Tingling arm and little finger - any ideas?

[Maylani]

My left lower arm and little finger have been numb/tingling since midday yesterday. No pain at all but it's not going away and is really annoying. It feels like it's gone to sleep like when you accidentally lie on your arm at night and halfway towards blood coming back where it starts to tingle unpleasantly. Any ideas anyone? It's driving me potty!

[Wolfiefan]

Carpal tunnel?

[BIWI]

Sounds like a trapped nerve. An osteopath will sort you out!

[Notsandwiches]

Could be lots of things. Magnesium deficiency? Peri-menopausal? Impingement?

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

have you been leaning on your elbow at all?? I sometimes get this if I am not careful about posture when crocheting! ...resting my elbow on the arm of the chair

or given your elbow a knock? ....there's a nobbly bit on the joint that can press on the nerve I think.

[Ellapaella]

Carpal tunnel or you can have similar thing with the other nerve - one involve the radial nerve and the other involves the ulna, can't remember which. I had this really bad during pregnancy but still have a residual tingling and heaviness which is worse some days than others. Often if I've slept on the effected arm it will be bad for a day or two afterwards. If it persists and it's new you can see your GP who can assess it quite easily and arrange nerve conduction studies if necessary.

[MrsHenryWales]

Go to the GP first thing Tuesday. I woke up with a numb tingling down one side of my body a few years ago, thought it was not much then was promptly MRI scanned and diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Something has definitely interfered with your nervous system. Hopefully it's not serious but you need to get it checked out, even if it goes away before Tuesday.

HTH.

[GeneralTFuckup]

Sounds like carpal tunnel syndrome.

[Piffpaffpoff]

Could be ulnar nerve compression - I used to get this in my little finger and down that side of my hand when I was cycling, til I got special gloves with extra padding. I had carpal tunnel when I was pregnant and that was pain in my wrist and numbness in my thumb, index and middle finger.

[BettyOBarley]

I had this for ages and went for tests for carpal tunnel syndrome but in the end they said it was something to do with a nerve. It did go away eventually. I'm also terrible for leaning on that elbow at my desk which might have contributed.

[SomedayMyPrinceWillCome]

Another vote for ulna nerve compression. The carpel tunnel is in you hand / wrist so wouldn't usually give you tingling in the lower arm as well as the hand.
This classically happens after sitting with your arm hanging over the back of a chair (sometimes drunk people fall asleep like that).
Not usually serious and should resolve on it's own, you could try some ibuprofen to help reduce any swelling that could be compressing the nerve.
Sometime my migraines start with tingling in this nerve - it then spreads through my hand and back up my arm.

[Maylani]

Thanks everyone - gives me some ideas what it could be.

No injury/knocks or putting weight on it that I know of - if anything I've been off work so no computer work for a few days. (And no falling asleep drunk on chair )

[wigglybeezer]

I had this caused by a trapped nerve in my neck.