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Shaking/trembling body part at night. Can anyone relate?

I am having weird trembling/vibrating/shaking feeling in my arms or neck and sometimes my jaw that wakes me in the night. (Each time a different area.) My husband says he can't feel it in bed.  I usually can sleep for the first 6 hours at night then I wake from theses "trembles" around 2-3am.  Sometimes they are stronger then other times.  Sometimes (only on occasion) I have a rush of awake feeling just before it happens.  (But no racing heart or breathing, not anxious) just a all of a sudden awake rush out of my sleep and instantly trembling that lasts 10 seconds in a wave of intensity.  Sometimes I just wake while I'm already trembling. Once it starts happening then each time I try to fall back asleep it awakes me again.  Three weeks after it first started then I also got a vibrating feeling in one or both arms sometimes during the day that can't been seen unless I am hold a spoon or something. Sometimes I just notice my hands are shaking without feeling the vibrating (noticeable when I do a small task like texting or holding my glass up to drink)  
I went to my GP about 3 weeks after it started.  She said anxiety and ran some blood tests. (No Lyme, no thyroid issue, no diabetes, no mercury).  But since it has continued for 3 months straight every single night she referred me to a neurologist. The appt. is next week.  I am so scared.  I am worried it's MS, seizures, or something.  Actually this constant problem has made me terrified because I can't figure it out!  Even worse would be living with this with no answers because I can't sleep.  I just want to be my "normal' again.
I've been searching the web trying to find an answer.  Has anyone experienced this?   Any ideas or advice? I'm 45 yr old woman and otherwise healthy.  I've had anxiety problems 20 years ago, but never these symptoms (and tremors came first this anxiety now followed.)  I had a partial hysterectomy 1 1/2 years ago, could it be hormonal?  I tried magnesium (no help), calcium with D (this seems to lower the intensity of the tremors and make the duration longer) but no real answers.

I should mention I started having high pitch ringing in my ears (mainly left but often both). About 2-3 months before this started.  Still having ringing, that never stopped.  That makes me think brain tumor?

I've read a lot of old posts about this.  Anyone out there ever figure out what causes this?
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Avatar universal
Sounds like Vitamin B 12 deficiency.

Low B12 can mimic MS.

It may be a combination of B12, vitamin D and magnesium.
How are your iron and ferritin levels?

Did you take the magnesium and D together and daily?
If you're not tested low in calcium it's not good to take extra.
Vitamin K2 is necessary to direct calcium in your body. It prevents calcium from being deposited into your arteries.


Get blood tests:

Vitamin B12 levels:
serum B12
HotoTC levels
MMA
Homocystein.

Vitamin D3 level:
(D3 level more important than D2)
The only blood test that can diagnose vitamin D deficiency is a 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25 OH vitamin D). Unfortunately, some doctors are still ordering the wrong test, 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D.

Magnesium level:
have your Doctor do a Magnesium RBC test. It's not a standard test doctors run, but the only accurate blood test for magnesium. Magnesium serrum which most doctors run is not accurate.


Good: B12 (Methylcobalamin)
Bad: B12 (cyanocobalamin)

there are 4 forms of B12, methylcobalamin, Adenosylcobalamin, Hydroxocobalamin and cyanocobalamin.

B12 levels below 200 are extremely deficient and many doctors feel the actual level of deficiency should be at 400. Most people have levels between 800-1,000

High levels of Methylmalonic Acid (MMA) in the blood or the urine reflect inadequate adenosylcobalamin levels. One study found people with reported MMA levels of .27 micromoles per liter or higher (.26 or above indicates B12 deficiency) may show higher homocysteine levels, while those at .60 may suffer from neurological issues. [1] [2]Testing for MMA will reveal whether the body is adenosylcobalamin deficient.

Vitamin B12 is present in, used by and necessary for the proper functioning of every single cell in the human body. Some of the things Vitamin B12 is responsible for ...The most important roles Vitamin B12 plays in the body include:
Creation and repair of DNA
Creation and maintenance of the myelin sheath that insulates nerves in the body and neurons in the brain
Regulation of the production of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM-e), a mood-regulating chemical
Support of methylation and detoxification
Metabolism of fatty acids and proteins
Maintenance of proper function of nerve cells and brain chemistry
Energy production
Production of red blood cells and hemoglobin
Reduction of inflammatory homocysteine – excess homocysteine is associated with coronary disease, Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, diabetes, osteoporosis and more.

Based on the above list, it is obvious that a B12 deficiency can cause severe health issues. Although all of the B vitamins are essential for true health, a deficiency in Vitamin B12 can affect health in ways that impact daily life more strongly than some of the other B Vitamins. A deficiency in Vitamin B12 may cause any or all of the following symptoms:
Anemia
Fatigue, sometimes severe
Feeling of heaviness in arms, legs and head
Muscle weakness
Depression and despondency
Easy bruising
Sleep disturbances and insomnia
Hormonal imbalances
Elevated liver enzymes
Diarrhea, constipation or other digestive woes such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and/or bloating
Red, swollen tongue
Bleeding gums
Pale skin
“Brain fog,” problems concentrating, memory loss
Shortness of breath on even mild exertion
Numbness or tingling in extremities (neuropathy in severe cases)
Headaches and migraines
Ataxia (lack of balance, may affect gait)
Dizziness and lightheadedness
White spots on the skin of the forearm (may be misdiagnosed as Vitiligo)
Irritability and extreme mood swings
Tachycardia, skipped heart beats, irregular heart rhythm
Eye twitches and tics
Irregular periods, heavy bleeding, infertility
Decrease or disappearance of normal reflex responses
Some people report pain in their ring finger and palm


Where ever you live Vitamin D3 MUST be taken DAILY to obtain the best result. In the form cholecalciferol it has a half life of 19-25hrs and in this form there are cells throughout the body that can covert it to the storage form and/or the active hormonal form just when and where it is required.

We should only be using D3. Ideally daily supplementation is better than weekly and there is no reason why people shouldn't ANTICIPATE that as 25(OH)D rises initially their calcium absorption will increase and expose the fact they are magnesium deficient.  
We need to be reducing calcium, (because only really ignorant doctors know that correcting vitamin D status enables higher calcium absorption which needs magnesium to counterbalance the calcium. So taking extra magnesium spread through the day in small amounts WHILE you are taking your DAILY vitamin D3 will be fine.



I've had internal tremors for years. I was recently diagnosed with anemia and Vitamin D deficiency. I've had anxiety and insomnia also. I started taking supplements and was improving, but still had symptoms. I added Methylcobalamin B12 sublinguals and methyl folate daily and it's helped more. I found a liquid B12 that's 80% Methylcobalamin & 20% Adenocobalamin.
Things are improving but it's been 13 weeks and I'm still healing.





Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
One thing to check -- are you clenching your teeth or clenching your arms while you sleep?  When you awake, check to see if you're pulling on your arms.  But gotta tell ya, I haven't slept 6 straight hours since Paxil withdrawal 10 and a half years ago.  I'd give anything for 6 straight hours of sleep!
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
No, I'm not tensing up.  I'm really sorry to hear that you can't sleep either. Thanks for your feedback. Before this I had no problems sleeping. When I have the shakes it makes me unable to fall back asleep.  I'm not anxious just wide awake.  Last night was awful again.  When I shake/tremble I can't stop it until it runs its course.  Not like a normal muscle spasm.  Feel like a shaking feeling inside and only slightly visible.  Praying the doctor will have some answers.  
Avatar universal
Just go see the neurologist.  You'll feel a lot better when you know what it is. Meanwhile, you can ask your primary for some benzos for the short-term, which is exactly how they are supposed to be used - for short-term acute anxiety. Good luck!
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
Thanks for the comment.
Thanks DrVivian, I went to see the neurologist.  I posted a response to someone about the appointment on an anxiety forum.  You can see it in my profile posts.  Basically he thinks that anxiety has hyper sensitized my nervous system and is causing the symptoms.  
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