Diagnosed with an Essential Tremor and have some questions

[Catherine Wingfield]

I recently went to a neurologist for tremors and he told me that it is most likely an Essential Tremor and he put me on some medicine; which is fine, but I have some questions; first what is (are) the difference(s) between an Essential Tremor and Parkinson's Disease. Second will an Essential Tremor worsen; right now it only affects my head will it eventually affect other areas of my body and if so will it deteriorate the rest of my muscles like Parkinson's Disease does?

[Catherine Wingfield]

Yeah propranolol is doing nothing for me but I have only been on it for a few days the doctor wants me to go back for and MRI if it doesn't help but he said not to be alarmed he just wants to be certain it is nothing more serious then an Essential Tremor. I just find it odd that I would be getting them because I am so young. My blood pressure was fine when I went to the doctor and I've never had a problem with it so I don't understand why he put me on propranolol there's got to be other medicine that can help treat ET's.
Also I had my electrolytes tested and they were fine. If I hear from one more doctor that it's just stress I'm going to scream!
:)

[lmroswell]

My aunt originally was dxd with Parkinson's years ago.  Turns out not to be Parkinson's, but essential tremor.  She is on inderal, which is a beta blocker, but also helps in controlling the tremors.  It's prescribed alot for tremors.  Her hands were what was causing her problems, now her head bobs just a little.  I think everyone is different with this condition, some get worse, others don't.

[Catherine Wingfield]

I am on Propranolol which seems odd to me because no where under the uses does it say "used for tremors" but I'm taking the Neurologist word for it. I'm not sure what a Bp is do you mean my blood pressure(that's fine)? I'm sorry to sound ignorant it's just I've always been pretty healthy I mean I am only 21... I know that I started getting tremors in my head; a 'no-no' shake, and I obviously knew that this wasn't normal so I went to my regular family doctor and he checked my thyroid and my electrolytes each came back fine and he kind of blew it off as stress (stress is the cause of everything but don't worry amoxicillin cures it); which I knew that wasn't it, so I asked them to test my blood sugar level for Hypotgylcemia that also came back fine so this time I just asked to be referred to a Neurologist and the Neurologist told me he thinks it is an Essential Tremor and he put me on the medicine for a two week trial saying if it doesn't help at all then to come back in for an MRI and some brain wave scans. My question is if it is an Essential Tremor will it get worse like Parkinson's does?
Thank you!
Cat

[Bruyere]

I don't know alot about tremours but my sister and I both went through the similar stuff you're going through.  Ours turned out to be a problem with electrolytes...could be worth a shot to look into that.

[joshua217777]

Ask for blood test for Overactive Thyroid, it causes tremors, weakness, palipitations and many other problems.