Tricky to say and you may end up trying number of different solutions before you get your answer. Mrs Crackle had Carpal Tunnel but hers was solved with cortisone injections.
My first instinct is to say don't go smaller unless you think your current bike is too big in other ways, because you may feel very cramped on a smaller bike. On the other hand, bike type might make a difference. As an extreme, a touring bike will be more upright than a out and out road bike.
Presumably you are wanting to take the weight off your hands somewhat, so in that case a change in style of bike rather than size might be worth considering. Flat bars may work for you but again the geometry of the bike will still determine how much of your weight is moved forward onto your hands, you can get some fairly aggressive flat bar geometry bikes.
Before all that though, you might want to look again at handlebar types, there's more than just compact bars, for instance
http://hubjub.co.uk/nitto/nitto.htm
This may not suit your bike or riding style but Mrs Crackle now has a moustache bar on her bike and finds it the most comfortable position she's had.
Are you uncomfortable on the hoods now, comfortable on the flats, it all depends on what you are trying to achieve?
