The tip of my middle finger on my right hand feels like it is asleep. Its felt like this since last night. What caused it? I’ll tell you.
Edited on June 27th 2007: So if you are reading this it’s probably because the tip of your finger has been numb for a long period of time. Quite possibly caused by carrying numerous bags of groceries. So, let me cut to the chase…you’ll be fine. My finger got better after a couple of weeks and most people recover even faster.
Now you can read the rest of my story or read the comments for other people who have had similar problems.
I was in my nearby grocery store around 10pm last night when the lady in front of me was begging the cashier to find someone to deliver her 4 bags of groceries to her door. They explained that their delivery service is only until 9, and they couldn’t find anyone to send. I stood there listening and thought about helping her. Then I thought about how I failed to get a pretty good job today and that I could use the karma.
I wish I had just wanted to do it right off the bat, and didn’t need to bribe myself into doing it, but I’ve been told that it doesn’t matter as long as I am doing the right thing. So let’s hope that is right.
So I offer to help her carry her groceries. She says they are really heavy. I tell her I can handle them. (It doesn’t look like much). The she glances at my groceries and says I already have such heavy stuff to carry. My groceries are very light. Bread. Cheese. Meat. And one bottle of soda. That is it. Oh, and some Ritz crackers. I tell her its less then I usually carry. So she agrees to let me help. And then she immediately realizes that she can’t find her child and goes to look for him. I grab her bags and follow.
The kid has gone outside and is a block away as she calls him to come back. He finally does and runs right past us in the other direction. This is the direction of her place so she doesn’t seem as concerned. So we start walking. Its only a 4-5 block walk, but she walks so slow it took us over 15 minutes. Plus she had to keep stopping to call her child back with exclamations like “Stay near me or you are going to get grabbed!”
As we neared her place she got a phone call from her husband. I couldn’t understand what she said to him, but it was brief and the phrase “American” was uttered. Then she hung up and said to me that she has seen me before – doing laundry. And she pointed at the laundromat we were passing. This was not my laundromat and I never do laundry (I use the drop off service). So I told her that it wasn’t me. We then talked about living in Astoria until her husband called a second time.
Anyway, we finally reach her place…she has me set the groceries on the stoop. And I head home. This is when I notice my finger is numb. I expected it to go away (assuming some circulation got cut from holding numerous bags of groceries. But here I am 16 hours later and it is still bothering me.
Stupid Karma.
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171 Comments
Maybe numb fingers are signs of good things to come. Like when a bird shits on you and it’s good luck. Maybe your finger is shitting on you internally making it numb.
I am really tired. I’ll post something better next time.
Christie,
My finger felt numb and wierd for well over a week (not really a tingle). I can’t recall when it finally felt completely better, but it was close to 2 weeks I would wager.
I think I cut off so much blood to my finger tip that some nerve endings got killed, and it took that long for them to be repaired. So it did get better, it just took long enough to freak me out.
I hope your hand feels better in a shorter amount of time.
I am not a doctor.
Please tell me the tingling went away eventually? I did the same thing last night (only I was carrying my own groceries up 4 flights of stairs) and 18 hours later, the tip of my middle finger is still tingling. I am starting to worry there may have been permanent nerve damage? Other fingers went numb, but feeling came back- not on this one though…. Hoping for a positive outcome…
Thanks for posting back, sharing your experience. I WAS freaking out! Luckily the numbness went away within 3 days. I have to remind myself now to place bags on wrists (or simply make the necessary multiple trips up the stairs). Found your blog trying to find some answers. Glad you were out there. Thanks for your kind words.
Christie
KevHines,
Hey I just had a similar problem but without the helping the lady bit. Its only been 12 hours or so but I, too, was a bit concerned about my middle finger.
Am glad for your post as it reassures me that everything will be ok.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers, John
It is just a minor pinched nerve. If you go to the neurologist they probably won’t even do a scan. They will give you anti-inflam’s and send you home. Nothing you can really do but wait it out. You can try finger exercises. I had a pinched nerve in my back and it caused my hand, three fingers, arm, shoulder, side of head to go numb. Exercises helped that out but it still is a year later and not 100% better. Get used to it.
Wow- same exact thing happened to me last night! Just the tip of my middle finger from carrying groceries. It is still asleep but I feel lucky I found your blog so I know what’s going on! Thank you again.
I never realized that this problem was as common as this. And that it was so not-documented that my blog has become the answer spot for grocery bag induced pinched nerves.
I am glad to be of service (even if that service is – same thing happened to me. Just wait it out).
The same thing is happening to me right now. I just carried home some heavy groceries and now the tip of my middle finger is numb. I googled a few times and started sweating, thinking I have got a disease… but with no other symptoms!
I’m glad I found your blog! thankyou for writing this up. It’s reassuring.
Reassuring folks with numb fingers is what this post is all about.
Or at least that is what it has become.
Hahaha. Lucky you!
Seriously, though… you are the closest thing out there (after a half hour of Googling in so many different ways) that mentions anything about pinched nerves in fingers, particularly from concentrated compression like that from a plastic grocery bag handle. I think we should all file a class-action lawsuit or something. (kidding)
Well, consider this another person who’s suffering from grocery bag syndrome. For me, though it’s the upper-half INSIDE side of my ring finger. It’s just where the handle rested. But, it’s good to see I don’t have to worry just yet. Thanks!
Yes, I too am suffering from grocery bag syndrome. It was only a short distance but an extreme amount of bags. My left index finger from center tip to inside first knuckle is completely numb. I called 1800 ask a nurse which yielded a somewhat comforting answer. After an hour of annoying numbness and panic I drove myself to the emergency room. The problem was diagnosed as “acute neuropraxcia”, basically a bruised nerve. It is supposed to resolve its self at the shortest, 7 days. Here I am three days later with little to no recovery. What I find amazing is that all of us managed to type with our handicap fingers.
Oh thank God because I have the very same thing and like Karen said, I thought I had a disease!! lol…I carried a plastic grocery bag with the handle wrapped around my middle finger and the bag had two 2 litre sodas in it. My middle finger now feels numb and tingly and like how your finger feels when you smash it in a door, like a weird feeling under the middle fingernail too. I did it 5 days ago and I keep massaging it to make sure I keep the circulation going!!! Good luck to everyone!!!
I just came off of a fun weekend in Seattle with friends, I think I drank a bit too much, and I was worried that I might have damaged my nerves whilst partying the nights away.
Alas, my hypochondriac nature made me rush to the web for comfort/panic attack reduction. Luckily I found this site.
I can only come to the conclusion that while I was partying I must have carried some groceries at some point.
Waxy, drunk grocery shopping is a very common occurence. Supermarkets need to discourage SUI.
I edited the top of this post so that folks who read it can relax before reading all the comments.
I just had a strange experience. I was cooking and using a Cuisinart to chop up onions and parsley in a pulse mode. I then emptied the contents into a metallic blue bowl with my right hand. I felt a magnetic field – the Cusinart was pushing away against the bowl. Pulse was sytrong. I then open a drawer and picked up a spoon with my left hand. I laid the spoon on the counters and as I moved my fingers around the spoon, the spoon rotated a little. I then lifter the bowl with my left and I still had the Cuisinart container in my right hand. All of a suden I dropped the bowl and it broker. When I tried to pick up a broken piece, I dropped it again. This happened twice. I then touched my nose with my left hand. I felt a shape, but no warmth or texture. I then put an ice cube in left hand and felt no cold. I could move my fingers. For five minutes I did not feel anything. Then the feeling came back. What happened? I have no clue. I am sure I felt an electromagnetic pulse.
OMG- this happened to me yesterday. I got nervous about it and googled the phenomenon and found your site. Thanks for writing this and saying that it got better!
The weird part is that I only had to carry the bags of groceries about a hundred feet- took me all of two three minutes before I set them down, and when I did, my finger was purple and completely asleep and has been numb for about 24 hours.
It’s those plastic bags with handles I tell you. I wish the paper bags would come back. ^_^
Thanks for the post!
Thanks for the blog – this was helpful. I carried in a few bags of sodas and my ring finger has been numb and hurting since then and it is still numb….. has been about 12 hours. This gives me some insight and that I can wait a week or so and see what happens. Thanks again.
i did a session at the gym, met the missus at the supermarket and cause i had such good workout, thought id carry everything home myself.
just woke up, fingers are still numb, found your website and somewhat consoled that the immediate diagnosis wasnt bye bye fingers
Same here… I carried a LOT of groceries Tuesday night, now here it is Friday and my finger is no better. Its my ring finger and it is numb and tingly. I was kind of worried until I found this blog. Hooray for blogs!
I’ve had the same problem, but mine lasted for much longer than most of the people posting here. I hurt the middle finger on my right hand on May 10, and as of today it is still somewhat numb and tingly. However, I saw an orthopedic surgeon yesterday (I got nervous when it didn’t go away after 2 1/2 months), and he said that it was nothing to worry about. He says that nerves just grow back slowly, and it can take up to 5 or 6 months for it to fully restore.
The last couple of weeks, I had been bandaging the finger to prevent myself from using it. That didn’t seem to help, and in fact he advised against doing that. He said it can have negative effects on your finger flexibility and skin, without any positive effects.
Yes. I am glad that I found this. Like just about everyone else on here, I was carrying groceries to my apartment. It’s funny because I had about 6 or 7 bags in my right hand and 3 in my left. One of the 3 bags was on my middle finger though. But it was only for about a minute. I actually had to stop and reposition the bag off of my finger. I noticed the numbness, but figured it would go away. Well, it’s almost 24 hours later and nothing….I guess my point is that I would’ve expected my right hand to have the problem, not my middle finger on my left hand.
I also thought something was wrong and googled this issue and found your blog. I’m glad I read all the other posts. I will just wait it out.
Thanks!
Lucky to have found this site, now I can stop worrying I’ve permanently damaged my finger. I did the same thing but by cutting an intricate pattern on tough material for a long period of time with small scissors. The tip of my middle finger has been numb and tingly for 24 hrs so far. Thanx for your reassurance.
Wow. I just walked in the door carrying a ton of groceries. As soon as I set them down my finger got the wierdest feeling and then went numb. My daughter said if I couldn’t feel anything maybe my finger was dying. So I looked it up on the net and found your site. It totally calmed me down and now only a short time later my finger is feeling better–still a little numb right at the tip. It is rather interesting to see that this is such a common problem.
Yesterday I carried in 3 plastic bags of soup cans about half a mile to my dorm. A day later the tip of my ring finger is still numb. Hopefully it goes away. This site has eased my worries. Thank you.
PS- Bengay helps.
Hey guys,
So here’s the science behind the numb fingers. Basically, when you carry heavy grocery bags or whatever it is, you’re effectively constricting (squishing) the nerves in your hand. This cuts off the innervation to the part that becomes numb. Nerves are finicky things, and it takes them several days to a week to recover from being squished for an extended period of time.
Let me know if that helps!
Brad
haha, this is great because i was taking off one of my rings and it pinched the nerve and has been tingly for about 6 days now. I was pretty worried, but hopeful now. If i run a finger over the underside of the affected finger it shoots a huge shock up it. Weird.
Yep, I’ve got the same, middle finger on one side at the end. Carrier bags, been numb over 4 days now. Knew I should’ve put them down! Its those dangerously sharp handles as per a bag holding a box of shoes: Can cut in two directions at once. Thanks for the blog.
lol I am haveing the same problem except mine is tingling a bit when I press on it, this happened when I was plying video games….I hope its just a nerve problem and will fix itself in a couple of days…thx for your help!!
Hi! I went bowling on Saturday night and I think I pinched a nerve or something because ever since then I’ve been having numbness and tingling in the middle finger. It doesn’t hurt but it just feels really weird. It also only seems to be on one side(right)! It’s been 3 days now and I’m getting worried. It’s uncomfortable to hold things, open doors, etc. I have a doctor’s appointment on Thursday so will have it checked.
I hope everyone feels better and this all passes!
Went Christmas shopping with some heavy bags and when I returned home I noticed my middle finger on my right hand was numb. Here it is 24 hours later and its still numb. Was getting worried so googled it and found your blog. I’m 49 and never had anything like this happen before. Thanks
Just letting u know my finger is back to normal but it did take over 1 month.
Isn’t funny how we’re all surprised to have found this blog, yet we all were looking for it??
I too have been in search for some type of answer to my finger problem. But after all these stories, mine is not even worth mentioning. However, I do have to say, because of the pain I was feeling on my right ring finger I had to switch to my left in a time where the right is just….right,, and I gotta say…….its not the same at all, or so she says.
Oh well….practice make perfect!
I am so happy to have found others with this problem because I’ve had a numb/tingly tip of my middle finger after carrying groceries since February 18th. I’m still kind of worried that it’s permanent because it’s been so long and hasn’t really improved at all. I was thinking about going back to my orthopedist who told me to just wait it out but now I think I will give it some more time to heal itself. I guess the fact that I had a keyring around my finger along with the grocery bags just made matters worst. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the feeling will come back one of these days.
i haven’t lifted groceries, but i woke up with a numb hand. it’s now been 12 hours and it’s still numb but its definitely gone down a lot. it’s tingly when i touch it. i’m guessing i slept on my arm or something. although, i have a very slight pain when i touch a part of my forefinger. i have no idea what’s going on.
Hi all,
Yesterday for about 1/2 an hour or so I was cutting paper with little scissors and a whole day later my right thumb (top mostly) is numb…I feel better thinking that others’ numbness did go away…being the worrywart that I am! I’m still so worried, praying that it will return to normal…I will post again with any new info.!
I just got the same thing. I carried 7 bags of groceries for about 15 blocks and now my ring finger is numb.
I’m glad I found this page. I was starting to worry. Thanks.
My right index finger (the end of it atleast) has also had that tingly feeling all day. I use a lot of woodworking tools and this morning I used my router for about an hour (a lot longer than usual). I noticed half way through that it was feeling numb, but I assumed I would get the feeling back in it once I was finished. Well, I worry over every little thing, so I had to jump on here as fast as I could and see what was wrong. I also had thought I may have permanently damaged something in my finger. Glad to see I’m not the only one with this strange problem.
About a week ago, i found a bump on my head, so i thought to myself a minor spider bite maybe. The next day i felt a tingle in my pinky, i simply thought i slept on it, and it will stop soon. The whole day goes by and it still is tingly, so i go to sleep. The following morning its still tingly, but now its later in the day and its a bit numb. The tingling feeling is now in my ring finger but its very minor, and on the pinky side on my hand.
Whew, after carrying a 36″ TV down 3 flights of stairs, i havent had feeling in the tip of my ring finger for 2 days. Sounds like my numb, tingling finger will be fine by these responses, just got to wait it out. I found it weird that it looks completely normal, no bruising/discoloration or anything to indicate any problem.
Wow! I am so happy that I found your blog about Grocery Bag Syndrome (GBS). I carried 2 heavy bags about 100 feet today and my ring finger on my right hand is numb from the top joint up. Glad that I won’t lose the finger immediately (; Thanks for being the foremost expert on GBS and for blogging about it!
GBS!
I like that.
I also like being the foremost expert on anything…
Same problem. But I was doing some hand-held camera work for 4 hours. Hand-held camera syndrome (HCS) for me.
Thanks for the post.
Same problem as everyone else, usually it only takes a few minutes for circulation to return so I was worried enough to google it. Good to learn it isn’t serious.
Oh thank god… like you all said, I’ve been looking for the answer to this. I knew what had caused it – carrying shopping bags 10 blocks and then up four flights of stairs (next time I split my shopping) but I was desperate to know how long it would last.
I was writing for three hours and how i hold it I hurt my thumb now its numb for five days. my other hand fu**** up too. im typing with one finger lol. glad to see it’ll go away. Was worried that it would be permanent thanks!
6 days ago I cut lots of (24 or so) corduroy/cotton fabric sleeves for a workshop with large, heavy scissors. About 4 sleeves before I was finished I felt my thumb hurting, going numb and thought it was just down to lack of circulation. So I massaged it, kneading it a bit and finished my cutting.
My thumb has been numb ever since, and it drives me absolutely mad! It’s the right side of my right-hand thumb, an area about 1 square centimeter large, including part of the nail. Since it all happened I am constantly touching the senseless area, trying to assess if it has improved or not, if my thumb feels colder than the other, I am still trying to massage the joint, hoping it will somewhat re-inflate whatever I crushed and thus bruised the nerve by, but obviously all to no avail. ARGH!!!
And to make matters worse just before when I did the dishes I somehow rolled the rim of a heavy-ish pot over the inside of the joint which triggered the nerve(s) or whatever is left over of them and now it feels like it tingles and a larger area is affected and I just want my nerve back! *begs* Please…?
*cries*
LittleMy
Have the same problem, went bowling the other night and woke up and my middle finger on my right hand on only one side of my finger the left side is numb..its wierd its not black and blued or anything no pins and needles its just i cant feel anything on that side on the tip…so strange im glad im hearing it goes away after a few weeks!
Same, middle fingertip is numb(ish) from carrying groceries. Been 6 days now. I still have some feeling but it isn’t normal. Definitely something amiss. Glad to know it should heal, was worried it might be RSI! I use the computer a *lot*.
me too! definitely the most informative site. i was carrying 2 cartons of cat litter stacked on top of each other (60 lbs) to my car on sat. here i am on monday still feeling a little numb, so i thought i’d look it up. but i feel reassured now. thanks!