numbness in hands

[Werd]

What would cause only the outside of hands to go numb? Meaning the pinky, ring finger and middle finger along with that side of the hand.

I've been noticing this lately. Happens for no reason. Find it very unsettling. Have to keep shaking my hands to get the feeling back.

 

[chewyxrage]

Bad circulation?

Iron defienciency? do you supplement iron?

 

[Werd]

Bad circulation?

Iron defienciency? do you supplement iron?

I don't take any supplements. I have very bad GI problems, my body doesn't always absorb what little I do eat. It's very hard for me to swallow solid food sometimes, let alone big supp tabs.

I should wonder though why only the bottom part of my hands goes numb.

 

[crimson coal]

I have the same thing but mostly after waking up from a nights sleep. My pinky and ring finger along with that side of hand up forearm towards the elbow on both arms all go numb. It's a pinched nerve up in the shoulderblade/upperback/neck area. Gets worse when I am lifting heavy and opn cycle.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

I've gotten this after some heavy squatting.

 

[juve]

I could be neuropathy, it could be carpal tunnel syndrome, it could be just impeded circulation due to position of your hands.
However, if it is not the latter, then the former two could be caused by a variety of conditions mainly linked to endcrine system malfunctioning, ie hyper/hypothyroidism, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, ostheoarthritis, etc - a great variety of causes may be attributed to this condition, hence visit a doc

 

[WolfPack Charlie]

I have the same thing due to a motorcycle accident which resulted in nerve damage. I had to get an EMG to determine whether or not it was nerve damage. And believe me, an EMG sucks!!!

 

[Werd]

I could be neuropathy, it could be carpal tunnel syndrome, it could be just impeded circulation due to position of your hands.
However, if it is not the latter, then the former two could be caused by a variety of conditions mainly linked to endcrine system malfunctioning, ie hyper/hypothyroidism, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, ostheoarthritis, etc - a great variety of causes may be attributed to this condition, hence visit a doc

Considering all the other shit that hasn't been working right these days, I'll break down and go to the damned doc... God, I hate those bastards with a passion.

 

[danielson]

it may not be carpal tunnel as the nerve distribution for that is thumb and first finger

this sounds like it COULD be ulnar compression...the doctor can do a simple examination. it may be a nerve problem further up your arm/neck which also needs a doctor to be seein and treating it, but like juve said it could be something else so go see your doc!

 

[glennds]

i agree werd, you should see a doc. it may be nothing but i will give you peace of mind. he may refer you to a neurologist for this...

 

[Werd]

I am going to get a referal next weekend. Got a date with an internist. LOL Hopefully he will be able to point me to a doc that won't be incompetent and/or treat me like something in a petri dish.

 

[bigstve12]

yeah something is definetly up with the ulnar nerve..could be at the cubital fossa in the elbow...Do any weird extension typ movements at the elbow?? Or even repetitive ext at the elbow??

 

[glennds]

keep us posted werd. i am interested in hearing what your doc sais. good luck!

 

[Werd]

yeah something is definetly up with the ulnar nerve..could be at the cubital fossa in the elbow...Do any weird extension typ movements at the elbow?? Or even repetitive ext at the elbow??

See, that is just it.... I haven't done anything odd or wierd. No real heavy lifting (I don't compete anymore so I am just in and out of the gym pretty much.) - no injury and it happens in both hands simultaneously. A few times it was very bad. Felt like half both my hands were dead weight - TOTALLY NUMB. I had to really shake and caress both hands to get the feeling back which took well over 10 minutes once. 10 minutes doesn't seem long but when you can't feel half of both your hands it is a really really long time.

I do have a whole bunch of other stuff going on that isn't right. I am thinking it is thyroid related seeing as how my metabolism is totally screwed up. But I wonder if it could have something to do with oxygen. I have a hard time breathing a lot of the time, could this have something to do with it?

Ah well.... I'll go see the damned doctor. I promise.

It is just that I have been to so many for so many years and the last few screwed me up so badly that I have been taking care of it myself for awhile. Might seem crazy but if you guys had been screwed up the way I had been, you might understand.

Either way.. I'll let you guys know what gives. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[gonelifting]

Might seem crazy but if you guys had been screwed up the way I had been, you might understand.

I know EXACTLY what you`re saying. When/IF you find a good doc, stick with him like glue. Sometimes you gotta bite the bullet and go see one. good luck

Thyroid is a good guess, but that`s all it is... a guess.

 

[juve]

I do have a whole bunch of other stuff going on that isn't right. I am thinking it is thyroid related seeing as how my metabolism is totally screwed up. But I wonder if it could have something to do with oxygen. I have a hard time breathing a lot of the time, could this have something to do with it?

How exactly do you mean? Do you have trouble inhaling air is in something seems to impede you in doing so freely ie tightness in chest, some other constiction down the ventricular paths; or do you mean that you can't seem to satiate yourself (blood uptake) with oxygen ie having to take more breaths to support and sustain any given activity?
In either case the implications could be rather serious and could be linked to endocrine and certain deficiencies (minerals/vitamins, enzymatic, precursors) issues.
werd you're trouble at your age, and chasing young guys...tsk tsk

 

[danielson]

make sure you are seeing the doc

i don know of neuropathies that can affect only half of the hands, they tend to be glove and stocking distribution, it seems odd it would happen both times, in that exact same distribution making me think its a nerve impingement

the fact it occurs in that distribution bilaterally makes me wonder if it isn't a problem further up (i.e. cervical vertabrae area)....or it is a neuropathy



please see a doctor tough, web advice is nothig especially from people who aren't doctors or ca't examine you. you might have found a bad doctor but good ones do exist and are the majority, and it sounds like you do need see one, as you have other medical problems

 

[Werd]

How exactly do you mean? Do you have trouble inhaling air is in something seems to impede you in doing so freely ie tightness in chest, some other constiction down the ventricular paths; or do you mean that you can't seem to satiate yourself (blood uptake) with oxygen ie having to take more breaths to support and sustain any given activity?
In either case the implications could be rather serious and could be linked to endocrine and certain deficiencies (minerals/vitamins, enzymatic, precursors) issues.
werd you're trouble at your age, and chasing young guys...tsk tsk

LOL

I have suffered from GERD since I was a child which has become so severe in the past few years that it warranted surgery (drugs - you name it, I have taken it in mega high doses) in addition to some other GI problems... my vocal chords have permanent damage and now have had a permanent and painful lump in my throat for a few months, makes swallowing difficult and even constricts the flow of air down to my lungs... inhaling acid also has affected my lungs so I have a hard time drawing breath, lose my voice, frequent cough, get lightheaded, etc.

I was without insurance for the last year so I could not see a doctor in addition to just being afraid because the surgery I had only gave me temporary relief from some of the sypmtoms of GERD but caused an entire host of other terrible sides affecting the rest of my GI tract...

I finally got insurance but it is pretty crappy at best and I don't even know where to begin to be honest. I had seen so many doctors in the past 10 years... the last guy was really good and he REALLY tried to help me, but I stumped him. Someone my age and with my back ground (uber clean diet and activity, avoid alcohol, no smoking or drugs, etc) should not have the problems I do. He called me "an enigma". This guy was the chief of labroscopic surgery at a large teaching hospital and pioneer for several types of GI surgery. He diagnosed the cause for many of my problems, but could offer no further solutions when despite accepted medical knowledge my body would not respond at all or only minimally to treatment.

I have been doing "damage control" for the past nearly 2 years by just taking low dose anabolics to help maintain my mass and just staying as strong as I could, taking mega doses of OTC drugs when I was totally desperate, but I have deteriorated now to the point where I can no longer ignore this.

I will have several days where I will be better and think, "OK, now I am going to gain back some mass and I am finally getting better" only for it all literally go down the toilet and I will not only be back to square one but further back...

The numbness in my hands is just scaring the shit out of me. I just have so much stuff going on, I don't have time to even look for a doctor... I just don't know where to start and I am tired of all the painful tests and procedures that only make things worse... On the one hand I had just given up and "accepted my fate"... but on the other hand, I want so much for things not to be like this.

If there could be just one drug that I could take or a diet change or something of that sort that I could do I would gladly take it or do it in a heart beat... but no one knows what to do with me so I guess that I just gave up...

Really, I appreciate the answers and I will go and get all checked out soon. I guess I just needed more people to either say, "Ahhhh that ain't no thang..." or slap me into the middle of next week to go to a freaking doctor (as if my family hasn't been yelling at me for weeks now! LOL) .

 

[young guns]

werd, i get the exact same thing. numbness so bad at times i can't move my pinkie and ring fingers for a minute. but it only happens to me when i wake up. actually i think it wakes me up at times. i have always assumed it was due to poor circulation or pressure on a nerve due to the way i was sleeping so i never worried about it. the weird thing it that sometimes i wake up laying perfectly normal, not twisted up or even lying on my arm.

but keep us posted. it may be something i should look into further too. best of luck with this and i hope all works out ok for you.

 

[bigstve12]

maybe thoracic outlet syndrome?? Still waiting to hear how it turned out?? See a doc yet??

 

[jenscats5]

I had the same thing with my right arm/hand involving the pinky & ring finger....it seemed to be a pinched nerve in my neck/shoulder and also still bothers me depending on how I rest my arm on a chair arm -- in a certain way leaning on the elbow causes the numbness.

Acupuncture helped me....

 

[juve]

^^any updates??

 

[AlbinoRhino]

Ooooh Ooooh Include me in the numb pinky and ringfinger crew. I never had this problem until I started lifting like a madman 2 months ago. It also only happens to me when I either wake up or sit a certian way in a chair like jenscats5. My shoulder had been hurting there for quite awhile and I found that if I just kept stretching the living shit out of my shoulders/back it got a little better although it is still there. Let us know what teh doc says man and good luck with all the rest of those ailments, sounds like hell.

 

[Robert Jan]

I don't take any supplements. I have very bad GI problems, my body doesn't always absorb what little I do eat. It's very hard for me to swallow solid food sometimes, let alone big supp tabs.

I should wonder though why only the bottom part of my hands goes numb.

you really should supplement. just grind the tabs up and mix them into water or soemthing

 

[WolfPack Charlie]

When this happened to me, I had to take an EMG, which hurt like hell, and the end result was nerve damage somewhere along the ulnar nerve.

 

[rpol]

Bump for any results

 

[Werd]

You guys are going to get pissed off at me, but I didn't go yet.

I have to go to an ENT first. Got some pressing issues there that need to be dealt with first... I know this sounds really stupid and like a major cop-out but I hate doctors. I have had so many bad experiences with them even though the last guy I saw was really smart (the chief of labroscopic surgery at a very well known facility in my state - he pioneered the type of GI surgery I had - that is labroscopically, they used to put a 10 -12" incision down your abdomen ten years ago) and was very caring and wanted to help - he fucked me up. Or should I say, that what he did was supposed to have helped - really it was. But it made my life hell for nearly a year... now just under two years later and I am back to square one.

I just want it to go away.

I try to eat as best as I can and I make it to the gym and lift as intensely (but WITH my head) as I can.

I lost my health insurance last year (thanx to my wonderful xhusband). Finally I have SOME sort of insurance but it is really crappy. So I will have to end up paying for most of whatever I have done. Just one test will set me back way more than I can afford. I am a single mom with a lot of kids, giving most of our money to lawyers because of my stupid ex.

I could make all sorts of excuses, but the truth is that I am scared and I keep pretending that if I ignore it it will just go away.

Please don't lecture me and I REALLY REALLY appreciate everyone's time and input. I am not one of those people that asks for help and then ignores helpful advice. I guess I have just grown so accustomed to pain and "sucking it up and going on" that I feel like if I just keep doing this, in the end it will be ok.

The last time I went to see a doctor after months of very VERY painful and expensive tests they performed surgery that was supposed to "fix me", at least buy me 10 years more relief (this surgery is a last resort done for people in their late 50's to 60's. I was 34 when I had it done.). Not only did I not get the relief but the sides were TERRIBLE.... And this doc was good and genuinely wanted to help. He called me "an enigma" because he had never seen a case like me.

To this day... when people meet me they can't begin to imagine that I have the problems that I do because I am "the picture of uberhealth", that is, until they spend extended periods of time with me and see that I am not well.

I am sorry if this pisses you guys who are trying to help me, off. I was really going to go to the doc. But the doc that I was SUPPOSED to date turned out to be an insensitive ass that I didn't even date (I told him upfront that I had some problems and asked for his guidance). I got the name of one doc from someone but this guy had a LOT of money (we are talking millions) so this means that I can't afford that doc anyway...

I promise as soon as I go I will post up. You guys are really kind to think of me and ask me how I am doing.

Thank you.

 

[bluechilihead]

I have the same problem with GERD and numbness in my pinky middle finger and side of hand. I am pretty positive that mine is related to oxygen levels in my blood. When I am intimate with my wife hot and heavy or doing cardio after an extended break I experience the same issues. Dont know if it is close to what you are experiencing but thought Id mention. Good luck finding one of the very few good doctors. I hate them myself, many, many bad experiences.

 

[Werd]

I have the same problem with GERD and numbness in my pinky middle finger and side of hand. I am pretty positive that mine is related to oxygen levels in my blood. When I am intimate with my wife hot and heavy or doing cardio after an extended break I experience the same issues. Dont know if it is close to what you are experiencing but thought Id mention. Good luck finding one of the very few good doctors. I hate them myself, many, many bad experiences.

This is why I love the internet...

I will PM you. I have been having a lot of trouble breathing the past few months (when the numbness showed up) due to a lump in my throat in addition to the asthma like complications associated with GERD. I thought it had to do with oxygen (as well as not eating enough) issues as well. My face goes numb, my lips tingle in addition to this odd numbness exactly as you described. But it isn't when I am doing strenous activity (I feel like I am going to pass out a lot, I have on a few occasions when I can't eat enough) - it is when I am at rest.

How old are you? How long have you had issues with GERD? Have you had surgery yet? Some peeps on the chat board mentioned a link to some new technique where they inject silicone into your stomach to help the LES (valve between stomach and esophagus) function better. Though I don't know if this would help me as I have already had surgery (Nissen Fundoplikation) and it did not achieve the desired result... it actually made things worse.

Thanks so much for your input. I really appreciate it.