Pins and needles

[caz72]

I have been a type 1 diabetic for the best part of 38 years, overall not been too bad, lately I am getting pins and needles and numbness in my hands and fingers, I cannot get in to see my gp and the receptionist in my diabetic clinic says someone will call me back, when I ring, they don't. Could it be neurological problems? It's getting me down now, any help would be gratefully accepted. Thanks.

 

[KennyA]

Hi and welcome.

I have had similar symptoms - tingling/numbness in hands and fingers caused by a nerve pinched in my neck; tingling and pain in my feet from neuropathy. There are other possible causes.

The one thing we can't do on here is diagnose. I think you've done the right thing by trying to see a doctor.

Hope all goes well

 

[Zhnyaka]

my hands get numb if I hold the phone at eye level for a long time, and if I run my knuckles from the elbow to the shoulder, something like tingling or numbness will appear. My diabetes is 19 years old and I have a mild degree of neuropathy and no one usually prescribed me anything other than thioctic acid as a cure for this. I think your doctor will take this seriously and prescribe the right medicine

 

[Rachox]

Numbness in hands could be caused by a number of things aside from diabetes. It is all too easy to blame our diabetes for every symptom we get.
I had numb hands on and off some years ago, turned out to be carpal tunnel.
I think a visit to your GP is in order.

 

[Jordi77]

just your circulation and you may be laying on your hands because I get the same thing if I lay on my hands and I'm doing it during the night I wake up with pins and needles which stays for a few minutes or some of the day but it's a pain because you can't feel anything but you can feel pain when you prick your finger for a sample of blood but I find shaking my hands helps it go and you feel it go as well

 

[EllieM]

If you can't get to see your GP a visit to a physio might help? They should hopefully be able to diagnose issues such as carpal tunnel (just an example) and give you exercises to help if it's not related to diabetes. A lot of hand issues can be referred pain from issues elsewhere in the body.... And I'd hope a physio would be able to say if they think it's neuropathy too?