Acute pain and numbness in arms & hands when sleeping.

[vkrue]

Hi, am new here... will try not to sound dumb.

I've been reading several of the posts regarding numbness while sleeping but, none really resemble my experience.

I experience severe pain and numbness in my arms (especially my elbows) and hands when sleeping. Sleeping is difficult as a result. I can sleep as little as 15 minutes before the pain wakes me or sometimes a couple of hours... (this is when the pain is the worst). I usually just change positions and feel relief after a minute or two allowing me to return to sleep.
This happens repeatedly all night... every night.
This has been happening for several years.

I am 44 yr. old male, 6'2" - 300 lbs.
Heart rate in mid 60s
BP 110/80
Non smoker
Became very sick this past winter (2006-2007) had bronchitis for 6 weeks... went through 3 types of antibiotics before recovering.
Family Doc suggested a Pulminary Function Test.
Recently failed PF test...(miserably) I passed out before finishing the test and later (10-20 minutes) had some kind of seizure or attack which lasted approx. 30 minutes.
Family doc has scheduled several other tests to find problem with passing out during PF test.
TEE indicates:
1- Mild mitral regurgitation with normal left atrial size.
2- Trace Tricuspid regurgitation
3- Intra-Atrial septal aneurysm
4- Small low septal (septum premum) defect with predominantly left to right shunting, but right to left shunting was seen on the bubble study during valsalva and coughing increasing maneuvers to increase the right-sided pressures.

Am concerned with the pain & numbness while sleeping...
Any suggestions ?
Any conections with other symptoms ?

Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Vic

[BAmom3]

Hi! I am amazed and relieved to have found this forum.... I have had all these symptoms for many years, but the last 3 the numbness/itchy feeling has gotten much worse. Hate to go to drs. because i thought it was just part of aging... I don't think it has to do with weight issues...I am 95 lbs. and 4"11. Numbness is a "patch" maybe silver dollar size on upper inside of groin, numb to touch and severe pain shooting or stabbing or cutting.. hands and fingers numb, often waking me from dead sleep. only thing is i do have a rash type thingy on my calves mostly, but a few "pin ***** red spots" on thighs,abodomen, and upper arms??? I started wearing a magnetic bracelet, and it helps some with the pain in hands. take b-12. and sam-e but no relief...anyone have any ideas on maybe home remedies that i can try??? It's making me and my husband crazy!!!

[Jewel699]

4th and 5th fingers normally means your C7 disk is blown or herniated.

[Jewel699]

I had the pain and or numbness in the right arm and many sleepless nights.  For starters, pile up your pillows so you can get in a more layed back position on your back, stack pillows on the sides to rest your arms.  The point is to get off your shoulders and give your cervical spine a rest.  Also, get an MRI and see if you have herniated disks or bulging disks in your neck.  Most often this is coming from your spinal nerves in your neck. Chiro is good but they can HERNIATE disks if they are close to herniation.  MRI is the answer to make sure it isn't coming from your neck.

Jewel

[melissap28]

I have numbness in my 4th and 5th fingers on both hands. My arms ache really bad at night. My doctor prescribed me amitriptyline. Tonight is my first night taking it. I will let you know what happens. I am also set up fr a EMG and an MRI. I hope this will give some relief.

[RDHSKM]

I am 45 years old.  I am a dental hygienist and a school bus driver.  I was in a car accident last November when a car hit me broad side.

I was in so much pain for months that I was unable to move my neck.  I saw a physical therapist for a while but she only made things worse.  Then I started seeing a massage therapist.  He actually helped!  But then shortly after the accident I started having pain in my shoulder and down my arms.  Mostly my right arm, which is also my dominate arm and numbness in my right hand.  This isn't good since I hold sharp instruments in peoples mouths with that hand.  I had the nerve conduction test done and had 60% nerve conduction from my shoulder to my elbow and only 30% from my elbow to my hand.  They took me off work.  I received two injections in my neck where the nerves innervate.  THe first gave me relief from my neck pain, the second hurt so much that I thought I would die.  Felt like lightning going down my arm and out my fingers.  My arm was numb for a week.  My relief was only temporary, maybe two weeks.  Then I began having numbness in my toes.  Started with my big toe on my left foot and spread to all the toes and ball of foot, then to the toes and ball of foot on my right foot.  But the doctor says, "You don't have neuropathy"  She took me off the nerve medication that I was on, thinking it might be from that.  I was only on that maybe two weeks and have been off it now six weeks, still have numb toes.  I have moved to a new area now and will be changing doctors.  I think I am going to go to a Chiropractor now.  The only true relief I have gotten was from one of the shots and from the massage therapy.  And yes, my arm and hand falls a sleep each night.  I can't raise my arm, and it hurts to bend my elbow.  The straightening elbow theory is that if it is tendentious, it will feel better if you keep it straightened and immobilized.  This does not help mine.   It only makes mine stiff and sore.

Has anyone tried chiropractic care and had success?
RDH

[Gettingoldsucks]

I also have pain and numbness in my arms and hands at night. It runs from the top of both arms into my fingers. It happens every night no matter what I do. If I work, don’t work, watch TV all day, exercise, it doesn’t matter. I get the pain every night.
I do have carpal tunnel but reportedly just a mild case. Well, if it’s carpal tunnel causing all this pain at night, there is nothing mild about it. The pain wakes me very night, and I know how important sleep is. REM sleep is necessary for good health, personality, temperament, etc. Good restful sleep is something you cannot get if you wake every two hours in pain.
I have had this problem for seven years now. I have seen doctors, spent time in the hospital, tried the carpel tunnel gloves at night, take Advil before bed, I even received cortisone shots in both wrist, but nothing works.
In addition, after seven years of this torture, things are starting to change. Not only do I have the pain in my arms and hands at night, my face is now white as a ghost when I wake in the morning. I wish a doctor or an famous person would get this problem, so someone would care enough to find out what it is, and thus benefit all the rest of us.

52 year old female