shaking dizziness numb hands

[dewncoffee]

Have been kinda concerned 41 year old female,I wake up shaking for a few seconds up to five times weekly. A few episodes of shaking while awake. Also numbness in hands and arms, back of head etc.  A few episodes of dizziness, without actually fainting.  Father diagnosed with essential tremor.
should I pursue treatment?  
Thanks
Chris

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

Essential tremor is usually inherited from one generation to the next in an 'autosomal dominant with incomplete penetrance' pattern - this means that it can be passed from parents to children directly. You may have early essentia ltremior but I cannot make a clinical diagnosis over the internet. Other causes such as seizures (esp. if the shaking is on one side) , myoclonus, or neuropathy need to be excluded. These can be evaluated by a general neurologist. Drug Treatment for essential tremor is available if it is debilitating enough.

[nosol]

Hello,

These are unusual symptoms and you haven't discribed them in great detail.  Essential tremor is somewhat unlikely as it wouldn't make sense with your sensory complaints or dizziness, or the fact that these "shaking episodes" are so transient.  Do these symptoms come on when you sit/ stand up from  a lying position?   You might want to have your blood pressure checked by a PMD while you're lying down and then when you're sitting up and standing.   Sometimes changes in pressure (i.e., drop in blood pressure) upon standing up can bring on such symptoms as dizziness and shaking of the body.  YOu might want to have your carotid and vertebro-basilar arterial system checked by a doppler (this is noninsvasive and quick) to make sure you don't have any significant narrowing of these arteries.

Good luck!