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New Symptom Is This Neurological?

Hi Guys,
I have a new symptom that has become quite noticeable, when I extend my arm out (stretch it out) it jerks, like I have lost the ability to beable to extend it out in a smooth movement. I guess it's like a real tremor, I notice it when I have a cup of tea or a glass of milk etc. and I go to place it back on the table, it is a real shaky movement or jerky, similar to people with parkinson's etc. Same when I bring the drink back up to my mouth from the table, it seems to only happen when I extend my arm.  

Is this a MS symptom?

If it is where are the lesions located that are most likely to cause this?

Does anyone else experience this and if so where are their lesions?

Cheers,
Udkas.
9 Responses
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956292 tn?1334054869
hehehehe,
I love champange...it makes me giggle..  Good for you..I hope you slept well and had a great day off ;o)
Sounds like you splurged  bit...yummmmmmmm

jib
Helpful - 0
410281 tn?1254229064
LOL - I know that feeling!

I get the "shakes" too, but they haven't been as frequent lately. Mine tend to simply be the shakes, not necessarily with any specific movement involved. Mostly in my arms, sometimes my legs.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi only finkin bout takin up drrrrrrrrrrrrrinking, lol, fixes all problems..............zzzzzzzzzz hiccup, mmmmmmmmmm I don't thinkabout but do it...lol., who's kidding. lol

actually to be very honest I have drank an entire bottle of champagne by myself tonight...lol, very naughty but was good!  So maybe that is why I get my tremors...lol, my burning was so intense and I felt so flat I cheered myself up with a bottle of champagne and chocolate and chips and icecream and steak ( I usually eat white meat only) and chips and eggs with the steak and now I feel mighty grand!

At least hopefully I have drank enough to induce a very good sleep where I won't wake from the pain!  I don't have to work tomorrow and I don't normally drink an entire bottle to myself but , why not!  

Take care, jib jab jen, just kidding! :-)
Helpful - 0
956292 tn?1334054869
To Udukas,

I'm thinking about taking up drinking at this point...;o)


(just kiddng)
JibJen
Havve a good day!
Helpful - 0
572651 tn?1530999357
JJ, too bad the alcohol isn't part of the treatment!  I sure could use a pint about now.  Thanks for that informative post on the tremors.  Its amazing what can be told by such a simple action.

L
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987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
Tremors can easily be passed off as emotional so thats stress anxiety depression related or even hypothyroidism (sp?) but intention tremors are NOT the same, it was one of the reasons i started looking for my holy grail. It can be a can of worms all on its own, i like the straight forward explanation of this site MedicineNet.com this is an exerp just in case the site is bleeped out.

What are the different categories of tremor?

Tremor is most commonly classified by clinical features and cause or origin. Some of the better known forms of tremor, with their symptoms, include the following:

Essential tremor (sometimes called benign essential tremor) is the most common of the more than 20 types of tremor. Although the tremor may be mild and nonprogressive in some people, in others, the tremor is slowly progressive, starting on one side of the body but affecting both sides within 3 years. The hands are most often affected but the head, voice, tongue, legs, and trunk may also be involved. Head tremor may be seen as a "yes-yes" or "no-no" motion. Essential tremor may be accompanied by mild gait disturbance. Tremor frequency may decrease as the person ages, but the severity may increase, affecting the person's ability to perform certain tasks or activities of daily living. Heightened emotion, stress, fever, physical exhaustion, or low blood sugar may trigger tremors and/or increase their severity. Onset is most common after age 40, although symptoms can appear at any age. It may occur in more than one family member. Children of a parent who has essential tremor have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the condition. Essential tremor is not associated with any known pathology.

Parkinsonian tremor is caused by damage to structures within the brain that control movement. This resting tremor, which can occur as an isolated symptom or be seen in other disorders, is often a precursor to Parkinson's disease (more than 25 percent of patients with Parkinson's disease have an associated action tremor). The tremor, which is classically seen as a "pill-rolling" action of the hands that may also affect the chin, lips, legs, and trunk, can be markedly increased by stress or emotions. Onset of parkinsonian tremor is generally after age 60. Movement starts in one limb or on one side of the body and usually progresses to include the other side.

Dystonic tremor occurs in individuals of all ages who are affected by dystonia, a movement disorder in which sustained involuntary muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive motions and/or painful and abnormal postures or positions. Dystonic tremor may affect any muscle in the body and is seen most often when the patient is in a certain position or moves a certain way. The pattern of dystonic tremor may differ from essential tremor. Dystonic tremors occur irregularly and often can be relieved by complete rest. Touching the affected body part or muscle may reduce tremor severity. The tremor may be the initial sign of dystonia localized to a particular part of the body.

Cerebellar tremor is a slow, broad tremor of the extremities that occurs at the end of a purposeful movement, such as trying to press a button or touching a finger to the tip of one's nose. Cerebellar tremor is caused by lesions in or damage to the cerebellum resulting from stroke, tumor, or disease such as multiple sclerosis or some inherited degenerative disorder. It can also result from chronic alcoholism or overuse of some medicines. In classic cerebellar tremor, a lesion on one side of the brain produces a tremor in that same side of the body that worsens with directed movement. Cerebellar damage can also produce a "wing-beating" type of tremor called rubral or Holmes' tremor - a combination of rest, action, and postural tremors. The tremor is often most prominent when the affected person is active or is maintaining a particular posture. Cerebellar tremor may be accompanied by dysarthria (speech problems), nystagmus (rapid, involuntary rolling of the eyes), gait problems, and postural tremor of the trunk and neck.

Psychogenic tremor (also called hysterical tremor) can occur at rest or during postural or kinetic movement. The characteristics of this kind of tremor may vary but generally include sudden onset and remission, increased incidence with stress, change in tremor direction and/or body part affected, and greatly decreased or disappearing tremor activity when the patient is distracted. Many patients with psychogenic tremor have a conversion disorder (defined as a psychological disorder that produces physical symptoms) or another psychiatric disease.

Orthostatic tremor is characterized by rhythmic muscle contractions that occur in the legs and trunk immediately after standing. Cramps are felt in the thighs and legs and the patient shakes uncontrollably when asked to stand in one spot. No other clinical signs or symptoms are present and the shaking ceases when the patient sits or is lifted off the ground. Orthostatic tremor may also occur in patients who have essential tremor.

Physiologic tremor occurs in every normal individual and has no clinical significance. It is rarely visible to the eye and may be heightened by strong emotion (such as anxiety or fear), physical exhaustion, hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, heavy metal poisoning, stimulants, alcohol withdrawal, or fever. It can be seen in all voluntary muscle groups and can be detected by extending the arms and placing a piece of paper on  of the hands. Enhanced physiologic tremor is a strengthening of physiologic tremor to more visible levels. It is generally not caused by a neurological disease but by reaction to certain drugs, alcohol withdrawal, or medical conditions including an overactive thyroid and hypoglycemia. It is usually reversible once the cause is corrected.

Tremor can result from other conditions as well. Alcoholism, excessive alcohol consumption, or alcohol withdrawal can kill certain nerve cells, resulting in tremor, especially in the hand. (Conversely, small amounts of alcohol may help to decrease familial and essential tremor, but the mechanism behind this is unknown. Doctors may use small amounts of alcohol to aid in the diagnosis of certain forms of tremor but not as a regular treatment for the condition.) Tremor in peripheral neuropathy may occur when the nerves that supply the body's muscles are traumatized by injury, disease, abnormality in the central nervous system, or as the result of systemic illnesses. Peripheral neuropathy can affect the whole body or certain areas, such as the hands, and may be progressive. Resulting sensory loss may be seen as a tremor or ataxia (inability to coordinate voluntary muscle movement) of the affected limbs and problems with gait and balance. Clinical characteristics may be similar to those seen in patients with essential tremor.

Hope you get your answers soon :-)

Cheers......JJ
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Avatar universal
Hi thanks for answering my post, Lulu your info makes sense especially in my case and I always over shoot the neuro's finger on the nose finger test, which would suggest pathways to the cerebellum is damaged (ie: spinal cord).

I do wonder with my symptoms getting worse if I will end up with a diagnosis of MS and not TM? But it has been such a long time, it has been two years since my brain was MRI but not 12mths since my spinal one.  At the moment I need to sort out my burning in my bits, this is the most troublesome and it's not neurological.

Thanks again,
Udkas.
Jibjen it's nice to know I am not the only person who experiences this.  I don't suffer from alcoholism....lol
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956292 tn?1334054869
Hi Udkas and Lulu,

So that's what they are..I have been calling them the shakes..I will get them on and off..more noticeable when I hold something..cup of coffee for example this morning I was getting ready for work and I went to grab my compact and my hand started shanking..(trembling) This just kind of comes and goes..... I have no dx. (yet)

Jib
Helpful - 0
572651 tn?1530999357
Udkas,
Sounds like intention tremors to me - from the Merck medical dictionar online, they write

Intention Tremor: This tremor occurs when a person ends a purposeful movement (such as pressing a button) or aims for a target (as when reaching for an object with the hand). The person may miss the targeted object because of the tremor. Intention tremors are relatively slow and coarse.

These tremors may result from damage to the cerebellum or its connections. Thus, cerebellar tremors and intention tremors may be used synonymously. Multiple sclerosis is a common cause. Stroke, Wilson's disease, alcoholism, and overuse of sedatives or anticonvulsants can cause the cerebellum to malfunction, resulting in an intention tremor.


I'm sorry you have this new symptom - I would almost definitely attribute it to your MS.

be well,
Lulu
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