Hello everyone - I am new here, but have read so many great posts. It really is comforting to hear so many familiar stories. I am having the worst problem with anxiety. I am mostly OK through the day, but at night it's another story. I wake up every couple of hours, very panicked, etc. But I have one odd symptom that is really worrying me. My hands seem to fall asleep. It is hard to find a position that does not cause one or both of my hands to fall asleep. Of course this worries me to no end, and I am scared other body parts will fall asleep. I feel like I need to stay awake and stay moving so they don't fall asleep. I went to the PCP, and she ran some blood tests, but said my symptoms (this hand problem and tingling in my feet) were so vague, there really wasn't anything else to test for. She suggested I wait until it "declared" itself, and then we would know what to deal with. Is this hand thing part of anxiety? I am trying not to google it, because that just leads to worse anxiety. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have the same problem, mostly at night and first thing in the morning. I have been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Might ask you dr. if that is a possibility.

I have the same problem at night. It's caused by the way I sleep and cut off the blood in my hands. Also if I don't keep my fingers straight and sleep with them curled up, my fingers will hurt the next day--the joints that is. I try to be more conscious about rolling over and having a hand under me that would cause the blood to be cut off. It drives me crazy. I have never done this before. Yes, my feet tingle all the time. It's weird. I mentioned it to my doc and he did a reflex test and it was OK. I don't know why the feet do that. I have heard of other women having the same thing. Maybe it's a meno symptom? I think it's just one more crazy symptom us women have to put up with.

LLW

I dont have this problem so much now, but I did go through a period where I was waking up with both hands and arms numb. It didn't seem to matter what position I was sleeping, it just happened -

If it keeps happening I would have it checked out, but I guess it's just another weird symptom of peri.

Carpal Tunnel can cause your hands to fall asleep. I have it and this happens to me a lot at night. When it does, I wear my wrist guards. You can pick these up at most drug stores (CVS, Rite Aid, etc). They immobolize your wrist so you can't bend it and put pressure on the carpal tunnel. My hands fall asleep during the day sometimes too (depends on what I'm doing), but I can usually "shake it out" or stop what I'm doing and it will go away.

Bestlife,

Great tip regarding the wrist guards. I have problems with my thumbs falling asleep, not my whole hand, or even my fingers...just the thumbs! I may have to see if those guards help with the thumbs.

Thanks so much for replying. I suggested Carpel Tunnel to my Dr., but she said since my pinky and ring finger were falling asleep, it wouldn't be that. Carpel Tunnel is more the thumb and pointer finger? Since I posted my questions this morning, I found the anxiety board, and all the discussion about health anxiety is right up my alley. It is amazing what the mind can do, and how you can just talk yourself into all sorts of problems. Thanks for the suggestion for the wrist brace. I will try that. It can't hurt, and sometimes I do wake up with sore wrists, so maybe it will at least help that problem. I know my biggest problem is not that my hand fell asleep, but worrying if it is more than that. If I will wake up and my feet/legs, etc are asleep. Then the real panic will begin! When people talk about numbness associated with anxiety/panic, does that feel the same as a limb going to sleep. Does the numbness go away with movement, or is it more than that? Again, thanks for your help. I am really glad I found this website.

I used the wrist guards for a very long time, don't know why, but seemed to make it worse.

What helped me most was a visit to my chiropractor. He would adjust my wrists and no more walking the floor at night in pain.

TidalWaves, thanks for the tip on the chiropractor. I think I'll start seeing one again -- I've been having some lower back pain sometimes and think maybe I'm out of whack or something. I'll ask about the carpal tunnel stuff.

My understanding of carpal tunnel is that it usually involves the thumb and first two fingers, also the inside of your ring finger -- this has been true for me. Your doctor should be able to tap on the inside of your wrist (there's a name for this low tech test, but I can't think of it) and see if you feel a "charge" that will sometimes tell them if it's carpal tunnel.

I have to say, I don't like wearing the wrist guards, but they have worked for me when I have a "flare up" -- that is if I have been painting or weeding my garden or something where I use my hands a lot.

Hope you find something that helps.

I had this and also my feet would fall asleep too. I had it while sitting up too, but always at night go figure when you get most worried.

I read just the other day that middle-aged women tend to have problems with carpal tunnel symptoms because supposedly the hormone changes cause our tissues to swell, and in the wrist it causes the pressure familiar to carpal tunnel sufferers. So yes indeed, ladies....once again, our hormones have betrayed us with yet another absurd symptom.

I've had the same problem. |Am five years post meno but the tingly fingers etc symptom has gone, now. It really used to freak me out ! Two of my friends just meno now, are getting it. My hands used to go so 'dead' sometimes..I can laugh now but at the time it wasn't funny...Woke up one night, one hand reached out for the light switch 'cos I wanted to go to the bathroom. Touched other hand but had no, feeling in it and it felt like someone else's, hand ! I shrieked. The tingly symptom went on for about a year, post menopause.

It seemed to go, at the same time as the poor short term memory problem disappeared as did the insomnia and the 'jumpy legs' thingy.
It's indeed always good to ask for a check up. For one thing, it's reassuring. ( Depending on the doctor I guess ). I did volutary stewarding at a political conference during the time I had it and was standing for ages. Then had the usual, tingling -continuously, for about three days ! It wasn't a circulation problem because I did, move around quite a lot and anyway have done the same thing since but no, tingling. Haven't had it at all, for about four years, now. These things are so scary, aren't they. Then feeling scared makes it worse or makes it feel, worse. Hugs to you and don't worry..you're not alone in having that symptom. I hope you come back and tell us, when it goes. Here's to that !

I have this! In the beginning it were my entire arms that would fall asleep. And it had nothing to do with the way I sleep, no cut off blood circulation!
Now it's "just" my hands that will fall asleep and my wrists sometimes hurt when I wake up in the morning.
I don't believe this has anything to do with anxiety. I think that Webalina made a good point with the swollen tissue theory.
Whatever, I guess nobody and I mean nobody, really knows what causes these strange scarry things.
After 3 years of unrelenting cr.. I just got tired asking and wondering. I hate to say this but somehow one gets used to it... .

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am still bothered by it. Now I feel as if my legs fall asleep more easily than they used to if I am sitting for awhile. I am still looking for reasons. This week I went to a new nurse for my hormone testing and told her about it. She concurred with the reason above regarding water retention. She said my legs were slightly swollen and this would cause them to fall asleep faster. THat makes some sense, and I suppose if I didn't have such horrible health anxiety I could stop there.

The worst part is being too in tune with my body. Things I am sure I used to be able to ignore, now worry me to no end. And I have a really hard time distinguishing what I should worry/ask my doctor about and what not to. I have already been to the doctor more in the last six months than I had in the last six years.

I keep thinking all these various symptoms and problems can't be anything other than hormones, otherwise I would have every disease in the book!

I have yet another appointment next week with my OBGYN (first time to see him snce this all started) to discuss all of this, so I will let you know if he agrees or comes up with another theory.

Dear Questioning,

The tingling in the hands and feet were some of the first symptoms I had. I was certain I had multiple sclerosis because that is what pops up when you google the symptoms. After much panic and anxiety I found this web site and realized it is just one more peri symptom. I sleep with my hands under my pillow and that causes most of the tingling in my hands. (Always at night)

You are so right about being hyper sensitive to every change in your body. I feel every minute change and am convinced it is something horrible. 10 years ago if I had these symptoms I'm sure they would have gone unnoticed. But, these hormones to have a way of creating quite an imagination in our minds!

Good luck.

I get that a lot where my arm will fall asleep at night, but I believe it is due to the way that I am sleeping and cutting off the circulation because once I wake up and change positions, it goes away. I have to sleep on my tummy so that may add to it. I cannot fall asleep on my back if I tried. But yes, it does seem worse lately. Never noticed it when I was younger.

Hi. I agree with the previous post about how it is funny now, but 3 years ago it wasn't. I'm 54 and about 3 years post-meno. Anxiety, sleeplessness, tingling feet and hands, general miserableness - no fun. I still have some of the symptoms, but knowledge, understanding and a bit of Lexapro (a SSRI) have helped a lot. Like so many menopausal women, I was sure I had a few dread diseases.

My last two fingers would fall asleep at night and wake me up - happy to say that symptom passed after a couple of years. Reynauds Syndrome occurred often in my right hand and foot, but that symptom too is now infrequent. Still have tingling feet, but I also notice its worse when I'm upset about something and now there are times when I wake up in the morning and the tingling is gone. Current issue is sore wrists and hot hands, but because I know its hormones its easy now to **** it up, take a couple Advil and keep working, playing, and enjoying life.

I know I am fortunate that many of my symptoms have abated for now and that some women experience a rougher menopause, but I think it is important to keep sharing that the symptoms do subside and we do get ourselves back. It really doesn't last forever.

For me, the symptom of hand numbness started when I was in my 20s. I've been living with it for 20 plus years now. It happens mostly at night, but can happen while I'm talking on the phone or driving. Sometimes it's my pinky and ring finger, sometimes the thumb and first two fingers. Sometimes it's worse than at other times. I discovered that turning my hands palm upward helps even more than shaking my hand over the edge of the bed. I'm not sure what "wrist guards" are. I have splints, which run from below my thumb to considerably past my wrist, and when the hand numbness flares up, it really helps to wear them to bed. I have heard that this symptom can be related to thyroid issues, although I don't think that is the case with me. I notice that flare-ups may be connected to sugar binging.

Missy