Evening all, has anyone ever had pins and needles in their hands?
Pins and needles : Evening all, has anyone ever had... - NRAS
Pins and needles
Written by
Cazbar8
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
32 Replies
•
Yes all the time normally just before swelling. I notice it more when I exercise even if it’s just a walk
Cazbar8• in reply to
Thank you for the response, I have never experienced it, it started this evening
• in reply toCazbar8
Are you flaring?
Yes most days some days worse then others.
Hiya Cazbar. It could be you're heading into a flare as already said. Can I ask though, are your little fingers also affected, do they feel as though they have pins & needles? If they don't it could be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, especially if you've weakness in your hands too, or they feel weaker than normal. CT doesn’t affect the little finger typically you see. It's caused by the median nerve (in your wrist) being compressed by inflammation. It can happen even when you're otherwise well controlled, as it was with me.
Hi there, now I am really trying to concentrate to see if it is in my little fingers. 😂 It is definitely from my wrist down to the tips of my fingers. I think I can feel it in my little fingers. It’s just so odd as I have never experienced this. I was Only diagnosed November last year.
It just suddenly came on this evening and hasn’t shifted yet. Are there any other signs, for Carpal Tunnel?
• in reply toCazbar8
My understanding is that stand alone carpal tunnel usually has a fairly gradual onset. Nerve compression as a result of active arthritis can come on quite suddenly, though, and also wax and wane across days or even within the same day depending on the level of inflammation at any given time.
Mine also came on suddenly, although the pain reaching to my elbow & eventually my shoulder were more gradual, over a month or so. This doesn’t always happen though. Other symptoms, which may be more gradual, is pain & numbness with all symptoms being worse at night. I found they eased some by letting my arm dangle over the arm of a chair or down the side of the bed at night. Unfortunately none of the symptoms, for me anyway, we’re eased with either my NSAID or pain relief prescribed specifically intended to help.
It may not be CT of course, it's something that I'd report though if it doesn’t ease.
• in reply tonomoreheels
Just to add, carpal tunnel typically effects thumb through to ring finger as you say, although lots of people only experience it in the thumb and first two fingers. The nerve compression can be triggered and/or exacerbated by swelling from inflammatory arthritis. However, if symptoms are present outside of a flare you likely have stand alone carpal tunnel in addition to arthritis, rather than an arthritis mediated form, unless you have permanent joint deformity in the wrist that causes constant pressure. Stand alone can be improved or even cured with nerve release surgery where appropriate.
In addition, there is a condition that causes very similar symptoms that does involve the little fingers, and that’s the much less well known Cubital Tunnel syndrome. Instead of impingement of the median nerve, you get compression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow. Patients can typically draw a line down the centre of their middle finger, with the numbness and tingling occurring on one half of that finger through to the little finger, whilst the other half, index and thumb are often normal. You also tend to very quickly get numbness and tingling up through the forearm if you put pressure on your elbows, e.g. resting them on a table or your thighs, as well as when extending the elbow to hold something in front of you like a book in bed, or when holding the steering wheel when driving. As with carpal, if you have inflammatory arthritis it can exacerbate symptoms due to swelling in the joint adding to nerve compression. I have it in both arms and have done for about 15 years, but I’m reaching a stage now where I’m really starting to consider requesting surgical release. It kicks in within half an hour of driving these days, rather than a couple of hours, and I’ve also started waking up with completely numb hands and forearms depending on my sleeping position 👀😬
Cazbar8• in reply to
Thank you Charlie, my fingers have definitely swollen up since last night. I am wondering whether the swelling and pins and needles have been brought on by the heat yesterday. I hope you get something sorted
nomoreheels• in reply to
Thanks for this additional info Charlie. Very helpful, though I thought it best not to overload Cazbar with info, or worry her overly, as she is newly diagnosed & it may not be CT all. Nevertheless I find it interesting & helpful info so thank you. Even though for me diagnosis to release op was relatively swift in those few months my symptoms increased to involve my elbow & eventually up to my shoulder. Fortunately the simple cutting of the ligament worked & symptoms only returned as a side effect of a DMARD & subsided & eventually went once it was halted then stopped.
I don't know how you've coped with the pain for 15 years. It drove me to distraction. I'd have been knocking on the surgeons door!
• in reply tonomoreheels
I know, which is why my reply was to you 😉 I’m pretty sure the OP is probably flaring slightly or reacting to the heat as some of us do, rather than carpal, particularly with the sudden onset.
It was still relatively mild when I got the Cubital diagnosis after a couple of years of symptoms, but I was also awaiting brain surgery and the neurosurgeon said best not to get the release done until after that as I had a lot of other peripheral neuropathy: it would be hard to know how successful the release had been, as well as difficult to assess just how much actually was the cubital to begin with. Then whilst waiting, I also developed a cardiac issue which delayed the neurosurgery further. Then within 18 months I needed a repeat op. Then got bacterial meningitis post repeat op which took quite a while to recover from. That all took up about 6 years or so. From there it’s got worse but it’s been fairly gradual and comparatively bearable, plus I’m a single dad to a 12 yo with life-limiting and complex needs, so having functional arm issues post release (or even just needing to guard my arms a bit post release) would make life quite difficult for a while. It’s really become a question of timing, but as with many things, I doubt there’ll ever be a ‘right’ time.
springcross• in reply to
I have just read your last two posts Charlie - goodness me, you haven't had an easy time have you. A very interesting read I must say, thanks. x
Yes Cazbar, often , often due to heat and swelling,
one time it was due to carpal tunnel, ( operation fixed it) but just general RA fluid and swelling xx hugs
Yes. Regularly. Not sure why. Probably to do with disease activity. x
Yes we all do until we go for a nerve conduction test and then on to carpal tunnel release. I've had both hands done now - but still have problems in the right hand which I was told would be so - no chance of second op so just live with it - I wear a support with metal bar in at night just to help a bit.
Hi i get them now and then but never know why.
Yes all the time usually worse if I’m flaring but I do have ulnar nerve impingement from my elbows which have been affected by R.A. usually little fingers and ring fingers on both hands. Although impingement is in the wrist too. Not constant but pretty often most days my fingers bend and I can’t move them on their own have to use the other hand to rub them to get the feeling back. At the start of my R.A. journey I woke up most mornings with completely dead arms but that doesn’t happen anymore. Not necessarily carpal tunnel can be tennis / golf elbow too. Hope it goes and feels better soon.
The only time I had pins and needles in my hands was when I had carpal tunnel had the op and it disappeared
Did the pins and needles come on suddenly? I had them for the first time last night and again today
Slowly it came on then I couldn’t stand it no more worse at night time best thing I had was the operation for carpal tunnel good luck hope you get it sorted we have enough to put up with rheumatoid with out this at least carpal tunnel go s away 😉
It’s a horrid feeling! I had tingling and a bit of numbness in my right little finger-it’s a trapped nerve-had it for a couple of years.nothing to be done,as it’s the ulner nerve,which is way to dangerous to operate-thank goodness-so I just live with it,along with the other stuff that RA chucks at us.
I've had that in my right little finger for about eighteem months now. I have also had chronic impingement of the right shoulder joint. I find sometimes that if I lean on the work-top with my right elbow, it sends a feeling from my elbow to my little finger like a mild electric shock.
That’s exactly what happens,it goes right up to the neck,and down into the shoulder blade! Massage helps ,as does physio & osteo! But,basically we learn to live with it!
Yes all the time. And numbness. Sometimes it comes from my wrist but mostly from swollen shoulders ☹️
HI Cazbar. I have but only slightly and on occasion. I do, however, regularly have pins and needles in my little finger on my right hand which may be related to a chronic shoulder impingement on my right shoulder. I have noticed when I put my elbow on the work top or something else, I get a mild electric shock from my elbow to that little finger. Most weird.
I wake up every morning with pins and needles in both hands, then a feeling of numbness with disappears after 10 mins or so
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
Needles and Pins for Pins and Needles
I hope to flipping goodness he stuck that blooming needle in the right place, because I don't want...
pins and needles
Hi, wonder if anybody has got what I'm suffering at the moment. I'm getting pins and needles in my...
Pins and Needles.......
I have just had a very uncomfortable night, being awake with terrible acid burning my throat and...
pins and needles
I hvae been diagnosed with RA for 7 years but recently have been experiencing a lot of pins and...
Rituximab pins and needles 
Pins and needles in hands?
Light pins and needles in hands
Pins and needles after steriod injection,
Pins and needles in hands constantly
