TREMORS

[severussnape]

I am  a 20 year old female and i have been experiencing tremors in my face,hands and legs. the facial tremours mostly occurs when i am smilling.the leg tremors occur mostly wen i stand on my toes or wen am standing.the tremors in  my hand occur in my arm as well...as well as in the fingers. i am worried is there a possibility i might have parkinsons or hauntingtons?

[Jules77733]

Parkinson's is a possibility, but generally this is genetic--do any of your family members have Parkinson's, or is there a history of Parkinson's in your family? Males are more likely to experience early-onset Parkinson's than females are, which should quell your worries a bit. Typically, the tremor is unilateral (in one particular arm), and the patient begins to have trouble walking, judging distances/being spatially aware, and difficulty with speaking, chewing, and swallowing (dysphagia). Based upon the way you describe it, your tremor doesn't sound like Parkinson's, or early-onset Parkinson's.

The tremor is much more likely to be a result of stress or anxiety--does this seem likely? You might also want to consider getting tested (bloodwork) for myasthenia gravis, Wilson's disease, and thyroid disease. An MRI could rule out some of these, as well as any potential abnormalities in the brain, like a tumor (most of which are benign, not to worry).

The tremor could also be what is called an "essential tremor", of which there is no known cause. In any event, treatment for a tremor occurs once the underlying cause is treated. If no underlying cause can be found, beta-blockers like Propranolol have been proven to minimize essential tremor.

Do you plan to see a neurologist anytime soon? If the tremor persists for more than 2 - 3 weeks, or you begin to develop other symptoms, I would definitely visit your GP as soon as possible to get a handle on things and have some initial bloodwork run, and then schedule an appointment with a neurologist.

I hope you feel better and figure out where your tremor is coming from so you can get rid of it. Keep us posted!

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Thanks for writing in.
These tremors could be due to stress, fatigue and sleep deprivation. Have you been under a lot of stress lately?
These could also be essential tremors or some kind of tics.
Do you have a family history of tremors?
Facial tremors are also a part of parkinsons disease. I would suggest you to relax and take it easy for the next few days, get abundant sleep. If your symptoms still persist you may need a neurological evaluation. Good luck!

[severussnape]

Hi
i have been having changes in my sleeping patterns lately..i cant seem to sleep early so i end up getting 4 or five hours of sleep because i have school in the mornings.The tremors dont relly occur on a daily basis but happen often.I dont know if i have a family history of tremors...the only disease in my family is diabetes.

[severussnape]

Hi there thanks for the info...i dont think i have a family history of parkinson(not that i know of)...the tremors i have occur in both hands and one of my legs and around my mouth area (only when i smile)..the tremors dont occur on a daily basis but do occur often. i intend on getting tested andseeing a neurologist as soon as possible because i have been having these tremors since may...i dont have trouble swallowing,i dont have trouble with my speech neither do i have trouble walking....i judge distances acurately. i also am a very anxious person..so i might think anxiety might be a factor....What other symptoms could i develop/

[Jules77733]

Anxiety would DEFINITELY be a factor. Not sleeping a lot (even if you just started this recently) would also contribute to the problem. I actually just had a good friend finally see a GP and then a psychologist to evaluate her for anxiety, because she would constantly shake during the past four years I knew her in college. Now, she's on a very low dosage of Lorazepam, despite her aversion to taking medication, and she said she feels so much more calm and relaxed. It helps knowing that she's only on medication for a few months, only until her body has the chance to return to "equilibrium" and calm itself down.

Anxiety presents itself in a lot of different ways, and chances are you have other symptoms of anxiety if the tremor is a result of this. Do you think that you "worry" a lot, or have your friends/family ever told you this in the past? Are there times where your have a really rapid heart rate, and feel uneasy about something, even if you aren't quite sure what that something is? Do you get headaches? Some other symptoms you might suffer from could include:

    * Excessive, ongoing worry and tension
    * An unrealistic view of problems
    * Restlessness or a feeling of being "edgy"
    * Irritability
    * Muscle tension
    * Headaches
    * Sweating
    * Difficulty concentrating
    * Nausea
    * The need to go to the bathroom frequently
    * Tiredness
    * Trouble falling or staying asleep
    * Trembling
    * Being easily startled

If you don't feel that you exhibit most of these symptoms, then anxiety might be either another symptom, or just a contributing issue, but not the real cause of your tremor. A full-body tremor such as yours does sound like it could be from anxiety, or at the very least, lack of sleep, which puts stress on your body (I'm not talking about the kind of stress that makes you feel like you have the world on your shoulders--I'm talking about underlying stresses that you might not even be aware of yet). I'm not a doctor, but I don't think you have Parkinson's--you would've noticed dysphagia, speaking difficulties, clumsiness, and body rigidity with movement.

Anxiety also causes insomnia, which may be the reason you're having trouble getting to sleep earlier, so I would have this evaluated if you find it impossible in the future to sleep when you would like to go to sleep. The human body needs at least 7 - 8 hours of sleep each night, preferably with a regular sleep schedule. Take it from a person who didn't do her body any favors and might've really messed it up from not sleeping much while at college the past four years.....

Diabetes, depending on the type, has been linked to thyroid disease, so you may want to have your GP order some thyroid bloodwork if you have any classic thyroid symptoms (brittle nails, dry hair and skin, extreme fatigue, swollen neck, etc.) as hyperthyroidism can cause anxiety, tremors, insomnia, and a whole bunch of other symptoms. Thyroid disease is very easily treated, though.

Good luck with school, try to get more sleep and give yourself more time to relax (i.e. read a book, rather than watching TV before bed), and see if your tremor still sticks around. Hopefully, you'll feel better soon!

[severussnape]

Thanks foe the info.reading what u have posted really does help.i exihibit a considerable amount of those symptoms.i have headaches,i worry alot,i'm edgy,i may have an unrealistic explanation for thind,i get startled easily,sometimes i have trouble concentrating plus the sleep deprivation.my family members have often told me iworry alot but i never thought anxiety could be a disease.i once had palpitations and my cardiologists said maybe it might be due to anxiety.so thanks alot for the help.

[Jules77733]

No problem! Sorry I wrote so much...I'm not that great with words nowadays, a result of being tired all the time. I'm glad you're realizing anxiety is a disease--it's a lot more common than most people think it is, and it can be very debilitating. It's just a chemical imbalance and usually it can be treated, or at least tamed, until your body is able to reach "equilibrium", again. Based upon the symptoms you listed in your last post, it sounds like anxiety really is the culprit of your tremors. Palpitations are also common if you have anxiety...you would feel a lot better if you were being treated for this. Have you talked to your GP about it?