My hands/arms go numb really easilly...

Yeah, so if I lean, like laid on my bed but resting some of my weight on my elbow (hand on side of head), my arm goes numb in about 2 mins. Is that normal? It just seems to happen much faster recently (well, within the last few months). It's the same if I sit at a desk and do that elbow-on-table-hand-on-chin thing and any other position where my arm is raised. I know it happens to everyone, but why does it happen so quickly to me?
Am I lacking in vitamin B12?

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Reply 1

Saffie

well I suppose b12 deficient anaemia could cause it, do you have other symptoms of anaemia? What makes you think it's caused by b12 deficiency? Why not iron deficiency? It might be caused by low blood pressure. Or it could be totally normal. Or it could be something completely different!!

Reply 2

Lacks Organisation

I dunno about any other symptoms...
I'm thinking B12 because I used to be an alcoholic-ish and was told that that makes you deficient in vitamin B12. Either just before, or just after (can't remember) my alcoholic period I used to do quite a lot of nitrous oxide, which again can cause B12 deficiency. So yeah, I know I've hit my B12 supply pretty hard and was thinking that might lead to the numbness in extremities?

Reply 3

Saffie

Eat some and see if it goes away!
Though a lot of B12 is made by bacteria in your gut, hmm.

I reckon its more likely that your blood pressure's dropped since you're off the drugs, and thats whats causing it.

(educated guess, obviously, see a Dr if you're concerned)

Reply 4

Lacks Organisation

Nah it's cool, I'm not concerned-it's just an observation.
I had a sinus infection a while ago and the doctor took my blood pressure and said it was fine (although I actually remember thinking it was slightly high, but nothing to worry about). I took vitamins whilst I was at uni but now I'm back home I haven't been. I might make a conscious effort to observe this phenomenon by taking vitamins again and seeing if it makes a difference.
Thanks for your input! :0)

Reply 5

EggCustard

I've had numbness in my arms and legs since I was little!
Doctors aren't interested - I've even lost the use of my hands for a full five minutes and then both my arms went dead for 10 minutes on another occasion.

I can raise my hand slightly and it will start to go numb or (rapid) pins and needles start.. hate it when I wake up at night as it hurts (not lying on them either!)

I've never had any alcohol or drug problems (lol... it started when I was 6 or 7 ish!)

I've been told a couple of times that my blood pressure is a bit low - never actually told what it was but did see 71/91 once on the screen (other way around????) sorry ... was some time ago.

I donate blood and they take my blood pressure so I'm sure that's fine... I've tried B vits' but nothing has ever made it any better... it's very annoying but I guess it's something you have to put with!

possibly a circulation problem but not serious enough to show dramatically I guess!?
weird!

Reply 6

Lacks Organisation

hmmm, well maybe it does just happen to me naturally as well. I only remember noticing it when I was looking out for symptoms of over use of certain things, but I'm not sure if I was like this before. I do remember being uncomfortable doing the chin in hand thing at school, so maybe I have always had it. I'm defo gonna investigate this vit B12 thing though. Think a trip to boots is in order!!

Reply 7

EggCustard

yeah.. there are periods of time where I can't rest my chin in my hands or lean on my arms/hands.. yet sometimes it's fine!

Reply 8

Anonymous #1

My arm goes completely weak sometimes - i dont have to be leaning on it - infact i tried this and it made no difference.
Its the same arm - also what is a hyper reflex is the bp aswell?
Is this like what you get OP?

Reply 9

Lacks Organisation

Nah, I have to lean on it, or raise it in some way. My legs are the same, but it happens less. All I have to do to fix it is put my arm somewhere low (down by my side, for example) and the feeling comes back.

Reply 10

ally.pants

I had this and found out it got better when i drank more liquid. I hardly used to drink when I was younger and when I started drinking more it started to stop happening as much.

Reply 11

Lacks Organisation

Thankies.

Will try this also. (May explain why it used to happen a lot when I was drinking too much-dehydration much?)

Reply 12

ally.pants

Ah yeah I hadn't thought of that - yes could have some influence. Just leave a big bottle of water beside your bed when you come home from a night out!

Reply 13

Touche

This does not sound like peripheral neuropathy caused by B12 deficiency.

It sounds much more like you are compressing a nerve at the elbow. The ulnar nerve is particularly prone to this.

Reply 14

Touche

EggCustard

Try Roos test, get in this position and open/close your fists for 3 mins. Does that reproduce your numbness/pins and needles?

Edit: Uploaded a vid I had to youtube:

Reply 15

Lacks Organisation

Touche

This does not sound like peripheral neuropathy caused by B12 deficiency.

It sounds much more like you are compressing a nerve at the elbow. The ulnar nerve is particularly prone to this.

But it happens in my feet and legs aswell if I sit cross legged for a while... :confused:

Reply 16

Touche

Superficial peroneal nerve is prone to compression when crossing legs. That might just be "your thing". Of course I have no idea if that's actually what's going on as there's no substitute for a good examination for something like that...

If you're worried about B12 cos of drinking, see your GP and they can look into it easily enough.

Reply 17

Lacks Organisation

I'm not worried about it, it's fine. I'm just gonna much some multivits and drink plenty of water.
:smile:

Reply 18

EggCustard

Touche

Try Roos test, get in this position and open/close your fists for 3 mins. Does that reproduce your numbness/pins and needles?

Edit: Uploaded a vid I had to youtube:

nope.. everything fine at the moment.. I think when I'm going through a 'phase' of the pins & needles thing that doing that action would kick it off!

what does it mean then?
circulation problem.. dehydration?
I do feel dehydrated a lot but if I drink more then I have to go to the loo more (I'm not diabetic though - has been checked).
not sleeping and not eating a lot does make it worse.

luckily, I've not had my hands go completely dead since the last time which was a few years back... but a couple of weeks ago I kept waking up in the night with a start! very painful hands and felt like they were clamped tight... had to shake and rub my hands to stop the pain - took about 10 minutes!
but all seems ok now... does't make any sense!

Reply 19

Touche

EggCustard

Well since that maneuver didn't do anything I'm probably way off the mark... but I thought your story screamed thoracic outlet syndrome, where you have something interrupting the blood supply to your arms when you get in certain positions. Roo's test is supposedly pretty good at reproducing symptoms if that was the case. Ahh well.