The hand numbness sounds like Raynaud's syndrome/phenomenon.
It happens to me a lot, too.  You could try sleeping with woolen
mittens or gloves to keep your hands warm (I've done that and
it usually works, but these days I find it more convenient to use
my cat as a hand-warmer). The thing about Raynaud's is that it
can go with other conditions, so it's not a sure sign of lupus.  If you
do a lot of typing or work with hand-held power tools you might
want to look into carpal-tunnel syndrome.  Also, have you taken
your temperature when you wake up in one of these sweats?

And Taylor will tell you to look here:

http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk

for a list of many other lupus symptoms.

--Bill Thompson

are you sleeping with a heat releaser? Some people are hot "ovens" to sleep
with?
Either flannel or cotton bed sheets; absorb sweat; don't throw sheets off
of you.

Maybe a gynae appointment is in order to make sure nothing's up with your
ovaries. I think they do bloodwork and an ultrasound (but not exactly
sure).

So if there's no other explanation,  Sounds peri-menopausal to me.
http://www.project-aware.org/Experience/perimenopause.shtml
Some clinicians maintain that perimenopause can last for as long as 5 to 15
years, and refer to perimenopause as that period which is a 3 to 4 year
span just before menopause. Either way, many women experience more symptoms
during perimenopause than after menopause. Because this often happens at an
age between 35 and 45, many women's symptoms are overlooked or ignored by
their healthcare providers.[]

If that's what's happening, you need to talk to someone about prevention of
bone thinning.
I think I heard, that the longer the period of perimenopause the worse the
risk for bone thinning and fractures.
Get prepared.
J

Boy I am slow with this one JQ.

When I was first starting to get sick, I was having terrible hand pain
along with the joints, hot flashes and just like you mentioned.  all of it.
For me "I" thought it was menopausal for sure since at the middle age of
50, I figures ok this is what it is. But I was also experiencing terrible
fatigue along with this.  My hands would go numb while sleeping and wake me
up to excruciating pain.  So much so that when I finally saw the doctor my
rheumy, he said it was just arthritis.  HMMM never should of trusted that
one.
But it continued and got worse to the point of having to wear hand splints.
Sweats?  OMG it was aweful.  I finally got a decent doc in Cleveland and
was diagnosed via numerous blood tests and finding.  LUPUS>  My sed rate
was sky high along with lots of other tests. So when placed on medrol all
of it tempered down.

I do note that when I have a flair, I too get the sweats bad along with
that pain.  I was diagnoses with Raynaud's but my hand pain was from
inflammation as well as neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome later.

So this is related, and you need to mention all this stuff to a good
doctor.  Keep tabs of it yourself.  Write in a journal all your symptoms
and show the doc, keep a record yourself and relate it to HOW you are
feeling.   If we do a lot of the docs work (wink wink) then maybe the docs
will help us out more with meds, and such to control lupus better as well
as Mixed connnective diseases.

good luck, want more, email me
janers