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SPORADIC TREMORS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Normally I have no problem writing. When I have to sign a document, sign a check, or address an envelope, my hand shakes. Why is that? Is that normal in Multiple Sclerosis? Thank you
Hi, I had been diagnosed with Essential Tremors 5 yrs ago. And these two months have been hard for me. My rt hand and arm shake in a resting postion and rt hand shakes when I am either reaching or grabbing or holding something in my hand. I also noticed that my rt leg shakes too especially when I am driving. I also noticed that I tend to freeze when I am walking like I am unable to move for a fews seconds. Also, starting to drool. Extra salvia and i sometimes drool. And also startin to lose my train of thought. So, please would like everyone's thoughts on this. Thankyou
Hey all,
Just thought I would chime in here and say if your hand tightens up it could be Writer's cramp. I have this when my symptoms kick up or if I get to tired.
http://www.wemove.org/dys/dys_flimb.html
task-specific dystonias. The most common task-specific limb dystonia of the arm occurs with writing and is therefore known as writer's cramp.
JJFL
Just thought I would chime in here and say if your hand tightens up it could be Writer's cramp. I have this when my symptoms kick up or if I get to tired.
http://www.wemove.org/dys/dys_flimb.html
task-specific dystonias. The most common task-specific limb dystonia of the arm occurs with writing and is therefore known as writer's cramp.
JJFL
My tremors don't exactly relapse and remit, but they do get noticeably worse sometimes. I tend not to be aware of the mildest variety, until I see someone looking. Sometimes I have real trouble doing things, like eating soup, but most times I don't.
Remember that intention tremors can be essential--or not. Also remember that pretty much all tremors are the intention type, the big exception being the kind that comes with Parkinson's disease, where movement occurs in resting arms and hands. This gets all the more complicated when we see well-known people with Parkinson's, and their entire bodies seem to move. Think Michael J. Fox. From what I understand, that kind of movement relates to medication, not to the baisc disease.
In any case, if I were you I'd really track down the cause of your tremors. Seen without any other obvious symptoms, they're likely to be labeled essential, which is the easy answer. I know it's the right one in my case. But many with MS have tremors that are caused by this disease.
Still, this can get confusing. As my neuro put it, "You have two neurological diseases." That happens.
ess
Remember that intention tremors can be essential--or not. Also remember that pretty much all tremors are the intention type, the big exception being the kind that comes with Parkinson's disease, where movement occurs in resting arms and hands. This gets all the more complicated when we see well-known people with Parkinson's, and their entire bodies seem to move. Think Michael J. Fox. From what I understand, that kind of movement relates to medication, not to the baisc disease.
In any case, if I were you I'd really track down the cause of your tremors. Seen without any other obvious symptoms, they're likely to be labeled essential, which is the easy answer. I know it's the right one in my case. But many with MS have tremors that are caused by this disease.
Still, this can get confusing. As my neuro put it, "You have two neurological diseases." That happens.
ess
Thank you for explaining about essential and intention tremors. I haven't seen anything this clear before. But I'm still confused about my own tremor -- right hand, only when trying to be precise, like drinking coffee or pouring lab chemicals. That was one of my earliest symptoms, age 33, and it went away for years and now is back. Do essential tremors relapse and remit? Two neuros have called it "essential" and one physical therapist saw it and called it "intention."
Sorry, just saw this again. The reason I suggested that emotions might be involved is depicted in Magio's post just above this. She says she gets nervous sometimes and that affects her handwriting. This doesn't seem at all unusual. When we are trying hard to make 'the right impression' it can be nerve-wracking. Maybe in Magio's case the result is a little more than this, but it could be from the same cause. Nervousness is the product of anxiety, which we can have at specific times but not all the time.
Even people with essential tremor, like me for instance, sometimes find that the tremor gets a bit worse in certain nerve-induced social or business situations. That's considered normal.
If you read up on tremors using Google, you are likely to get rather confused, because different sites use conflicting terminology. But I think it's usually simpler than they make it sound. From one viewpoint there are 2 kinds of tremor, intention and resting. Intention covers all our moves when we are trying to accomplish something--reaching out, eating soup, writing, picking something up, and on and on. Resting tremors are just that. The muscles are relaxed and not doing anything. For instance, hands at side or sitting in lap.
Intention tremors are often essential. This means that there is no underlying illness causing them. About 50% of essential tremor is inherited, the rest of unknown source. Essential tremors often present relatively early in life, and it is normal for them to get worse as the patient ages. Although some people are truly disabled from this condition, the vast majority aren't. For me, I am having quite a lot of trouble holding liquids in a spoon. Putting on most makeup products means I have to steady one hand with the other. Recently when I need to double-click with my mouse, my hand has been jerking between the clicks, so I have to cover the hand with the other to hold still. In my younger life I was often embarrassed by tremors, as I saw people looking at me strangely, but one benefit of being older is that you stop caring.
All the movements I've just described are intention tremors resulting from essential tremor disorder. But essential tremor often affects more than just hands and intention. As has been mentioned, it is not uncommon to have essential tremor in the neck or head, and this often affects the quality of the voice. My voice tends to be a bit reedy. My neuro had me hold an EEEE sound for a long time to check to see if there was a quaver, which there was. He told his resident that that is a sure way of determining whether tremors are essential.
Back to resting tremors, the other kind. From what I understand, a big factor in this is the presence of Parkinson's Disease. Someone with confirmed Parkinson's will also show other abnormalities in movement, specifically in manner of walking.
Obviously I'm hardly an expert here, and don't mean to come across as one. What I've written is way over-simplified, but still I think it covers the huge majority of tremor instances.
Of course, tremors can also be caused by MS, no question about that, and as far as I know, these are the intention (doing something) variety. And of course they'e not essential, they're caused by a disease. A good neuro should be able to figure this out. In my case I had been told many years ago that I had essential tremor, and I'm sure they were right. That only makes sense, because I certainly haven't had MS that long.
It's an odd thing, but sometimes now people see my hands trembling, and the ones who know about the MS diagnosis attribute it to that and I think feel sorry for me. Hope no one here thinks this is too awful, but sometimes, I just let them, providing it's only a tiny deal. Explaining it gets very complicated. Of course a person can have more than one neurological disorder, etc., Sometime it's worth going into, but others not. Besides, it's the only thing that people can see. My pain elsewhere can be terrible and only I know that. It's ironic, isn't it?
Well, I sure didn't set out to go on and on, but still I've managed to accomplish that. If anyone is still reading, thank you!
ess
Even people with essential tremor, like me for instance, sometimes find that the tremor gets a bit worse in certain nerve-induced social or business situations. That's considered normal.
If you read up on tremors using Google, you are likely to get rather confused, because different sites use conflicting terminology. But I think it's usually simpler than they make it sound. From one viewpoint there are 2 kinds of tremor, intention and resting. Intention covers all our moves when we are trying to accomplish something--reaching out, eating soup, writing, picking something up, and on and on. Resting tremors are just that. The muscles are relaxed and not doing anything. For instance, hands at side or sitting in lap.
Intention tremors are often essential. This means that there is no underlying illness causing them. About 50% of essential tremor is inherited, the rest of unknown source. Essential tremors often present relatively early in life, and it is normal for them to get worse as the patient ages. Although some people are truly disabled from this condition, the vast majority aren't. For me, I am having quite a lot of trouble holding liquids in a spoon. Putting on most makeup products means I have to steady one hand with the other. Recently when I need to double-click with my mouse, my hand has been jerking between the clicks, so I have to cover the hand with the other to hold still. In my younger life I was often embarrassed by tremors, as I saw people looking at me strangely, but one benefit of being older is that you stop caring.
All the movements I've just described are intention tremors resulting from essential tremor disorder. But essential tremor often affects more than just hands and intention. As has been mentioned, it is not uncommon to have essential tremor in the neck or head, and this often affects the quality of the voice. My voice tends to be a bit reedy. My neuro had me hold an EEEE sound for a long time to check to see if there was a quaver, which there was. He told his resident that that is a sure way of determining whether tremors are essential.
Back to resting tremors, the other kind. From what I understand, a big factor in this is the presence of Parkinson's Disease. Someone with confirmed Parkinson's will also show other abnormalities in movement, specifically in manner of walking.
Obviously I'm hardly an expert here, and don't mean to come across as one. What I've written is way over-simplified, but still I think it covers the huge majority of tremor instances.
Of course, tremors can also be caused by MS, no question about that, and as far as I know, these are the intention (doing something) variety. And of course they'e not essential, they're caused by a disease. A good neuro should be able to figure this out. In my case I had been told many years ago that I had essential tremor, and I'm sure they were right. That only makes sense, because I certainly haven't had MS that long.
It's an odd thing, but sometimes now people see my hands trembling, and the ones who know about the MS diagnosis attribute it to that and I think feel sorry for me. Hope no one here thinks this is too awful, but sometimes, I just let them, providing it's only a tiny deal. Explaining it gets very complicated. Of course a person can have more than one neurological disorder, etc., Sometime it's worth going into, but others not. Besides, it's the only thing that people can see. My pain elsewhere can be terrible and only I know that. It's ironic, isn't it?
Well, I sure didn't set out to go on and on, but still I've managed to accomplish that. If anyone is still reading, thank you!
ess
Wow, I'm new here and I didn't expect so many nice people to answer me. Thank you so much for all your thoughtful input. I really appreciate it. You have no idea. What I'm thinking is that when I have something important to sign, I get nervous. I love the idea of naming my symptoms, so I will name this symptom Wiggles. You all sound upbeat and I like that. Thanks again good people. Magio
> People name their cars and pets. Why not my symptoms?
Heh... Sure, but people *like* their cars and pets. At least the ones they give names to!
Heh... Sure, but people *like* their cars and pets. At least the ones they give names to!
Hi Ess...
I'm just curious as to why you said that magio's tremor's "come from something emotional"????
Also, I would like to add that I have "tremors" in my hands when I try and accomplish small tasks or use fine motor skills....(buttoning shirts, writing, sewing, etc..)
My handwriting has changed drastically in the last 2 years....I have to write, (actually PRINT) in large letters...it's so embarrassing!!
Tammy
I'm just curious as to why you said that magio's tremor's "come from something emotional"????
Also, I would like to add that I have "tremors" in my hands when I try and accomplish small tasks or use fine motor skills....(buttoning shirts, writing, sewing, etc..)
My handwriting has changed drastically in the last 2 years....I have to write, (actually PRINT) in large letters...it's so embarrassing!!
Tammy
I had similar intention tremors for months and then they went away. With my last flair I had a whole body type of tremor. It is subsiding a little. But, the heat makes things worse. And now when I get hot my various tremors come to visit me at times. I think I will start to give them and my other symptoms names.
People name their cars and pets. Why not my symptoms? At least it will make things a bit more interesting. And I choose to be flexible in the changing of the names depending on my moods. Hmm, I wonder if that could make people think me even stranger? Oh, well. Perhaps I will get better treatment from the doctors, then.
Anything to keep life interesting and put a positive spin on things!!!!
Take care!
Torey
People name their cars and pets. Why not my symptoms? At least it will make things a bit more interesting. And I choose to be flexible in the changing of the names depending on my moods. Hmm, I wonder if that could make people think me even stranger? Oh, well. Perhaps I will get better treatment from the doctors, then.
Anything to keep life interesting and put a positive spin on things!!!!
Take care!
Torey
Hi Magio!
We've not chatted yet and I wanted to welcome you to our group!
You've gotten good info above, so I'm just popping in to say hello and to mention that I have a tremor in my left thumb and inbetween my pointer and the thumb area. It comes and goes daily, but coincidentally, when I started taking baclofen for spasms, it subsided substantially, it was a residual benefit, but I'm loving it.
I'm not even sure if mine is called a textbook tremor, but I know it just jerks steady at will, and stops just as abruptly too. I'm fortunate it's not my right hand.
Hope you stick around. Thanks for coming our way,
Shelly
We've not chatted yet and I wanted to welcome you to our group!
You've gotten good info above, so I'm just popping in to say hello and to mention that I have a tremor in my left thumb and inbetween my pointer and the thumb area. It comes and goes daily, but coincidentally, when I started taking baclofen for spasms, it subsided substantially, it was a residual benefit, but I'm loving it.
I'm not even sure if mine is called a textbook tremor, but I know it just jerks steady at will, and stops just as abruptly too. I'm fortunate it's not my right hand.
Hope you stick around. Thanks for coming our way,
Shelly
Action or intention tremors are very common in MS. I suspect you have having trouble with those thing that you "concentrate on writing" as opposed to just writing. This would fit with a minor intention tremor in which the harder you try to be precise the more the tremor shows up. It is the very reason I was invited to become anything BUT a surgeon.
So, I would so this is not unusual at all.
Quix
So, I would so this is not unusual at all.
Quix
Well, personally I have tremors when I paint, or write, or do anything that requires precision work. I think they're called 'intention tremors' and they're caused by the muscle trembling when it's asked to contract or lengthen.
I also have essential tremors, which is the state of constant wiggle, mostly in my neck (which then translates to my head.) It's worse around the middle of the day.
I would ask yourself if you're doing anything different when your hand starts shaking. Is it just signing things? Are you holding the pen differently? I've found new ways of holding the paintbrush, so I can paint a line without it being too wiggly.
I also have essential tremors, which is the state of constant wiggle, mostly in my neck (which then translates to my head.) It's worse around the middle of the day.
I would ask yourself if you're doing anything different when your hand starts shaking. Is it just signing things? Are you holding the pen differently? I've found new ways of holding the paintbrush, so I can paint a line without it being too wiggly.
Hi, Magio. The short answer to your question is no. I've never heard that people with MS have 'selective tremors,' if you know what I mean. Do you have MS?
Actually, tremors are much more likely to come from other causes. A quick Google will give you loads of info on this. I'm thinking that yours might come from something emotional, but I'm sure no expert. Hope others chime in here.
ess
Actually, tremors are much more likely to come from other causes. A quick Google will give you loads of info on this. I'm thinking that yours might come from something emotional, but I'm sure no expert. Hope others chime in here.
ess
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