Try this website for further information. http//www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40001248

ive only ever nursed ppl with it, the end result, and they appear a little brain-damaged, slurred speech, poor memory etc

Yes, My mother has it, and I will be the first to tell you it is completely horrable. My mom was a long time alcholoic, about a year ago she was having bouts with diareah and she went to the doctor many times, they said she had chrons diesease and gave her meds that didn't work, she has never really had an appetite, but about 4 months ago she started vomiting we went back and forth to the doctor and they found nothing wrong with her. she continued vomiting not being able to hold anything down, not even water, her walking became odd, almost stiff, we took her back and forth several times to the ER were all they did was hydrate her. Finally she got down were she could not walk, she was extremely confused and when we took her to the ER she didn't even know her birthday. She could not walk and had to be takin in by wheel chair. They found that she was thiamine defiencent and administared B1 gave her fluids and was in the hospital altogether for about a month she is home now, and she has severe amniesia, as well as not being able to walk well. She can not remember anything knew at all, if you speak to her in 5 minutes she forgets it, if even that long. The long term prognosis is not good for her, and she is getting to were she will not eat again. If you suspect that someone you know is an alcholic PLEASE make them take vitamin B1.. If I would have known this 4 months ago my mom would not be going through this now.

It's caused because heavy drinking damages the lining of the stomach, which stops the person from ingesting the "B" group vitamins. The frontal lobe of the brain, needs these vitamins to function correctly, so over a long period of time the persons frontal lobe stops working correctly and a dementure like illness develops. Most heavy drinkers will need injections of "B" group vitamins to try and curb the damage. They start to forget things at first then they may start to hallucinate, epilepsy can also start up as it progresses..