Question:
Everynight I wake up 3 to 4 times due to numbness in my hands.
It only happens while I am sleeping. But is so painful that it wakes me up 3 to 4 times a night. My hands are tingling & numb. I'm thinking it's weight related due to the extra weight. Has anyone experienced this? — Karen S. (posted on March 22, 2001)
March 21, 2001
I HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO ME... I HAVE CARPAL TUNNEL IN BOTH OF MY
HANDS. I DON'T WAKE UP ANYMORE SINCE I HAD SURGERY ON BOTH OF MY HANDS.
THE DOCTORS SAY THAT IT HAD NOTHING TO DUE WITH MY EXCESS WEIGHT BUT I
STILL THINK THAT HAD SOMETHING TO DUE WITH IT SINCE I WAS ONLY 25 AT THE
TIME. SEE YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT IT.
GOOD LUCK, SYDNIE
— sydnieb
March 21, 2001
I have the same problem ; it is worse when I sleep on my back because then
I get numb on both sides.
One Dr. told me it was carpel tunnel and another told me it was due to
"spurs in my cervical spine" then my
Dr. I've had for years told me it is ALL weight related so if anyone else
out there has an answer
I'd like to know to.
Does yours happen when you are on your sides or back ; just wondering ?
Maybe someone out there will know for both of us . Good question you had !
Thanks,
Connie
— kountry
March 21, 2001
Have you been tested for diabetes? It could be an early warning sign. I had
neuropathy before surgery, and it has all cleared up since surgery. My eyes
would get blurry also from high blood sugar. Please have it checked out. It
could be damaging your body while you are reading this!! God Bless You --
— CohenHeart
March 21, 2001
Most likely this is from median nerve compression. This nerve passes
through a narrow space (the carpal tunnel) on its way into your hands.
Anything that makes the tunnel narrower -- such as obesity, but also
swelling in pregnancy and lots of other things -- can cause pinching of the
nerve, leading to numbness and tingling in the hands. Weight loss can help.
In the meantime, sleep with wrist splints. These keep your wrists straight
when you sleep so that the nerve doesn't get pinched. You can buy elastic
wrist braces with a plastic splint at the drugstore.
— Linda B.
March 21, 2001
I also have numbness in my hands and arms. It bothers me when I
sleep at night back/sides. I also have pain in arms midway between
my elbow and shoulder when I lift my arms. I have asked my Dr.
and she tells that it is due to lack of use of those muscles. I had
been working out for 6 months 3x/week. I still this is all related
to my being over weight.
— Debbie B.
March 21, 2001
I have carpal tunnel syndrome and this happens to me, too. The more weight
I gain, the worse it gets. The best wrist splints you can get are made by
Futuro and are available at CVS and other pharmacies. Believe me, wearing
them at night makes a huge difference! Ibuprofen also helps because it is
an anti-inflammatory and alleviates the swelling of the nerve.
— PT LawMom
March 21, 2001
Sounds like carpal tunnel for sure. Wearing those braces like the others
said is key. But one other thing that has helped me most, is taking B6,
100mg a day. A world of difference after about one month of taking it!!
Good luck, I know how painful it can be.
— Cindy S.
March 22, 2001
I can't believe I forgot to mention Vitamin B-6. I agree, it has been a
real lifesaver. I take a 200mg tablet once a day.
— PT LawMom
March 22, 2001
I had that at a certain point in my weight gain where fat was pressing on
nerves under my arms. Never did find a solution. But it passed after a
while. I found that a temporary solution was to hang my arm off the side
of the bed. Not the best for getting back to sleep quickly. Hope this
helps a little though.
— Mary H.
March 22, 2001
I checked your profile and are you still pre-op or now post-op? If you are
still pre-op I would suggest getting a referral to a good physical
therapist (I have a bias since I work in physical therapy). Your therapist
can evaluate whether the numbness and tingling is coming from your
neck,wrists (such as with carpal tunnel syndrome)or possibly from neck and
wrist or anywhere along the nerve pathway. If you are post-op, it could be
that there is pressure on some of your nerves from changes in sleeping
postures. As I lost weight I had episodes of numbness and tingling, but
they resolved as my body continued to change. So get some good medical
advice if your symptoms do not resolve fairly quickly.
— Jilda H.
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