[lullrich76]

If I sleep with my hands on my chest at or above my heart, I wake up and my hands have fallen asleep and numb. Anyone else experience this?

 

[wifajax]

I have this happen multiple times every night, regardless of how I keep my hands and arms. It tends to wake me up each time they fall asleep.

I've talked with the rheumy about it, and she thinks it is related to my cervical spine problems.

I hope this is a temporary problem for you!

Terri

 

[mommachubb]

numb hands

My best guess is carpal tunnel syndrome. I have this myself, and it is very common in persons with Lupus. It is a swelling of the carpal nerve root in the wrist area. If you wear a wrist splint at night when it flares up, it will help you. Mine flares up every so often. I would have to "shake" my hands awake at night. you can get the wrist splint at Walgreens, CVS. Hope this helps.

 

[sushi]

my hands also fall asleep when i sleep, i wake up to find my hands are asleep

before taking the plaquenil it happened more often. now just a couple of days

ago it started up again but not as often as before.

i also shake my hand for a few seconds and it goes away

i think this may also be a blood circulation problem.:ermm: :ermm:

 

[Maia]

My docs didnt' require the nerve conduction study prior to surgery for my cubital tunnel syndrome... I'm very thankful for that. However, it was SO obvious I had cubital tunnel with the pinky finger and next one to it going numb, and the paper pinching test that I failed, and the tapping on the nerve massively reproducing pain/numbness/ symptoms PLUS eventually visible muscle loss in my hand from the muscles unable to work due to the nerve problem in my elbow. It was worth it for me to have the surgery for sure (both elbows)

This poster may not have this problem though as there's no mention of pain at all. It could be a circulation issue and you would want to mention this to your doctor at the next visit (or call in if that's a long way off). I hope you get it figured out...

 

[Katharine]

Hi there,

I also have this and it really doesn't matter how I put my hands either. The numbness often wakes me as it is in fact quite painful.

I have had nerve conduction tests and have NOT been told I have either carpal tunnel or cubital syndrome. The fingers that go to sleep first are the little one, the ring finger and then the middle one.

I know I do have a degree of neuropathy, maybe it's linked to that?

I wear wrist splints at night as if I don't then I get terrible pain from bending my wrists over too much. The wrist splints don't seem to affect the numbness one way or the other.

not much help, but at least you can see you're not that odd :hehe: plenty of us seem to have the same thing!

Katharine

 

[SingleGirl]

Hey guys. I have the numbness in my pinky, ring fingers, and half of my middle finger. Through a lot of research (and much to the dismay of an angry rheumy who I called out on her mistake)... I found out it's caused by ulnar nerve compression.

The carpal tunnel numbness is typically (unless very severe) on the other side of your hand... thumb, pointer, and other half of middle finger...

That's how you tell the difference. Braces will help carpal tunnel but not ulnar nerve. Everything I've read on ulnar nerve compression says it isn't damaging, just annoying... so you just have to train yourself to not sleep on your hands. (I know, easier said than done if you are like me...)

Also, mine is WAY worse when I'm in a lupus flare. In fact, it might only happen when I'm flaring. I attribute that to the fact that everything is so swollen anyway, the nerve is easier to be impacted and compressed.

Hope that helps... I'm not trying to diagnose, just passing along what I learned about me and maybe it can help someone else. Be well.

 

[runnergirl]

I recently had a flare and kept waking up at night with both hands and arms up to the elbows numb and painful. Someone here had suggested the splints, so I went and purchased one for each hand and it did help. I also noticed that when I held the phone my hand would go numb. Once the flare subsided so did the numbness at night.

Now I only have isuues if I have done alot with my hands that day. I know it's very annoying to keep getting woke up at night with it so I hope you can get it resolved soon.