HELP! Sclerotherapy on arms. It's been 3 weeks and my arms have begun to go numb at night. Any suggestions?

Question

Hello, I have been getting sclerotherapy on my legs for the past ten years without complication. I asked my treating doctor if small green veins can be removed from upper arms. He said yes without hesitation and began sclerotherapy, however he injected almost all visible veins in both upper arms. NOW, its been THREE weeks and my arms go completely numb at NIGHT ONLY!! I wake up in pain. I told the doctor and he was not concerned or offered an ultrasound to see the cause. What do you think it is?

Joseph J. Castellano, MD · Answer

Numbness and
tingling are common side effects following sclerotherapy, as nerves can be
easily irritated by the treatment. The majority of the time when such side
effects occur, they are temporary. However, in some patients, numbness and
tingling be recurring issues for several months before they stop completely. An
evaluation with an ultrasound is the best way to tell for sure what the problem
is. Your physician is probably not concerned because he or she has seen similar
side effects before that turned out to be temporary, but if you’re worried or
in regular pain, you should schedule a follow-up appointment.

Hratch Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

It is not likely that the numbness is related to a DVT.However, the prudent thing to do is to exclude DVT with Duplex venous scanning.Seek an ABVLM certified vein specialist.Dr. Karamanoukian

David J. Sire, MD · Answer

I would suggest that you call
a vascular surgeon familiar with sclerotherapy and get a second
opinion. You need to check the circulation in your arms. The numbness may be caused by some underlying condition.

John W. Chang, MD · Answer

I would definitely check the vein circulation in your arms with an ultrasound to rule out anything venous in nature.  It is unusual for normal inflammation after sclerotherapy to cause numbness in a limb as these injections are usually very superficial.  Your brachial plexus and its associated nerves are much deeper.  Numbness in the arms can be caused by compression of the nerves, peripheral artery disease, diabetes, a central nervous system process etc.  Hope this helps and good luck.Dr Chang

John Landi, MD · Answer

It would be most unusual for sclerotherapy of your arm veins to cause numbness of your arms.  The numbness may not be related to the sclerotherapy at all.  Numbness of the arms or hands at night often occurs from carpal tunnel syndrome.  You need an evaluation for the numbness including a venous ultrasound and, possibly, a neurologic evaluation.

HELP! Sclerotherapy on arms. It's been 3 weeks and my arms have begun to go numb at night. Any suggestions?

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Answers (5)

More Sclerotherapy Questions

Is it normal to be extremely bruised with have hard lumps after sclerotherapy for spider veins? (Photo)

Is swelling normal post sclerotherapy?

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