head tremor

[littlegirllost533]

im a 28 year old mum of 2.about 3 months ago i woke with a head tremor+it hasn't gone away since.it either shakes in a 'no-no' motion or in a way that i can only describe as a noddy dog toy u sit in back of ur car window.it seems to be worse when resting,trying to relax and is really intense when im around people outside my household even those im really close to.i have suffered social anxiety for about 6 years now,so maybe its worse round people as im so conciece of it?i don't feel that the tremor is to do with my anxiety,but because of it my anxiety is becoming really bad.i'm barely leaving the house now because of the tremor+may sound pathetic but its taking over my life+can't even hold a conversation properly as my words get so muddled from the anxiety.i'm slowly cutting myself off from people i love+want to be around,as i can't cope with the tremor when i'm around them.right now i just want to tackle+rid this head tremor(not tackle the anxiety),if i can than i feel my anxiety will fade dramatically as its all focused on the tremor now.i take 3 times daily,40mg propanolol for my anxiety,which coincidently is also used to treat tremors.i had blood tests,they were all clear,apart from slightly low vitamin B12.The doctor is very unsure as it could be so many things+likely to be something uncureable,so chances are i'll just have to learn to live with it.any help or advice????

[littlegirllost533]

hi just to update,ive finally seen the neurologist+been diagnosed with some form of dystonia.it may spread to diferent body parts(already starting in my eyes)may get worse or completely vanish for periods of time.i had loads of tests+an mri scan yesterday just to make sure that it is alone dystonia and nothing that is causing it.told me there is no 'cure' to it but are going to advise me on different drugs to mask the tremor,including botox injections to the neck.all the drugs+botox have pretty scarey side effects,so at the moment i'm definately not going to be taking any of them.its been 8 months now since the tremor started and ive naturally taught myself simple ways of controlling it,im now a complete fidget(twidling my hair,necklace,biting my nails)but it really does help control it or hide it.im just going to try and work on my anxiety and hopefully then i'l be less aware and self conciece of the tremors.read back my first post and remembered how bad i felt about it then,made me see that i have made progress since then as it no longer rules my life.

[mammo]

Do keep us posted.  If you've only seen your GP regarding this, he's not equipped to diagnose the cause of your tremor, and I feel confident that the Neurologist will.  My GP had no idea what was casuing my hand tremor but a Neurologist did.  Until your appt. live your life, don't allow anxiety to hold you hostage. You should also consider therapy to learn if you have a root cause for your anxiety, it sounds like you do.  Once you discover what this is, you get it out in the open, deal with it and ease your anxiety. This is the time to live your life without worrying what others think....it's about you right now.  Best wishes and do let us know what you find out.

[littlegirllost533]

Thanks for your comments.
I am feeling more positive today+have aranged some get togethers with friends for the weekend. Your so right i shouldn't isolate myself it will only make things worse, so going to fight this again+try not to give in+flight. I know its not the propanolol,i withdrew from this to see+the tremor and anxiety was unbearable. I've seen a few doctors and they are useless, i seem to know more than them about anxiety and tremors, am disgusted at how it is such a tabboo+misunderstood problem in thes days of so-called mental health awareness. Seen the doctor again today and he hasn't a clue,so has referred me to a neurologist,but will take months for an appointment. I wouldn't mind but i acted quick in seeking help after the tremor started and they are making it a long dragged out process,which at the end im now thinking i'm not going to get the answers i need. The doc said he's reffered me to find a medication to mask the tremor, but i'm hoping they will try and find the root cause of the tremor rather than hide the problem with more drugs. Thanks for the link you left, i had a look and it has helped rule out some types of tremor. On the link it showed that mercury poisoning can cause a lot of problems including tremor. I have a broken tooth which has an exposed mercury filling and as unlikely as it sounds it could be the cause, worth a check, never know removing a filling could give me myself back (ohh i wish). i'm not on any other meds apart from propanolol, although i have tried a few types of anxiety meds and nothing seems to suit me. im ok on the propanalol, i know it only hides a few of the anxiety symptoms but it doesn't change me like all the other meds ive tried seemed to. Broke down to my mum about it after all this time and found out anxiety runs right through the family,so think i may just have to accept that this is me now+live with it,but am determin to rid the tremor. My anxiety began(but think it was always slightly there)after my first child,when i had servere depresion+also my brother(who was my idol+hero) commited suicide at same time-so i was and still am pretty traumatised by it all. Wow,just realised how much ive ranted on,so waiting game for now+i'l let you know how things go.

[mammo]

Anyone suffering with any type of tremor will find it gets worse when anxious.  I agree very much with the above post in you not withdrawing from your family and life.  Don't allow your anxiety to get the best of you...keep fighting back.  Below is a site that tells you the different types of tremors and what can cause them, maybe this can help you and your doctor.  I personally don't feel that Propanaolol is a good medication to control anxiety and you may want to discuss this with your doctor.  It is very short acting, so it doesn't stay in your system very long.  Make sure it isn't taking your blood pressure too low as well. I would also see a Neurologist as this is his specialty. I hope this helps and you can get some answers.  Let us know how you are doing and take care.
http://www.medicinenet.com/tremor/page2.htm

[bbxx]

You know, I just talked to someone recently that had this head shaking thing too. First of all, please do not isoloate yourself. You are embarassed over something you can not control, and I assure you those who love you, do not care if your head shakes. They care about YOU! Sometimes meds can effect us differently than they do the majority. Its possible its the one thing they say it cant be (propanolol) and its also very possible it is just another way for the anxiety and tension to get out (so to speak). This lady I was talking to said she goes through spells with it happening to her when she is having worse anxiety. If you are not having other issues that would suggest a brain disease, and if you are certain it is not the medication, then most likely it is the anxiety, and if it is the anxiety, it will most likely leave when you are not expecting it to. Please dont withdraw from your family and friends. They love you and will continue to love you no matter what. If you want to experiment to just see if its the drug (which from what I read it would not be) you can ask your doctor for permission to stop it long enough to get it all out of your system (I am not sure how long that would be--so ask the pharmacist) and then you will know if its that. Are you on anything else besides the propanolol?