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

[KadieWobbs]

A related discussion, Numbness in hands was started.

[Tinkerbellme2]

Hi suffer the same numbness on my hands  i dont work im a stay home mom its not painfull just every night and morninigs the are numb i worry what it could be my only issue is im bipolar but other then that i am very health well aleast i think

[Margie1976]

Its a nerve trapped in ur elbow.

[Cubegirl]

Cure for numb hands & arms while sleeping.

I had a similar problem of my hands and arms becoming numb & tingling while I was sleeping.   This went on for over a year.  I looked online and found nothing that would explain what was causing this.  I'm in good health otherwise, so I did not believe it could be a disease of any sort.  I asked my doctor about this but she did not give me an answer.

Finally, I found someone else that had the solution.So, a week ago, I did the same thing and so far my arms and hands are not getting numbness and tingling when I'm sleeping. Here's what I did...

Take vitamin B-12 (1,000 mg per day) and vitamin C (500 mg per day)
Since taking these vitamins, I've been able to sleep all night long without waking up and having to shake my hands and arms.

If this doesn't work for you, then the problem could a food allergy.    I would start by stopping all eating of dairy products including anything made with dairy products.  Do this for 30 days.   If you still are having the numbness at night then, you may have a serious medical condition that will require a doctor.

I hope this helps.   - Cubegirl  

[Melissabeach]

I am 27 years old and have this same problem. It has been going on for about a year now...started out in one side of my hand or the other ( Thumb, index, and middle would go numb) or ( Pinky and ring finger would go numb)
NOW- my entire hand goes out and it is awful...wakes me up and takes forever to get it back to normal...then, it just comes back over and over until I just get up outta bed and give up!
It has actually happened to me a couple of times just lying on the couch real still watching TV!
I also am a housekeeper and used my hands (especially right hand) all day at work.

Sometimes when it falls asleep I cannot bend my fingers to a fist!
AND it's not like when your foot falls asleep and gets all tingley and stuff...it's like my hand it's just dead!!!
My doc says it's not carpel tunnel and he suggested hand braces...but..I did not go get them as I figured they would not help much considering mine will fall asleep just lying by my side!
I am in good health btw!

[katertot09]

I'm a 26 year old, overweight female (5'7", approx 245 lbs) and I have been experiencing these symptoms for the past few months; they are progressively getting worse and worse.  I have not been able to lay on my stomach or either of my sides without almost instant  tingling/numbness from my shoulder all the way to my hands.  Sometimes it's just my hands that get terribly numb/achy.  I would usually lay on my back and the numbness would go away, but it was too painful to lay on my back the whole night so I would switch it up for a little while, lay on my side, get numb then lay on my back again.

However, now I can't even lay on my back.  I've been awake for the past 3 hours trying to sleep in any position, sitting up even.  Nothing.  

I was in a car accident (nothing major) 9 years ago that did cause some injury to my rhomboid and I have had upper back pain ever since.  

But I am also worried this numbness could be related to diabetes.  I have never had high blood sugar tests, even when I was pregnant, my gestational diabetes test came back and I was on the low-end of the blood sugar.  But I worry that maybe now that could be a factor.  I have gained a lot of weight (approx 30 pounds) in the past year and wonder if this could be the actual culprit of my nerve pain (i.e. more pressue on my spine).  

I am so unsure which route to pursue...a chiropractor though it may not be an actual spine issue or doctors who might put me through a very expensive amount of tests that all end up with no answer.  I am going to work on losing weight/exercising and see if that helps.

[Karonaa]

I too have very painful numb hands and arms that is getting worse every day. In the morning, I can not even make a fist. I do get relief from standing with my feet together and touching my toes and sretching out my spine. While touching my toes in the standing position, I lift my head up and then down with chin on chest. This either resume blood flow or relives possible pinched nerves. I am not sure what is wrong with me but I hope this helps as I fell for each one of you. I am going to seek out a chiropractor.

[Millhouse34]

I just thought I'd post an update, it's only been about 2 weeks since my last post but I am experiencing improvement.

I have been icing and heating the base of my neck every night and doing yoga and I have had 4 nights without numbness. It is so wondeful! I have skipped on the ice and heat and have woken up with some numbness so I think that's what really helps.

Try it!

[Millhouse34]

I am new to the forum. Many of your stories and suggestions give me hope to no numb arms at night.

For the last few months I have been experiencing numb arms and hands at night. I didn't think much of it, I thought it was normal. A few weeks ago I was rafting a river and my feet went numb, not from the cold water. It took them until about 30 minutes after we finished rafting to come back to normal. My toes tingled for a few days but haven't since then. Still, not thinking anything is too alarming until last night.

I was in a deep sleep on my back and I was woken up to severe numb and painful arms and hands. I couldn't move the ring and pinky finger on my right hand for a few minutes. The back of my head, bottom of skull on the left side was also numb and tingly. That is what alarmed me. Not only was it super uncomfortable, but why was my head numb? When I switched positions, the head numbness went away, but the numbness in the arms continued throughout the night.

Does anyone have any idea why my head would go numb? I have changed around my pillows, no help there. My BP is 103/70 (I think), I am 26 and very healthy.

I read on the internet about nerve damage caused by spinal taps. I have had two in my life.. but that would be way more painful right? Also that would show up fairly soon after right? Any ideas are much appreciated!

Thanks and good luck to everyone.

PS I did go to my massage therapist last week and she did a cranial and some hip and shoulder work on me. That night was fairly good but it has gone back to bad like it was before.

[MyStory50]

And to further complicate my story - i have never had a bad cholesterol reading, all my tests prior to surgery were completely clear of any heart desease, no plaque, no high blood pressure, nothing wrong with me.  I am very active - the numbers are not always the best indicator.

[MyStory50]

Vic,

Go to your PCP and have them check your Carotid Artery.  This is the Artery in your neck that feeds your brain with blood.

I had this arm pain for 6 years.  My PCP listended to my Carotid Artery during a routine examination and sent me for a ultrasound.  Surgery a month later and guess what?  The Pain in my arms is gone.

It's a matter of life and death.

[colinfrance]

hello everyone its me back again after treatment. colin france
WOW What a difference having two injections have made.... first as i said i was to have an injection of cortisone, this was done with an anesthetic local injection in the hand , then the cortisone. just a couple of slight pricks, and a swollen finger. the pain was light and although it took a few days to wear off the result was fantastic.... my finger no longer locked up, arm pain gone, strengh returned to my hand and fingers, in fact only if i swept my finger down the palm of my hand could i get a very slight trigger action and without pain... 1 month later i returned to the specialist and he examined me again and gave me another injection , this time i didnt need a local, just the cortisone.
this time no swelling in the finger but a tender pad at the base of the finger for a few days.  this is nothing to all the pain i have been suffering for the last two years. today i have full power in both hands, no pain, no locking fingers, no arm pain, i sleep well, and generally feel so much better. i can ride my motorbike again and hold the grips well, garden and do absolutly everything... so there it is, for my problem cortisone was a 100 % cure. and all covered by the french system 100%

incedently but totaly un related, i had to return to hospital recently as i had a massive chest pain that i thought was a new pancreas attack. i had had one before and had my gall bladder removed one year ago. tests showed no problems with the pancreas,  lipas was 32. and they transfered me from accident service to the heart ward for more tests. i did the cycle test the next day and they started the machine at 30 and in steps went all the way to 170. the test lasted 15 minutes and i was peddaling for my life. all tests showed negative.i didn't even get leg muscle pains afterwards!!! i could not believe how strong i was.  no reason was found for the sudden chest pain attack and after a new transfer to the gastro ward then i got an ok to go home.   no one has any idear what caused it or what it was though i did have a very stressfull week leading up to the attack. so ive calmed down and im fine. incidently i got a result from the heart tests scans etc that said i could under take any sport without any danger to my heart. not bad for a 56 year old who prefers motorbiking and drinking to walking and sport...although my dog takes me for a daily walk...  anyway i just hope that some of this info might be relative to someone and you might be able to ask for cortisone injections and get cured as i have been. i still have neck problems as this is arthritus and i can live with that. i needed my hands and they are working fine again, so im very very happy and relieved. good luck to you all, colin

[colinfrance]

Hello fellow sufferes, i have a slightly different set of symptome but the last post seems to be on to somthing refering to c-3 and c-4 in the neck.
two years ago i awoke one morning and to my horror both hands were imobile, cramped and locked up and the middle finger of the right hand suddenly had trigger finger... after about 30 minutes the pain lessened and at last i could hold a cup. a hot shower helped, and slowly the pain eased. but next morning it started again an so on every morning or even after a short nap. it slowly eased over the following months only to suddenly get very bad again one day and slowley fade again over the months, this sudden relaps has happened about 6 times but in general i have more and more pain all the time. i have had bloodtests, xrays of the hands and chest (looking for extra ribs cutting off the blood flow) and several visits to other specialists for more tests. all they have been able to find is arthritus in the neck, i have had a bad neck for 4 years after a roller door hit me on the head, i also had a car accident when i was 18 and hurt my neck then too which incidently was about the time my severe migraines started. i am 56 now (male and fairly fit) and the migraines are almost gone they have faded in strenght over the last 20 years. my last visit to a specialist osteopath 5weeks ago gave me severe pain down my right arm and a area of skin on thy right breast went numb for a week. this made me depressed and agressive as the constant painand worry was getting me down. now my doctor has me on medication to calm me and reduce tha pain. i am to return to the osteopath for injections of cortisone as he found a tendon at the base of my middle finger inflamed. this is my trigger finger that was mis diagnosed as carpel tunnel at first but i refused this explination as the sudden onslaught of the pain in both hands after sleeping could not be caused by carpel tunnel...the only partial cure i have found is the use of an angle grinder!! yes as the vibration in my hand seems to loosen up the fingers and reduces the pain. also riding my motorcycle helps as that vibrates too.... my grip in the right hand is weak, my neck hurts and my shoulder running down to the elbow. i wake up 3-4 times in the night through the pain, and im tired. i would love to find a permenant cure. (other than death) so i have to see if this injection will work. i really believe that the stem of the probleme is in the spine somewhere and a nerve it getting trapped when the chest relaxes during sleep /or blood pressure or oxygene levels are reduced by relaxation in sleep.  can any of you doctors out there help me? has anyone found a cure?
as it is affecting my quality of life and my work too.

[GhostLady16]

I have seen Chiropractors over the years(TG for them). I too had  numbness first in the pinky and ring finger at times and then other times  the other three. I believe this is the sequence but C-3 and C-4 Vertebraes are the culprit. The first is for the (I think) two fingers  and the second is for the three inc thumb. If they are misaligned (subluxated) then they will block off the nerve messages feeding the muslces and your fingers , then hand fall asleep. some of the things causing this are: Talking on the pohone and holding the phone with one shoulder, sleeping on your side without using a pillow to level your head with body, carryinig a pocketbook on one shoulder all the time and or bending a certain direction repetitively.  Most times you can work it out over a few days by rolling a towel the size of the swail of the neck between the shoulder to the occipital bone in back of head. Placing it under the neck (make sure not to include the back of head) and lay on bed, head at bottom. allow the back of the head to go over bottom of bed( not touching it to bed) Stretch the nexk over it straight for about 10 min a day or before you go to bed. Make sure you have a pillow allowing you to have your head perfectly in line with your body while on your side and one rolled under the neck if you sleep on your back. The neck muscles(including the *spelling* erector spinae) become tight and the vertabrae get pinched. A chiropractor can help as well but you can do it onl your own. I have recommended this to my former clients over years and it alwasy works for them. I wish it would solve all of my aliments that come up so easily. Good Luck.

[JayCee48]

Hi  - im new here and have alot of symptoms including very numb and painful fingers/hands/arms/shoulders at the moment, stopping me holding a pen and writing, gripping things and making me feel very ill.

I seem to have 'flare ups' and was wondering if anyone else has the symptoms intermittently?

I also have alot of symptoms of MS, does anyone else with the numbness/pain in arms etc have MS or had it show up on MRi or been diagnosed with MS?

Thanks for you help - any advise on how to help me sleep through the pain would be vey much appreciated too.
Thanks and hope you are all well
J :-)

[sandy985]

I am right at this minute up from the acute pain that woke me up in my right hand, numb fingers, joint pain and burning sensation in my whole hand.  It is only the second night, but it hurts enough to have to get up in the middle of the night and spend hours searching the internet.  The pain dissipates when I stand up.  I am pretty sure this is caused by Fifth Disease (slapped cheek disease) as my son was diagnosed with it last week (sent home from daycare), and I have experienced every single other symptom (rash, chills, fever, joint pain, itchy hands and feet, I will get tested for anemia, etc).  Apparently, this joint pain usually lasts from 2 to 4 weeks to several months or even years (I hope not).  It also seems that some adults never get the other symptoms (rash...)  
Maybe fifth disease could also be the answer for someone else here.

[bbntex]

e googled this site, to see if anyone else was having this problem. Now I know i am not alone,  I see all the adds  about restless leg syndrome, I always wondered what restless arm/hand syndrome is,,, and what causes it.  I have not seen a doctor for my symptoms,  it wakes me up a few times a night.  It feels like when your hand falls asleep, you shake it a few times, then its ok.  My arms, from shoulders all the way down to my finger tips fall asleep, wakes me up, I try to shake it out and doesnt work, then pain sets in. I,am so curious what is causing this, my heart?, lack of vitamins?  I am not sure.  My blood pressure is perfect, I take my one a day vitamin, I am 40 year old female, not overweight, active, but i smoke.  when i have these episodes, I have started taking deep breathes, and seems to work and i can go back to sleep,  I feel that it is  caused by some lack of oxygen to the body.  soon as i started taking in deep breaths, the pain went away.  maybe you smoke or have apnea, lack of breathing oxygen sometime during the night, could cause the pain,  try breathing deeply and see if the pain, tingling goes away, I would like to know if it works for anyone else with this problem,,,I was always thinking maybe i had a heart problem, but I am now thinking it is a lack of oxygen during sleeping.  please let me know if deep breathing works for you. It has been working for me

[Jewel699]

Some things that helped me was cutting out all caffiene, I do Yoga stretches to help elongate the spinal areas to relieve the nerves that may be compressed. Hot baths and I rub rubbing alcohol onto the areas as well.  Most RLS pages tell people they are so perplexed by the restless/itchy/crawling issues....it is mostly nerves that are talking to you.  Where they are being annoyed at is the key.

[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