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Michelle356
22-02-17, 17:43
Hello
I am new to this site. I have been reading many posts over the last fee weeks and have found many helpful. I wanted to ask if anyone has suffered from tremors/shaking in their hands and fingers, arms, legs, and neck/spine. The only ones really noticeable outwardly are the hand tremors. They have gotten worse over the last couple weeks but my anxiety also has. I am trying to convince myself that these are caused by anxiety but I have a hard time believing myself. The tremor gets much worse in hot water (shower or bath). At rest I don't shake. My neck feels weeker like my head is too heavy to hold up.sometimes I feel like my voice trembles. I have read much about essential tremor but don't feel it is that because it doesn't go away with a drink of alcohol and it has worsened quickly. My neck is very stiff as well. Dr has seen me and made neurologist referral . MRI of brain normal. Blood work normal. Waiting on neurologist appt which will be about 4-6 months (in Canada and referrals take forever). Does anyone else have significant tremors that last all day?? I have not Googled for several days as know this wont help me except make me more nervous! My fear is some sort of neuro degenerative disease...motor neuron disease...or anything similar.
Thank you for taking time to read!

ServerError
22-02-17, 18:03
Motor neurone disease doesn't present that way, so you can write that fear off right now.

You've also had plenty of good test results, which suggests you're okay.

I'm sure, even in Canada, you'd get a much quicker referral if they suspected anything serious. Anxiety is a diagnosis of exclusion, so they may well just be ruling everything out before finally settling on anxiety. Or it could just be about trying to reassure you.

beatroon
22-02-17, 18:05
I'm pretty sure that if your doctor suspected something horrendous, they would have referred you FAR more quickly than 4-6 months.

This could easily just be anxiety. When I'm really bad, I shake visibly from head to toe, like a tuning fork, and it can go on for days.

Michelle356
22-02-17, 19:07
Thank you both for replying. I am always glad to hear anything that makes MND less likely! My Dr has sent referrals out of my local area in hopes of getting the neurologist appt sooner ...he is not sure what is going on. I also have had bad joint pain through every joint. ..and ache so much. I wonder if this could be anxiety as well? It has been going on for almost 2 weeks now. The tremors worry me the most as it has gotten worse. Started out as a thumb twitch and has progressed now to all fingers/hands and a full body inner tremble. The weak neck feeling concerns me too. I am really trying to relax . So scared to try antidepressants as had horrible side effects trying them a few months ago ...

JamieRR6
22-02-17, 23:25
I get the tremors all the time, especially when I am most anxious. When it is happening I have a strong tremor which seems to come from my neck. My arms feel weak and shaky, and my muscles randomly twitch/ spasm. Seen a neurologist who said everyone has their own tremor, and adrenaline/ anxiety can affect this alot.

Michelle356
23-02-17, 00:42
Thanks Jamie
I wonder if the hot water making them worse is because it causes a surge in adrenalin? ....hmm. ...I don't want to Google that in fear of seeing something I don't want to..lol. do your hands shake when you hold a cup...or spoon etc...and do the tremors ever last week's at a time?
Thank you again for your reply!

LE
23-02-17, 01:09
I had the internal tremmoring for months. It eventually went away when I stopped fearing it. This was in 2012.

Then I had it again only this time was when I was waking up from sleep. That lasted maybe 6 weeks but has also stopped now.x

Michelle356
23-02-17, 15:59
I'm glad to hear yours went away LE! I'm hoping one day I wake up and find them gone.....I really hate them. I visibly tremor in my hands and fingers but find the rest of my body is more of an internal tremor.

Colicab85
23-02-17, 16:22
I can only echo what has been said before.

Get ALS out your mind straight away. ALS or any other kind of MND does not, ever cause any kind of tremor.

The only thing that can be remotely called a "tremor" in MND is a weakness "tremor". In that when you attempt to use your muscles they begin to shake due to weakness. Like if you or I were to lift a weight that is too heavy for us, we will begin to shake. That is what happens in MND.

I have had a tremor for 8 months, constant, all day every day. Very minor shaking in my arms, hands and jaw. Only I can tell its happening and to someone looking at me, you'd have no idea. The doctors put it down to my mental health issues which makes sense.

Michelle356
23-02-17, 18:01
Thanks Colicab
I do tell myself it isn't ALS and feel like that fear isn't so great anymore....but of course it is replaced with fears of something else seriously debilitating or life threatening. My tremors are outwardly noticeable in my hands but not really anywhere else (I don't think!). The rest are internal tremors. I feel like when I bend forward my spine is jerky on the way down...not sure if that makes any sense but the jerkiness is annoying and makes me more scared...which in turn makes my tremors worse of course. I feel like my neck is weak and shaky and my head too heavy for my neck. Sometimes I feel like my body almost twitches like I am shivering but I'm not cold....my trunk and legs included. I hate this. I really don't want to try antidepressants again but feel like I can't seem to get myself less anxious .
Anyways...thanks for taking the time to reply :)

Kb97
24-02-17, 01:19
Hey Michelle,
I've personally had essential tremor for as long as I can remember I must've been 7-9. Mines not actually diagnosed although I did go to the hospital and have all the tests but they didn't offer me any scans just blood work I was only 13. They just didn't put a label on me, I've done a lot of reading and I'm sure it's a essential tremor myself. My tremor doesn't go away with alcohol as far as I know and I have it present at ALL times in my hands and fingers. It goes absolutely crazy when my anxiety levels are high, I can relate to the voice box shakiness and it normally happens during high anxiety. My mum believes it has a lot to do with my anxiety as all tremors do in my opinion. Question: does it get worse when you're hungry and tired? Essential tremor is so specific compared to other tremors as I've found doing my research, if your tremor isn't there when your hands are flat/at rest I very highly doubt it's anything serious. Give me a message if you ever want to chat!

Michelle356
24-02-17, 07:06
Oh wow Kb you were so young to have tremors! Have they progressively worsened over the years or stayed the same? (Besides the high anxiety times). Do your tremors get worse after a hot bath or shower? I don't find mine worsen with being hungry or tired. I agree with your mum that anxiety makes the tremors worse. Mine started as a thumb tremor or twitch. ..in one hand and that was just in December. Now I feel shaky all over but only my hands and fingers are noticeable to others. I hope that once I get some of my anxiety about all the symptoms I have under control..then the shakiness /tremors disappear for good! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience!

Kb97
24-02-17, 16:04
Hey,
Sadly I was yeah! I've never known any different luckily it seems they've stayed the same so far so I'm hoping it doesn't progress as essential tremor can be quite disabling at an older age. Mine was brought on after my granddad died and just never left. With mine it gets worse with hunger/exhaustion and that's quite a common sign that it's essential tremor. It's very possible you're just going through a very rough patch of anxiety and once you come out the other end it'll go. I've never actually noticed after baths/showers, I never pay attention to it anymore but I think that's because I've had it so long and sort of learned to do everything ignoring it. I just know the main things are hunger, exhaustion, stress and anxiety that make it worse. Just see how you feel in a few months (I've left mine for 13 years undiagnosed well sort of as they wouldn't do further testing) so you'll be fine! If it continues get a referral to get it checked out, stay positive and don't worry!

GeorgeSteele
24-02-17, 17:05
I can only echo what has been said before.

Get ALS out your mind straight away. ALS or any other kind of MND does not, ever cause any kind of tremor.

The only thing that can be remotely called a "tremor" in MND is a weakness "tremor". In that when you attempt to use your muscles they begin to shake due to weakness. Like if you or I were to lift a weight that is too heavy for us, we will begin to shake. That is what happens in MND.

I have had a tremor for 8 months, constant, all day every day. Very minor shaking in my arms, hands and jaw. Only I can tell its happening and to someone looking at me, you'd have no idea. The doctors put it down to my mental health issues which makes sense.


I have exactly what you describe, and I have seen 11 neurologists and not one person every said this. They eventually diagnosed me with a Functional Movement Disorder stemming from anxiety/depression.

Michelle356
24-02-17, 18:38
I do hope it is a result of my high anxiety as you say Kb!
George...I also shake when I use my muscles. This is new for me in the past couple months and think it could be a result of losing over 20 pounds in that time (also due to the anxiety as I have no appetite either) and therefore I imagine I've lost muscle mass. That's what I'm telling myself anyways!! I haven't done much in terms of exercise the past several months because I have felt so awful with all my anxiety symptoms... so my legs and arms shake and my muscles get extremely tired very fast if I use them at all. Hoping it is all a result of anxiety but always fearing it is something sinister:unsure:

GeorgeSteele
25-02-17, 20:33
I've decided to just say screw it and go back to the gym. I went on the treadmill for an hour last night, and I'm gonna go back tonight. Logically I know that if I really had something wrong with me it would be the biggest coincidence known to man. The fact that this happened to me while my second son was born, ending a job I hated and starting a new one, and dealing with normal every day stressors just seems really weird if wasn't due to stress. The only thing I have trouble grasping is the 24 hours worth of the physical symptoms. I was under the impression that anxiety symptoms only occur when you are really anxious, but I've been reading that long periods of untreated anxiety can lead to some weird physical stuff.

Noivous
25-02-17, 21:05
This is an extremely common symptom of anxiety. The problem is the more we worry the more we shake...the more we shake the more we worry. This will run it's course and stop. Hang in there friend. You will get through this for sure.

N.

GeorgeSteele
26-02-17, 01:54
18 months of dealing with these tremors/muscle shakes/trembling. Starting to wonder when or if it will pass, but I'll keep living either way.

Michelle356
26-02-17, 06:28
I think working out is a great idea George....and I hope it only makes things better for you. I need to start living more again and stop letting these symptoms rule my life! I am thinking of trying some antidepressants as my Dr feels it will help. I am really scared to start them because I am terrified of the side effects...but I just want to get back to feeling good again! I'm really hoping the tremors/shakes will disappear once the antidepressant takes effect!

GeorgeSteele
28-02-17, 05:26
I drove across the country last month to meet with a doctor about my condition. Had to take a few days off from work, so I mentioned to my boss what was going on, and he's been a complete dick to me since. Told me not to tell anyone in my office because they might think it's weird or something.

Also, had a breakdown and woes me moment at work today. But had a good therapy session, so that's good.

Colicab85
28-02-17, 12:33
I have exactly what you describe, and I have seen 11 neurologists and not one person every said this. They eventually diagnosed me with a Functional Movement Disorder stemming from anxiety/depression.

The 2 neurologists i have seen told me this...but we may not have the same type of tremor if that makes sense.

I went to a neuro concerned about tremor and als and was told the only thing that even resembles a shake or tremor is due to muscle weakness, and it is NEVER a resting tremor. As in, you do not sit there and shake.

There is a website with an article from an ALS neuro that states the same.

GeorgeSteele
28-02-17, 15:41
You shouldn't be posting stuff like this on a health anxiety forum in my opinion. As for the muscle weakness theory, I've had this condition for 2 years now, and I can still bench wha to benched back then if not more. I'm gonna have to take the sample size of 11 doctors vs a random internet poster.

Probs92
28-02-17, 19:24
@GeorgeSteele, I have been to a number of doctors too, one being the leading research of rare motor diseases and neuropathies in New England, and his statements coincided with those of Colicab85. You do not see tremors in ALS/MND.

As for the OP, I started with twitching but developed hand, jaw, and leg tremors, all of which can be caused by severe anxiety. Essentially you have overloaded your system with high concentrations of various sympathetic agonistic hormones, namely Adrenaline. (epinephrine). As my anxiety has improved, so has my twitching and tremoring. I occassionally have a fear that it is ALS/MND, but the fact that I have been twitching/tremoring for 3 months now and do not show signs of any muscle weakness is a testament to how it is just the anxiety.

Throughout this journey, I have learned that Anxiety can manifest itself in a number of ways that are physical. Tremoring is one of those manifestations...

GeorgeSteele
28-02-17, 19:53
Maybe I misunderstood what he was implying. I'm frustrated that I've had this for 2 years now, and I have zero hope in site. I have yet to read one case of somebody who had tremors from anxiety 24 hours a day, and recovered from them.