Help! My Hands Fall Asleep All the Time!

This happened somewhat to me after the first child. It eventually went away, but it took about 1 year. My OB and GP seemed to think it might be due to epideral (but I still had one with second child). Just FYI.
Good luck

I don't know if this helps but last year I too noticed the same problem. I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to find my hands tingling or fallen asleep. I talked to my doctor about it and I got no help. He said maybe I'm gripping things to hard. So I decided to go to a chiropractor and told my chiro doctor about my hands falling asleep or tingling sensation. He took several X-rays (which only cost me $45)and told me that my head is not aligned to my body. He specialize in Upper Cervical and ever since then (its been 2 months)I have no more tingling or hands falling asleep and no more migranes too. I've never felt better. As a matter of fact my husband who suffers from severe allergies also started seing the same doctor. He used to take allergy pills everyday but not anymore. I hope this helps.

That sounds like carpal tunnel syndrome and maybe not. But I have the same symptoms and that's what I have been diagnosed with. Here is more info... hope it helps you. I've been told to put ice packs on the wrists to alleviate the symptoms.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/carpaltunnelsyndrome.html

I don't know if it could be similar to what a friend of mine is experiencing right no? She has been diagnosed with pregnancy induced carpal tunnel. She has not delivered her baby yet but the symptoms sound very similar and I know she is very uncomfortable because of it. I do know that they have told her there is really nothing they can do but your OB or general practitioner might be able to let you know if they think that is what it might be and that would save you the time and money of going to a nuerologist. Hope that helps in some way!

I second the Chiropractic advice! GO!!! It WILL help! What is happening to you is very common. Notice you mentioned the common denominators of when the sensations were starting. Think of the positioning of your head, and therefore, your neck. The whole basis of Chiropractic is to remove interference, and allow the body to function the way it was designed. Your neck is most likley out of alignment, causing the nerves that control the sensation in your hands to be pinched, and therefore.....tingling fingers and numbness. I highly recommend my Chiropractor: Dr. Melissa Shelton ###-###-####. She at Preston and Hedcoxe just south of 121.
Good Luck!
J.

Could be Carpal Tunnel, common with pregnancy.Other repetitive things can cause it also.
I'd recommend Dr Peter Nemanic a great chiropractor. If he can't help he'll tell you. He's located on the frontage road of 35E and Post Oak. Number is:###-###-####

M. RN

hi C.
sounds like you have a pinched nerve!!! Try going to a chiropractor! If you live in lewisville or close surroundings, i can reccomend a great one!!! I saw her during my entire prego and after and it really helped keep my body healthy!!
S.

You may have carpal tunnel syndrone, which is very likely to become evident after pregnancy, because of the weight gain, fluid retention and swelling. It happened to me. I tried the braces for a year and they did not help. I finally had surgery on my right hand with great success. Nest time it happens check your little finger. It does not go numb with carpal tunnel. Hope this helps.

I used to experience this all the time. Especially upon waking. It was so bad sometimes that the first thing in the morning trip to the bathroom was hard to accomplish because my hands were "dead." I talked to several of the nurses, techs and doctors that I worked with and the majority of the opinions I got were Ulnar Entrapment. When they told me what they though was going on and why, it made perfect sense to me. I slept on my back with my arms folded over me (think corpse). I also breastfed and typed and did other things that kept my arms bent at the elbow most of the time (driving, chopping veggies for dinner, writing, etc.). Several at the office told me to try to sleep with my arms straight - very hard to do and not very comfortable, but I saw immediate improvement. Now, several years later, anytime I have that tingly feeling coming on, I make a concetrated effort to sleep with my arms straight. It works everytime.

Now, about the post-partum thing, I would not completely dismiss that. Your body does go through so many changes that it is very possible that it can bring on sudden changes and upsets within your body. With you being a yoga teacher, you are probably more in tune with your body that some of the rest of us. If it were me, I would try to sleep with my arms straight (again, this is hard to do and not very comfortable) and if you do not get results, go see a doctor and get tested for Carpal Tunnel or more advanced Ulnar Entrapment or Neuropathy (we are definitely going to pray that it is not neuropathy).

Best of luck to you and congratulations on your new baby.

This happened to me during my first and all my subsequent pregnancies (I've had eight). If it is the same as mine was, it is carpal tunnel syndrome. It is VERY common in pregnancies. The tingliness is a nerve issue. The median nerve which runs through the carpal tunnel is getting pressured and results in the numbness and tingliness.

I recommend that you go to a drugstore that sells medical supplies and get wrist splints. If there is an experienced person in the store, they can tell you which splints are helpful. I believe they cost about $25-30 each. They are velcroed braces with a stiff splint inserted on the palmside of your hand and wrist. I began using mine by just sleeping in them at night. After a week, it was amazingly helpful. I would recommend that you do this as soon as possible to prevent injuring the nerve.

I had surgery on one hand before I learned about the splints. The surgery didn't fix the problem, the splints did.

Hope this helps!

I had the same thing with my second child. My hands would fall asleep, go numb, tingle. It seemed to be random and not related to anything I was doing. I was referred to a neurologist, had all the test and bloodwork and they found nothing and just said maybe it would self resolve. After about 5 months the symptoms have started going away so I do think it was an after effect of the pregnancy. All that said, better to be safe than sorry and see the doctor if at all possible.

I don't have the same problem as you, it's my feet that tingle and fall asleep all the time since my pregnancy 12 years ago. However you probably will have to see a neurologist. It is probably a nerve problem(neuropathy). Circulation would be like if your fingers were cold all the time. I never got an answer to my problem, however I suspect it may have something to do with my sciatica and scoliosis which developed after my pregnancy. The neurologist I saw told me that not all neuropathy can be explained. I just live with it. After all this time, it still bothers me. Good luck and don't wait too long. Nerves that die cannot be replaced, If it can be fixed, trust me, you need to get it fixed.

Hey C.,
Your tingling is most likely not a circulation problem but could be either a herniated disk in your neck or carpal tunnel. I had neck surgery a year ago because my arms were either tingeling or completely going to sleep. You need to go see a neurologist. I suggest you go see Dr. Rosenstein in South Arlington. He is off Arbook. He is incredible and people travel from out of state to see him. Hope that helps....
A.

Tingling in your hands is usually a nerve issue and not a circulatory problem. I would suggest a viit to a chiropractor to assess the issues. Many things are diagnosed as carpal tunnel are really an issue with the spine and many people undergo useless surgerly to "fix carpal tunnel" only to find that the surgery didn't help because the issue isnt' in their wrist.

I had these tingly feelings in my hands, to the point that they felt like "fell asleep" (leading me to believe it was circulatory like you did). I visited a chirpractor for a back issue, at the recommendation of a friend, and he found an issue in my neck that was causing the hand and arm issue. The nerves for your hands come out of the spine in the neck area, and problems there can cause "phantom" symptoms in your arms (he called the "phantom" because the nerves were actually pinched in my neck, but it felt like it was in my hands because the signals from these nerves are supposed to be from the hands... if that makes sense).

Anyway, a few with visits with the chiropractor fixed the issue. I had it again a few years later ... visited another chiropractor for a few sessions and all was well again.

I wish you the best of luck with this.

Also, if your insurance doesn't cover chiropractors, you might try a massage first, that focuses on your neck area. That might help.

Don't freak out!-- what may be going on is Carpel Tunnel syndrome. The nerves in your wrists get pinched--very common in the post partum period ( after childbirth). Go to a medical supply store, or Perhaps Walgreens and buy a set of those ugly wrist splints. Wear them while sleeping , and as much as you can during the day. I was shocked at how it decreased my symptoms, not just during the night, but all day. Good Luck!

Do you type or do repetitive motion with your hands/wrists? Could be carpel! Numb fingers were my first sign while driving the car. The problem can originate actually in your shoulders and neck area. Just a thought.
Hope you get this under control,
C. S.

Have they worked you up for Carpal tunnel syndrome? It can often come on during pregnancy and last. This is a quick repair operation, but often they can conservatively treat this with night splints. You likely need to see a dr. for this condition.

Hi. I had a similar experience, only the tingling started for me during pregnancy, and didn't go away immediately post partum. I saw a neurologist once, and didn't go back due to my lack of insurance. But... What he told me may be of help to you. He said that I had symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. It is a "pinched" nerve problem, not really circulation if this is the case with you. He said that it is very common postpartum (showed me the reference in a medical book) and that he wanted to have me wear splints and do stretching exercises with my hands and wrists for a month before we did a nerve study or anything.

My symptoms improved over time on their own, although sometimes it does still bother me. I notice that certain positions sleeping or driving can aggravate it. It seems to be the nerves under my arms and in my wrists. I saw an Osteopathic doctor, and since they are whole health oriented, his first recommendation was not surgery, which made me happy. I hope knowing about my experience helps you.

I say go for the doctor, because you don't want to end up with nerve damage. If you do try wrist splints, make sure you get the kind with a hard insert to keep your wrist positioned properly, not just the kind like a tight bandage.

This has been happening to me as well. Things that help: wearing a wrist brace at night (and during the day sometimes, too), and doing the exercises to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome (http://www.carpaltunnelexercises.net). I find the exercises to be most helpful in keeping the tingling away. Also, I find that when I consume too much refined sugar, the tingling is worse. Any time I eat fast food, the tingling increases dramatically as well (maybe the sodium, etc.?) I have not seen a doc, either, but some web research has helped me find these "activators" to the tingling. www.mercola.com has been a helpful jumping off place for my research. I'm (finally) going to see a chiropractor in the next few weeks, so I'll let you know if anything helpful comes out of that, too :)

I am not ruling out chiropractic. Loved it.
However, before you do anything, you should have basic xrays.
I had carpal tunnel, but I also have a pinched nerve, bone spurs/arthritis in my cervical and lumbar spines. I have degenerated disc disease and have had these things (though some are slightly worse now) for 25+ years.
Carpal Tunnel and a nerve pinching have a lot of the same, but some slightly different symptoms. I'm telling you this because you need to have a nerve conductivity test done to rule which it is.
If you want more info, email me. I'm willing to describe in more detail offline: ____@____.com

Sounds like Carpal Tunnel...Try wrist braces for a while and sleep with them for about 2 weeks - that helped me a lot - I quit using them after the simptoms have gone away for about a week - then when the my hands or wrists go to sleep again I start all over - that is what a specialist told me to do - better then ssurgery and a lot cheaper.
Hope that helps
MDP
Dallas

I get this a lot until I go to the chiroprator and get my neck popped and then it is gone until I am out of place again. When my hands get numb I can sometimes push on the muscles in my neck and shoulders and start having some feelings in my hands.

C.,
This started happening to me after the birth of my first child. Especially when I'm sleeping on my side...but not on the crushed side, on the top side! It is not a circulation issue. It's a nerve issue called Parethesia. Go to family pracitice notebook: fpnotebook.com. They have in depth coverage of this problem with possible reasons. One likely cause is nerve "entrapment" like carpal tunnel --where the nerve gets pressed on. In this case you could try some arm/shoulder circling exercises to relieve the nerve pressure. My parethesia continues at night...perhaps the position of my shoulder puts pressure on that nerve. Wish I could solve this for you but check that sight, maybe see neurologist, and you'll get some insight.

I had the same problem after the birth of my 3rd child. It eventually deminished on its own. It still occurs from time to time, but not near as much as it did before. I also have carpal tunnel syndrome (from working on computers for over 13 years)which is probably part of the problem. I see you work online from home, so this may be part of your problem too. I've heard bad things about the carpal tunnel surgery, that it doesnt work and sometimes makes it worse, so I just lower my arms and shake the blood back into my hands. I never went to the doctor about it.

C.,

It sounds like you may have carpal tunnel syndrome. You can do a search online to find out more about it, and then go from there.

Hope that helps you.

L.

C.-
Totally not trying to be an alarmist, but I have a feeling the OB mentioned the neurologist b/c of the possiblity of MS. My sister is 34 and was diagnosed with MS when she was a sophomore in college. It started with tingling, "pins and needles"-like feelings in her fingers and toes and moved on from there. There are a million possibilities, but that is probably why the neurologist was mentioned as opposed to a circulation/blood type of doctor. It may be as simple as a pinched nerve, but I would document when it happens for a week or two and what was going on when it happened, how long it lasted, where the numbness was located, etc. so you are prepared when you do go in to a doctor. Best of luck - Hope it straightens itself out for you!!!

You probably have carpel tunnel syndrome and this is not related to having giving birth. It's very common and I've had it myself. See a neurologist and they will do a nerve conduction test called an EMG and it can be diagnosed immediatly. Simple surgery will correct the problem and give you pain relief. Good luck! from an RN in Texas

You have carpal tunnel, this CAN be brought on by pregnancy but usually disappears shortly after giving birth. Mine never did so I required surgery on both hands. I've had the surgery on my right hand so I could function somewhat normally again but have put off the surgery on the left hand until we can afford it. One thing that helps tremendously is to wear a good wrist brace (walmart, pharmacy) while you sleep and as much as you can during the daytime.

Hi.I also have started getting that tingling in my hands, especially in my fingers. This has started since I had surgery, when the stress of the surgery caused me to become diabetic. My doctor says that this is one of the effects of diabetes.I'm sure there are other things that can cause it but were you diabetic during your pregnancy?... Or is there any chance that you might be diabetic now?
N. B.

i would go to the nurologist!! It may be something simple like carple tunnel, BUT it could be very serious!! My friend has very similar symptoms and she was diagnosed with MS, my sister had those syptoms and ignored it thinking it was nothing, she ended up having a hole in heart and what she was experiencing was minor stokes. So even though it probably is nothing big, I would get it checked out every wich way just to make sure!!

C.,

GO TO THE DOCTOR! Just to get some reassurance, it could be nothing, but if it is something, maybe you can stop it before it gets worse or catch it before it's a problem. I was diagnosed with MS in June of 2006 and thankfully my DH was persistent that I go see a doctor. Otherwise, I still might not know today and I could have worse damage. Anyways, Good Luck!

C.

I would try a chiropractor you may have some pinched nerves sound silly but I have pinched nerves that cause my feet to do the same thing. of course those symptoms can indicate other issues but I would start with simple thinking and go from there. try massage or adjustments and see if that helps... A

Go to your doctor ASAP! Tingling and numbness are signs of several other problems - some of which are troubling. Don't fool around with this! Good luck!

I have had the same problem. It started after my third child my right elbow started to hurt then I got tendinitis. I couldn't get rid of it. I had injections over 2 years and would wear a brace at night I even had electrical stimulation and physical therapy b/c I then was pregnant with my 4th child and couldn't get the injections. After my child was born I got one more injection and finally my tendinitis subsided. I still have problems with my hands tingling and falling asleep and had my neck and spine checked out but like you can't afford more testing. I finally told my chiropractor and he suggested a pillow with a indention in the middle and it has helped. I still have problems but not like I used to. My hands are not so dead asleep that I can't feel them when I wake up. I also stopped doing to much repetional things using the same hand I try useing my left hand as much as possible. The best thing is to seek a doctor but try other things that can help you by not overusing that hand until you are able to go to a Dr. I also massage my hands frequently and also my elbow b/c it will start hurting and if I massage it before it starts hurting more will help me. You said your breastfeeding try using a pillow for support. My right hand is now weaker than my left and it was the opposite since I am righthanded. I hope this helps. O.

You should take your doctors advice and see the Neurologist. It isn't likely a circulation problem but Carpal Tunnel Syndrome caused by repetive motion such as usuing a computer keyboard a lot, the hand breast pumping and nurmerous other things you might do in a repetitive way. It is a restriction in the wrist that due to the "carpal tunnel" cover that covers the nerves in your wrist becomes swollen and inflamed due to the repetive motion,and cuts off some circulation to the hands ( so I guess technically it is a circulation problem) The Neurologist can do a simple nerve conduction test to see if this is the cause. It is usually treated with braces on the wrist(especially used at night to keep the wrist straight.) Pregnancy tends to aggrivate this condition also. Log onto MayoClinic.com and read about it. It should give you a really good idea of what takes place. This tingling can also be caused by a bulging disc in the cervical spine that pushes against the spinal cord but this isn't likely in you case. (unfortunately it was in mine but I was in my 50s ) You aren't likely to have this though unless you have sustained a severe injury to the neck at some time or have degerative disc disease which I had both problems, hense the more severe problem for me.) Sometimes the Carpal Tunnel will need surgery to open up the "tunnel" in the wrist. I was first misdiagnosed and had the surgery on one hand, then when that didn't help and I got severe headaches and the tingling became so severe I couldn't sleep, then a Neurosurgeon discovered the disc and I had to have surgery for that. As I said that is not likely your problem so get the wrists checked out and treated before it gets any worse. Good luck to you.

C.,

Since there were so many responses, I did not read them all. But I wanted you to know that these are sometimes symptoms of a pinced nerve. Going to get an adjustment at a chiropractor often takes care of this. they are inexpensive and I have felt better after just one adjustment.

Hope this encourages you.
A.

I know you've had lots of responses, but if it is carpal tunnel, I wanted to add my advice. I developed carpal tunnel very badly in grad school, and was cured (no joke!) without surgery by Linda Diane Feldt: http://www.holisticwisdom.org/hwpages/carpaltunnel.html
Obviously, we're far from Michigan, where she practices, but you can find information on her technique online, and you might ask her for a local referral, or to do a phone consultation. Good luck!

C.,
You really need to see your general practioner or a diagnostician. I don't want to alarm you, because like you said, it is probably minor like a pinched nerve or a circulation issue, however, tingling in the hands is a symptom that should not be ignored. 5 years ago, I started having tingling in my hands, then my feet, and eventually headaches that got progressively worse. It was caused by a neurological problem and I had surgery to correct it. I was fortunate that it was diagnosed before I had permanent nerve damage. Check it out to be on the safe side! :)

Your back is probably out of alignment from giving birth and all that entails. If you can find a good chiropractor it very well can be alevieated. Ask people in your area for references. (As in all health care areas there are some chiropractors that are goofballs.) I have had this before and found a wonderful chiropractor in Melissa,TX., Dr. Bobby Erwin. No problems since. I had to have three sessions and I get readjusted about every two months to keep it in check.

C. - One possibility for the tingiling and numbness in your hands could be carpel tunnel. I had similar sensations several years ago and was diagnosis with it. You get it as a result of a repetative bending movment of the wrist which inflames the muscles in your wrist which push agaginst nerves. I found that it comes and goes depending on what activites I do.I hope this is helpful to you - S.

Hi, C..

A while back, I had an issue with my hands being asleep (and swollen) when I woke up each morning and then occasionally at other times during the day. It turned out that I was sleeping with my body (and my wrists) all curled up in a tight fetal position. (It was sort of a stressful time in my life.) My chiropractor helped me figure out the problem (which had something to do with my neck being way out of alignments) and had me sleep with wrist guards for a while. Once I "trained" myself to sleep in a different position, the tingly hand thing went away!

Good luck!
Geri

Some good advice. Getting an evaluation is a must. It could be carpal tunnel or it could be a neck slipped/degenerative disc. And personally on necks, don't let a chiropracter work on your neck. It is the most fragile place. I've had 2 older friends (60+) that say their chiropracter won't work on them because of the necks fragility. I of course didn't know this but have had 2 neck fusions 05&07. That was after I had been to a chiropracter for a year, on & off doing his treatments & honestly. I never had tingling in my hands under after seeing the chiropracter.

I don't want to scare you, but my life is forever changed from listen to others advice on what to do. Just know that you know this is best, whatever this is.

C.,

It could also possibly be due to peripheral neuropathy. Go to www.mayoclinic.com and do a search, or just do a general Google search. Read the symptoms and see if this fits. Good luck figuring it out - I'm sorry you're having this problem. I hope your early sweetheart is doing well - my second daughter was born 5 weeks early and is now 3, and everything is fine. God bless you!

my husband had the same thing happen and he was told it was carpel tunnel. he was a little shocked by that since he doesn't have a job that would cause such a thing.

C.,

It could be a circulatory or a nerve issue. If you had a lot of swelling in your hands with your pregnancy or delivery it could put pressure on the median nerve in your wrist or "carpal tunnel" and cause tingling. Is it your entire hand/fingers or just certain ones. If it's the entire hand it is more than likely a circulatory issue(thoracic outlet syndrome). If it is just certain fingers it could be nerve compression in the carpal tunnel of the wrist or above (elbow, neck...). Maybe it's related to posture...poor posture with computer use or your work station isn't set up properly.??? Can you reproduce the symptoms at will or is it random? These are some things you should figure out. I am a physical therapist and we deal with these issues, but you would need a prescription from your doctor to receive PT treatment. That is all I can legally tell you...unfortunately. HD

Hello C.. Sounds like you may be getting carpal tunnel. There are many things that can go wrong with your hands, but the tingling makes me think about the carpel tunnel. Best you can do is buy hand braces in the drug store or WalMart and try using them at night time. Repeated motion can do it, but so can sleeping with your hands curled. The braces prevent the hands from curling, eliminating the tingles. You could just buy one and see how it works for you. If you have positive results, get another of the other hand. A neurologist should have done nerve conduction studies. If this was done and the results negative, try a hand brace. Also try to balance out what you do with your hands.. never depend on one to do everything, but use both. I sincerely hope this helps you. D.

GO TO THE DOCTOR. Yes it could be your back out of alignment, it could be carpal tunnel. I hate to say this that I have a realative that her first signs that she has cancer was that she could not feel much in her hands. I bet its not this, but this is a sign for you to take care of yourself.

It is called carpel tunnel. In fact I just surgery for it on my right hand and in about 4 weeks will have the other hand done, I have a 3 year old girl and my symptons got really bad when I got pregnant with her. they went away after I had her but for the past year and a half I have been having major neck pain and then the pain would go down my arm. they found a bulging disc in my neck but after physical therapy my hands got a lot worse and I evan lost the feeling in my two middle fingers on my right hand. so they did an EMG and it was positive for carpel tunnel. I can know tell a difference in the hand I had surgery and my other hand that has not had it yet. I am still waking up in the middle of the night about 3-4 times cause my hand throbs!!! I also still have all the symptons that you have in my left hand but do not have it in my right hand, the surgery was a miracle!! If you are able to I would recommend having the test and doing the surgery. the surgery it self only takes 30 minutes and you can be put under and they can do it will you are awake and just do a local on your arm, it is your choice. I was out of work for about 5 days. If u need any other info about it just ask, I will answer any questions you have!!

C.,
This happened to me with my baby born in June 2007. (Baby number 4....and I don't recall it with the other 3.) It only lasted for a few months after birth because I wasn't able to continue nursing. It sounds to me like carpal tunnel syndrome which is often induced by pregnancy because of increased breast tissue. It helps to wear the braces you can get at Walmart at night if they bother you then, they might also help during the day. As long as you are nursing this could just be the way things are. :) For me at night they got worse and it would get painful. Also, in my case I was anemic which will aggravate that and can cause neuropathy which essentially felt the same way. You could consider a vitamin with a healthy dose of iron if you aren't already taking that or asking doctor to check your iron level. It is absolutely common sounds like your ob/gyn giving the "brush off". Hope brace or iron helps I know it is frustrating. I used to love to touch silky side of babies blanket just because I could feel it...lots of times I was very limited on sensation in fingertips. It does pass and it sounds like yours isn't a constant thing. Hope this helps!

I'm NOT a doctor so I'm NOT sure if this is remotely similar, but I was really glad to find out the cause of my similar sounding problem. I had pins and needles/tingling and numbness in my left big toe, of all places. I too thought this was a circulation problem or a diabetes symptom. I went to my General Practicioner (GP), who ran some blood work that came back normal. He referred me to a neurologist and a heart doctor. After some nerve testing that came back normal, I had an MRI and, to my surprise, they found that I had an old fracture in my back bone spine that had healed at about the location where the nerves send signals to my feet and toes. I must have fractured it when I was in my teens and didn't realize it. My 2nd pregnancy seemed to have triggered the numbness since the extra weight I was carrying stressed my back at the healed fracture location. The doctor said it was a very common thing and that I wouldn't have even known about it except for my big toe getting numb. The Doctor said it was not diabetes since the numbness would come and go (i.e, it wasn't constant)and my sugar levels were normal. I was relieved to know that it wasn't something more serious like MS or diabetes. I know that I should not lift heavy furniture anymore and streching exercises for my back really helped it. It's been gone now for years without having to take any medicines. I hope all turns out well with your hands.

I have corpal tunnel and you problems sounds like what happens to me. You can purchase braces at any drug store for your hands. WHen the the problem begins put on a brace for a while and see if this relieves your problem.
However this could be a sign of a pinched nerve in your neck also so if the above does not work, please get yourself to a doctor ASAP.
Blessings

i have that problem too...my mom, who is a LVN, said that it might have something to do with carpel tunnel and/or a pinched nerve...she told me to shake my hand up and down to see if that helped...so far it has...thats the only advice i can give...its nice to know i am not the only one with the problem...hopefully i can find out at my next doctor appointment what is causing it exactly

I have a friend that this just happened too. She was also referred to a neurologist (hasn't had the appt yet), but her family Dr. said it is pointing in the direction of a nerve problem...might want to take the chance to see your Dr. and get it fixed before anything long term happens.

my hands did that in the last month of my pregnancy with my son. It was August and very hot and I my hands were pretty swollen. I had trouble writing my name because they hurt so bad. I had trouble sleeping because of the pain and tingling. The dr. told me it was carpel tunnel. Because of the swelling I was experiencing it was putting pressure on that tendon that causes the problem. As soon as I had my son and the swelling went down so did the pain. However, I still experienced some of the tingling but it did eventually go away. If it doesn't you might want to look into that possibility. A wrist brace helps some too.

I too have this problem! My daughter was born nearly a year ago, and I'm still having some issues with this. Do you have the same sensation in your feet? I do. Anyway, I've been doing several things. As some of the others have suggested, I have been seeing a chiropractor and it has been helping. PM me if you want my dr. located in north Dallas. Massage might also help. You might also want to get some blood tests done to rule out RA, lupus, MS, etc...(either your GP or a specialist can help). Natural things I'm doing include exercise, garlic, pinapple, and fish oil (omega 3) supplements. I can go on and on about this...PM me if you want to know more.

Sounds like it could be related to carpal tunnel in wrists. Wearing wrist splints at night might help, especially if your sleep position is part of the issue.
I have heard that increased B6 Vitamin might also help. Hope that helps, D. B.

Several years ago my hands started doing the same thing but I was working as an assembler when it started. I have been to several Neurologist, I have had surgery for carpal tunnel but it didn't seem to change things very much so I continued seeing a Neurologist, doing therapy until I found out that I have Thorasic Outlet Syndrome -- Symptoms include neck, shoulder, and arm pain, numbness, or impaired circulation to the extremities (causing discoloration). Often symptoms are reproduced when the arm is positioned above the shoulder or extended. Patients can have a wide spectrum of symptoms from mild and intermittent, to severe and constant. Pains can extend to the fingers and hands, causing weakness.

It took me forever to find out that I had this ... poeple actually thought I was loosing my mind!! Hope this helps but if I were you I would see a Neurologist and have some testing done.

J.

I have the same problem! My sedond child was born January 2007 and I have even worn wrist braces to help. It was initially diagnosed as the carpel tunnel you get when pregnant and it was told it would go away in about 6 months. Well she's a year old and I still have it everyday! I was advised to go to a neurologist as well, but I know the "cure" will be surgery and I just dont want that right now. I will tell you the braces, if worn at night seem to help and also when they go numb shake your hands like you are shaking water off them for about 10-20 seconds and it seems to bring feeling back faster than sitting there with them numb. Hope this helps and know you are not alone!

Try a chiropractor!!! My chiro is GREAT, he's also a physical therapist, so he can help with the carpal tunnel treatment if that is the problem. You could have some nerves compressed in your neck from breastfeeding positions or sleeping with a newborn. My baby is 5 months and I immediately went to the chiro.
I can recommend a great dr for you.

I experience symptoms like this all the time and have since my first pregnancy. It is worse in pregnancy for me. I have been diagnosed with what is called carpal tunnel syndrome. I would suggest going to walmart or target and look in the medicine area for wrist guards. Use them when you will be doing repetitive motions such as driving, feeding a child, typing, holding anything in a certain position for more than a minute or two. I would try this before going to a doctor. The braces are the first thing my doctor suggested. Then from there the next step is surgery. I have been living with this since 1994 so although slightly annoying it is managable.If for some reason the braces don't do then I would consult a doctor as it may be something else or more severe.

Hi C.,

You're right; it sure sounds like a circulation issue. I market an all-natural product that might help. It has 3rd party published research done on it proving its benefits to the circulatory system, among other things. My whole family takes it and we have been much healthier.

If you'd like more info, check out my website...the research is on there and so is my phone number: www.GoodHealthMadeSimple.com. Also, eat lots of fresh berries. They have been shown to have cardiovascular benefits.

Good luck!

M.

Sounds like carpal tunnel to me. I had it extremely bad in the end of my pregnancy, so badly that I thought I would have to quit working early due to THAT! I was down to typing with one hand only, and had lost all feeling in one hand most of the time. It was awful. Maybe you're having it afterward, for whatever reason. My son was born in Oct, too (2005), however, all of that went away soon after. So if you're still having it, I'd get it checked out, at least with your general practitioner.

Have a blessed day,
T.

I realize this is way after your original post. You probably have already been to see the doctor and know what going on, but if you haven't this might help. I was diagnosed with a circulation disorder called Reynauds. Since it is a circulation thing in addition to your hand being numb and tingly, it also gets cold and kind of blue because there isn't as much blood going through there. With Reynauds there are certain things that can trigger an "attack" such as a repetitive motion, vibration, or sudden extreme cold (putting your hand in the freezer). I also wear a wrist brace for this. It just helps with some of the pain associated with it.

Did you just talk to one of the staff at the OB office or did you talk to the DR? If not you need to talk to the Dr. first and if no help there your next step would be your G.P.

Sounds like carpal tunnel syndrome to me. Your G.P. should be able to help you.

Sounds like a pinched nerve. I would go see your Chiropractor. Massages can be very helpful too (and to lower your costs since you are paying medical bills try a massage school)

Carpel tunnel.

I had it with both pregnancies and afterwards. You can buy $20 wrist braces at CVS (buy the ones with metal inside). The more you wear them, the better. I wore them 24 hours a day with my second pregnancy. You can also get massages but go to someone who knows about carpel tunnel - let me know if you need the number of my lady. I also "iced" my arms down with cold packs from the freezer every night before bed. If it is terrible, there is surgery for it (my grandmother had it), but I just live with mine.

You might have carpel tunnel syndrome or tendonitis in your wrists that are causing your hands to go numb/tingle. I developed tendonitis in one wrist after the birth of my daughter and it caused my hand to feel tingly or numb sometimes.(it would hurt too when I moved it a certain way). I was told by a orthopedic doctor that this is common post partum because you are moving your hands in certain ways and overusing certain muscles that you weren't using before baby. I would perhaps go see an orthopedic surgeon. They had me wear a wrist/hand brace for a while and it's actually gotten better.

Good Luck!
N.

Dear C.,

I ditto the Chiropractor idea. I have a old friend that is one, and when I told him about my sister, that first had surgury on her wrist, then elbow , and then finally her shoulder.

NONE of which relieved the issue!

Said that he could fix it with adjustments to her spine.

She hasn't done any more with it.

P.

Sounds like to me you have carpal tunnel, thats how my hands felt when I had it but I had surgery to correct it and have not had any problems since. they almost felt like ants were on my hands, tingling and it got to the point that I was dropping things, if not treated you could have nerve damage.
Best of luck to you...

It doesn't sound like you have gone to a chiropractor. You may have a pinched nerve in your neck and could even be that your hip is out of position. Especially if you started having this problem after your child was born. I use an chiropractor who uses acupressure instead of manipulation because manipulators tend to cause me more harm than not. But my chiropractor uses a tool that I call a "thumper" because it is used directly on the area that is out of whack. When my hands and arms start tingling and falling asleep, I know that my hip is out and then the rest of my back goes south. I usually end up with a mess of pinched nerves all the way up. There are a lot of nerves in our spines and at the base of our heads. Try it once and see if it helps you.