What's up with the disappearing tremor?
 

I have been diagnosed for ten years. Surprisingly during the past two, my tremor has all but disappeared. In the past year, my nightime shuffle has diminished. These two things still make an appearance now and then, but they are not what they once were. I still have trouble with my handwriting, I have increased slowness and stiffness. What is the story here? Anyone else have this pattern of great improvement in one area while other areas progress?

Ann

I'd ask: what has changed in my life???
 

By that I mean, did you change your laundry detergent? Move to a different house? Get a different car? Did your dog pass away?

I have to ask, did this change happen suddenly or has it been a gradual change?

I started out with the typical unilateral (one sided) effect of tremor in both my right leg and right hand. Somewhere about three years into it my hand tremor disappeared and I got it in my left leg... no upper body tremor whatsoever. When my meds go off my left leg starts to shake, then my right leg (at which time L leg takes a break) then when I really get going its every leg for himself. When medication kicks in, the left leg relaxes first, then the right foot does this very strange thing where it kind of walks around by itself using a heel toe kind of walk. I don't know how to describe it. Very odd, but always happens. I've heard other people say that they have traded one symptom for another with no explaination. Now that you've experienced PD on both sides of the spectrum, which do you prefer to be plagued with?
Just curious...:rolleyes:

Well, nothing seemed to account for this diminishing of the tremor. I have almost forgotten about it, but the new symptoms are as least as annoying but not as embarassing. After all, the stiffness can be somewhat privately borne. A lot of people who do not have PD posture stiffly when they get up from the table. Of course, I feel like screaming when I stand up in a restaurant after finsihing my meal, so I know there is a difference. Getting out of bed requires courage, but only my husband witnesses that. When I did have constant tremor, I was embarassed but not in pain. In fact, way back when this PD trip started, I wrote a post that "at least Parkinson's is not painful" or something like that. I know better now.

Thank you for your reply.

Ann

My dad had a tremor that would shake the table, but now he has virtually none. I'm not sure of the time-lines - it probably worsened over 5 - 10 years, and then lessened over 2-3 years. My mom thought he'd "gone into remission". I read somewhere that it's not unusual for a tremor to lessen as the years go by, but I have no idea where I saw that.

Too bad we don't know why - I'd much rather be stiff than have a bad tremor (I think!)

Hi AnnT....
 

Nice to see you posting. A good question that can only have meaning to a PWP.
We did try to deal with this question at one time (i think). I think what we came down to is the unexpected "plasticity" of the remaining nigal neurons and their interplay with what other neurons that can be integrated into the dopaminergic system; such as the "hijacking of olfactory neurons to become dopamine producing and /or storing and relaying "helper cells".
I never had the shakes very bad, but get them off and on now. I don't think we'll ever know the answer to this question in our lifetime. We can speculate, but untill the actual documentation of ,what is commonly refered to as "Shaking PD" dominant symptome into "hypoactive" PD type, and even back again. I think that most of us have probably noticed a decrease or an increase of specific PD symptoms. Can't say why. cs

Ive experienced diminished symptoms too..My right foot on the gas pedal for example..It used to be easier to push on the pedal than it was to de-accelerate..Now its the other way around..That is the most noticable one..There are others, but with those it is probably the meds working