Really painful wrists in the night

[Ozziegirly]

Another weird symptom. I am assuming this is carpel tunnel syndrome, but I don't have it in the daytime at all.

Yet probably 4-5 times a week I wake up with incredible pain in one or both wrists. I think the pain actually wakes me up, although I am groggy at the time.

After I straighten them out and rub them and put them flat under a cold pillow I think I just drift back to sleep, but I wondered;

1. Has anyone else had this?
2. How can I stop myself sleeping with curled wrists as I'm sure that's what's causing it?

It sounds like carpal tunnel. I had this with pregnancy #2.

The pain would wake me & it used to take me ages to get back to sleep, because as soon as the numbness went, it would start again!

I had it bad during the last trimester, so bad that I couldn't grip with my left hand, due to numbness.

The only way I could sleep was on my side, on arm perfectly straight along my side & the other just out from under me. It was a nightmare. I also used a tight bandage on my worse wrist (you know the ones they put on sprains? Sorry, can't think what they are called)

I had it quite bad the day dd was born & was scared to hold her as I couldn't grip onto her properly!

Two years on & in the winter I still suffer, but it is extremes of cold that make it bad, so I try to avoid as much as possible. It seems to be improving, thankfully!

I has the same in my first pregnancy and like you mostly at night. It was carpol tunnel and it went after the birth

It's bloody painful isn't it?!

I might have to bandage my worst wrist but it's almost like I need a splint or something to stop me curling it in as I sleep.

Well, I've only got 5 or so weeks left so hopefully it'll go after the birth.

I had thia and it disappeared the morning after DD was born. The midwife and several friends recommended going to the local physio department for some wrist splints as they can work wonders, apparently, though I never followed this up as it didn't get as bad as yours sounds.

Good luck!

Interesting - I might see a physio anyway as I am considering getting a TENS machine and apparently we need to see a physio before I get one (?) so I could ask about this at the same time.

I had this in my pregnancy with DS; milder than yours sounds though. Then shortly after he was born, exacerbated by the struggle with breastfeeding and holding your wrists in awkward positions for long times trying to get baby to latch on etc it got MUCH worse and would make me quite tearful.

I wore support wrist bands virtually all the time, particularly at night (actually as DS started sleeping longer and therefore so did I, it got worse as it was the lack of movement that increased the pain). I had physio for ages which helped a bit, then I finally got an NHS referral and got acupuncture from the hospital physio. Within about 4 sessions it had gone.

Good luck - I empathise. (I rewally remember the waking in pain thing )

Yes I think mine gets worse when I don't move (hence at night) whereas typing and things in the day doesn't seem to affect it at all.

Well this thread has spurred me on anyway to ring the hospital physio to ask about the TENS machine, and I'll ask about splints as well - but also hope it goes away after the birth!