sounds like carpal tunnel syndrome, blood flow to extremities is compromised, if you're having breathing problems though, could be linked to that, I would get numbness in fingers when having asthma attack. if carpal, wear tensor bandage so you cannot curl your hands up while sleeeping. hope this helps.

Yes I concur, carpral tunel. I have a little in both hands but mainly in the R. It bugs me at night and when I try to read, holding hands in upright position makes it worse. I now wear spicas on both hands and it helps rest the cmc and helps a lor except it makes driving difficult and other stuff too. The pain at time will shoot up my arm and that is the worst. I have an appt with the ortho dr tomorrow and hope to get a plan going soon. He is new so we are starting from scratch, but the pain meds and brace stuff needs to be changed. I am a wreck.

I had simular problems with my hands and thumbs. Look into DeQuervains Disease, I thought I had carpel tunnel and went to a hand specialist and found out I had DeQuervains, had surgery on both wrists and the pain is gone. You might research it and then talk to your Dr.
Good Luck, Mandy

re: reply 3 from Mandy...I just got home from the ortho surgeon. According to 3 years worth of tests, x-rays and yadda yaddas he says I have both carpral whatever and cmc arthritis. We decided today that we will try the carpral release surgery first before tackling the other. He told me he has many patients that had duel problems and the carpral release took a lot of pain and pressure off so the arthritic problem, while still there, was not as bad. My hands ache and tingle, go to sleep etc while sleeping, after driving, after many other taxing hand usage. I will definately look taht up though, read what I can then call his office and ask them about that. The surgery isnt even scheduled yet so I do have plenty of time. I have suffered so long now I cannot bear much more and if I can get even 30% pain reduction I will take it until next year. Right now I have so many things going on at home the other surgery is just too much time consuming and is not an option right now. I know several people who have had the carpral surgery and they are glad they had it done, I will talk to them too. The dr I see is highly regarded as a good surgeon and is in a very reputable group, or I would not even go near him. I had minor surgery on my finger years ago and it was not successful, I would not let that guy spay my cat LOL...thanks lorelei

re:reply to russ
Ummm on my years long quest to find help for my hands I even had one F#^&((&*^%'g dr tell me to "get lighter dishes" when I tried to tell him how I was dropping things. LOL what a nut job, I fired him..told the supervisor at the clinic he was an old fool who was inept and dangerous. I do notice he is still practicing, I would not let him take a splinter out of my toe!. Did research last night about Mandy's reply, definately not what I am going thru. Too bad as that seems like an easier thing as it says it usually goes away in a years time, but this is been 4 years now. I did call my dr to tel them I wanted the R hand done as that hand was still hurting after yesterdays adventure in drivng around etc. I also needed to find out what surgical technique he uses. LOL his nurse has gastric bypass done by docs at the contracting hospital, and I read in the paper yesterday that the problem they were having (arghhh the guy that gives you the drugs during surgery) has been rectified and has passed state quality certification, so that releives me a bit. If it were not so costly I would go out of my group for a 2nd opinion, I still might do it as that dr is my husbands and he may do it as a favor...at least his opinion, all I would need to do is send him the x-rays and radiologists and nerve test results. Damn HMO's while I have a good plan it is limited in the choice I have of drs, my husbands goes to another group in another town while I chose to stay closer to home. I like my PCP and some of the others I have seen but now that it is crunch time I am getting nervous. I might want to throw the chart at someone too, especially the dishes dr and the rhuemotoligist that said I did not have arthritis...well duh why am I seeing an ortho guy now hwo says I do? So much for the medical field eh? Well best of luck to you and I wish all of you well...lorelei in CA

I get have the same symptoms. It began about the same time as my RA symptoms. My arms and hands would completely go to sleep. But now, I wake up not being able to more my hands...to pull up the covers...open the bathroom door...etc. It always takes a couple of minutes to get everything working again and it is indeed painful. My Dr. says it is the RA and I am seeing some improvement in my left hand but my right hand never completely loosens up. MY first two digits remain stiff with little movement. The pain at night also affects my elbows too. Hope this help. Let me know that you think.