Hand Tremors
 

Does anyone else have this as a symptom?

I don't really notice it much except when I'm doing something that required me to use my hands.

I notice it especially when I'm on the computer. Typing has become a 2-finger task now. If I attempt to try and type using all fingers I strike some letters two or three times. Using the mouse has become an adventure! Trying to click on a small box is pretty useless. :rolleyes:

Doing anything with my hands that requires detail or steadiness.....well, I better just forget it. :(

Yes. Mine started July 2nd. I tried propranolol, which works for many people, but it just made me way too tired and sick to my stomach (which is rare, I'm sensitive). I asked the same thing, and I think somebody said they tried it and it worked for a while, but then stopped. I think my blood pressure is too normal for it to work well on me. It works better if your BP is a little higher than normal (I believe). It ended up making my BP go down too much.

Mine is only in my right hand, currently. I believe it's postural or intention tremor as it happens when I'm holding something, aiming towards something or holding my hand out. It's worse when I'm stressed or tired physically.

Around a month after it started, it began to taper down. It still happens, but not so much. It hurts my arm when it's happening a lot as my muscles are moving all the way up my arm. I end up folding my arms in front of my chest when this happens, just to support it. I don't have issues typing because once I get my fingers down on the keyboard they're fine. It may be the way I type or my keyboard rest.

When I saw the MS doc last week, the one who said I didn't have MS based on my MRI, I kept asking her about the tremor, fatigue, etc. She totally avoided it and just kept saying she was there to rule out MS. I believe that I had the start of a flare when this came up.

There are different types of tremors. Read up on them and it'll be fairly easy for you to figure out which kind you have. Each type corresponds with different areas of the brain or body.

I believe mine is Intention Tremor. I won't take any medication for it unless it gets to the point of significantly interfering with my daily life. And it would take alot to interfere with basically doing nothing! :rolleyes:

Sorry Kelly. Would finger/hand exercises help? I don't have hand
tremors, but i notice a lot better control of hand movement and
strength, since doing them daily.:hug:

I've had hand tremors since my first attack. They kind of tapered off but they are back worse then before during this latest relapse. Got them in my legs now as well. Nothing really works for me except when i toke up, but being stoned all day makes me very unmotivated lol.

(((Kelly))) sorry that those darn tremors are interfering with things, especially communicating with us!;)

Keep an eye on it...I'm sure that there must be something that would reduce it-maybe the exercises SalPal suggests, or some meds that Parkinson's patients use for that...

No, the Parkinson's tremors are different. I just spoke to my doc a couple weeks ago about it. I know that intention tremors come from your cerebellum, not your muscles, so exercises wouldn't help (as far as I've read, but I'm new at them).

Kitty - did they just start, or have they always been there? Are they in both hands or just one?

They've been there for a while....in both hands.....but just recently started getting more frequent and a little worse.

Kelly - It is frustrating to have tremors. I have both tremors from MS and from essential tremors. Apparently, there is a difference and the neuro can tell which is which, I can't. Typing is crazy sometimes and that's how I supplement my income.:eek: It worries me that at some point I will no longer be able to do it. I've slowed down in my speed quite a bit.

When I write or do some of my artwork, I sometimes have to hold my wrist down. It helps me a lot.

The gabapentin helps quite a bit. While I am on it for the nerve pain in my ribs, it's been beneficial for my tremors. In fact, my mom and my sister (who both have tremors) and taking gabapentin for other conditions but have found that the gabapentin helps their tremors. My mom has ET pretty bad. She has trouble getting a spoon or fork up to her mouth without spilling. I haven't noticed that so much with her lately but, again, she started the gabapentin.

I don't wear make-up that much but when I do, putting on mascara is always a challenge. Lipstick, not as much of challenge. There have been times when I would go out with DD23 and not quite be ready to go and would do my make-up in the car. The little brat would tap the brakes enough that combined with my tremors would make the lipstick go all over. We would both end up laughing and I would jokingly remind her that doing that to some one with tremors was not funny.:D