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Posted 10/20/2009 9:18 PM (GMT -5)

help!  i am a 65 year old man, a retired veteran on disability pension... i have had some strange tingling pain in my hands in a certain situation only... this has been happening for over a year and increasing in intensity... this is the scenario... (i do have bph enlarged prostate which i have been tolerating well on a prostate formula and extra zinc...) when i have the need to urinate, (which is often due my age and habit of drinking a lot of liquids during the day), right before the bladder releases to empty, i start having a tingling pain in my hands... moreso in my left hand... the intensity of this pain varies... but it does increase in intensity from the time i start to urinate, and up to when it actually starts flowing... the tingling pain decreases and goes away as the bladder empties... at least as much as it will... i do have to use a cath to empty the bladder about once a week, i do this myself... okay... this tingling pain in the hands has been increasing from early on when it was felt across the palm, near the bottom of the fingers... more recently, this pain is felt in the entire hand... i have discussed this with my dr. at the va hospital i use... and we have yet to have any clue as far as the cause... i am seeing my dr., who is an excellent caregive to me, tomorrow, again... i have researched this sympton that seems to be connected to my bladder functions at urination... only!  after many hours of research, i have yet to find any answer that comes close to my particular situation... i note here that i have had cervical and thoracic spine issues for years, and have had a c5c6 fusion about nine years ago... however, i can make no connection with hand pain which occurs only at the onset of urination... prior to my cervical fusion surgery, i did have loss of function of my hands... i would appreciate any clues or suggestions from others here on this site... this is my first time here, so i do not know what to expect as far as posts and replies... thank you for your time and concern...

Posted 10/20/2009 9:36 PM (GMT -5)
I don't have any concrete ideas, but I do have a few ideas and/or things to think about and talk with your doctor about.

In no particular order:

Could it be the position of your hands while you urinate more than the act itself causing the problem? It would be pretty easy to check.

Could be a blood pressure and/or circulation issue. Either a spike or drop while you go, especially if you are straining to go at all.

Also if you are straining at all it could be muscles pinching a nerve.

Have you been checked recently for diabetes? Drinking large amounts of liquids is one of the symptoms. A simple blood test would tell the tale there.

Have you had an X-ray on the shoulder, arm, and hand to see if there may be some pinched nerves or other damage going on?

A visit to a neurologist may be in order along with a nerve conduction study of the effected arm/hand.
Posted 10/20/2009 9:45 PM (GMT -5)
okay... this happens in any position, i have chased that one down... position doesn't matter in my case... yes, it does have something to do with circulation, this sympton is common to diabetics... am checking that again tomorrow with dr... no straining.... i have always taken in large amounts of water, going way back for over twenty years... not xrays since it only occurs at urination, any position, both hands... but moreso in the left... i may end up in neurology after tomorrow... however, as most of us know... the va is not exactly a premium caregiver... though my dr. is great, and we are on the same page with natural health remedies, etc... the va would rather continually decrease the cost of caring for each veteran... thanks so much for your input... but having chased most all of those things down... i also suspect neurology... although i also know that arm and hands functions originate in the cervical spine... i have wondered about... is there some way that spinal damage can cross signals from the spinal cord to the nerves which exit at each vertebrae, disc... will share what i find out tomorrow... thx!
Posted 10/20/2009 9:50 PM (GMT -5)
It sounds an AWFUL lot like neuropathy. You should make an appointment with a neurologist or your PCP.
Posted 10/20/2009 9:55 PM (GMT -5)
i am on va medical care so i will see what they will do tomorrow... in general, i have to fight for what i need, though my present dr. is excellent... i do agree it sounds like some form of neuropathy... but why only at bladder empty??? weird! thx!
Posted 10/21/2009 12:18 AM (GMT -5)
Hi, Z4un2008,
I just wanted to welcome you to the chronic pain forum of Healing Well. We're not doctors here and can't give medical advice, but this is the best support group on the internet, IMHO.

It does sound like asking for a neurological consult is in order. If you can't get it right at your VA, some VA's have agreements with local hospitals for certain procedures or specialties; you might inquire about that if there's no neurologist at your VA.

I'm sure some others will come along and share any experiences they have.

Let us know how it goes.

Again, welcome.

PaLady
Posted 10/21/2009 12:47 AM (GMT -5)
z4un2008

You mentioned that you had a C5-C6 fusion about 9 years ago, I think I would be talking to a neurologist, allot of people that have disc fusions have problems with the disc above or below their fused disk and it is usually with in ten years. I had a C6/7 fusion done in 85 while in the military, I just had a c5/6 fusion done 3 weeks ago, I had my  follow up today. I was told I was extremely lucky to have went 20 some years before needing another fusion as the usual time frame is ten years. I was having pain in my left arm going from my elbow down into the last 3 digits of my hand with some nubness and tingling! It was worse with my ams hanging down and it felt better when I had my arm up and bent across my abdomen as if it were in a sling. Anyway it was because on impingement of the spinal roots in my cervical area. Anyway I wish you luck and hope it all works out well for you.

White Beard

Posted 10/21/2009 2:47 AM (GMT -5)
thanks to all! fyi, when i had the c5c6 fusion in 2000 (on hmo), my neurosurgeon was tempted to do a double fusion as c5c6c7, but he doesn't want to do that for a first time surgery... yes, i did recover arm and hand functions after surgery, with no other symptoms of note... however, the last mri (now va) showed some more damage at c2 to t1... and i already had some issues at t7... so i have done pretty well since, though i do have cervical and thoracic pain in those areas... considering all of your comments, and my experiece recently... i am really stuck on this current tingling hands issue... the fact that it only occurs at urination time... blows my mind... it just doesn't happen any other time... so my question remains, how in the world can, what seems to be, a neuropathic symptom in the hands... be connected with bladder function??? i'll see what my dr. says today, maybe... i will get a consult to neurology... if so, it will be a month, or much longer before i get in to that appt... you know, these symptoms don't hurt or bother me anything close to the pain i have had in my upper spine over the last ten plus years... BUT, it really bothers me, mentally, not knowing the cause, the reason... i guess a bit of ocd drives my desire to find the answer! thanks, again! btw, USAF 1963-67!
Posted 10/21/2009 1:05 PM (GMT -5)
z4un2008

It could be just the way you hold your arms and the force on your muscles in you neck and upper back when you are going,  you might not think you are putting any stress on those muscles in your cervical spine, but if you have nerve impingement there it would not take much to do that! It is about the only thing that makes since  because of the way the nerves come out of your spine and down into your arms and hands.  You do need to have it checked out by your doctor  though! Good Luck to you!! BTW..  For me it was USAF 1969 thru 1991

White Beard

 

Posted 10/21/2009 2:19 PM (GMT -5)
as i said before... it makes no difference what position my arms and body are in... usaf 63-67
Posted 10/21/2009 2:33 PM (GMT -5)
wwell good luck and sure hope you can get into see a neurologist..maybe get an mri and then
the EMG testing..I just had the EMG testing and have pinched nerve at c5, c6 and problems at c8 to T1...
My husband is 11 yrs active duty USAF retired and 4 yrs reserve..., my dad is retired USMC, My uncled was
a West Point, retired col. he pasted in 2006...
Keep us posted as to how things go...
hugz
Posted 10/21/2009 3:49 PM (GMT -5)
Wow - all these fly boys! Love it! I love airplanes and flying (ok, not the same as being in the military, I know!).

I wish I could help more, z4n2008, but White Beard is really knowledgeable about all this. Nerves really take on a life of their own, don't they? But then we couldn't do without them either.

I hope you can see a neurologist soon and get additional testing.

PaLady
Posted 10/21/2009 4:44 PM (GMT -5)
my dr. put in a consult to neurology... this is a weird one... it's not killing me, but i know we must be able to learn something about it... i hope! thx to all!
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