OK, sorry if this is a dumb question... but I am looking for a diagnosis and I've been to over 20 doctors and no one is helping. I have bad pain in my upper back/neck that's taken away my life. Numbness in my hands and sometimes I get it in my leg. The numbness in my hands began at night. It would wake me up and half of my hand would be totally numb. As soon as I moved, it would start to regain feeling. But eventually, the numbness didn't go away. Now they are numb all the time. Does MS act like this???? I mean, the numbness waking you up at night, but then going away when you move- does that ever happen with MS?
Thanks for your help.

i have not exactly pin pointed mine down but i would wager my money on exhaustion for me the more exhausted I am the more severe the numbness and or muscle pains i have and also the end of the day it appears to hit me

hope u get some good feed back on this cause i have been keeping mental notes on this since 2006 to see what triggers it and exhaustions seems to be my most common factor

might want to check into pinched nerve if it goes away when u move your arm or legs mine is with me pretty much always, joy joy

I know that pain and numbness from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome gets worse at night, and one of the symptoms of CTS are hands and arms that go numb while you're sleeping, but the feeling comes back once you wake up and move your arms.

I would suppose that if it's CTS, there could be nerve damage if it's a bad case.

But, you should go to a doctor and have them try to figure out what's wrong.

iskimud, carpal tunnel syndrome is what came to my mind. Have you been tested for CTS? That could explain your hands and arms. My husband does not have MS but he does have CTS in both hands plus ulnar nerve damage. He would wake up in the night with his hand(s) and arm(s) numb and painful.

That's the first thing that occurred to me too, Snoopy.

iskumud, you may want to review the attached thread and links:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ghlight=tunnel

My MS-numbness does get worse at night, and is best in the morning when I wake up. In fact, it gets progressively worse as the day wears on, but will IMPROVE over night . . . so long as I do not contort my limbs in my sleep. I will wear braces to ensure I don't, when the spasticity is particularly bad and causing me to "claw" my limbs while I sleep.

Cherie

My numbness gets worse at night and so does my spasticity. I always have numbness in my feet, legs, and hips. I think what happens at night is that when I lie on one side or another the affected areas "go to sleep" much as an arm will if you lie on it. That makes my numbness seem worse.
My spasticity definitely gets worse and my husband is well aware of this 'cause he has been kicked by accident.
I always end my prescribed doses of Flexeril and Neurontin at bed time. The effects of the two medications seem to ease most of my nightime pain and spasticity.
My numbness, as I have said, never goes away. However, I do feel better during the daytime than at night.
I think I would be in dire straits if I had to be bedridden for any reason.

My first thought also was carpal tunnel. I had surgery for that on both hands in 1990, more because I fit the profile then test results. I'm sure it was MS.

If only part of you hand falls asleep this is what I've learned. If it's the pinky, ring and middle finger it's the nerve at the elbow that may be compressed.

The thumb, index and middle finger indicates the carpal tunnel (wrist). I'd start with the EMG and nerve conduction test to see where you stand.

I'd try the wrist splints in the meantime. Please take care.

Thanks for the replies folks. I know that carpal tunnel wakes people up at night. But I also have numbness in my LEG. So I don't think it's carpal tunnel OR ulnar nerve impingement. The doc said ulnar nerve, but that wouldn't explain numbness in my LEG or in my thumb and pointer finger. It would seem very coincidental to have ulnar nerve impingement and/or carpal tunnel and then six weeks later to happen to have a pinched nerve in the lower back... The brain MRI didn't show much, so they are saying it's not MS. But then, they can't tell me what it IS.

Hello iskimud.

Your correct, CTS and ulnar nerve involvement would not explain leg numbness. It's also possible the numbness in those areas are related but it's also possible you could be dealing with more than on issue and/or cause.

Have you had any other testing besides the brain MRI? If your leg is involved a MRI of the spine would be something to ask your doctor about. An EMG might also be helpful. These are just suggestions.

I agree with Snoopy that a MRI of your C and T spine would be in order, if you haven't had one already.

Have you had a lumbar puncture/spinal tap? It can be an unpleasant & invasive procedure, but there may be other conditions they could be testing for, like a bacterial infection or virus in your spine. If things get very difficult for you, I would consider pushing for that test as well.

MS sometimes does not reveal itself for some time, even on a MRI. In the meantime, I would strongly suggest that you keep a diary of your symptoms and timing, as this may prove invaluable in the future.

Cherie