Why do my hands tingle all of a sudden?

beer

Lifer
Jun 27, 2000
11,169
1
0
My hands tingle for a couple of hours, on and off, the last few afternoons. It doesn't feel serious but it's annoying becuase my impulse response is to shake them, which draws stares from people. What is a common cause for this?
 

nboy22

Diamond Member
Jul 18, 2002
3,304
1
81
I think back when I had low potassium I used to get a dizzy a lot from standing up.. Like almost to the point where I black out.. I usually had to hold on to something to keep me up. My hands rarely tingled though.. even though that could be it, I would go to the doctor and get a checkup on your blood.
 

Isshinryu

Senior member
May 28, 2004
922
0
0
Try eating a banana and drinking some gatorade at lunch, and see if it stops. My old lady had this problem a few years back, and that's what the doctor told her to do. Worked.
 

Semper Fi

Golden Member
Dec 2, 1999
1,873
0
0
Wanna strangle your boss?

Seriously, what do you do? Do you keep your hands elevated, you know raised above waist level all day?


edit: hm, didn't know there was a stethascope(sp?) avatar. I wonder what else is new?
 

chrissyo4

Senior member
Jul 16, 2001
220
0
0
You might be pinching a nerve.
Do you have any habits - like propping your *elbow on your desk and leaning your chin on it?
 

Aimster

Lifer
Jan 5, 2003
16,129
2
0
low blood sugar causes the nerves and the muscles around your hand to shake because they aren't getting any energy. If this happens at work it is probably because you eat a lot of snacks and drink a lot of coffee. Try eating more carbs, take some bread with you to work.
 

Rudee

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
11,218
2
76
My arms and chest used to tingle for quite some time. Apparently I forgot to take the pins out of shirt I had just purchased.
 

Isshinryu

Senior member
May 28, 2004
922
0
0
Originally posted by: HomeBrewerDude
Originally posted by: IamElectro
What do you do?
Maybe signs of carpel tunnel developing..

Just a thought...

Electro

this is a reasonable guess.

Usually the tingling is only in the thumb, middle, and index finger and involves a "burning" pain.. Also, it usually isn't a time-based thing (Though it feels worse late at night, it's a continuing presence). The fact that he gets the tingling near the same time everyday makes me think that it's not the development of carpul tunnel.

EDIT: Though, the shaking to relive the tingling is something that alot of people with developing carpul tunnel do. :) I'd say go see a doc.
 

Rudee

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
11,218
2
76
Originally posted by: Aimster
low blood sugar causes the nerves and the muscles around your hand to shake because they aren't getting any energy. If this happens at work it is probably because you eat a lot of snacks and drink a lot of coffee. Try eating more carbs, take some bread with you to work.

By any chance do you know what you're talking about?
 

beer

Lifer
Jun 27, 2000
11,169
1
0
Well I do drink a lot of coffee, maybe Aimster is right? Can anyone collaborate that? I don't think it's carpel tunnel, I don't do a lot of typing, I mean I do a lot but not as much as something like a typist, I work in supply chain IT and I'm constantly a computer but I'm not doing a lot of typing, just meetings/project management/etc.
 

Isshinryu

Senior member
May 28, 2004
922
0
0
Originally posted by: beer
Well I do drink a lot of coffee, maybe Aimster is right? Can anyone collaborate that? I don't think it's carpel tunnel, I don't do a lot of typing, I mean I do a lot but not as much as something like a typist, I work in supply chain IT and I'm constantly a computer but I'm not doing a lot of typing, just meetings/project management/etc.

No, low blood sugar causes shakes, not tingling.
 

chrissyo4

Senior member
Jul 16, 2001
220
0
0
Originally posted by: Isshinryu
Originally posted by: beer
Well I do drink a lot of coffee, maybe Aimster is right? Can anyone collaborate that? I don't think it's carpel tunnel, I don't do a lot of typing, I mean I do a lot but not as much as something like a typist, I work in supply chain IT and I'm constantly a computer but I'm not doing a lot of typing, just meetings/project management/etc.

No, low blood sugar causes shakes, not tingling.

Correct.
The coffee can be contributing to the shakiness as well.
 

beer

Lifer
Jun 27, 2000
11,169
1
0
It's not a shake though. It's a tingling - that's involuntary. I shake (voluntarily) them because it makes the tingling go away for a few seconds.
 

Isshinryu

Senior member
May 28, 2004
922
0
0
Originally posted by: beer
It's not a shake though. It's a tingling - that's involuntary. I shake (voluntarily) them because it makes the tingling go away for a few seconds.

Right. The tingling is a common symptom of low potassium, and the shaking to get rid of it is something commonly done to relieve the tingling brought on by developing carpul tunnel. My conclusion: Go to a doctor, get your blood tested, and get his/her opinion.
 

beer

Lifer
Jun 27, 2000
11,169
1
0
Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
Are you an alcohol drinker beer?

Minimal. Maybe twice a week I'll go out, of those two times I'll probably get drunk one night and just tipsy the other.