Dead arms and hands at night

[Misty9]

I keep waking up through the night with dead arms and hands due to my elbows being bent (hands by my face). I straighten them and get the feeling back but it happens again a few times. And the last few weeks I've twice had the aching pain carry on into the whole day in my right arm with numbness if I bend my elbow. I've always had poor strength in my arms/hands (opening jars, carrying plates etc) and frequently shake with any exertion or strain.

Any ideas?!

Carpal tunnel syndrome?

Seems like it might be the ulnar nerve being compressed at the elbow. Not sure much can be done about it though

I have this. May I ask how old you are? I think it may be menopause related carpal tunnel syndrome in my case. I was talking to a friend the other day and she has same and is same age. If you are younger maybe it is CTS brought on by something else? If it is that the doctor can advise re anti inflammatories, splinting etc.

I’m 37 - but I have quite a few symptoms of peri menopause. Hormone profiles have been inconclusive and I’ve been dismissed by gp.

I more get numbness in my little finger than thumb, and this suggests an ulnar nerve issue according to dr google!

Ah yes, CTS isn't little finger I agree.

Hi op it sounds like an ulna nerve compression. Pain, pins and needles and numbness in elbow bent position is a sign. Discuss it with your gp so they can examine you properly. They may send you for nerve conduction studies but these can be inconclusive. Or send you to a hand surgeon for consideration for an ulna nerve decompression.

Have you had your thyroid function tested? This can be a symptom of hypothyroidism.

I’ve had every blood test going for ongoing fatigue and apparently my thyroid is normal. But I have thought I have many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism and it would explain the fatigue too!

The pain is worse today and my elbow is sore too. I feel like I’m always at the gp for something or other (usually the kids) and last time I went I got short shrift for asking questions about a medication so I’m not confident about going back :(

Gosh that's not fair if they gave you shirt shrift. Definitely don't let it put you off going back about something you are concerned about or that is affecting your quality of life.

Given that these aren’t CTS symptoms it does sound a bit like ulnar nerve compression somewhere and is extremely unlikely to have anything to do with your thyroid. If you’re not being taken seriously at the GPs then going in talking about thyroid symptoms connected to this issue is not going to help that particular issue at all. The rather obvious explanation for fatigue would be that you keep waking up throughout the night with dead bloody arms!

I’ve had two similar episodes of this, ten years apart. Last months. I’ve tried various specialists, mri’s etc and no one knows what it is, just “one of those things that eventually burns itself out”