tremors

Question

I know there are several types of tremors but I haven't been able to find anything about the kind that I'm experiencing and I was wondering if anyone else has this type of shaking.

I get a fast, small oscillation tremor when I contract my muscles in my arms.  It's worse on my right arm, but also present on the left.  It seems to get worse when I'm tired, but is present all the time.  It's almost like when you've used up all the energy a muscle has--after a long race or something--when your muscle is exhausted it will shake.  But this is all the time.

I also have a definite tremor in my jaw.  It's like chattering teeth (though not usually that pronounced, it is sometimes) but again, present all the time.  I also have bilateral trigeminal neuralgia and the tremor in my jaw started around the same time.  It also seems to be worse when the TN pain is worse.  I'm assuming these two things are related (I actually think the TN nerve controls movement in the lower jaw).  But what about the arm tremor?

Does anyone else get this type of tremor from contracting muscles?  Do you have any idea what it could be?

scaredguy309 · Answer

I do get facial pains. Haven't been dx as TN yet by a doc so am hesitant to say yes. I also have facial weaness and so when i contract certain muscles there, the tremor is quite noticeable. Also, when i close my mouth so that my front teeth are just touching each other i can feel a tremor. Its like when u're cold and you teeth are chattering as u said.

HVAC · Answer

This is a very old post. Would you like to start a new post?

sandie490 · Answer

Haven't been diagnosed with ms yet, but i get alot of different tremors, and twitching. I have these tremors inside of my body, the left shoulder , my head shakes a little when i move certain ways, my lips and chin twitch, my fingers. but the tremors inside of my body are very strange. it's like theres a tiny little creature in there just jumping around. i also get the muscle spasms or  like poping down my legs and back.

CareBayer · Answer

I have tremors constantly. Mine started off as resting tremors in my head, torso and legs. Since the onset of my all symptoms the tremors are the only symptom that has been with me constantly 24/7. Some days they are not as bad as other days, but still noticable to me. They seem to drain all my energy as I'm fighting gravity. The thing that worries me they are becoming more intentional. My left hand is starting to shake more and more often. I was recently in a automobile accident last week. Suffered some injuries, but nothing life threatening. My tremors automatically went into overdrive. My body was in total shock. My new neurologist upped my neurotin to 300mgs twice a day to see if it helps since all the other anticonvulsants I have tried I've had a allergic reaction.

ShockedToday · Answer

I also have tremors.  In fact, it was what lead me to my MS diagnosis.  People kept asking me if I had Parkinson's and I thought I needed to see if I did.

My tremors are primarily in my arms/hands.  The right is worse than the left but if I'm extremely tired, they are both worthless.  I started taking Inderal for them while going through the dx process and it has worked wonders.  Definitely hasn't cured it, but no one asks about Parkinson's anymore.  My quality of life has gone way up.

HTH

PastorDan · Answer

I have tremors in the head sort of like you describe, shaking, rocking, but only rarely bobbing or nodding.  It's the hands that give me the most trouble; those bob or shake when I am holding them still, but unsupported, such as if I lift a slice of toast, but stop before biting it in order to complete the paragraph I was uttering when I picked it up.  I've read that last sentence three times; I hope it makes more sense to you than it sounds like it makes to me.  I also have some fairly fast twitching in a stray finger here and there sometimes, too.  I think I need to turn in early tonight; my grammar's slipping.  Peace.

steph74 · Answer

I think my arm tremor is most similar to the action tremor you're describing.  But it only occurs when I contract my muscles very tightly--lifting something heavy for example.  Maybe that just means it's quite mild and I should stop worrying about it!  :-)

The jaw tremor, however, I do think is actually related to the TN.  The trigeminal nerve controls almost all the facial sensation; the only motor function it has is control of the lower jaw.  My neurologist also thinks it's related.  Presumably if there is a lesion on the pons impacting the trigeminal nerve, it could (though wouldn't necessarily) impact the motor function in addition to the sensation.  I've also noticed my jaw gets very tired and weak feeling if I talk or chew too much (luckily I don't chew gum regularly!), so I think it is related.

jensequitur · Answer

I have tremor on and off - like summerlvr, it happens when I'm going through a flare or just recovering from one, or when I've overdone it somehow - got too hot, or tried something strenuous.

I was diagnosed with MS in 2007 with a lesion in my right cerebellum, and most of my tremor is basically cerebellar tremor.  It's what causes my head to bob when I'm at my workstation, or my hand to shake when I'm trying to use the mouse.  I also have action tremor, which occurs when the muscle is used - dispensing EZ-Cheez from the can causes my hand to shake.  Or trying to paint something.. that can be annoying!

Now, as to TN and tremors being related - not exactly.  With me, when I have one MS symptom, there's usually another.  Like bladder problems and paresthesia, or dizziness and numbness.  Today I have spasticity and hand weakness.  I think I'm going through a little flare, because the spasticity is new, and I've gotten some new paresthesia, and I've got some cog fog... 

So basically all that is to say that if it is MS, then you'll typically have multiple symptoms in different areas of the body (what's known as dissemination in space of symptoms.)

summerluvr · Answer

Undiagnosed here too. 

I have a tremor in my right hand / arm. (i am right handed)  It comes out when I have a flair up, then can completely go away so I don't' even notice it.  I just notice that I wake up one day when I'm feeling better and it is completely gone.  I've been told it is essential tremor, accept the fact that it flairs and then completely vanishes I have not seen anywhere in my reading about essential tremor. 

 I'm pretty young too and no one in my family has this. When it flairs up I can barely write or type. But also when it flairs up my hand has a lot of numbness (especially the top of my hand) and pins and needles. Most of my issues are my right side.  Still waiting for the spine MRI.

lala47 · Answer

I have tremors also on and off.  Sometimes I feel them sometimes I don't.  I have felt them in my abdomen alot,  and right extremities,and jaw mildly.  The other day as I was sitting in recliner I had the remote layiing on my leg and it was jumping around everywhere, so I felt my thigh and sure enough it was just a shaking.  I'm sorry I have no answers for you,  I am undx'ed also.  I am suspesous MS,  all mimics have been R/O.  
Please post if you find out anything, and I will look more also.

lala

steph74 · Answer

Quix: 

Thanks for the link.  Their only description of tremor involves pediatric tremor (though presumably much of it overlaps with adult tremor).  The only thing I could find was that tremor can be generated centrally, or in the muscles when they're strongly contracted.  There was no indication of what mechanism would cause a muscle tremor, so I don't know if it's "normal" (though new to me) or indicative of another process.  I don't think it's such a horrible symptom, in and of itself, but if it could point to a cause, it would be so helpful.  I have a lot going on that points to a CNS problem, but if this could indicate something else, I'd love to figure it out.


Scaredguy:

Do you have TN or only jaw tremor?  The tremor in my lower jaw definitely started with the TN.  I don't have a tremor all over, but it is noticable in my jaw and arm (left is pretty mild).  I've also noticed a *very* slight tremor in my neck or head.  When I lean my head over, I can see my hair shaking!  :-)  It's not at all noticable (sensation-wise) to me and it's not visable, so I don't think twice about that one.  

I've had pretty much everything ruled out (except MS).  Blood work and all testing (including MRI) have come back normal.

Quixotic1 · Answer

Hi, Steph, my favorite site for reading about any kind of movement disorder is

Wemove.org

Take a look at these sites and see if you get a better idea of what it is you are doing.

Quix

scaredguy309 · Answer

Your tremor definitely sounds like mine. Am not diagnosed with ms as yet but defintely think i do have it or some demylinating disorder. Well to me the tremors seem to be as a result of damage caused by demylination. Signals propergated by nerves get to their target muscle fiber less efficiently and so results in a tremor on exertion. I have the same thing in my jaw and entire body like you except mines worse on my left side. It became noticeable after my last relapse. However, tremors are caused by a variety of things and in your case can be other stuff such as thyroid disease which produces a fine postural tremor or even a b12 deficiency. So before coming to any conclusion u hav to eliminate other possibilities with your doc. You can read about some kinds of tremors and their causes here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremor