Why my hand numb while dialysis?

[mingmiley]

It's been couple months I noticed that my right hand became numb while on the third and fourth hour's dialysis. My fistula is on the left arm. No pain, just numb, I had to constantly rub on it with my other hand to make it go away. And then, I noticed sometimes at home this will happen too while not on dialysis. Anyone had similiar experience?

[Ziggydoodah]

I have started getting this with my fistula arm. I have been in dialysis since May. Its only the past 3 months that this has started to happen. I have been told it is nothing to do with dialysis and its Carpel tunnel syndrome. I don't believe this for a second. I was wondering if it is a vitamin deficiency. I have started to research vitamin B complexes. Do you have any issues with steal syndrome in your fistula arm?

[mingmiley in reply to Ziggydoodah]

Thank you for your replying. I don't know what's steal syndrome. I've heard people mentioned carpel tunnel before, but i don't know much about that either, so sorry poor me. This Thur i'm going to see my prime doctor, maybe she might give me some ideas. Now at home my right hand numb too. My dialysis left arm and hand ok though. I sorry that your dialysis hand gets numb, The first thing it comes to my mind is circulation? I hope your fistula will last a long time though.We have a guy in our kidney Ctr, his fistula, the same one lasted him 40 years already.

[bluekidney]

Hello, this started happening to me to me the last 6 months of my five years on dialysis before my transplant. It most likely is steal syndrome which is basically you aren’t getting enough blood flow to your hand while the fistula is in use it can also manifest outside of dialysis like you are experiencing. I told my vascular surgeon about it because it was becoming extremely painful and I wanted to end dialysis early each session but just massaged my hand through the end. He did a fistulagram to revise my fistula which is in my upper right arm. That didn’t work my grip was getting weak and I had tingling in the fingers so he referred me to a neurologist for carpal tunnel syndrome. They did the testing and ruled out carpal tunnel right after my transplant. I still get numbing and burning now a year and a half after transplant and not using my access anymore. The neurologist just brushed it off as arthritis they said no follow-up was needed as my nerves were extremely healthy and they did not think the access arm was the issue even though my pain is isolated to my right arm/hand where my fistula is. Hopefully your doctor finds a solution as I was lucky to be saved by my transplant.

[mingmiley]

Hi, Dear Bluekidney, thank you for the many informations. i dialysed 14 years now, this is first time it happened to me. My left arm with fistula alright, it's the right hand that gets numb, even at home now.This is mysterious. Sounds like steal problem though, some circulation problem. Yeah, I will call my Vascular surgeon too. thank you. Congratulations for your new kidney, I hope it will last a very many years. Thank you.