Numb Hands

[PhilaGuy]

Hey Everyone:  I've been recently diagnosed, type 2b, high viral load, probably had for 20 years.  I became symptomatic late last year which led me to see my physician.  I've recently seen a hepatologist and will probably start treatment shortly (after the battery of tests, eye exams, stress test, etc!).

Anyway, for the most part I'm feeling fine, except for one thing that developed sporadically late last year and now occurs every night.  I wake up several times a night and my hands range from being tingly to being completely numb.  My hepatologist doesn't think this is due to cryoglobulinemia, but is doing a blood test to make sure.  

My question is, do any of you have experience with this symptom?  Can you have it with HepC in the absence of cryoglobulinemia?  It's the one symptom that really freaks me out, and it seems to be getting worse.  What have your doctors said about it?  Can I be sure it's from the HepC and not, say, MS or something else?  My doctor's great overall, but I was a little put off when he suggested I was probably sleeping on my hands!  I've talked to twotells about it, and have seen posts on the subject from tallblonde and ringading, but wanted to get some other's experiences as well.  Thanks so much!

[PhilaGuy]

Yeah, that is so weird.  I know I'm more freaked out by it at night than I would be in the daytime.  I know numb hands at night is a classic Carpal-Tunnel symptom, but I know it's related to HepC, as well.  This also happens to a lesser degree to my mom and brother, who do not have HepC, so maybe I'm placing the casue where it doesn't belong.  I guess I'll wait to hear from my doc with results of my Cryo tests and go from there...

[Tallblonde]

My hands are tingling right now and it's only 10 a.m. My pinkies on both hands are nearly constantly numb.  But all this is definitely worse at night.  And, of course, that's when we all tend to feel more vulerable anyway, so it's much scarier.

Susan

[PhilaGuy]

One more on this topic...when does the numbness occur for most of you?  When I told my doctor about it, he asked me this question and it ONLY happens to me at night (many times last night, as a matter of fact).  He said that the majority of his patients with HepC/Cryoglobulinemia-related numbness, it occurs throughout the waking hours.

[jamit_a]

Hi,

I wish you all the best and once you start your therapy don't stop! just keep on fighting the dragon!!!

God bless,

Jamit_a

[jamit_a]

Thanks for your prompt response. I did have a biops and it showed mild fibrosis, I don't know much about the pathology of the diagnosis. i.e portal bridging, etc. etc.
But the meds seemed to have work for me so far!

Male 38
Geno type 2
VL 6,000,000
biops mild fibrosis stage 1 or 2
Completed 24 weeks of pegasys , copegus.
cleared after 12 and 24
possible cause Tattoo. No IV drug use.

Thanks again for your input.
God bless
Marcello
Jamit_a

[mrBenny]

I recently woke up from my after-lunch nap -- with numb hands.

TB: The article you gave had links to others that cited it.  One of them had something interesting to me because of the issue of infection of nerves by hep C.  I know that the conclusion of the study doesn't show that it never happens (other studies show that it does), but it's reassuring to know that it didn't in this one.

MC = mixed cryoglobulinemia
DPN = distal axonal polyneuropathy

http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/60/5/808

Conclusion: Painful DPN associated with MC and neuromuscular vasculitis is the most frequent type of HCV neuropathy. The usual detection of MC and the lack of local HCV replication indicate that HCV neuropathy results from virus-triggered immune-mediated mechanisms rather than direct nerve infection and in situ replication.