Worrying about Dizziness/Unsteadyness + Other Symptoms!

[Mercfh]

Hi, im new here.

So i've had a smattering of symptoms along the years. I have a finger tremor (it's a postural tremor) that i've had for 7-8 years and it's not really gotten worse or better. I finally saw a Neuro and was diagnosed with Essential tremor (which matches).

it's not gotten any worse but it's basically constant. HOWEVER I basically worry about MS and Parkinson's non stop.

Especially here lately, because I feel like im "unsteady" sometimes. Thing is......i don't actually trip/fall/etc.. into anything, I guess I can describe it best as the "feeling" of dizziness....but not actually apparently being dizzy?. Also I feel like I have to search for words a lot. Which makes me anxious when I can't think of the word (which makes it worse). I often feel like im the only one this happens too...like my brain works too fast for what im saying? But it happens to my wife too which is comforting (I guess that happens to everyone every day).

Anyways this dizziness...it's weird because if im focusing on it and my walking I feel unsteady, like my head is sloshing. Im not falling over/experiencing any weakness or anything.....but especially when I turn my head suddenly or something, it feels dizzy for a second. Which makes me worry about MS or parkinson's.

Honestly i've probably "felt" this way for the past couple of years and I can't tell if it's anxiety or what. I'll also feel randomly tired...but then super energized but I think that may be anxiety/depression related.

Any ideas? I feel like if it was MS/Parkinson's i'd have more symptoms (BTW im 31 so parkinson's would be EXTREMELY rare). But I DO work on a computer a lot so I do have a stiff neck and i've heard stiff neck can make you feel dizzy. I think i get really stiff fingers too (Which i've been feeling) but that's maybe RSI (repetitive strain injury) from so much typing and def. poor posture.

I think I just need some reassurance, for some reason my worries have been driving me crazy!

[Lakme]

Hi, im new here.

So i've had a smattering of symptoms along the years. I have a finger tremor (it's a postural tremor) that i've had for 7-8 years and it's not really gotten worse or better. I finally saw a Neuro and was diagnosed with Essential tremor (which matches).

it's not gotten any worse but it's basically constant. HOWEVER I basically worry about MS and Parkinson's non stop.

Especially here lately, because I feel like im "unsteady" sometimes. Thing is......i don't actually trip/fall/etc.. into anything, I guess I can describe it best as the "feeling" of dizziness....but not actually apparently being dizzy?. Also I feel like I have to search for words a lot. Which makes me anxious when I can't think of the word (which makes it worse). I often feel like im the only one this happens too...like my brain works too fast for what im saying? But it happens to my wife too which is comforting (I guess that happens to everyone every day).

Anyways this dizziness...it's weird because if im focusing on it and my walking I feel unsteady, like my head is sloshing. Im not falling over/experiencing any weakness or anything.....but especially when I turn my head suddenly or something, it feels dizzy for a second. Which makes me worry about MS or parkinson's.

Honestly i've probably "felt" this way for the past couple of years and I can't tell if it's anxiety or what. I'll also feel randomly tired...but then super energized but I think that may be anxiety/depression related.

Any ideas? I feel like if it was MS/Parkinson's i'd have more symptoms (BTW im 31 so parkinson's would be EXTREMELY rare). But I DO work on a computer a lot so I do have a stiff neck and i've heard stiff neck can make you feel dizzy. I think i get really stiff fingers too (Which i've been feeling) but that's maybe RSI (repetitive strain injury) from so much typing and def. poor posture.

I think I just need some reassurance, for some reason my worries have been driving me crazy!

If the neuro has diagnosed you with essential tremor then that's your diagnosis. That consistent shaking could also be from anxiety but considering your neurologist has assessed that it's legitimate enough to diagnose as something minor. No need to trail off and start thinking that you have a rare disease at an extremely rare age because you don't. Go outside. Get a breath of fresh air. Exercise, and really absorb the outside environment. trust me it really helps. Shaky hands are more common than you think and if everybody with that kind of thing had Parkinson's it would be an epidemic.

[Mercfh]

You are probably right. I think part of the problem is my hands/fingers get very stiff from typing and anytime my hands are stiff or im stressed/etc.. the ET gets worse for some reason.

I guess i just fear it's something more, but if my symptoms haven't progressed in almost 8 years now.....it probably isn't.

One thing though is my TSH was high last time it was checked (5.5)...and my fingers/toes always feel cold and I have other various symptoms of hypothyroidism...but my TSH wasn't that high a year ago.

it would explain the random fatigue and muscle aches I get (no muscle weakness though) so im getting that rechecked. If thats the cause of it then i'll be kinda relieved (since it's relatively simple to treat)

[Lakme]

You are probably right. I think part of the problem is my hands/fingers get very stiff from typing and anytime my hands are stiff or im stressed/etc.. the ET gets worse for some reason.

I guess i just fear it's something more, but if my symptoms haven't progressed in almost 8 years now.....it probably isn't.

One thing though is my TSH was high last time it was checked (5.5)...and my fingers/toes always feel cold and I have other various symptoms of hypothyroidism...but my TSH wasn't that high a year ago.

it would explain the random fatigue and muscle aches I get (no muscle weakness though) so im getting that rechecked. If thats the cause of it then i'll be kinda relieved (since it's relatively simple to treat)

My fingers feel stiff when I get stressed out too. I play a lot of video games too so you can imagine how that turns out. It's also an endless cycle as anything with anxiety is. Your fingers feel stiff, then you think about your fingers being stiff and they get even more stiff. It's an endless cycle. If it's bothering you too much do as I said. Exercise really helps with muscle tension. They won't tense up if you use equipment or something similar. Walking also tones the muscles and the more you exercise the more your anxiety will take a backseat and the more you'll feel compelled to do it. You could also try various breathing exercises or even medication if you really needed it.

[Mercfh]

Yeah typing sorta plays into the ET unfortunately. Since my fingers will get sore/stiff and that makes the tremors worse.

The thing that bothers me the most is the dizziness. It's like the "feeling" of being off balance, (especially if I turn my head/neck too fast). It seems to come and go.

Thing is im not actually falling anywhere or anything or "actually" losing my balance. So maybe it's an anxiety thing (IE when I "think" about it i'll start to feel more off-balance, but when im not thinking about it i'll be fine). I just worry about MS/Parkinson's mainly.

Im starting to wonder if it's maybe neck/back/posture related. Since I have a lot of left leg pain/feet/legs go numb easily (When sitting). I wouldn't be surprised.

[ARIES34]

Yeah typing sorta plays into the ET unfortunately. Since my fingers will get sore/stiff and that makes the tremors worse.

The thing that bothers me the most is the dizziness. It's like the "feeling" of being off balance, (especially if I turn my head/neck too fast). It seems to come and go.

Thing is im not actually falling anywhere or anything or "actually" losing my balance. So maybe it's an anxiety thing (IE when I "think" about it i'll start to feel more off-balance, but when im not thinking about it i'll be fine). I just worry about MS/Parkinson's mainly.

Im starting to wonder if it's maybe neck/back/posture related. Since I have a lot of left leg pain/feet/legs go numb easily (When sitting). I wouldn't be surprised.

Describe the dizziness. Does it feel like you're walking on a boat? Dizziness is typically caused by the ears. You can have your inner ear tested to see if there's damage... but keep in mind, 'apparently' anxiety can cause 'chronic' dizziness as well.

I've been almost chronically dizzy for many years. I've had every test under the sun... including brain imaging (MRI, MRA). All my tests came back 100% normal.

[Mercfh]

I would describe it as the feeling like I "feel" unsteady. But it's very mild. I don't feel like im going to fall over but it feels like im going to end up not walking in a straight line, especially when I turn my head.


However I actually walk quite straight and don't have any indication of actually falling over. But it has that feeling of feeling just off-balance. It's also not all the time either (seems like I feel it more often when Im actually thinking about it)

[ARIES34]

I would describe it as the feeling like I "feel" unsteady. But it's very mild. I don't feel like im going to fall over but it feels like im going to end up not walking in a straight line, especially when I turn my head.


However I actually walk quite straight and don't have any indication of actually falling over. But it has that feeling of feeling just off-balance. It's also not all the time either (seems like I feel it more often when Im actually thinking about it)

I certainly experience what you've just described. You can research something called Phobic Postural Perceptual Disorder... that's what they very 'loosely' diagnosed with me. I know that what you're experiencing isn't uncommon amongst anxiety sufferers. I recently started taking an SNRI medication to see if it helps with my own 'off-balance/dizzy' issues by calming the brain... I'll let ya now if it helps me.

[JasoNY]

I've had a dizzy/lightheaded feeling (slight headaches) with eye floaters for about 2 months now. It's very unsettling. It doesn't really ever go away, but at times if I take ibuprofen it relieves it a bit. I'm wondering if I should be on meds at this point or just wait and hope it goes away. I've had MRI's of the neck and brain done, only thing that came back was some arthritis/narrowing in the neck at the c5/c6 level.

Aries34, I'd be curious to know if those meds help with your issues.