Dead arm

Emp_Fab

I woke up in the middle of the night to find my right arm was limp and had absolutely no feeling in it at all.  I'm presuming I must have slept awkwardly on it, cutting off the blood supply.  I've had 'dead arm' before but never where I've had zero muscle control or sensation - it was literally like an actual dead person's limp arm hanging off my body.  I could have stuck needles in it and not felt a thing.  I held it up with my other hand and my wrist just flopped about.  Bloody weird.  The sensation and muscle control came back after a couple of mins.  Has anyone else experienced this ?  No jokes about wanking please.... not because they're not funny or tasteless but because they'd be wrong.  I had zero muscle control and couldn't grip anything :-)

@Grunfeld You're a physio aren't you dude ?

Sambostar

Yes, you haven't had a mini stroke.  Sometimes my left testicle goes numb and sometimes my head and neck does too.  That can be interesting.  Sometimes it takes a good 5 minutes to get any vague feeling back at all.

Emp_Fab

Sambostar said:

Yes, you haven't had a mini stroke. 

I know.  I've already said I couldn't grip anything.

octatonic

Emp_Fab said:

I had zero muscle control and couldn't grip anything :-)

I made the very same criticism of your mum.

digitalscream

I have that fairly often after sleeping, but only in my right arm. I've discovered that I can force it to move with some real effort, and it tends to speed up the recovery process.

Occasionally happens to my left leg, but only when I've been sat on the toilet playing Angry Birds for too long.

equalsql

Used to happen to me quite a lot. It's the weirdest experience lifting your lifeless numb arm with the other, not too pleasant when the blood comes rushing back in either. 

Deadman

.

ROOG

Quite fun when it happens to both arms at the same time, you end up wriggling around like ta fish trying to get one of the buggers to work again!

Dangling it over the edge of the bed helps get the blood flowing again, but as equalsql says it's none to pleasant an experience getting the feeling back. 

ToneControl

often a compressed nerve in the neck, cause by cervical spondylosis, are you using 2 pillows?

Bidley

I get it nearly every night, I just roll over and let the blood flow again. My bollocks go numb when I ride a bike too.

octatonic

Bidley said:

My bollocks go numb when I ride a bike too.

So long as they don't descend into the toilet bowl so far they get wet when you have a poo.

Grunfeld

Emp_Fab said:

@Grunfeld You're a physio aren't you dude ?

@Emp_Fab ; Yep!

That was easy!

Grunfeld

Emp, sounds like nerve compression given what you've described and how it came back... but one always wants to stick a caveat or two on it cos you sort of go though a little routine, bang a few tendons, look lovingly into your eyes, with someone to ensure it's nothing heroic that you have to pack 'em off to see the doctor's. 

The classic is a "Saturday Night Palsy" when someone gets pissed and falls asleep with their arm draped over the back of an armchair and next morning their arm / hand is all wobbly or somewhat non-functional cos they've compressed a nerve in their armpit!

Emp_Fab

Thanks for that.  I shall endeavour to not do it again.  What bothered me more actually was thinking about the blood that had been stagnant in my arm veins & arteries for god knows how long, and whether it had started (or could ? - I don't know !) to go a bit lumpy or congealed....  Since my heart attack was caused by a blocked coronary artery, I've been a bit paranoid 

stickyfiddle

I thought this thread was going to be about wine for a minute

http://www.wineworld.com.hk/products/mD%20Arenberg%20The%20Dead%20Arm%20Shiraz%202007%20tilted.JPG

Sambostar

I wouldn't be too paranoid after your heart attack.  I guess they might have put you on temporary or permanent blood thinners and since you are eating healthily and watching your cholesterol since so the fatty plaque deposits don't build up?  Most heart attacks are just a wakeup, especially if you survive them.  If you almost don't and need open heart surgery then you are as good to go again like new anyway so what the hell.  Stale blood didn't cause your heart attack, congested arteries or valves, or valve failure or holes did, which was either hereditary, or caused by your diet and stress.

Often when my leg goes to sleep after waking up, if I put any weight on it I will fall over, I can't feel it or use any of  the muscles in it for a good few minutes, it has been lioke that since I was a boy.  If you are worried go and see a GP.

Feck me, my heart rate is really low.  40 bpm at rest so I got worried than talked to a mate and his is 38 so what the feck.

You are more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis or a clot, including something in your brain, or that can travel to your brain if your are athletic and figidity like me and never sit down (I am standing up writing this as that is the only way I can get wireless) and are not used to staying in a single position for long periods of time. 

Was this your left arm?  If you are worried go and see your GP.  We won't have a health service for much longer, use it whilst you can, it's what you've paid your taxes and NI for, god knows everyone else who hasn't are using it for everything.

And if you are really paranoid about popping it, do us a favour and fill out a donor card.  Is your liver and lungs any good.  Can I have first dibs on them?  No seriously get some reassurance from a GP, it's no skin off your nose after all, but I think it's completely normal.  It's a crying shame that the GP practice is full of hypochondriac women and folks that have never contributed anything to it.  Get your arse down there, the worst that will happen is that they will laugh.  You should be taking care after yourself!

chillidoggy

I heard something about this on the radio the other day. It's not blood supply, it's just the nerves being compressed. Bugger-all to worry about, Emp.

Sambostar

You could also join the online community of the British Heart Foundation, I don't know what they talk about there, but the wonder I have found of the internet is getting real advice and real life experience and chatting about things in real life, rather than being dictated to from books or professionals.  I think you'll find that unless you have a genetic disposition to it your heart and arteries will be just fine again so long as you follow the advice you were given.  Still I understand your concern,  So can I bagsy your lungs then?

Sambostar

Go on....twenty quid?

Emp_Fab

Ah.... a perfect opportunity for me to post my favourite song !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWVshkVF0SY

ToneControl

I get left arm numbness every time I fall asleep in the wrong position - nerve compression in my neck, so try no pillows, what I have is a very common problem, try it to eliminate it , then go to the Doctors, yes you're a bloke but you are allowed in (sorry, just being flippant, since I like most blokes have to bully myself to go - ignored appendicitis until it burst a few years ago and had to be operated on at midnight to save my life)