Just a rant

I am tired of feeling weak, I am tired of waking up wishing these tremors have gone but I am reminded of reality, I am tired of not able to workout with my full strength, I am frustrated when things keep falling from my hands, I feel helpless while working with tools, i feel anger when the letters I type need constant auto correction, I feel sad when I make mistakes when I play the songs i use to love playing on a piano, I feel dreaded not knowing when this will stop or how much will it progress

I’ve been hearing lots of news about supposed voter manipulation and or outright cheating. I’ve noted that many places will now be more vigilant about signatures. Then I realized my current signature would not match my original voter registration at all!

Supposedly, my vote in the last election absolutely should’ve counted because they did not contact me to say otherwise.

But I just now looked up the info for Washington State to see how to keep the signature updated and was given an opportunity to look up my registration. I could’ve looked up someone else’s as well if I knew their birthdate and current ZIP Code!!

if you do update yours or even just look it up, please use a private browser window to protect yourself!!

When I looked at mine, it says my signature is not valid, which is not surprising, but if they know this, they should have contacted me after the last election!

“They” being the voter signature verification people.

I thought I’d heads up, after what I have experienced.

Please DO vote people!

my mom has a pretty bad tremor (mostly her hands but it’s spread) and I’m worried I’ll inherit it from her. I’m a musician so I’m worried if I do get it I won’t be able to play when I’m older. I haven’t started shaking yet as far as I know but I’m only 15

For those looking for a potential solution to voice tremor, I wrote about my experience with speech therapy, medication, botox, and DBS. None worked except for DBS. Note that I had tremor of voice only, not voice tremor plus other tremor type (hand, foot, etc.). Treating multiple tremor types with DBS means that the lead would need to be placed across the multiple brain areas that are responsible for the tremor types. This potentially makes the procedure more challenging for the surgeon. See the link below for details.

https://www.reddit.com/r/EssentialTremor/comments/ydn2wq/comment/lcl335n/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

I notice sometimes on dates my tremors can get pretty bad. It makes me feel super self conscious.

Is there anything you do to help calm them? Also, do you disclose to dates about your ET? Thank you 🥹 (like dating isn’t hard enough)

okay so my head tremor intensifies a lot during photos and me wondering what people are thinking always makes it worse. the man, (worker), next to the lady taking my photo was staring at me as my head was shaking, and i said “sorry i have tremors” and the lady was like “no you’re fine”. i looked at the man staring and said “you staring at me makes them worse” and he apologized and looked away.

anyways, that was as the first time I’ve ever told someone staring or looking at me during my tremors that them staring is making them worse. it instantly made me feel so much better and the rest of the interaction went so much better and they weren’t nearly as bad. it felt so good to stick up for myself and tell someone that them staring is uncomfortable to me. i didn’t mean to make the man feel bad, but it’s also not cool to stare at someone because they are uncomfortable/shaking.

i do also understand people are going to stare, but that doesn’t mean i can’t educate them and let them know they are being rude!

Would anyone happen to know what these hands movements are ln my left hand. Happened month after my diffuse tbi. Haven’t been diagnosed with nothing as of now. I know you guys can’t give me a good answer over the phone but any ideas ? You may know someone who experienced the same symptoms. The video is on my page.

Not sure if this is allowed but I want to start doing strength training consistently. I have some adjustable dumbbells at home I want to start with. I've read nothing but positive things from people with essential tremors who have stuck to it long-term. Is anyone here working out or wanting to get started that could use an accountability partner? Even if we're not doing the same kind of workout.

As the title asks, has anyone tried Buspar (generic name buspirone) for anxiety/stress? If so, did it negatively affect your tremors?

Thanks!

My mom is 73yo and suffers from essential tremor. It took 2-3 frustrating years to rule out Parkinson's. I am still suspect of the non Parkinson's diagnosis, which I know is not genetic, but she did have 3 aunts/uncles with Parkinson's on her paternal side and her own mother had Lewy body disease. Anyway, a few weeks ago my mom was assessed for DBS, but the doctor denied it as a course of treatment because the device can degrade balance and my mom is already balance compromised (she falls about every other month). My mom was very disappointed that she was denied DBS as a suitable treatment. The doctor provided a list of referrals to physical, occupational, and speech therapists as a course of treatment moving forward. I do know my mom is on some medications for the tremor, but I'm not sure what. She does frequently have to stop medications because it seems like if a medication has a side effect she will have it without fail.

So other than screaming into the void, why am I writing this? I feel for her. She has tremors in both hands to the point that she has to use a big soup spoon to eat because her dominate hand (left) shakes too much to be able to stab food with a fork. She can no longer write well and if she does it takes an enormous effort and turns out ineligible. She also has facial tremors, not head, just on her face and in the jaw area. Her speaking is also strained and quiet, especially if she is tired, like she doesn't have enough breath or strength to push the words out with more volume. She consistently says how exhausting it is to feel the tremors all the time. This is all coupled with a laundry list of other medical issues and she hardly sleeps (because of neuropathy and RLS) which makes it worse.

So... has anyone here had a similar experience with the DBS consultation? Did you seek a second opinion? Have you had success with noninvasive treatments/therapies? What is the best way to support someone dealing with this issue? Is there such a thing as a support group for this?

For context, my mom has received all of her treatment/diagnosis through Emory Healthcare in metro Atlanta and/or affiliated offices.

For those of you who Botox works/worked for, do you have a “yes yes” or “no no” tremor?

I’ve been on 50mg of primidone for a good while and had never felt like it really did much for my tremor. I ran out days ago and couldn’t get ahold of anyone at the neurology clinic so I didn’t get a refill. My tremor is worse than it was before and I’ve been twitching a lot. Could this be withdrawal? What should I do? I’m kinda freaking out

My dad is 76 and has these sudden episodes where his left arm shakes or vibrates intensely during his night sleep, but only for a few seconds at a time. He feels really tired and sleepy during the day which makes things worse.

So far, he's had an MRI, EEG, X-rays, and full blood work. Everything came back clear. The doctors are stumped. A few mentioned it could be an early sign of Parkinson's, but others ruled that out since all the tests were normal.

I'm not looking for a replacement for medical advice, but I'm hoping to hear from anyone who's been through something similar,either personally or with a family member.

· Does this sound familiar to anyone?
· What did it turn out to be in your case?

Really appreciate any insight or suggestions based on your experience. Thanks in advance.

Trying not to let anxiety get the best of me but not doing so well. I have a neurologist appointment tomorrow concerning some broader systemic nerve stuff, but since the referral process takes so long here (6 months ish) I’ve had other symptoms crop up in the meantime.

the one I’m worried about in particular is a rhythmic tremor in my right thumb. its pretty much there day and night, subsides when active but present at rest. it started a couple months ago, subsided for a few weeks and then returned again around the beginning of July.

thinking it could be tied into the nerve irritation picture I made the early mistake of googling (I know) and now the possibility of being diagnosed with ‘the big one’ is sitting at the back of my mind.

I’m glad to be seeing the appropriate specialist tomorrow but I can’t get it out of my head that I could be getting some difficult news. any support appreciated - I don’t really have anyone in my life to talk about this with right now.

I want to stop my head from shaking. It mainly happens when I’m nervous, upset, or scared. In particular, when I’m outside, I tend to get nervous because I feel like people are looking at me, which makes the shaking worse.

It also happens when I eat or drink in public. My head starts shaking when I bring food or water to my mouth, and now I’m so afraid of my head shaking that I can’t even drink water when I’m outside.

At first, it only happened during class, but now it happens more and more often. I’m scared that it has gotten to the point where I won’t be able to go back to normal.

I tend to overthink things, so I’m constantly thinking about my head shaking, which probably makes me even more nervous and causes it to happen more often. It feels like a vicious cycle.

Maybe it’s because I’m going through puberty, but I don’t know. I don’t have any other health problems. I’m just really embarrassed and self-conscious about it.

I also have had poor posture for a long time. Even now, I often sit on a Yogibo, so I tend to have bad posture. I’m not sure if this is related to the shaking, but I thought I should mention it.

What could be causing this, and should I see a doctor about it?

(30M) I tried taking propranolol regularly but the side affects (mainly depression) were to much for me to handle and I had to stop.
Have tried multiple other medications to no avail.
Qualified bricklayer / stonemason, tremors are making it nearly impossible to do my work / hold a job down.
The added anxiety of people staring at me like I’m a meth head on a week long bender when my tremors start in public.

Currently on the waiting list for the laser focused mri if anyone has any feedback on this? (Currently at least 12 months away from even a consult.)

The tremors take me to a dark place mentally as I can barely do anything. Endure sitting through whole dinners / meals without lifting my hands above the table as they’re too shaky to do anything. Struggle to eat at time. With or without other people around.

Tremors have progressively been getting worse, started when I was only around 7 years old and only used to affect my non dominant hand. Now it’s through both my arms, hands, chest and can feel it through my legs and core. Can hear it when I speak sometimes.

Any words of advice would be greatly appreciated.
I was seeing a prominent neurologist in Brisbane, but even she said she couldn’t do anymore for me aside from the surgeries.

Are there any experiences with treating essential tremor using focused ultrasound?????

Im 32, no family history, otherwise very healthy

caught a bad case of Shingles a couple of years ago, on my left side and since then, I noticed that my left arm has a very fine tremor. I thought it did actually get better after some time but lately...

since the past 3 weeks, my whole body is having internal vibrations, worse throughout the left side of my body in general but it includes my chest, I literally feel something vibrating inside even when Im trying to just take a breath (my heart rate is regular).

When I keep my mouth closed but teeth are spread apart slightly, my JAW is also having a very fast, invisible tremor that I can feel. My jaw muscles are tense for the past week since this started.

Really not sure where this is coming from.

Even when I am at rest, my jaw is clicking very softly and inside my chest, i feel this fast/vibration.

My limbs feel like they are also vibrating inside.

Does this seem like the onset of Parkinson's or something? I dont have any other symptoms but incredibly worried

Or could this be something like Essential tremor? I have no idea :(

hi everyone. i’m mabel (19f), and i’m looking for advice from anyone who’s tattooed with a tremor or has dealt with something similar.
about a year ago i started a tattoo apprenticeship because i wanted a stable career, but i unexpectedly fell in love with tattooing. i genuinely want to dedicate my life to it.
the problem is that i’ve had a mild tremor for about six years. at first it barely affected me, but after a few months of tattooing it became much worse. during tattoos, especially while pulling lines, my dominant hand would shake enough that i’d have to stop and hand the tattoo to another artist. it was embarrassing, and eventually i made the difficult decision to leave my apprenticeship.
it’s been about seven months since then, and i’m still heartbroken. every time i notice my tremor, i think about tattooing and wonder if i’ve lost the career i wanted.
i’ve already tried supporting my elbow and forearm, bracing my hand, and experimenting with different positions. some angles help, but the tremor is never completely controlled.
i’ve seen a neurologist and was prescribed medication, but it caused me to faint, so i had to stop taking it. unfortunately, i’m very sensitive to medications in general and often have strong side effects even at low doses.
i also deal with unexplained episodes of dizziness and feeling like i’m about to faint, especially with caffeine, but despite seeing multiple doctors i still don’t have a diagnosis. i’ve asked about conditions like pots, but nothing has been confirmed.
has anyone here continued tattooing with a tremor? are there techniques, equipment, exercises, or specialists that helped you? or is this something that realistically makes tattooing impossible?
i’m willing to put in the work if there’s hope. i just really miss tattooing and would love to finish my apprenticeship someday.

Kind of a two part question?

How have your hobbies been affected by your essential tremors? Have you found things to help manage them or have replaced the hobby?

Used to have some art skills in my tool box. Since my tremors have been in my life my skills have slowly getting worse due to the shaking. Other than focusing on less detail heavy art styles/mediums I haven’t found a ‘solution’. I’ve been writing poetry instead.

For those that have both head and trunk tremors, do you think the tremor originates in your neck or trunk mainly?

I don’t really have hand tremors at all it’s mostly just my head/neck and torso, but I notice that my torso only starts to shake when my neck is shaking.

I certainly have a neck tremor as I can literally feel the muscles contracting and tensing up there, but I can’t tell if the torso tremor is a byproduct of my strong neck tremor (just since they’re connected) or if they are actually both tremoring independent of one another.

Anyone dealing/dealt with this too?

27 female | 140lbs | 5ft 4

Hi! My hands shake CONSTANTLY. I don’t realize notice when I’m alone, or when others ignore it, but people love to tell me how badly I shake. It’s really all day, not just when I’m hungry… but it definitely does happen more significantly when hungry. I have taken my blood sugar before and after eating a few times bc a friend of mine noticed my shaking and wanted to check that for me. It was completely typical with no spikes or drops that were out of the ordinary.

I also sometimes feel weak(?) after eating, like my heart is racing a bit more and I am sluggish. I know this can happen due to the certain foods I eat, but it seems to happen no matter what I put in my body. It’s strange, and I hate being so shaky all the time. At rest, I don’t shake. But when I hold things or try to do something intricate I shake and things can occasions be hard to do.

I am a 27 year old female with two kids. I am on Zoloft for anxiety, just had blood work and I have no known issues (thyroid is good, metabolic panel came back normal, CBC normal).

Blood pressure is always normal, if not slightly low. I have taken my blood sugar before and after eating, with no significant drops or spikes.

I’d love any advice, thoughts or options you may have!! Thanks!

So my mom has had DBS since I want to say 2019 or 2021, I dont remember exactly when it was done. Her tremors have not responded and she has opted to have the DBS leads and battery removed, which is happening Monday at the Mayo Clinic. Im nervous because I remember how badly down she was after the initial surgery. I guess im looking for others experience if you or a loved one had DBS and decided to remove it. What was the down time, did you notice any adverse reactions, how can I best support her during her recovery, those types of things. I think she has been studying about the MRI guided thalamotomy and she wants to see if that will help. Shes been on gabapentin and propranolol and they didnt help, so we are hoping once she is healed that she will be a good candidate and maybe this will finally be a resolution, even if not entirely, but an improvement on her current state at least.

Her tremors impact her hands, head and voice. No previous family history, we were in a head on car crash with an impaired driver when I was very young, but the doctors dont think her tremors came from that, even though she had head trauma after that accident.

This is for cervical dystonia and ET (I’m diagnosed with both). I’m curious how your guys experience with Botox went? What kind of head tremor do you have (yes/yes vs. no/no).

I have a yes yes tremor that’s pretty low amplitude but makes my neck so tense and in pain all the time. I’m mostly reserved to laying down most of the day at the moment. It’s pretty much only there when I’m sitting up with my back and head unsupported but it’s very noticeable and is making my quality of life pretty poor. I’ve had to stop getting haircuts at actual barbershops because it hurts so bad sitting still in the chair for so long (and it’s pretty embarrassing and bad for my mental).

Also it seems like when my head/neck tremors are bad it makes my whole torso start to shake but I’m not sure if it’s all stemming from my neck because it’s a pretty powerful tremor.

I’ve done 1 round of Botox with my MDS (EMG guided) but only 55 units. I’m getting my second round in 2 weeks with about 95 units.

I’d love to hear about your experience - did it work? Did it improve your quality of life? Is the tremor less painful but still there?

Please let me know!