Beginner's Guide to MS: My fingers are numb, should I call the doctor?

It is amazing what we learn to ignore about our bodies.  I also ignored pain in my left arm for quite awhile because that's the arm in which I'd had a hairline fracture years before.  Also, ignoring any discomfort because, well, musicians are required to use their bodies in awkward ways which certainly causes some troubles.

It's easy to look past symptoms until they put you flat on your butt.  Good thing that your doctor's son of a husband insisted that you consult a doctor yourself. 

Lets date myself, 1978 why am i dropping my keys as i head to the garage, ignore it.

Holding that fork, cutting food, zipping zippers. buttons a challange, what kind of change is in my hand, what is in my pocket, and the story goes on, 32 years of this stuff. At present I am typing to you left hand knows where the keys are, right hand is still a mystery sensations lost, eyes tell my fingers where the keys are all the keys feel the same. Have I been to doctors? their conclusions are MS everything else is normal I am doing what they say to do. One nuerologist is amazed I did all that I did. I have kept working till now maybe the age?  The MS jumps up and says remember me, don,t think I want to remember, so I am going to keep on fighting.

Nice to be able to talk to you guys

Hi David,

Keep on fighting - that's wonderful advice for all of us.

The body is able to make up for deficiencies in so many ways.  Just like your eyes make up for what your right hand cannot feel.  It's wonderful that you've stood strong against your MS for so many years.  Keep it up!!

Thank for commenting and we're certainly here to talk.

Hi,

With all of our odd symptoms and senasations, it is always good to know that we are not alone in our experience.  Many times there will be someone else who has had the very same tingling, or numbness, or trouble doing whatever it is.

Thanks for the comment.

Hi Erin,

Wow, you're lesion must have been just slightly higher up on the spinal cord than mine.  It affected my middle and ring fingers primarily, then grew up the outside of my arm.

You're right - whodathunkit?

Hi i am having numbness and tingling of left hand and pinky finger is constantly numb feeling especially on finger tip and ring finger and some of forearm. I have been feeling i call it shaky unsteady at times and my hands shake if i try to hold a book and try to thumb thru the pages. or try to pinch the hanger to put pants on i have not enough strength and getting hard to use it to tye shoes. yesterday my right hand started shaking so bad while i was holding glass ware my husband took it and said omg your shaking so bad. and just now my right hand and forearm started to get the tingling burning feeling and numbness. i am so scared i dont know what else to do i had a nerve test with needles and shocks doc said that was normal , mri showed spinal stenosis. nerve doc has me taking three pills a day to see if that helps only helps with neck pain arms still go to sleep while driving or now left partial of hand constantly numb any advice would help me.

he said if that didnt help to do a mri of the brain.

please help with advice and steps not sure what is wrong with me or where to or what to do next.

Hi Carmaleta,

I'm so sorry that you are having such trouble right now.  Good news is that it sounds like your nerves are healthy (needle/shock test).  But the spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal cord) can cause all sorts of problems.  Pressure on the nerves can certainly cause the numbness, weakness, and shakiness you are experiencing.  Besides medication, did your doctor suggest any physical therapy to try to help relieve some of the pressure?

I know how troubling and annoying it can be to have numbness fingers, hands, arms.  It's not fun.  Hang in there.  Continue talking to your doctor and ask if there is anything else you can be doing to try to find relief.

Erin,

I have the exact same symptoms as you.  Going on 3 weeks now of right sided numbness.  Not as bad in my face as the rest.  Can you tell me how long it took for your numbness to go away (does it completely go away)?  Have you had any recurrences?

Hi HollyAnn,

That is an EXCELLENT example of 'not everything is MS.'  Wow, sorry to hear that it got to the point that your disk ruptured.  You must have been in great pain eventually.

Just last summer all four limbs of mine were mostly numb which won me some steroids (being sarcastic here).  But, seriously, I haven't graduated yet beyond the neuro appointments every 4-months.  We're still keeping track of all the minor changes.

So glad that you made the point to not ignore all of the odd things we begin to take for granted after a while.  How's your back now?  Did you have to have spinal surgery to repair the damage?

I look forward to hearing more.  Thanks for commenting.

Hey Merely,

It's good to see you.  True, the knowing when to call the doctor can be difficult, especially if the symptom seems trivial.  For those who are not yet diagnosed and wondering if their numbness or tingling might be MS, it's good to know what other causes might be considered.

Not everything is MS, but sometimes it is.  Hard to know the difference at times.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hi everyone. i have slight numbness and tingling in the tips of my fingers and in my big toes every day. I get these feelings like there is something going through me, like when you hear someone screech finger nails down a black board or when you see someone bight a chunk of metal or something on a phobia scale but these feelings feel atatched to my numbness feelings. Can anyone help? i gave up smoking years ago. i drink a couple of beers every week. and i eat pretty O.k. i exercise a little evry day and i'm 33 years old. i'm not over weight. any ideas????

Hi Barry,

Oh, don't you just hate that fingernails-on-the-chalkboard sensation?

I had not heard anyone describe the sensations you do in relation to numbness in the fingers and toes.  That's very interesting.

Have you talked with your neurologist about the numbness and other experience?  If you are experiencing a type of pain called paresthesias, then there is medication which may help.

Also, not many readers will come across your comment.  You may want to ask your question in a Sharepost or in the Ask a Question section.  Look above at the purple-colored drop-down menu which says ASK.  Below that you can access the page to ask a question.  The community members will be able to find you there.

Good luck.

Hi Bill,

I'm so glad that you have found some answers to the random symptoms you've had, including numbness.  Getting an explanation really does help in facing the unknown.

I hope that the steroid infusions go well for you.  Here is a post with some tips to make the experience somewhat easier - Beginner's Guide to MS: Solumedrol, It's All the Rage!

Good luck and stop by again anytime.