Tingling fingertips

[Natalie x]

Hi everyone, I've been trying to stay off here in an attempt to try and manage my anxieties and worries on my own however have had another episode this morning that is taking over my brain.

I woke with tingling in my fingertips on my right hand as well as a slight ache in my chest. I just returned last night from a weeks holiday and am a nervous flyer and throughout the flight I was constantly tensing all my muscles and could not relax. I am thinking that that the ache may be coming from muscle tension as a result of this and am trying to think rationally that the tingling fingertips may have been me lying on a nerve during the night.

I have tried to distract myself by doing my washing and hanging them out and watching telly etc but I can't seem to forget about it. Also I am home alone at the moment which is also adding to the panic.

Has anyone ever experienced this before and if so how long did it last? I did experience the same on holiday with th tingling that lasted an hour or so but ran my hands under the warm tap and that seemed to make it subside. I really don't want this to amplify and I go into yet another day of panic and know if I keep it up I will only bring on more symptoms. Thank you

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Natalie,

You are right. It could easily be muscular tension or it could even be how you have lain in your sleep or a bit of both. I often wake up with aches & pains (I think I really need a new mattress! :doh:).

Tingling can certainly be from lying in a position that impacts on a nerve or even muscles around it can cause some pinching. As a GAD sufferer I have had tingling throughout 9 years now although it was always more my chest but it can be finger tips or leg/arms on more anxious days. So, if not a nerve, maybe even just that you had an anxious experience with the the flight and some additional adrenaline issues this morning.

The most important thing other than to rationalise & challenge all this, as you are clearly doing, is wait and see it go. It may take a day or two for the muscles aches and it may be a few hours of tingling or the rest of the day but there is every chance it will go quickly and you will realise it was nothing.

So, perhaps keep yourself distracted from it, stay busy, do things you enjoy, challenge the thoughts if they creep up, etc.

[Natalie x]

Hello Terry, many thanks for your reply. It has subsided a little, most likely because I haven't actually been thinking about it! I also put my hands in some hot water which helped.

I do think the adrenaline hasn't helped which has probably given me some symptoms again this morning. Here's hoping it goes soon :) Thank you again!

[yodascat]

Hey Nat,

I've been having tingly hands and palms for ages (I'm only in my early 20s though), sometimes in my feet. I get them sometimes when I don't consciously feel anxious but I guess it's probably just part of the stress response from anxiety!