How long can your arm fall asleep before you get circulation problems?

[deepred98]

Stranger!!!!!!!!!!!


edit: beat to it

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy
Take advantage of the situation. Ever hear of the "stranger"?

Like Dave Matthews said, a little nail polish and some perfume too

 

[RollWave]

Originally posted by: Baloo
Firm mattresses will do that to ya. The real concern, though, is when will a blood clot form and make it's way to the heart or the brain. And it is when, not if, because it will happened what with the frequency described in the OP.

I call massive BS on this post.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Your arm (or other appendage) falling asleep is not necessarily circulatory related. I came down with Guillain Barre syndrome last january and could not feel my feet for months. Now I'm fine.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: soxfan
Your arm (or other appendage) falling asleep is not necessarily circulatory related. I came down with Guillain Barre syndrome last january and could not feel my feet for months. Now I'm fine.

Damn I thought it was just me....I didn't know my ex g/f had a syndrome. She told me she couldn't feel her toes.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: RollWave

Originally posted by: Baloo
Firm mattresses will do that to ya. The real concern, though, is when will a blood clot form and make it's way to the heart or the brain. And it is when, not if, because it will happened what with the frequency described in the OP.

I call massive BS on this post.

Yeah especially since most of the world sleeps on surfaces A LOT harder than our firm mattresses without blood clots jumping around.

It's like the syringe of air in your vein kills you.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: soxfan
Your arm (or other appendage) falling asleep is not necessarily circulatory related. I came down with Guillain Barre syndrome last january and could not feel my feet for months. Now I'm fine.

Damn I thought it was just me....I didn't know my ex g/f had a syndrome. She told me she couldn't feel her toes.

Your GF probably did not have Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS) if the numbeness stayed only in her feet. The main symptoms of GBS are numbness in the extremeities that slowly spreads towards the core. The numbness arises from demyelinization of the nerves (your own immune system chews holes in the insulating covering surrounding the nerves, making it harder for the body to transmit signals). In any event, if the numbness spreads above the waist, it is not too uncommon for the disease to cause respiratory arrest, and it is sometimes fatal. In most bad cases, however, it just causes the sufferer to be bedriddin for months or even years at a time.

In my case the disease first manifested itself in the soles of my feet. One day in January I woke up and noticed that my feet felt weirdly numb. Over the course of the next three days that weird numb feeling worked its way up to about half way up my thighs, and I could barely walk. The docs finally got it under controll with massive doses of immunoglobulin G.

For me the overall effects of the disease were not too bad. I was essentially bedridden for 3 months. I had a lot of trouble walking or typing (my hands were affected as well), and was extremely tired all the time (I slept ~16-17 hours a day). Over time the numbness subsided, but it took the better part of 5 months to feel the bottom of my feet again.

 

[jw0ollard]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic
Its a nerve being compressed, not bloodflow.

Ditto.

I like how everyone ignores that you're a paramedic and still continue to assert that it's "definitely" bloodflow.

The worst I've had was when I slept on the couch, and I had laid on it so long that I woke up (very disoriented) and started screaming because I thought my arm was detached from my body **** (see notes). My arm was completely dead and I had absolutely no control over it, and once I realized what was going on, I found it quite funny.

**** I have a torn labrum in that arm, and opted out of surgery/rehab (after they discovered I had a tumor on that arm, so we spent our resources on making sure I wasn't dying of bone cancer.) So, anyway, for years I've had the very irrational fear that my arm would tear off very easily, at any time. :laugh: LOLROFLz!

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: soxfan

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: soxfan
Your arm (or other appendage) falling asleep is not necessarily circulatory related. I came down with Guillain Barre syndrome last january and could not feel my feet for months. Now I'm fine.

Damn I thought it was just me....I didn't know my ex g/f had a syndrome. She told me she couldn't feel her toes.

Your GF probably did not have Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS) if the numbeness stayed only in her feet. The main symptoms of GBS are numbness in the extremeities that slowly spreads towards the core. The numbness arises from demyelinization of the nerves (your own immune system chews holes in the insulating covering surrounding the nerves, making it harder for the body to transmit signals). In any event, if the numbness spreads above the waist, it is not too uncommon for the disease to cause respiratory arrest, and it is sometimes fatal. In most bad cases, however, it just causes the sufferer to be bedriddin for months or even years at a time.

In my case the disease first manifested itself in the soles of my feet. One day in January I woke up and noticed that my feet felt weirdly numb. Over the course of the next three days that weird numb feeling worked its way up to about half way up my thighs, and I could barely walk. The docs finally got it under controll with massive doses of immunoglobulin G.

For me the overall effects of the disease were not too bad. I was essentially bedridden for 3 months. I had a lot of trouble walking or typing (my hands were affected as well), and was extremely tired all the time (I slept ~16-17 hours a day). Over time the numbness subsided, but it took the better part of 5 months to feel the bottom of my feet again.

I think that went over your head. maybe I should have put a after it.

 

[Felisity]

Originally posted by: soxfan

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: soxfan
Your arm (or other appendage) falling asleep is not necessarily circulatory related. I came down with Guillain Barre syndrome last january and could not feel my feet for months. Now I'm fine.

Damn I thought it was just me....I didn't know my ex g/f had a syndrome. She told me she couldn't feel her toes.

Your GF probably did not have Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS) if the numbeness stayed only in her feet.

Curious if this GBS has any connection with MS? "Demyelinization of the nerves" sounds more related to MS than just a one time occurance. I don't know that much about GBS though (heading to wikipedia/google after this is posted)

Were you given MRIs and tested for MS or other brain/nerve related diseases?

 

[jdini76]

Originally posted by: Canai
I'm not sure how long it can go, but extended periods of time are bad. I've heard of several incidents where people passed out drunk and woke up to a (mostly) dead limb.

Is this what happened to Jeff the Drunk's arm on Stern?

 

[DeckardBlade]

I normally lurk but this is a topic of specific interest to me.

I had fallen asleep at my desk with my head resting on my arms folded in front of me. I was probably asleep for 30-60 minutes no longer than an hour in any event but woke up with my forearm and hand/wrist completely immobilized. I spent about an hour shaking my arm and trying to get the blood back into it as that was at least an obvious problem initially but the blood returned very quickly however the mobility didn't.

I spent about another hour debating whether to go to the ER or not (it was 2AM) and finally did. When I spoke with the doctor he seemed to immediately know what my problem was and referred to it as Neuro Praxia telling me I should regain function anywhere between a few hours, days, or weeks with nothing I can do to expedite the recovery process.

So three weeks into this, I still cannot straighten my wrist or move my thumb into a thumbs up position.

Not completely related to circulation but it's certainly a problem...at least for me!

 

[RiverDog]

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy
If my arm/hand goes numb from lying on it i always wake up, its weird but neat to have a totally unresponsive arm.

Wait till you get other totally unresponsive organs :Q

 

[Chryso]

Originally posted by: soxfan
For me the overall effects of the disease were not too bad. I was essentially bedridden for 3 months. I had a lot of trouble walking or typing (my hands were affected as well), and was extremely tired all the time (I slept ~16-17 hours a day).

I think my cat has that.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Originally posted by: Kaelyn

Originally posted by: soxfan

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: soxfan
Your arm (or other appendage) falling asleep is not necessarily circulatory related. I came down with Guillain Barre syndrome last january and could not feel my feet for months. Now I'm fine.

Damn I thought it was just me....I didn't know my ex g/f had a syndrome. She told me she couldn't feel her toes.

Your GF probably did not have Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS) if the numbeness stayed only in her feet.

Curious if this GBS has any connection with MS? "Demyelinization of the nerves" sounds more related to MS than just a one time occurance. I don't know that much about GBS though (heading to wikipedia/google after this is posted)

Were you given MRIs and tested for MS or other brain/nerve related diseases?

Not to derail the thread, but yes, GBS is very similar to MS. Both diseases cause demylenization of the nerves, but are caused by different things. In fact, many doctors describe GBS as "temporary" MS, because the symptoms are so similar.

In my case, the doctors were very worried I might be showing early signs of MS, but the diagnostic tests for MS (CT, MRI) came back negative for the cerebral scarring that is characteristic of MS. Spinal fluid proteins and nerve conduction tests were consistent with GBS, however.

 

[dfuze]

I've had that happen to me several times. Feels weird to have an arm that doesn't move. I've never had any lingering effects though.

Worst time though was when I had a dream/nightmare that I had no arms, then woke up after apparently sleeping on both arms and awoke to not be able to move either arm. Sheer panic for a few seconds before I realized what happened. :shocked:

 

[jw0ollard]

Originally posted by: dph1077
I've had that happen to me several times. Feels weird to have an arm that doesn't move. I've never had any lingering effects though.

Worst time though was when I had a dream/nightmare that I had no arms, then woke up after apparently sleeping on both arms and awoke to not be able to move either arm. Sheer panic for a few seconds before I realized what happened. :shocked:

Sounds just like my story! Of course, I had long term problems with my arm, and a constant irrational fear that it would detach itself. What's your excuse? :roll: