tingling hands post surgery

Hello Everyone!

I had a very minor surgery three weeks ago where I had a benign lump removed from one of my breasts.  Ever since two days after my surgery I have been experiencing tingling mostly in my hands.  Every once in a while the tingling will spread up my arms and sometimes the back of my neck or my face.  I called my surgeon immediately the first time it happened.  He thought maybe the tingling was cause from my arms being in an awkard position during the surgery and though that the feeling would go away.  After a couple hours the tingling stopped.

  about a week later I had to drive about an hour to the doctors office to have the stitches removed from my surgery.  The tingling started and I felt as though I was going to pass out.  I got of of the interstate and instead took an alternate route with less traffic and made it to the doctor and back, however my heart was racing and I felt faint the entire time.  Once I was back to work at the office, the feeling went away.

about a week after that the tingling started again for no reason at all. I was literally doing nothing on a Sunday and it started.  I tried ignoring it and breathing deeply and eventually it went away.  It happened again the next two days in a row and on the third day it became so serious that my whole body was tingly, I felt as though I wasn't breathing correctly and my chest felt extremely tight.  I had to have my husband pick me up from work and take me to the ER.  THey did an EKG, a chest x-ray and took blood.  Both the EKG and chest x-ray came back normal and my blood pressure way normal.  My potassium in my blood was slightly low and they said I was having panic attacks.  They gave me a small prescription of Xanax and advised me to follow up with my regular doctor. 

Every single day since the ER I have felt the tingling and tightness in my chest and I have had to take the Xanax in order to get through the work day without having a dull fledged panic attack, I have even had to take 2 some days. I see my primary care physician on Monday, but this whole thing is really freaking me out.

Do these symptoms seep typical with what you all have experienced?  I do not want to have to rely on Xanax for my entire life in order to avoid these episodes.  Before the surgery I had never had problems like this with anxiety, however I did have problems with IBS whenever I would get extremely nervous.  It seems as though I can't stop thinking about having a panic attack which causes me to start having one. 

Tingling is an abnormal sensation that you can feel anywhere in your body but mostly felt in the hands, arms, legs and feet. Tingling hands as a symptom of anxiety are transient. 

If your hands start to get numb and tingle, be conscious of your breathing. Try to breathe as deeply and slowly as possible. Not only will this help you relax, but it will also help normalize your blood flow. Being in a relaxed state and having a normal blood flow will help dismiss the tingling sensation. Remember though that this is just a technique that offers a temporary relief. You still need to gather the strength and will power to completely get rid of anxiety.

Do visit with your PCP re anxiety and get a medical opinion/diagnosis  and if your Dr. agrees anxiety is your problem then look into ways to deal with your anxiety.

Check out our first topic at the top of this page for some great ideas : Anxiety-Panic Resources.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

THank you so much for the support! This is a truly wonderful forum full of really kind peope. It really helps a lot to know that there are other people who have gone through the same thing and are doing better! I go to see my primary care physician today, so hopefully she can shed a little more light on this whole thing and help me get a recovery plan into place. I have noticed if I start to feel the tingling sensation coming on it helps if I get myself involved in a really big project to get my mind off of it...I cleaned my entire house this weekend!

sometimes the tips of my fingers or my pinky finger will go numb when i'm feeling panicky or when i'm really stressed out.. my doctor said it was due to anxiety. it still scares me senseless every time it happens, but normally if it doesn't go away on its own i'll take a bubble bath, or do some meditation. if i'm conscious of my breathing and allow myself to relax and calm down, that will usually take care of it. i think it's a common symptom of anxiety! keep yourself busy and try to keep your mind off of it, and when it does happen, find a way to find a sense of calm or peace and you will get through it :) breathing always helps!

steph, i have not taken zoloft, but i can identify with not being big on taking meds. i wasn't big on them either. i have finally given effexor a shot, and i'm glad i did. i notice a big difference, and i'm also hopeful that i won't need it forever...maybe just for now so that i can cope with situations in my life that are triggering anxiety. but even if i did need medication forever, i'd gladly take it if it helps me lead a happier and more fulfilling life. i don't want to just be alive...i want to be LIVING!

as for side effects and whether zoloft works, hearing other people's experiences can be helpful, but keep in mind that everyone has a different experience with meds. just because one person had a certain side effect or noticed that zoloft worked a certain way for them doesn't mean you will have the same experience. keep in mind to have some patience and give it some time to work. psych meds generally take some time to build up in your system before you notice any difference. and some side effects only happen when you first start a medication and wear off after a little while (i had this experience with effexor). from one med-phobe to another, i encourage you to at least give it a shot. i am certainly glad that i did! :) best wishes!!!