Numbness in my right hand, especially at night (when sleeping)

[cfingram]

I started a new job late October.  I'm a maid, cleaning residential homes.  After a couple of weeks, my hands started to get numb at night (during sleep, I would wake up several times with numb hands, as if I had slept in a wrong position).  As of lately, it is ONLY my right arm and this has been going on for 2 months.  In the morning, my hand is stiff, it takes an hour or two to start feeling normal again.

I can no longer sleep on my side or my stomach, the only position that is comfortable is straight on my back.  Even then, my right hand will get numb. It gets even more numb when I sleep on my right side/shoulder.

I've already visited my doctor, they did an x-ray of my neck with came back normal.  

I was told that it could be arthritis, carpel tunnel, tendonitis, pitching of a nerve, etc.

Also, I've been prescribed Naproxen (generic of it) and it seems to help but it does have some side effect (causing constipation).

What could this be?  My hand can also get numb during the day, more so when I'm NOT taking my medication.

Can someone shed a light for me as what this could be?  It's frustrating and I want to fix this before it gets worse.

Thank you in advance for your help!!

[meika268]

HI, my 1st post . I have numbness in my right hand sometimes to my elbow ,which is very stiff and hurts every nite and in my left hand every other nite. Last year it started. I had a MRI ,x-ray  several visits to chiropractor and today Im worse off and no end in sight. Its been alittle over a year and Im scheduled for another MRI because this year the X-RAY finally showed disc degeneration with bone spires so hopefully there is light at the end of this pain. It hurts all day all the time and I cant do anything. Im tired ,really physically tired and have lost interest in everything this has been a long fight. Im 45 year old male who until age 40 was very ,very athletic ! Yes, I was a stud ! 32 inch legs , 36 inch waist ,50 inch chest and 18 inch arms but that means nothing now because now is all that matters. Life really aint fair sometimes, all that hard work and long hard hours training while everyone else parties you think would end up with more than a memory ? Good luck... Hope I helped in some way. By the way the dose packs really help me but so far thats only meds that do. Pain meds dont touch the pain and I personally wouldnt be letting anyone twist on a neck that could have a serious nerve issue that needs surgery or not ?? Either way try adjusting your posture ,changing up which hand you drive with how you sit while on computer ect. Even cell phone use ,try a blue tooth . I did a check of strength and my left side of my neck is way strong than the right and Im fairly certain its all because I sit the same way ,used a cell phone holding with shoulder to ear and drive with my right arm.I'm trying to switch but its hard. Id guess my outcome will be some kinda surgery on my neck because I have tried all other options and Im barely able to finish typing this.

[atonicat]

Have you tried sleeping with a splint/brace on? And this is going to sound stupid but are your sure you're not sleeping on it during the night? I know you probably fall asleep on your back but could you be moving around during the night?

I wake up with horrible hand pains if I don't keep my hands straight during the night. I like to curl the blanket up by my head and my fingers and wrist are always in a weird position. So I have to keep making sure they are straight when I wake up in pain.

[cfingram]

Hello Sherry!

Thank you for your warm welcome!  I'm probably going to contact my doctor again, I want this figured out asap :).  

At times, my wrist will hurt really bad (from the inside, mid-section of my wrist). I'll wake up from the pain and won't be able to go back to sleep for an hour or two. I haven't lost much strength in my hand (well, in the morning, I can barely squeeze anything...but as the day goes by, my strength gets back to normal).

Naproxen seems to manage the pain and I'm trying to utilize my left hand more (to reduce the stress I'm causing on my right).

I definitely cannot sleep on my shoulders or I'll have numbness for sure.. I can only sleep on my back and I've been trying to keep my right hand on my stomach (oddly, this helps).

[namnam46]

Hi cfingram,

First I want to welcome you to the Pain Management Forum and let you know that we are glad you found this Forum. I want to let you know that there are NO Doctors on this Forum only CP - Chronic Pain - Patients that help each other with our OWN expertise and experiences that we have developed through our OWN CP Issues.

I've been experiencing the exact same thing that you are going through and my Doctor is getting ready to do and MRI of my neck to see what's happening with the nerves in my neck.  

The things that you have mentioned above are the EXACT things that you need to rule out one at a time.  If you do that you will wind up with the answer.  I sleep on my back and my arms are at my side and the ring finger and the little finger on EACH hand as well as the OUTSIDE of both arms are what go numb on me.  It's a VERY strange feeling isn't it?

I HOPE that your Doctor can figure out what is happening with you quickly so that they can give you some relief.  I'm taking gabepentin 300mg at night and that has seemed to help at least a little bit.  :)

PLEASE let us know what you find out.  Good Luck :)............Sherry