h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've had neuropathies before, and they just go away after a while. But this one is hanging around for longer than I care for.

There's this general feeling of weakness down pretty much my whole right arm. The small and ring fingers on the right hand are without any sensation to speak of. I can still move those fingers around ok, but I can't do anything meaningful with them as I don't know where they are in space without looking directly at them. And even if I do give them a task to do there's no strength there to actually get the task done - buttons are a bit of a problem; so is writing; and as for turning a key, well forget that!

There's no point going to the doctors because, one, I can never get an appointment and, two, they are never any bloody use when you do get to see them. Their cure all for *every* ailment is stop smoking, stop drinking, lose some weight and take more exercise. Pah! If I wanted to hear that I'd go talk to my mother.

Have you considered the possibility of having had a mild stroke? The symtoms sound disturbing familiar...

I have shooting pains in my right hand up my wrist which always goes away upon my leaving the mouse alone and going away from the computer and doing something else for a while.



The time between no pain and is getting less and less..

On the slightly less drastic side, could you have a trapped nerve in the shoulder? Have you being doing anything unusual (not that that's much of a guide anyway!)?

I don't know how the health system works in England - have you tried to see another doctor?

This is all more of a nuisance than anything else. After all I've got a perfectly functioning left arm that I can use

I don't hold much with doctors. The vast majority have far too inflated an ego to want to actually do anything to help a patient. As for changing one's GP, that's nigh on impossible unless you're moving out of the area.

They would probably just stick pins in you anyway just to see if you could feel the pain

How long is 'longer than I care for' GD?

It's probably about three weeks now that my fingers started to go numb.

You really should go and see a doctor - can't you go to an emergency in a hopital if you don't trust your gp ?

P: "Doctor, doctor, my arm's gone all funny."

D: "Then you should have booked a stand-up gig rather than this appointment. Next!"

* giggles *

* looks stearnly over her glasses at GD - afterall he knows what he 'should' do *

I guess it's the typical 'male' thing - zthey just don't go to the doctor - until it's too late

Greydesk,
You really should go to see your doctor. The symptoms you describe - loss of sensation in the little finger and ring finger - indicate a problem with the ulnar nerve. That ought to be straightforward for any doctor. Have you injured your elbow? - the ulnar nerve passes along the back of the elbow joint, close to the bone. This is what you hit when you hit your "funny bone", and end up with pins and needles in those two fingers.

If your entire arm is weak, however, it could be a shoulder or neck problem, compressing the nerve (as someone mentioned above) - the ulnar nerve is nerve roots C7 & C8, exiting the vertebral column in the neck between the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae and the 1st thoracic vertebra. Your GP may want to refer you to a physiotherapist or osteopath.

It doesn't sound like a stroke.

How is it now?

The sensation is coming back to the fingers. It's still a bit tingly, but I do know where the fingers are in space.

The strength is also coming back, but not to the same extent. I'm still dropping plates and glasses and stuff.

I'm fairly certain that my recovery is intimately linked to a major reduction in my alcohol intake this last month. It's been my body rebelling against years of abuse, I guess

Glad to hear its getting better

Is your reduction in alcohol linked to the fact that you have been dropping glasses

* gets coat *


(seriously - glad you are looking after yourself )

Doesn't sound like he is "looking after himself" to me. He has some kind of nerve damage severe enough to cause loss of motor skills and he has yet to have it checked by a doctor.

Let's just hope it gets better by itself.

I know I@m a bit late to this party but the shooting pain when using a mouse could be something like Carpul Tunnle syndrome, a problem with the wrists. My mum had it and it made using the computer a nightmare. She also complained of numbness in the little finger and the half of her ring finger that was closest to it. Maybe a google would bring up more info.

carpal tunnel syndrome is an advanced tendonitis... when one of the tendons running through it gets inflamed enough to rub on the sheath around it...

a) it compresses an important nerve also present there and

b) it makes it impossible for the tendon to heal without COMPLETE.. and i mean COMPLETE rest. sometimes plaster. and if you've been stubborn, two months in plaster. the good news is that once it's gone it's really gone.