Above the heart pins & needles?

Everyday living
1

Hi

I have noticed recently when i’m in bed or in any other situation where the need arises, when i put my arms anywhere above the level of my heart for more than a minute i get horrible pins & needles all up my arms? I have had to start sleeping with my arms straight down by my side, which i find unatural as I always used to sleep with an arm draped over my face. Anybody experienced something similar?

Laura x

2

I certainly get more pins and needles in my hands depending where they are. And above is one of them places. Strangely if I lie on them they don’t feel.as bad. Ive had permanent sensations since dec 11 in my hands. X

3

Thanks, was starting to think it was a circulation issue so glad to know I am not alone. Is it a continuous issue for you or does it come and go? I have only noticed it in the last month or so. I have numbness all over, but they don’t feel connected. X

4

Hi Laura,

I get a numbness/pins and needles problem, particularly at night. It does feel like a circulation problem, particularly as if I lie on my side, it’s usually the arm underneath that goes numb. But I’m sure it’s the MS.

Quite often, when I wake, fingers have gone completely numb, and I have even had a completely numb arm, to the point it was flailing about like a dead weight, and knocking everything over!

Happily, these feelings (or lack of them) usually wear off quickly, once I’m awake and moving. I sometimes have to shake my hands, to restore sensation, but after that, they’re OK.

Tina

x

5

Hi Tina I have sensation loss/numbness in varying degrees from the neck down which has been persistent since may last year. I seem to get the pins & needles mostly in bed and they have gone by the morning. I genuinely feel like I’m going insane some days, It’s confusing this MS malarkey isn’t it! X

6

So weird this numb, dead arm thing… I often wake up with completely dead arms. Quite scary as they are completely unresponsive and like lifeless lumps of concrete hanging off my neck. They do come back to life after a bit but it is disconcerting. And on a lesser scale they are often very pins and needley on waking too.

I have found that if they are bent or up near chest level or higher it makes it worse and given I tend to sleep in the foetal position with my arms crossed over my chest it means I get it a lot.

My physio came up with a clever solution though which does actually work. Put your hands between your knees when your are going to sleep and the weight of your legs tends to keep them there all night and then in the morning they are fine Sounds odd but it works for me…

B

7

My hands are continuous and severity of them varies, in my legs it varies depending on what I am doing. Often there after exercise however do subside once rested. X x x

8

Thanks ladies, so glad to know im not on my own with this one.

B, thanks for the advice i will try that trick tonight and see if it helps.

This forum is so helpful - it should be pescribed on the NHS! x