BenChuy

I have a question for any of those who have a medical background: It is possible to have specific nerve damage in one's arm from electrocution?

I was rather nicely zapped by a fridge about a year ago and am still having problems with my right hand, the side that was immediately effected by the current (cramping awful pain and weakness for 3 days afterwards), simply dropping things, like a hiccup in the signal to hold an object.

I am beginning to get VERY worried about this, as I am in applying for nursing school and it very well could effect my future.

So, does anyone have any info on this and any places I can look to research this? I have no health insurance to speak of so going to a doctor has to be my last thing I do.

Thanks.

apeman

i have little medical knowledge, but have electrocuted myself several times as have a lot of my friends. never heard of nerve damage - obviously it shakes you up for a bit though. i'm guessing you're american, you have half the voltage we have in the UK so hopefully half the current.

now, i have gone to sleep on a chair, resting my armpit on the top of the chair, and had a dead hand for about 2 months. It got better slowly after that. So don't give up hope, I'd just try to exercise it every day with a squeezy ball or something like that, and see how it goes.

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VitaminH

I know very little of electrocution, but I can tell you it definietly can cause nerve damage, and it also can not only burn you externally, but also internally where you can't see it on organs and muscle tissue.

What it may/may not have done really depends on a lot of things like how long you were exposed, the type of current, voltage, etc...

I hate to say it, but your best choice really is to go see a physician. I don't know that anyone would be able to help you here very much.

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Martian

apeman, most of our stuff over here runs 120v, but some appliances do require 240v and I think the refrigerator is one of them. I have no idea how amperage compares.

So you're dropping stuff, which could be nerve damage and it is quite possible. It could also be a nervous tic. Under a lot of stress lately? Maybe you're just not paying as much attention to tasks that you used to focus on more.

Do you get any aches or pains or have you noticed a lessening of sensation anywhere? Fingertips in particular can be indicative.

The human body is remarkably good at repairing damage to itself, but nerve damage is the exception to the rule. If it's been a year and you're afraid of lasting damage your best option is to actually consult a licensed physician, who can give you a better idea as to what could be going on. Nerve damage isn't the only possibility here and even if that is the case you should be able to work around it and have no long-term consequences. Talk to your doc and see what the prognosis over there is.

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I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

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ManWithAPlan

this is going out on a limb, but you could try acupuncture... if it's a reputable doctor giving it to you, you could have great results. My mother is a first hand example (although her problem was entirely different).

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shakran

Go see a doctor. It may be your last resort, but it's the one you need to take now. Yes it is certainly possible to have nerve (and any other bodily tissue) damage from electrocution. There may be nothing the doctor can do, but then again there might .

Pip

Ditto on the squeezeball. I had the same problem with dropping stuff, the hand went limp for about half a second every now and then. It wasn't from electrocution but from overstraining the hand though. My physiotherapist told me to squeeze a ball whenever I had the time, and the problem went away.

ibis

Were you not experiencing these effects before? If so it is very likly you've got a problem.

You've only got one body. See a doctor.

supafly

The dropping of thing could be induced by your nerves being "squeezed of". For example; By working with a computer with no wrist or arm support or in the gym when exersising your arms muscles.
For the electrocution part of the story. I think nerves can be damaged but they can grow back this is a slow proces wich can take years.

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