Waking up with pins & needles in arms

[AnxiousMama]

I've just joined this forum and am hoping it will help by talking to other people with health anxiety. This is something I've suffered from on and off for years. This time following a period of GAD I have now developed the following worrying symptoms, which I can't accept as just being caused by anxiety despite talking to three doctors. Most nights I'm waking up through the night with pins and needles in one or both arms. The feeling returns as soon as I move my hands. I have had a couple of occasions where this has disappeared for 5/6 days and this coincides with me feeling calmer. However, I've now developed a constant tingling in my right ankle and have gotten myself into a state worrying about MS. Has anyone else experienced these symptoms or heard of it happening due to anxiety?

[crystal17]

Hello. I do think this is a sign of anxiety, but just wondered how do your hands and fingers feel?
Very much doubt its MS.

[AnxiousMama]

Thank you for your reply :) My hands feel a bit hot and heavy with some loss of sensation and tingling/pins & needles - difficult to put into words! As soon as I move them they are fine. Across the top of my ankle if I touch it it tingles, like when you have anaesthetic at dentist and mouth feels tingly to touch, this has been pretty much constant for 2 weeks now.

---------- Post added at 23:28 ---------- Previous post was at 23:27 ----------

Sorry just realised I'd said in arms, it is actually my hands that I wake up with the pins and needles in!!

[Abarth]

Hi there
I do have exactly this, and it is usually down to tension and sleeping posture. I would be willing to bet that if you managed to sleep flat on your back, arms to the side, your symptoms would be less. To illustrate tension, I went through a phase of falling asleep curled up, with my hands clamped between my kneecaps (if that doesn't sound too odd!). My legs were so tense I would wake up with totally dead/numb hands. When anxious one also has a tendency to 'wrap' one's arms around their body when sleeping; hey presto, dead arms! Happens to me so often and it's not MS ( i had the same fear). Try relaxation techniques before sleep (bath etc), and you will find it eases.
Be well
Ant

[crystal17]

Ah right ok well this all sounds very familiar, my symptoms began in 2010 with numbness in my arms on and off, then went into hand and wrist pain with numbness/tingling when waking up. It was carpal tunnel syndrome and I wouldnt be surprised if thats what you might have. You can get it in your ankles too, its called tarsal tunnel syndrome.
I'd mention in to your GP when you can and see what they think, there are a few manual tests they can perform to confirm it. Let me know how you get on :hugs:

[AnxiousMama]

Thank you sooo much for your replies, I'm really pleased I signed up here now :) I definitely curl my arms up around my body more when I'm anxious. I just wish the tingling in my ankle would go away and I only had one thing to think about!! I think relaxation techniques are a good idea.

[Abarth]

Hey again! Tingling, prickly skin and pins and needles are all signs of tension and anxiety. I tend to get an awful feeling of prickly heat/burning on my legs when I'm anxious. This can go on for days/weeks, with respite in between. The same sensation can crop up anywhere in the body and as soon as the mind seizes on this, that is where the focus will stay. It is particularly noticeabe if you have a minor muscle injury, inflamation, bruise, infection or whatever, as it will be constantly in you consciousness. That is not to say that you shouldnt mention it to your GP, but I'm willing to bet that's the issue. Even as I type, you are probably thinking about, if not poking your ankle on and off! That again will sensitise the area and, bingo, odd sensations! Try not to think about/ignore it; you will probably find it will diminsh ( only to resurface elsewhere, but you will be forearmed then!). If you search this site, you will see numerous examples of what i am describing. Hope that helps and try not to worry. Most importantly though, DO NOT GOOGLE!!!!!
All the best
Ant

[AnxiousMama]

Ant, I am so grateful for your reponses. You have helped me so much tonight. When I'm feeling logical I'm pretty sure anxiety is causing the symptoms but then on other occasions, like tonight, I'm overwhelmed and gripped by the anxiety and can't think of anything other than horrible illnesses. I've been here so many times before, I should know!!! But each time the symptoms differ and the what if's start :wacko:
Much happiness, C x

[Abarth]

Really Happy to have helped. Don't worry I have been/am going through very similar things to you, so I really sympathise. It will pass though. I'm off to sleep now!

Take care, I'm sure you will be just fine.

Ant

[Katie*]

YES!! I get that too! I also suffer from GAD. I also worry about MS. I know the pins and needles are not due to the fact that I sleep on my arms, because sometimes I wake up on my back, sometimes on one side with both hands asleep. I've been woken up by sleeping feet twice. I know it's a sign of anxiety - but at night too?? Seems strange. I should mention that my whole body's really, really tense, I have jaw pain due to tension. Also, my hands sometimes takes a little while to "wake up", but usually just a few seconds. I've had buzzing in my foot for hours now - time for a brisk walk and optimism. Good luck, I'm sure we're fine!*

*not acutally sure I am, though

[Beyonderz]

I had been experiencing this for quite long time and I was told that it can be related to bad posture and wrong position during sleep. It also can be because of your nerves.

Try chancing your sleeping place for a while or at least change your pillow and see if it keeps on going like this.
I sometimes feel uneasy about it but I am guessing it's an issue related to nerves.

[Acidomoduso]

I have also suffered (and am currently suffering) from this. Mine is a tad different though because i was getting pins and needles in just the last two fingers of each hand. I discovered i had a degenerative neck disorder (which everyone gets around 60 or 70 but mine started early) that was pinching nerves. Strange feeling that was.

At the moment i am getting strange rushing feelings when i try and sleep and it radiates out from the centre of my body to each limb. It wakes me up and i have pins and needles in my arms and legs. This time it is almost certainly anxiety but my bad sleeping posture is also affecting my neck problem.

It's a horrible feeling but it does go eventually.

[Katie*]

Okay, woke up last night with (quite painful) pins and needles in my left hand. And again, I wasn't sleeping on it. If it's caused by anxiety, why does it only happen when I'm sleeping? And why are my feet falling asleep more quickly now? Could all of this be due to muscle tension / a bad back?

[lindajane1971]

It does sound like carpal tunnel syndrome like another person suggested. I have this in both my wrists and its awful but harmless!!

Its to do with the median nerve in your wrist, its more common in people who type a lot, or paint or sew a lot etc, it happens a lot in bed as the nerve tightens up when your asleep and thats what causes the pain, and the pins and needles and numbness.

You should try wearing wrist splints in bed, i bought these, they are really good,they keep your wrist in the correct position all night and if you do lie on your wrists when asleep it stops any pressure and therefore stops the pain, i wore them for a few weeks and it really helped, i only get it occasionally now :)
My mum also had it, she was in terrible pain with it and had a wee operation on each wrist to slacken the tendons around the nerve, she never had it again!!!
Hope it gets better soon x

[Katie*]

But like I said, I don't have carpal tunnel. I get the pins and needles in my feet too sometimes. Also, it's not actually pain, more like hands being asleep. :(

[crystal17]

Katie can I ask how you know you dont have carpal tunnel?

[Katie*]

Yes, of course. My doctor did a quick test, so it's not absolutely certain, but I don't get pain, numbness or problems using my hands (or feet). Also, I get the pins and needles in my feet too, I don't know what the odds of having carpal tunnel in both hands and tarsal tunnel in both feet are, but I know it's highly unlikely. My feet tend to fall asleep easily, I've woken up with pins and needles in my feet twice. In my hands it's almost every night / morning. I'm afraid it's MS or something horrible.

Do you (any of you) have it carpal tunnel? How does it feel?

---------- Post added at 22:35 ---------- Previous post was at 22:33 ----------

AnxiousMama, are you feeling any better now?

[crystal17]

It could just be a circulation issue, has your doctor suggested that at all?

Yes I had carpal tunnel in both hands (well I still do get the symptoms depending on what I'm doing) and it started with pain and stiffness in my hands when I woke up then progressed to numbness in the mornings/feeling like I'd been sleeping on my hands, tingling, intense pain during the night.

It might not be that and if the doctor says it isn't then it probably isn't but just wanted to let you know I had to fight really hard to get mine diagnosed, I saw about 5 different doctors and a nurse, I had a doctor tell me it was all in my mind and I was suffering from anxiety-related 'aches and pains', I had a nurse tell me that it might be rheumatiod arthritis because 'nothing else causes hand pain' and a doctor laugh in my face before they decided thats what it was. And I had a few different manual tests to diagnose it, before surgery last Feb.

If I were you i'd go and maybe see a different GP and get a second opinion, just tell them all the symptoms and let them come to a conclusion, I know how awful it is to have pins and needles in your hands though, its really draining. Take care.

[dannibear94]

Hi there, I get this ALL THE TIME I've had it in my ribs both side for a week straight and convinced myself I had something wrong with my heart! Turned out to be another anxiety symptom. remember you are never alone..much love. :hugs: <3

[Katie*]

Crystal
Doc says I'm too young to have a circulation issue. But I guess one can never know. It doesn't quite sound like what I have, because of the lack of pain and numbness. Well, I suppose the pins and needles can be painful, I wouldn't actually call it "pain" (especially after experiencing this thing called "natural childbirth", lol). Can I just ask one more thing - when you mean pain, is it like pins and needles or just pain?

dannibear
Does it wake you at night too, or is it just during the day? Just curious!

I wish you all a beautiful day. x
Katie

[crystal17]

Hi Katie, about the circulation issue: my friend who Ive known all my life has had circulation problems since she was a teenager so dont know whether your doctor meant in general you're too young as dont know how common it is - I was under the impression that it could happen at any age depending on the circumstances so still maybe a possibility?

With the carpal tunnel, yes I would say its pain, actual pain, seperate from the pins and needles which are painful in themselves. It was like my wrists and hands were being squeezed from the inside and would wake me up in the night and my partner said he'd sometimes hear me cry out in pain from it.
However, I've known of several people who have carpal tunnel and it really is variable with the levels of pain and discomfort - I had it very severely so had all the possible symptoms and had them all the time, it literally never went away until my surgery and as I said is still there now if I'm not careful how I use my hands.
So if you do have it, it would be mild or maybe the nerve is just slighty compressed right now but has the potential to get worse in the future. Best thing to do would be to see a different doctor and see if they think its a possibility, not sure what else you can do. Hope this helps :hugs:

[dannibear94]

Hi Katie yes it has woke me many times in the night especially on those that I have felt very anxious before I went to bed. I found that the more calm I try to be the less it happens : )

[AnxiousMama]

Katie what you are describing is EXACTLY the same as me and the fact that we both suffer from GAD I think points to the fact it is definitely anxiety. It would be far too big a coincidence for it to be MS. I have spoken to two doctors about it and although they didn't say it was definitely anxiety they did say they were sure it wasn't MS. There are so many people on here saying the same thing about pins & needles. But I know what you mean there is always the niggling 'what if...' going on but that is a symptom of GAD. We are fine!!!:)