakes. Do you think those are signs of permanent damage? I don't have them now since I am being good but god I recall them all to well.
Thank you

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Is alcoholism caused by Vitamin D deficiency?

Morning Otter.
Your assumptions continue to confuse me. It would help to get clarification.

Otter;1386283 wrote: Alcohol causes myelin and white matter disruption which causes "anxiety", the shakes, cravings. .I am unclear how you can go from myelin/white matter to anxiety and craving?
Myelin and white matter have very little if anything to do with shaking, craving or anxiety related to alcoholism. In point of fact, these things are much more likely related to blood sugar, neurotransmitter disruption (dopamine, serotonin etc...), dehydration and factors that researchers have spent decades trying to understand, without much success. Myelin and white matter are related, maybe, but do not directly affect these things. Neuropathy is also a completely different animal and related to vitamin deficiencies. But not (interestingly) vitamin D. (Other than the fact that without vit D one cannot make new cells...also very interesting to my mind!)

Otter;1386283 wrote: Alcohol stips out vitamin D as it does with other vitamins and that causes a vicious circle of drinking, further damage and so on.
There might be less productive use of Vitamin D when one is an alcoholic, much as there is many other essential vitamins and nutrients, but in itself it is completely unrelated to alcoholism.

Otter;1386283 wrote: Ameisen got his prescription for baclofen to treat RLS and he had severe anxiety which emerged when playing the piano publicly and he drank to cope with it.
That isn't why Ameisen got his prescription for baclofen. He got his prescription for baclofen after reading an article in the New York Times about a cocaine addict who found that he didn't enjoy the high/want to use cocaine when he was treated for his muscle spasms which were a result of paraplegia/quadriplegia (I don't remember which.) From memory, his anxiety related to public performances was secondary or tertiary to his reasons (such as they are) for active alcoholism.

Otter;1386283 wrote: You are confusing anxiety with unhappiness.

Nope. That I do not do anymore. I can be happy and very anxious at the same time. I know the difference.

Otter;1386283 wrote: Norwegians may be happy but they may also medicate a biological anxiety/craving with alcohol...and that might make them feel happy.

?

Otter;1386283 wrote: Craving is severe anxiety.

That's interesting. From my (alcoholic) perspective, it's inaccurate. But I did give it some thought.

Otter;1386283 wrote: Someone who is desperate for a drink IS anxious. It is an organic anxiety as opposed to the "anxiety" one feels before a job interview and which goes away when it is over... or after one has a drink after the interview...

The anxiety created by craving is a terrible anxiety to experience. I'm very grateful I don't have to live through that anymore. But I still experience situational anxiety of course. It's funny (not Ha-Ha funny) how difficult it is to describe the difference to non-alcoholics. But every addicted person can probably relate without a description!

[Otter]

Is alcoholism caused by Vitamin D deficiency?

Hi All

Can I first say how distressing it is to hear about the loss of a forum member. My sincere condolences to Clearhead's parents, friends an all here who knew her.

Otter

[Otter]

Is alcoholism caused by Vitamin D deficiency?

Ne,

I have say that you are completely wrong about the anxiety connection in baclofen use. Ameisen a pp. 127 onwards and pp. 224-225 writes about how he was sent by his ex, Joan, an article in the New York Times about Prof. Childress' use of balcofen in cocaine addiction and noted that it reduced the patients muscle spasm, it's original use. He then goolged "baclofen panic" and "baclofen anxiety" and came up with papers on baclofen and its use in alcoholism and muscular tension and anxiety.
P. 133-134 " could Baclofen relax my chronic muscular and muscular and nervous tension tension, keep it from intensifying into chronic anxiety and panic, and thereby short-circuit the craving for alcohol to resolve that extreme distress".

He then goes on at pages 224-225 to say, "I was initially intrigued by baclofen because of my conviction that my lifelong muscular tension was an important symptom of the anxiety that motivated my alcoholism".

Then he describes the mechanism according to Professor Hanna Damasio: "The neurons in the insula are predominantly motor neurons that control muscular activity

He then says: "Dysregulated neurotransmission could have its first perceptible effects on te muscles, and subsequently disturb our emotional feelings and thoughts. To treat the underlying dysphoria and addiction alike, we must cut the chain at its first link."

Ne, telling newbies to this forum that alcoholism has nothing to do with alcoholism is not only just plain wrong, it is contrary to what Ameisen says and it could be dangerous. It is dangerous because people reading it may be steared towards other medications which are not as effective because they don't deal with the underlying dysphoria, anxiety that these people may suffer from when they might be able to get prescriptions, within prescribing guidelines, to eliminate this anxiety.

In response to

[Otter]

Is alcoholism caused by Vitamin D deficiency?

Ne,

I have say that you are completely wrong about the anxiety connection in baclofen use. Ameisen a pp. 127 onwards and pp. 224-225 writes about how he was sent by his ex, Joan, an article in the New York Times about Prof. Childress' use of balcofen in cocaine addiction and noted that it reduced the patients muscle spasm, it's original use. He then Goolged "baclofen panic" and "baclofen anxiety" and came up with papers on baclofen and its use in alcoholism and muscular tension and anxiety.

P. 133-134 " could Baclofen relax my chronic muscular and muscular and nervous tension tension, keep it from intensifying into chronic anxiety and panic, and thereby short-circuit the craving for alcohol to resolve that extreme distress".

He then goes on at pages 224-225 to say, "I was initially intrigued by baclofen because of my conviction that my lifelong muscular tension was an important symptom of the anxiety that motivated my alcoholism".

Then he describes the mechanism according to Professor Hanna Damasio: "The neurons in the insula are predominantly motor neurons that control muscular activity

He then says: "Dysregulated neurotransmission could have its first perceptible effects on the muscles, and subsequently disturb our emotional feelings and thoughts. To treat the underlying dysphoria and addiction alike, we must cut the chain at its first link."

Ne, telling newbies to this forum that alcoholism has nothing to do with anxiety is not only just plain wrong, it is contrary to what Ameisen says and it could be dangerous. It is dangerous because people reading it may be steared towards other medications which are not as effective because they don't deal with the underlying dysphoria, anxiety that these people may suffer from when they might be able to get prescriptions, within prescribing guidelines, to eliminate this anxiety.

In response to Lostsoul, I do think in some people this damage does repair itself but in other it does not.

Have a look at this post: Multiple Sclerosis Forum - MS / Alcoholism ?

And then this article about white matter: Why the White Brain Matters - Dana Foundation

I hope that clarifies matters (white and grey).

Best wishes

Otter

[Otter]

Is alcoholism caused by Vitamin D deficiency?

New article on white matter and alcoholism

Here is a new article on white matter and alcoholism, read the final sentence:

Effects on white matter brain volume from long-term alcoholism are different for men and women
Published on August 12, 2012 at 2:48 AM ? No Comments

inShare

(Boston) - Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System have demonstrated that the effects on white matter brain volume from long-term alcohol abuse are different for men and women. The study, which is published online in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, also suggests that with abstinence, women recover their white matter brain volume more quickly than men.

The study was led by Susan Mosher Ruiz, PhD, postdoctoral research scientist in the Laboratory for Neuropsychology at BUSM and research scientist at the VA Boston Healthcare System, and Marlene Oscar Berman, PhD, professor of psychiatry, neurology and anatomy and neurobiology at BUSM and research career scientist at the VA Boston Healthcare System.

In previous research, alcoholism has been associated with white matter pathology. White matter forms the connections between neurons, allowing communication between different areas of the brain. While previous neuroimaging studies have shown an association between alcoholism and white matter reduction, this study furthered the understanding of this effect by examining gender differences and utilizing a novel region-of-interest approach.

The research team employed structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the effects of drinking history and gender on white matter volume. They examined brain images from 42 abstinent alcoholic men and women who drank heavily for more than five years and 42 nonalcoholic control men and women. Looking at the correlation between years of alcohol abuse and white matter volume, the researchers found that a greater number of years of alcohol abuse was associated with smaller white matter volumes in the abstinent alcoholic men and women. In the men, the decrease was observed in the corpus callosum while in women, this effect was observed in cortical white matter regions.

"We believe that many of the cognitive and emotional deficits observed in people with chronic alcoholism, including memory problems and flat affect, are related to disconnections that result from a loss of white matter," said Mosher Ruiz.

Sue Mosher Ruiz wins award for outstanding scholarship ? Neuroscience | Blog Archive | Boston University

[lostsole]

Is alcoholism caused by Vitamin D deficiency?

Thanks Otter. I am glad I did not get those MS symptoms. Interesting reads.

I do believe I recall in Dr A's book a lot of references between anxiety and his alcoholism.

For me, Anxiety-I think it started me down the road of drink. It was a great help socially and in lots of other situations. Not to mention my issues with insomnia and my brain that does not want to shut off. Eventually, it made things worse but I think most of us know how that goes.

[Otter]

Is alcoholism caused by Vitamin D deficiency?

You are welcome.

I don't say that giving someone a shot of vit d is going to cure alcoholism. Stopping drinking allows the body recovery if you combine it with eating properly, vitamins exercise. I am sure there are multiple effects of alcohol on the body, lots of vitamins stripped out, brain and organ damage etc. etc.

I just feel it is only now coming out that a lot of the damage done by alcohol in the brain is white matter related and that has been accepted by leading doctors and researchers so it supports use of baclofen which is a muscle relaxant, anti anxiety medication. Other may need treatment for depression...mirtapapine, or find beta blockers helpful,or find they need diazapam, or all of the above. None of these treatments, however, will work if one has an overpowering craving and is therefore ruining one's health with heavy drinking which makes it impossible to feel the effect of good food and these medications.

Best wishes