Hapiedy

First I just want to thank you deeply for taking the time to be so thoughtful with my yoga troubles. I am so touched and appreciative! To give you more context, I’ve have 2 primary care doctors over the past few years each time my annual physical results turn out fine, as as a result, neither of them were really able to give me much information. You are indeed right that this is a process and since I’ve been having this issues for a few years now, I think I’m learning to be more patient and open about the possibilities of what’s to come.

Now, on to your questions!

1>> How many times per week were you practising when you first had the problem in your hands?

I had been practicing hot yoga for about 7-8 years before the first time the hand problem occurred, and had done 2 successful thirty day challenges with no problem. When it started, I think I was probably practicing maybe.. 2/3 times a week. From what I can tell, it happened out of the blue one day (as opposed to happening gradually over time). The first time it happened was one of the worst occurrences- I had to take a taxi home because I was so tried and drained and my hand muscles hurt all the way through the muscles of my forearms.

2>> How many times per week do you practise now?
Now I rarely practice. I’d say… it’s more on and off. Maybe I’ll go to 4 classes in one month, and then I won’t go for 2 months at a time, and then I’ll do a few more classes the following moth. It’s very sporadic.

3>> Did you get the problem EVERY time you did yoga?
Since this started happening, it’s happened 95% of the time I take a hot yoga class. So basically at this point, every time I go, I anticipate it will happen, and have to factor that in to my day (i.e. I’ll make sure to only go to class if I know I don’t have any plans after class since I know I will be super tired).

4>> How long did it hang around and make you feel uncomfortable after each class?
The “lobster claw” and tingling in my hands lasts anywhere from 5-20 minutes, depending on the level of severity that day. However, the overwhelming fatigue and burning sensation in my eyes, and overall dizziness/drowsiness will last me the rest of the day until I go to sleep! Sleep is usually the only guaranteed thing that will make it go away.

Here’s one thing I think I should mention that may be important:
I’ve always associated the hand cramping/pins and needles with the extreme fatigue/drowsiness. These things happens together during yoga class. But in the past year, the extreme fatigue has been happening with any kind of physical activity i do (gym, running, biking). The cramping only happens when I take hot yoga classes OR sometimes when I go into a sauna! It’s possible they are related, but it’s possible they are separate issues. But one thing for sure is that being in a hot room makes my hands cramp up.

5>> Did it stop you going back as frequently as you would have liked?
Yes, as mentioned above, I only go to hot yoga classes sporadically now. Given my weird symptoms, I probably shouldnt even be going, but sometimes I just miss it so much and I want to be on the mat in a hot class! However, I still try to stay physically active 3-4 times a day, but I have to limit how long I can work out because I get tired very easily.

6>> Do you still get the lobster hands problem?
Yes, only when I do hot yoga or am in a hot room (steam room, sauna).

7>> You say the issue is exacerbated by Locust (when your arms are under your body) and those words imply it appears before Locust. What poses has this problem presented at? Could be different poses.
It varies. It’s happened as early as the first pose (half moon) to the middle of the sequence. However, if I’m in a class and it hasn’t happened yet, locust pose will almost always trigger it/set it off.

8>> What do you think is meant by the term over-breathing?
I think maybe taking in too much air from my nose? I always breath in through my nose and out of my nose when I am doing yoga. Given that, the only thing I can GUESS it means is that I am breathing too hard/too deeply from my nose. Particularly when I am in poses that are challenging for me, like triangle, i tend to focus on my breath a lot as it’s what keeps me focused and grounded, which helps me stay in the pose. Maybe it means my breaths are too shallow and rapid? I tend to breath faster when my heart rate is up in a challenging pose (and in hot yoga, a lot of the poses are challenging!)

9>> Why do you think you are over-breathing?
This is a really good question. This past winter, I went to Asia to visit some family and had to go see a doctor related to a weird allergy I had. This doctor was a well-known traditional oriental medicine doctor (who also practices acupuncture, acupressure and all sorts of other venues of chinese medicine). I mentioned to him off hand that my eyes get red and I get very tired when I work out. He asked me a series of questions, and guessed that one of my symptoms was hand cramping without me even having to tell him! He said this was a classic case of hyperventilation.

Now, I don’t actually think I hyperventilate. Now, I don’t actually FEEL like I am over-breathing. I feel like I’m breathe normally! But once the doctor told me about hyperventilation and the symptoms that come with it, I began to think maybe he’s on to something. After researching hyperventilation, that’s how I learned about tetany!

PHEW! Okay, I think this is A LOT of information. Please let me know next time if you need me to be more or less detailed. I am looking forward to your next round of questions! I hope these answers suffice!