What causes cold and numb extremities?
Patient: Is it normal to have cold/numb feeling hands and feet when experiencing bouts of PVCs? I get pvcs frequently and my cardiologist has said they are benign. But I'm laying in bed and the tops of my hands and feet have an odd, almost numb sensation, but they are not totally numb because they still have feeling. Doctor: Hi.I am Dr Mittal.I have read your message.I think I can help you.Having read your symptoms, there are 2 possibilities that I would consider first.One, PVC, or premature ventricular complexes basically cause a reduced blood supply if there are many of them together. It is caled trains of PVCs. If these trains of PVCs are present, then sometimes you may have these symptoms as the blood circulation in the body is affected and the body attempts to supply the blood to the vitals organs first.A second possibility is that you may be developing peripheral neuropathy. There are many causes of this disorder. In this situation, the loss of sensory symptoms in hands and feet, usually symmetrical (classically known as glove and stocking pattern of sensory loss) is highly suggestive of neuropathy. You will need to test a Nerve Conduction Study and meet a neurologist for the same. If it does turn out to be neuropathy, the addition of medicines like pregabalin or gabapentin may help you.I have tried to make it as simple as possible.Best of luck, Dr Mittal