Arms fall asleep

[Spaz]

So I am curious if anyone has the same problem I do so I will ask.

The reason I got diagnosed with PLMD and RLS is that I have had a problem with my arms falling asleep at night and having pain in my arms, particularly in my elbows. So I got diagnosed with these other conditions but still have no answer for why my arms fall asleep and hurt (which I thought was the main reason I was not sleeping well).

I guess I was wondering if any of you have the same thing or if they really are two totally seperate conditions and that I still need to seek out why I lose circulation in my arms....lucky me if so - then I am sure I will have another condition to tack on that is a horrible nuisance but cannot be cured.

Anyway - any input is welcomed!

[becat]

Het Spaz,
Well, I'm not a doctor, but it's my opinion that RLS is a whole body issue for lots of people and will be for many more.
Yes, my arms are the new twist in the past two years. I thought it had more to do with an injury I got and then the following reinjury to the same shoulder.........BUT that won't explain both of my arms.
Yeah mine is like being alseep....but add the sense of holding on to a jack hammer too long. Not tingly in an electric way, but overused or worn out, tired.
Hey, if they are alseep, at least something in my body get some. LOL ok, little humor.
I bowl every Wed. morning, not well but I do. Tonight the shoulder is already started to ache deep inside. But both arms feel like I used a grinder all day. a little vibration or sorts.
Geeeeeezzzzzz, UUUUUFFFFFAAAAA could it be more difficult to explain.
Hey Spaz.........Love the name.

[cornelia]

Hello Spaz,

do you have RLS in your arms or do you have painful arms without RLS in them?
If it's pain from RLS I can tell you that my arms hurt a lot. After I started meds the RLS became less in the legs and worse in the arms. They thrash!Along with it came painful arms, first in my elbows and now also in shoulders and upperarms. My arms are getting more and more limitations e.g. I have a lot of trouble putting my bra on (LOL).
That is also a question for the group: do those with arm RLS experience this too? I'm quite afraid to get a frozen shoulder.
Anyway Spaz, it's nive to have you in the group.

Corrie

[Spaz]

I do not think I have RLS or PLMD in my arms (then again I did not know I had it in my legs until they did the sleep study).

I do not seem to have problems with arms flailing - more problems with cramping up and then I lose total circultation in them while sleeping - doesn't even matter what position they are in - and am starting to notice that more inthe day too. Some nights I wake up and I cannot feel my arm- have to move it with the other arm because it is like a lead balloon - I am concerned that since test have not revealed anything more than slight carpal tunel the doctors are not taking it very seriously - so it was completely put on the side when they found I had RLS and PLMD. My real concern is that I have read that over time this can cause the tips of the nerves to deaden. I have not even had children yet and would like to have some of my body still functional when I do...I feel like I should be like 70 years old!

Like I said, maybe this is completely unrelated but seems to be all nuerological - so must be related somehow.

[ViewsAskew]

I used to wake up with my arms and hands asleep all the time. It's very painful! I don't anymore, though. I sleep with one arm under my pillow and head; with my old mattress, there was too much pressure from my head and the mattress didn't give. With the new memory foam mattress, it doesn't happen anymore! I also have a tendency to curl my hands in at my wrist when I sleep - I may have read that this is a common sleep thing (but I could be making it up, too ). I try to consciously remember to unfurl them when I remember. It can also cause numbness.

This is very different from the feeling of RLS in my arms (which I have right now). But I don't get pain the way others do, so no pain from the RLS.

Ann

[Sara]

Spaz--

I wondered about this a while back, but it's not happened in a while, so I don't really have an opinion right now about correlation between arms/hands falling asleep and RLS. BUT, over my lifetime I've had a LOT of trouble with that at various times.

I wonder if part of why I don't now is because we have a fancy "zoned" egg crate mattress topper (not as good at memory foam, I think, but it really improved our sleep initially --and memory foam wasn't on the market at that time.) A lot of the worst circulation problems in my arms were before we go that, though some have been more recent. Some of those might have been when we were living in our motorhome on the bad mattresses in there, though. Hard to remember... but I'll put it back on my radar, Spaz. It's certainly BEEN something I've had a lot and wondered about.

Interesting Ann mentioned curling her hands at the wrists. I also used to do that, but since the past 4 years I have been doing hard physical work and seem also to be developing arthritis (especially in hands, feet and wrists), I've had some bad nights of wrist and arm pain from overexertion. The only way I could sleep until the arnica cream kicked in those nights was with my forearms and hands totally flat and laying "front to front" on one another (I'm a side-sleeper). I got to thinking about how I normally sleep, and figured that perhaps the wrist "curling" at night might exacerbate the weakness I seem to have in them, so I've broken myself of that habit overall-- even though I came by it "honestly", my grandmother slept EXACTLY the same position I did!

Take care, and welcome Spaz.

Sara

[Spaz]

I am not sure what is causing this poor circulation - has been happening to me for over 6 years now...every night. I try sleeping with my arms straight and that helps some but does not take it away.

I might try the memory foam - seems that has helped people with a myriad of issues.

Hopefully the new doctor I will see will at least look into it a bit better!

Anyway - thank you for the welcomes - am learning a lot!

[Guest]

Hi Spaz, I suffer from the same problem. When I went to see a neurologist about my RLS he was more interested in my hand falling asleep. He did some poking and prodding and promptly decided I had carpel tunnel gave me a couple of braces and sent me on my way. never relly answering my RLS questions. (Just prescribed medication) The braces help at times but at times are totally worthless. I can be reading the news paper and my hands and fingers fall asleep. I am not sure I agree with the carpel tunnel diagnosis. Maybe try a set see if it helps you can buy them at Walmart or Kmart for realitively little money. the nuerologist charged me $320 Needless to say I was not a happy camper Sorry I don't have any answers but maybe my experience can save you some hard earned money!

[tequialrose8877]

Hi Spaz, I suffer from the same problem. When I went to see a neurologist about my RLS he was more interested in my hand falling asleep. He did some poking and prodding and promptly decided I had carpel tunnel gave me a couple of braces and sent me on my way. never relly answering my RLS questions. (Just prescribed medication) The braces help at times but at times are totally worthless. I can be reading the news paper and my hands and fingers fall asleep. I am not sure I agree with the carpel tunnel diagnosis. Maybe try a set see if it helps you can buy them at Walmart or Kmart for realitively little money. the nuerologist charged me $320 Needless to say I was not a happy camper Sorry I don't have any answers but maybe my experience can save you some hard earned money!

Forgot to sign in when I posted this Think my brain has wandered further than my legs!

[Spaz]

When I went to see a neurologist about my RLS he was more interested in my hand falling asleep. He did some poking and prodding and promptly decided I had carpel tunnel gave me a couple of braces and sent me on my way. never relly answering my RLS questions. (Just prescribed medication)

Cowgirl,
Thanks for replying. It is funny because my nuerologist put my arms falling asleep thing aside and jumped all over this RLS thing (which I did not even know I had). I wore braces on my wrists for a few years (was diagnosed with carpal tunnel a while ago) but they really provided limited relief. Thanks goodness my doctor then told me I could get the braces at a drug store - so sorry you got screwed on that.

I am kind of thinking I need the surgery in my elbows and wrists to stop the pinching of the nerves - I have no idea how bad the surgery is or the recovery time but I suppose it would be better to limit the things that prevent me from sleeping well at night.

Geez- as I am writing this my whole body aches today - am in so much pain. I wanted to stay in bed this morning but I knew if I did I would be hurting even more. What and awful feeling - no relief today!

Anyway - here's to hoping I can get some answers...just wish my doc appt was not almost 2 months away!