1. < Neuropathy

What to expect with PN in hands

Posted by paul14 @paul14, Aug 12, 2023

I have had PN in feet diagnosed in May but only this past week experienced more obvious symptoms in my hands: loss of sense in fingertips, tingling and prickly feelings in palms and fingers, numbness in fingers in the morning. It is more annoying than debilitating at this point and I am trying to be careful in how I lift and touch things especially in the kitchen. Does anyone have insight into what to expect as this progresses and what you have done to protect yourself? Are there gloves to use in the kitchen for instance? If the hands follow the feet in their debilitation, can you do the same tasks only with less sense of touch? What should I expect? Are there any published articles or videos on how to navigate PN in hands? I have idiopathic PN to this point but even though I am not diabetic am thinking glucose may be the culprit. I am at upper ends of ranges in AC1 and glucose, not quite pre diabetic. I plan to try cutting out as much sugar as possible to see if it makes a difference. I’m hopefully closer to a diagnosis, seeing a neuromuscular specialist in September. Any insights appreciated.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

julbpat | @julbpat | Aug 17, 2023
In reply to @charlie807 "Forgot to mention in the message I sent earlier that I don't have numbness,but my left..." + (show)
@charlie807

Forgot to mention in the message I sent earlier that I don't have numbness,but my left hand has trouble holding things. Mugs and coffee cups the worse. Part of this is my neck and part I believe is PN. charlie@807

Jump to this post

Definitely a discussion for a neurologist! They will be able to test your nerves with an EMG and figure out what the problem is.
I have nerve issues in my elbows and wrists. I sleep in wrist splints every night, and it helps tremendously. There is definitely help for the problem you are having.

REPLY
1 reply
Sarah | @sallygirl | Aug 17, 2023

My motor and sensory polyneuropathy started in feet/legs, but slowly left hand got weaker and weaker, and right is starting to. My lower legs are so numb and painful, walking is quite slow and difficult. I have lost my balance frequently lately. In relation to question, my arms are starting now to feel like my legs, although my right not quite as bad. Holding, opening, carrying anything with my left hand is now minimal at best, absolutely nothing with any weight for sure. I am in physical therapy, so far it is hard to say if helping as the progression of the neuropathy is quite rapid.
I am terrified of what it will be like in 2 years, or even 1 year for that matter.

REPLY
Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Aug 17, 2023
In reply to @dbeshears1 "My hands were basically crippled at the same time as my feet when I had a..." + (show)
@dbeshears1

My hands were basically crippled at the same time as my feet when I had a sudden infliction of PN. Not only was I in a wheelchair for 6 months, but I needed special tools to use my hands. Extra wide fork and knife handles to eat (no sharp knives!!) and having to learn safe toileting. Special grippers to open things. But long story short, Physical Therapy. I started at rock bottom, and made a ton of improvements with 6 months of PT for both hands and legs. For hands, regaining strength was key. Sure it’s not 100%, probably only 75%, but sooo much better. It involved mental coordination too to help if sensation is bad, so you can be more alert and safer around stoves and ovens. A lot of gripping exercises, squeezing balls of all sizes; picking up tiny things, like emptying a bag of skittles or jelly beans and picking them up one by one to sort by color etc (there are non sugar things you can use, chips, pills, etc); practice shuffling and dealing cards; sticking little pegs in holes. PT helped me learn and practice so much! I’m so grateful to be able to do what I can now. I can live with what I can do now; my condition might not let me sew or knit, cheap newspaper pages are hard to flip, and I still will drop things, but PT has afforded me the luxuries of gripping a steering wheel, starting the car, typing awfully, cooking & cleaning, and flossing my teeth! I hope you consider it to help maintain or improve and fight the chance of it getting worse. Hugs!

Jump to this post

What a great description of the PT help for the hands. With SFN (small fiber neuropathy) I have waves of tingle tangles and even the "burning" that we all seem to have somewhere. How about playing cards ......can you shuffle them? And I play Mahjongg with tiles so it is important not to drop them.

Thanks for this post @dbeshears1.
May you have ease and contentment.
Chris

REPLY
charlie807 | @charlie807 | Aug 17, 2023
In reply to @julbpat "Definitely a discussion for a neurologist! They will be able to test your nerves with an..." + (show)
@julbpat

Definitely a discussion for a neurologist! They will be able to test your nerves with an EMG and figure out what the problem is.
I have nerve issues in my elbows and wrists. I sleep in wrist splints every night, and it helps tremendously. There is definitely help for the problem you are having.

Jump to this post

Hello, yes I do intend to discuss this with my neurologist. Although my appt is in November that's ok it can wait. My mom had arthritis in her hands mine don't look like hers at all. That's why I question what's going on. Hugs and thanks take care of you

REPLY
julbpat | @julbpat | Aug 18, 2023

When I need to see my doctor sooner than scheduled, I just call a few times a week to see if they have cancellations. In fact, they tell me to do this, and have suggested Tuesday as a good day to check. This seems like something that needs attention sooner rather than later. (I’m a retired nurse, not just bossy!)

REPLY
dlmdinia | @dlmdinia | Aug 18, 2023
In reply to @charlie807 "Charlie@807 I have a question for you to help me understand what is going on? My..." + (show)
@charlie807

Charlie@807
I have a question for you to help me understand what is going on? My right hand has one deformed ring finger and a painful middle finger. It's very painful when this deform ? ing $ thing happens. Now my left hands is starting also ring and middle fingers. It starts where I cannot straighten them they want to lock in a curved way ??. I mentioned this to my pain doctor and he said there's no way this is PN.
He said that it cannot go other places it just stays in my feet. He said it is arthritis?? What do you say?? What I read on this site says that it can and appear elsewhere. I'm just confused they just hurt. Thanks for your helpful support much appreciated.

Jump to this post

It does sound very much like arthritis. It could also be a drug reaction. Have you started a new drug in the last year? Symptoms can take up to a year to develope. I have chemo induced PN in my hands, but nothing like this.

REPLY
Rick Minor | @juviijazz | Aug 19, 2023

Hey Paul, What number does your A1c fall on? So sorry but I'm having a bit of trouble trying to follow what is going on. I've been a diabetic for a very long time. In addition, my Poly Neuropathy has keeps my life right on the edge!
Paul, I only have a single comment. Otherwise I really do not have a magic wand or great perils of medical wisdom that could make life 99.999% better! The comment I'm alluding to is that I was talking to a VA endocrinologist. He told me that "it's not the sugar-even though sugar has cabs' that's he problem, but rather, the fats/lipids"! It makes sense now, many sunsets later!
BTW, I am not promoting the idea that you go out and slam-dunk a feed-bag of sugar! No, What I hope I'm saying is that Sugar is not the main culprit. You probably need to begin exploring those other little sugary demon's...
Hurry up and get to feeling better. The world needs you!
Rick

REPLY
1 reply
paul14 | @paul14 | Aug 19, 2023
In reply to @juviijazz "Hey Paul, What number does your A1c fall on? So sorry but I'm having a bit..." + (show)
@juviijazz

Hey Paul, What number does your A1c fall on? So sorry but I'm having a bit of trouble trying to follow what is going on. I've been a diabetic for a very long time. In addition, my Poly Neuropathy has keeps my life right on the edge!
Paul, I only have a single comment. Otherwise I really do not have a magic wand or great perils of medical wisdom that could make life 99.999% better! The comment I'm alluding to is that I was talking to a VA endocrinologist. He told me that "it's not the sugar-even though sugar has cabs' that's he problem, but rather, the fats/lipids"! It makes sense now, many sunsets later!
BTW, I am not promoting the idea that you go out and slam-dunk a feed-bag of sugar! No, What I hope I'm saying is that Sugar is not the main culprit. You probably need to begin exploring those other little sugary demon's...
Hurry up and get to feeling better. The world needs you!
Rick

Jump to this post

I am at 5.4 in a 4.5 - 5.7 range on AC1. I am scheduled for an updated lab this week to see where I am today just to be sure. It’s been a guessing game as to why I have PN for 4 months and I thought it was a good idea to look at the whole situation again and sugar levels caught my attention. I don’t eat anything with fat so that isn’t my culprit. Hopefully I’ll learn the cause in a few weeks with neuromuscular specialist but at this point it almost doesn’t matter, lots of nerve loss in feet making walking worse all the time. Now with the hands losing sensation it’s hard to think about much else. Thanks again and I really appreciate your words of support!

REPLY
1 reply
Rick Minor | @juviijazz | Aug 20, 2023
In reply to @paul14 "I am at 5.4 in a 4.5 - 5.7 range on AC1. I am scheduled for..." + (show)
@paul14

I am at 5.4 in a 4.5 - 5.7 range on AC1. I am scheduled for an updated lab this week to see where I am today just to be sure. It’s been a guessing game as to why I have PN for 4 months and I thought it was a good idea to look at the whole situation again and sugar levels caught my attention. I don’t eat anything with fat so that isn’t my culprit. Hopefully I’ll learn the cause in a few weeks with neuromuscular specialist but at this point it almost doesn’t matter, lots of nerve loss in feet making walking worse all the time. Now with the hands losing sensation it’s hard to think about much else. Thanks again and I really appreciate your words of support!

Jump to this post

Hi again Paul,
I apologize for not quite understanding the gist of your post! Apparently, it's not a sugar issue at all! Please don't give up the sugar because you are right where you belong-maybe even low @ 4.5- 5.1-5.9 is an excellent marker for A1c! I think I would offer-up my non-dominant arm for the kind of numbers that you have! I'm homesteading around 6.8 - 7.5!
As I mentioned earlier, my thinking was along the lines of 'you were going to abandon sugar, not that there were primary and secondary issues...
Keep me posted as to the diagnosis. Hold your head up high!
Rick

REPLY
Rick Minor | @juviijazz | Aug 20, 2023

Rick Minor | @juviijazz | 1 second ago
In reply to @paul14 "I am at 5.4 in a 4.5 - 5.7 range on AC1. I am scheduled for..." + (show)
Hi again Paul,
I apologize for not quite understanding the gist of your post! Apparently, it's not a sugar issue at all! Please don't give up the sugar because you are right where you belong-maybe even low @ 4.5- 5.1-5.9 is an excellent marker for A1c! I think I would offer-up my non-dominant arm for the kind of numbers that you have! I'm homesteading around 6.8 – 7.5!
As I mentioned earlier, my thinking was along the lines of 'you were going to abandon sugar, not that there were primary and secondary issues…
Keep me posted as to the diagnosis. Hold your head up high!
Rick

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.