Pins and needles : Evening all, has anyone ever had... - NRAS

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Pins and needles

Cazbar8 profile image
32 Replies

Evening all, has anyone ever had pins and needles in their hands?

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Cazbar8 profile image
Cazbar8
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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 profile image
Cazbar8 in reply to

Thank you for the response, I have never experienced it, it started this evening

in reply toCazbar8

Are you flaring?

Cazbar8 profile image
Cazbar8 in reply to

I think ever so slightly over the last week, but nothing too bad

in reply toCazbar8

The heat can cause swelling and that in turn puts pressure on your hands causing pins and needles. I have this at the moment

Cazbar8 profile image
Cazbar8 in reply to

It’s horrible, feels so odd!

in reply toCazbar8

Yes another gift from the disease they just keeps on giving .when my hands are like this even running tepid water feels like millions of pins on my skin

Carolsos profile image
Carolsos in reply to

I had that once and also my feet at the same time. It was a horrible feeling. It lasted for about a hour!

Yes most days some days worse then others.

nomoreheels profile image
nomoreheels

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.

Cazbar8 profile image
Cazbar8 in reply tonomoreheels

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.

nomoreheels profile image
nomoreheels in reply toCazbar8

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 profile image
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 profile image
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 profile image
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

allanah profile image
allanah

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

Sheila_G profile image
Sheila_G

Yes. Regularly. Not sure why. Probably to do with disease activity. x

mrawnsley profile image
mrawnsley

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.

Ms-D profile image
Ms-D

Hi i get them now and then but never know why.

Leics profile image
Leics

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.

Soundofmusic52 profile image
Soundofmusic52

The only time I had pins and needles in my hands was when I had carpal tunnel had the op and it disappeared

Cazbar8 profile image
Cazbar8 in reply toSoundofmusic52

Did the pins and needles come on suddenly? I had them for the first time last night and again today

Soundofmusic52 profile image
Soundofmusic52 in reply toCazbar8

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 😉

DiHi profile image
DiHi

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.

springcross profile image
springcross in reply toDiHi

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.

DiHi profile image
DiHi in reply tospringcross

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!

mhlmom profile image
mhlmom

Yes all the time. And numbness. Sometimes it comes from my wrist but mostly from swollen shoulders ☹️

springcross profile image
springcross

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.

Ozzy profile image
Ozzy

I wake up every morning with pins and needles in both hands, then a feeling of numbness with disappears after 10 mins or so

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