Numbness in hands during sleep

[Richard]

I am a 55 year old male who is apparently in good health.  My blood pressure at home is frequently as low as 95/65 with pulse from 47 to 55 when at rest.  In the doctors office my blood pressure is 110/70.  I exercise on a tread mill for 15 minutes at a time several times per week, snow ski twice a year and was very athletic when I was young.  I recently had a complete physical including blood work, x-rays, and a cardiac stress test on the tread mill.  My internist said everything was great.  My problem is frequent slight numbness in my hands when I awake in the middle of the night.  I have used Rogaine on my hair since it was approved but have recently stopped because after a few days of using it as directed, the numbness in my hands can extend to the whole arm.  Hanging my arm off the side of the bed causes feeling to return in about a minute.  A couple of beers at night also seems to make the problem worse.  My doctor says its the way I position my hands while I sleep that is the cause of my problem.  What is your opinion?  Thanks.

[eleanor]

About six months ago, I began to experience numbness not only in my hands but in my feet. One foot would go to sleep, the other would be ice cold, one or both hands would fall asleep, my nose would turn into an ice cube. This would happen in any combination. I am 52 years old, and suffered a compression neck injury almost 40 years ago. My blood pressure is normal, heart is normal,and my colesterol is very low. I aquacise three days a week, see a masssage therapist who can find no sign of carpal tunnel or spinal misalignment, and a chiropractor who also can not find any reason for this numbness. The feet have not turned numb for a while, but my hands go numb when I lay down or recline in a chair. My right hand and arm, in particular, hurt especially when I am awakened by the numbness and I cannot close my hand into a fist. This numbness seems to happen when I sleep but not when in an upright position, or when I blow dry my hair which means that my hands are above my head for an extended period of time. This numbness began overnight, and I can't pinpoint any particular activity that happened at that time to cause it. Perhaps a nerve has been aggravated in some way.

[Nora]

For the past 6 months have had several problems with my neck, back, shoulder, arms and fingers.  I have also had numbness in my head and pain that feels like and electrical shock.  The doctors diagnosised me with a pinched nerve in my neck, carpal tunnel syndrome and a pinched nerve in my elbow.  They also concluded that I had several bulging disk in my neck and a slight case of osteoarthritis.  Their solution to my problem was to give me vioxx, nortriptyline and tylenol 3.  This seemed to alleviat the  pain. BUT after taken these medications for about 2 to 3 weeks, I had not slept all and was so exhausted that I slept approximately 14 hours straight. I woke up and my whole body felt like it had fallen asleep, tingling, numbness, even in my eyes, face, legs arms, rear end, back, everywhere.  If I turned to one side it would be more severe on the side I was laying on.  I should also mention that I had heart irregularities shortness of breath, dizzness and blurred vision  the night before.  The next morning the numbness was on my left side only. One week later I still have the numbness but not as bad and still only on the left side. I called the doctor.  My doctor (neurologist) was not available so I called the neurosurgeon that I had seen before. Since I have a lot of allergies I assumed I was having a reaction to the medications. So I stop taking all of my medication.  Three doctors and two pharmisists told me that they had never heard of any type of numbness throughout your whole body from any type of prescription drug.  The neurosurgeon ordered an MRI on the brain.  And told me if I have any more heart irregularities or shortness of breathe to go to the emergency room immediately. The heart palpations stopped.  The other symptons did not. After receiving the MRI, my regular doctor came back in to town and was concerned, he ordered blood test.
I saw my regular doctor yesterday.  My MRI and blood test were normal. But, he still suggested that I might possibly have MS. I had already looked up information on the internet about MS because I knew some people who had the same symptons. He suggested having another MRI, an EKG, a spinal tap and more blood test. I just kind of laughed because I have already had 3 MRIs, an EMG and several blood test in the past six months. He also suggested that I go back on the nortriptyline.
I took one last night.  This morning, I had more numbness in my whole body, rear, left side of my face, lips tongue, arms and hands.  I came to work and got on the internet and decided to look up drug reactions and allergies and found that all three of the medications that I have been on have RARE side effects of numbness, heart palpatations, sleeping problems, low blood pressure etc. (By the way my blood pressure is normally 110 over 60 or 70, but has been 90 over 50 in the doctors office.) I have not had any rib pain, but I have gas pain & indigestion which is alleviated somewhat with loose clothing.  I realize that some of my symptons are not the same and/or I may have more symptons than some of you. But I just thought that any of you who are on prescription drugs, that you may want to make sure that you are not allergic to them, because they can cause heart attacks and other life threatening side effects.  I realize I am not a doctor and I have not yet confirmed that I am allergic to these drugs, but it seems to me that my doctors seem to be guessing a lot and have not yet come up with a definite solution.  I feel that most people know their bodies pretty well and when something is wrong, we know our symptons better than anyone.  
So if you feel it could be your prescription please make sure you check out all side effects including the RARE ones. If anyone else has these symptons and feels I might be grasping at straws or has any other suggestions. Please let us all KNOW.  Thank you.
By the way, I am female, age 38.

[Jim]

I have had this problem for many years.  Waking up and arm and hand will be numb to the point that I have to use my other hand to lift the numb one up and let it fall over the side of the bed after a few min. the feeling comes back.  I have had this happen with both arms. (not at the same time)  Recently there has been pain as well.  I also get numb hands and arms during the day while driving or working.  The problem seems worse after a hard day of lifting or other physical activities.  It also seems to get worse after eating salty foods.  I have been treated for high blood pressure ( with poor results) for about ten years.  But the problem with the numbness in my arms and hands has been around longer than that.  Dieuretic seems to help somtimes.

[Same here]

I have just woken (3am here) and experienced two numb hands/forearms. I have had one numb hand in the past but tonight spooked me. I exercise well and am on no medication. Apart from the medics suggestion of get your heart checked out does anyone else have any ideas?

[Dianne]

I too have some of the simular problems.I have numbness in my left hand and left arm )used to be also left leg)Began back in 1984. I had to sleep sitting up on pillows in bed for quite some time. Went to primary MD,sent to have Echo, holter,ECG. All turned out normal. Diagnois: STRESS. Place on Xanax, no more problems for several years. Then it began in Left hand & Left arm always at night during sleep waking me. I do usually run a low BP anywhere from 90/60 to 120/80. Also have severe stress and panic problems. I have no answers as of yet. But take my word for it, Xanax is very addictive. I can't express that enough. My advise is to find other alternatives for stress relief. I chose to stop taking Xanax, had to be hospitalized and even the doctors and nurses at a very well known teaching hospital said that coming off Xanax was worse than heroin, valium, cocain, crack, and anything they knew of. I can tell you that it was the most living hell I have been through in my life, you feel you are loosing your mind and actually have for a while, and your body is out of whack, seizures, high B/P.  
I still don't have any answers to my numbness, but I hope that maybe some of this info may help someone.  Thank you.  Dianne

[sue]

I saw my internist in November 1999 for a regular exam.  He discovered that I had high cholestrol and put me on Lipitor.  By mid-December, I started developing numbness in my arms and hands that would wake me several times during the night.  I would awake in the morning with pain and stiffness in my fingers.  After six months or so, I mentioned this to my doctor.  Although "unusual," he said to stop the Lipitor.  The numbness stopped immediately.  After a month or so, I started on Zocor.  It has now been six weeks and the numbness has started again.  I see a connection!  Can anyone else relate this to medication?