Neurological Concern (Inner Tremor, Sleep Shakes) Mystery Illness

[bartleyk]

I am a 29 year old, white male in Michigan, USA.

As many visitors here might experience, I have had an array of unusual neurological symptoms over the past 8 months.  I have seen several doctors and specialists (including second opinions) to include neurologists, infectious disease docs, etc.  I have had pretty much every test under the sun (HIV, MRIs, EMGs, EEGs, Sleep Studies, Western Blot, and the list goes on and on) and everything has come back normal except for 1 and I will go into that further down.

Ok, so let's get on to my symptoms.  At times I have this feeling of an inner tremor of sorts.  It is real hard to explain to someone who hasn't felt it but I would correlate it to having an extreme feeling of a caffeine buzz.  I actually feel my entire upper body tremor internally for a period of time and then as mysterious as it appears it just goes away.  There is really no set schedule on when it comes and goes other than at night which I will get to next paragraph.  It thus far comes and goes randomly but appears to be coming on more frequently as of recent.  The odd thing is that if my wife touches my arms or stomach or chest, etc., she cannot feel a tremor type sensation, I only feel it internally.

Having said that, at very minimal times will I actually notice a difficulty holding my hands stable if I try to hold them in a certain, unrelaxed position.  For example - if I try to hold the phone to my head at just the right angle, sometimes my hands will tremble trying to hold it, but at other times, no problem at all.  I only have the problem when I have the internal tremor but most of the time I have the inner tremor I still don

[Dorlando]

For 10 years I have had tremors that lasted hours and stayed for months. Dizziness, foggy brain, headache, burning in chest and across arms. Symptoms happen day and night.Rest helps, stress makes it worse. Sometimes they stop for months but over time are more severe. Now episodes are sudden onset and acute. ER vists a waste of time and money. HAve developed abnormal blood results over past 3 months - high white cell  count, lymphocytes low, prone to infections. No fevers, just sweats. Latest episodes include difficulty breathing and almost a fugue state where I care not to speak, just stare into space. Referred to oncologist. Could be leukemia or lymphoma. Resigned to let it evolve. 63 years old

[DGincleve]

I’m better.  It was about 4 years ago when I found my answer here.  Thank you all.  I really thought I was slowly dying at the time.  I have had no symptoms, no relapse.  The answer I found was simply mineral deficiencies.  I think I was drinking way too much water and I depleted my mineral stores.  Magnesium and zinc gave me fast relief (minutes).  Since then, I focus on taking minerals; vitamins, not so much.  The four electrolytes, selenium, iodine(amazing), etc.  Do your homework on iodine, it will knock loose chromium and might give you the detox flu.  Google salt loading protocol it will be necessary to detox your body of the chromium as the iodine dislodges and replaces it.  Thank you all again, this forum changed my life

[Primroseguy]

So you take magnesium and zinc pills, in addition to the four electrolytes? Do the electrolytes come in pill form?

[explodingminds1]

Are you living around any chromium shops or military bases. Pest control or have you check carbon monoxide levels.  Have test been done to your water?  There must be outside culprits. How long have you lived their.  All these things are relevant.  I would see if any neighbors are going through similar things or at your job.

[SamK66]

Hi to all.

I am a 52 y.o. American living in Singapore and for about last 5-6 weeks or so every night I am having the same symptoms others described - body tremors at night that would wake me up. It happens every night, sometime once, sometimes up to 3-4 times per night. Mainly in chest area but also a little in neck, chin... also feels like my heart is beating too fast but my smartwatch most of time shows normal readings (50-70 bpm), rarely over 100.

I have seen several doctors, and checks came up fine. Heart ECG, treadmill test, thyroid, lungs, blood, liver, kidneys, pancreas etc... all OK so far.  My GP thinks it's anxiety but I don't think that's correct, I do not feel anxious at all. He prescribed some pills that I took for one week and there was no improvement whatsoever.

I am not on any medication now. Non smoker (quit 17+ years ago), I would have some beer or wine (no spirits) maybe once in a week or two, max 2-3 servings, so alcohol abuse or alcohol withdrawal are out of question. I do exercise on a regular basis (5-6 x per week, about 45 minutes , swimming, speed walking...).

I am taking supplements (magnesium, D3, E, multivitamins, turmeric and chondroitin/glucosamine/MSM daily. + zinc 2 x weekly). Had MRI of the brain 6 months ago, all OK, CT scan of torso 5 months ago, also all OK.   Blood tests for autoimmune diseases done 6 months ago, all OK.

I have been diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy back then, with not known cause and I am wondering if this could be related? I will ask my GP to send me for a sleep disorder test, this may give some answers?

[JCH1974]

Hi, I had the same issue of being waked up by internal vibrations, usually in early morning. And as I gain concious during waking up, the vibrations goes away. This has been going on-and-off for several years. It bothered me a bit, but not enough to drive me to doctors, coz’ I feel perfectly healthy otherwise. Now this year I went to a 10day vipassana meditation course, which literally means inner observation, to observe our sensations arising and disappearing, and through that to realize and understand impermanence, and cultivate compassion. To my surprise and shock, one of the techniques this meditation uses is through the sensation of inner vibration, in kind of wave/showering form, called the “free flow”, where the inner vibration propagates from head to toe. I started having the vibration wake up again during sleep midway through the class. I approached my teacher, she told me the vibration itself is not hearmful, actually it is a good thing in terms of meditation progress. It is our negative mental reaction, the anxiety and stress that come with it that may cause much damage to our sleep and health. When it happens at night, try to focus on palm, or other body areas with less sensation, and breath and relax to go back to sleep. This has helped a lot. I am not bothered mentally by the vibration any more, and rather use it as a useful tool to observe myself, and observe my mental response. Now I can feel the inner vibration even during the day while awake, as long as I close my eyes and let my mind calm down enough. It’s quite an amazing experience that I wouldn’t say life-changing, yet certainly opened a window for me to peek into a part of the world and myself that I didn’t not know existed before. I didn’t read all previous posts and don’t know if anyone mentioned meditation previously, which might be helpful for others. For me, it didn’t stop inner vibration, rather strengthened it, yet I am not bothered or resent it any more, I now embrace it as a bridge to explore a world that is so much more.

[MariaMessina]

Omg! ...I thought I was going crazy until I found this post. A year ago I was sitting down watching to and I started having a "fun" (at the time) pulsing buzzing on me left leg. It has spread to the growing area and it doesn't go away but it get less in ten sense sometimes. I also started feeling internal tremors while sleeping in the middle of my back and neck to the pint of waking me up. My husband can't feel it but I do. I have had MRIs and other neurological tests and everything has come OK including Lyme and Lupus tests...I really don't know what else to do...I have read that the Herpes virus can cause this and that Chickenpox if its not dormant can cause neurological issues like this...It is very frustrating to not know what is causing this constant internal buzzing...Help Please!

[Itsreal222]

Don't know if I can help but I have felt the same sensations during times of anxiety. Also could be related to specific medications. Have you been to a neurologist that specializes in movement disorders? Many local neurologists won't know what's going on and it seems like you need to see a specialist that deals with movement disorders. Or it could be anxiety if you have anxiety. I know I felt that sensation in my legs and it also feels like a buzzing sensation.

[still_here]

I can so relate. Iv got so many strange neurological issues going on that I think it's all in my head..lol..no seriously, mine are, lightheadedness,  dizzy spells, eye focus, flight or fight feelings, brain zaps, brain waves, pressure feeling  behind eyes and top of head..Ridgelike lumps on skull. Nd also the tremors inside the head and so.etimes body but mistly head. I'm sure I'm missing more symptoms. Been to my GP, ENT, DERMO, not really any answers except ETD. I'm at a loss of what to do..

[madamaGog]

yes

[lizgo]

I have been experiencing tremors for four years..just before waking and first few minutes its verging on seizure with my head feeling  like its stuck in a vice..i recieved a whole heap of vaccines for work four years ago..im really suspect on this as the cause as i felt horrible all day everyday for 12 months afterwards and fine prior.

ive spent years taking every conceivable vitamin mineral remedy and  find a couple of cups of chamomile tea before bed is .very relaxing..and sometimes stops it...i also find staying clear of any gluten helps i dont know why though..has anyone else ever had any jabs?

[Nic1968]

Wow - I am SO glad that I found this blog.  I have felt so alone and helpless over the past six months.  

I returned from Cambodia in March sicker than hell.  Besides being careless with the water and what I ate over there, I also got bit by something that left a red circle around it.  It all started with diarrhea then evolved to flu like symptoms, severe internal shaking / convulsions, profuse sweating, weakness and pins & needles in limbs, burning throughout body, extreme joint pain (like fire),major tachycardia (racing heart), and CONSTANT vibrating in my limbs.

I have spent thousands of dollars on Emergency room visits, top UCLA doctors who don't have a clue, and hundreds of tests including a spinal tap & MRI's.  Nothing.  The only thing the doctors saw was a high ANA (anti nuclear antibody) number and an excess of vitamin B6 in my body.  

And every doctor has a different opinion:
Neurologist - this is "post viral neuropathy"
Rheumatologist - this is Fibromyalgia
Infectious Disease - "See a Neurologist"
Wellness Chiropractor - this is metals toxicity
Chinese Doctor - the virus is still in your body

I am currently on MANY vitamins, Propranolol for the tremors and tachycardia, amitryptaline for depression & nerve issues, and Gabapentin for the nerves.  Nothing has eradicated the vibrations in my limbs, although some days are better than others.  And some days I have just had enough and wonder where to go from here.  

Thank you for listening.  Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

[nadaC]

Have you taken Ciprofloxacin for any illness before, during or after your travels? Look up fluouroquinolones. And how they affect the body.  You could be "floxed"  

[nickname2010101010]

hope this may help ... read all comments.
Latent Tetany Syndrome from magnesium deficiency.
http://www.easy-immune-health.com/fibro-causing-vibration-in-body.html

[theresej]

I feel like I have been reading my own story.

For about 9 years I had inner tremors in the core of my body, in my trunk that were so unexplainable, that I didn't even know how to describe them to anyone.  But it felt like my insides were being shaken rapidly, minutely, and everything inside would feel sooo unstable, like something was going wrong.  This is on top of a multitude of symptoms, many of which are neurological, which all started suddenly in 2006 and with a rapid escalation of symptoms.  I had been basically limited to a recliner most of the the time.  Any exertion, such as even trying to walk to the sidewalk in front of my house, could make everything so much worse.   Even though no one will diagnose me with Lyme's disease, even though the results were suggestive, I do still entertain the possiblity as we were in a tic infested area without knowing it, and they were all over the dog, on the kids, etc.

One of the issues I discovered, which doctors did not believe  me, is that I need massive doses of Methyl B12 every day.  Usual dosage is  3 mcg/day.  My dosing ended up being upwards of 30,000 mcg/day.   I spent 8 of those years trying to convince doctors that I needed this.   Finally I gave up, had my genome mapped by 23&me and had put my data through genetic genie for the methylating information.  Long story short, found the smoking gun.  I have a homozygous defect (which is the worst kind) that makes my body use up methyl B12 so rapidly, it necessitates massive supplementation every day.

A methyl B12 deficiency will cause all sorts of problems, including neurological.   I had gone for long periods without it trying to convince the doctors, but because I absorbed B12 fine and standard testing revealed normal levels, they ignored the evidence I kept trying to present to them, evidence from the labs they themselves would order.  Now, with this new evidence they couldn't ignore it any longer.  So, for now, they know I need this and it helps to stabilize things a bit, but by itself it is not enough.

However, what has prompted me to add my experience to this discussion is that last year I stumbled across something that has changed almost everything, in hopes it may help others here.

What I stumbled onto was research that has been ongoing world wide, that suggests that aging and disease is at the most basic level caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are the power plants of the cell.  They normally produce ATP and ADP for power for the cells to use.  Enough ADP and ATP help the nucleus to do its thing, for the of the parts of the cell to do their thing, and for them to communicate properly with the nucleus, and other cells.    As we grow older, and/or due to other assults on the body, the mitochondria stop working properly and begin to degrade and we can no longer put out the ADP and ATP at the abundant levels we did when we were young.

One such research study was done at Harvard by Dr. Sinclair, who has been looking for the fountain of youth.   What he discovered a few years ago was truly remarkable.   He looked at the effect increasing something called NAD+ in mice would have on their cellular age.  

This is being rather simplistic, but he took 2 year old mice, looked at the cellular age markers, then gave them a supplement that would increase the NAD+ by putting it their water.  He then checked their cellular age markers a week later and they were now those of 6 month old mice.

In 2014 he was name one of Time's Top 100 people of the year in 2014 (I think it was) specifically for this research.

Out of that research has come a special form of Vitamin B3 called nicotinomide riboside, and a pharmaceutical company was formed to manufacture it.  It is only available under the name of Niagen, and has been licensed to companies such as GNC, Live Cell Research, and a few others.  You cannot get it that I know of outside of the brand name Niagen, which is even available on Amazon, which is where I first purchased it.  Preliminary human studies show that it increases NAD+ in humans the same way NAD+ was increased in the mice.

I decided to try it.  For me, since my symptoms were like having CFS, Fribo, and MS all rolled into one, the results were immediate.  10 minutes after taking the first capsule, I felt like someone had plugged me into a nulcear power plant.   This is the first time I had felt this in 9-10 years.   (And one of the other methylating defects interfers with my ability to produce ATP/ADP.)

As long as I take it regularly, my life is almost normal.   I still need the massive does of methyl B12.   But I notice that unless I don't take these two supplements, the inner tremors and feelings of instability, among many other things, are gone.

I hope this may help someone else out there.

[Nazette]

theresaj I would like to know if you are still using the Niagen and the Methyl B12 has it been affective.  I have the exact same symptoms as the ones you described.

[sunshinez9]

My inner tremor started 6 weeks after toe surgery. It took 5 years to get rid of it after doctors all would tell me it was anxiety. If it was anxiety, how come Xanax made it worse? I got better on my own when I started trying to eat healthier, stayed off any meds and was never properly diagnosed. I do remember that I had a metal pin that had to stay in my foot for six weeks, and bored at home, I would prop my foot next to my computer and surf the net. I often wonder if I had electric activity in my body from that. Five years I suffered with it. So glad it is gone now as sometimes I would be so pale that I though I would not pull through. My inner tremo was mostly upper body, and during sleep of any kind including naps during the day. If I changed positions at night, the tremor felt like it was shifting to that side. It was strange and I am so glad it is gone. No thanks to one single doctor.

[psicologo]

hi again. maybe i have not well explained my hypothesis. i feel tremors in all my body at night because of the muscle relaxing and i feel it less or nothing when i stand (because of the muscle tone). moreover, i feel this tremors only when i can ear some kind of low noise that is produced by the hi fi car of the guys of my neighborhood. really. otherwise i feel very well. when i ear that noise and when i vibrate i have some pain and general discomfort, burnig legs, dizzines, chills and i'm very cold also now that hare is summer!  there are a big scientific evidence that vibrations blame all these syntomes. in fact, there are infrasounds weapon. So, i can give you my phone number or my email but you can check your home and neighborhood to find the presence of that vibrations. i hope this can help you.

[psicologo]

hi, i have all syntoms you have described.  i think  that all our syntoms are the results of vibrations. i have have many cars near my home and many are tuning speakers ( more powerful ) and they produce low frequency sounds... vibrations. we all feel these not natural frequences. i'm italian, am a dr and i'm studyng about this problem. it's not ansiety caused but cause ansiety.  i'm sure that our problem is caused by infrasound. how many of you have some source of low frequencies? disco, hi fi car? home theather? something similar... sorry for my english and good luck to everyone :)

[gyorgyi09]

hi! I have exactly the same things. I understand how you feel it is simply terrible and makes you exhausted. I am just wondering how are you feeling now and if you could give some advise what to do in this case to make it better.

[toby1101]

I have had this for three years. Stress is a trigger so calm down it is not life threatening. I have been to Mayo clinic and exhausted every test. This is like high blood pressure. Some people have it some don't. I am taking clonazepam and sleep like a baby. I have been on every diet and supplement but the issue gets better and worse all the time so you get tons of fals identifiers. Stress is what started my issue. So it is going to take a mind set that this is not serious so your body can heal. When you wake and stress, smile. Your body reacts to muscle position in your face and it will falsely make you feel better. Read the book Blink. It really works. Clonazepam will keep you sleeping and will take the tingling away. You still tremor but can easily go back to sleep. I take 4 mg at 8 pm. Have to work up very slow .5 mg at a time for a week each increase or it will kick your *** the next day. Very few side effects. Little groggy in the morn.
Stop worrying!  

[GoogleAssassin]

It's Lyme disease and its nefarious co-infections. Period. Lyme disease is also known as "The Great Imposter." It can mimic every single autoimmune disease, including MS and PD and go undetected from the majority our modern technology because it's an intracellular survivor and it's malevolent like that.

I have all the same symptoms (and some) aforementioned above and only acquired them after I was bitten by an infectious tick. Many people don't remember being bitten, but guess what, you were. So, now you have to eradicate it from your body and/or, put it in remission. I recently started Stephen Buhner's Lyme protocol, in which I provided a link below. It's going to take time, but I'll get there. I know it.

Most of the symptoms people are describing are post-Lyme-disease-symptoms. The majority of people here are dealing with Bartonella and Babesia, which are Lyme co-infections. I suggest you take a look at this website... if you want to live: http://buhnerhealinglyme.com/

[Ellla66]

Hi,I experience all of those  symptoms mentioned here on site, first docs were saying its anxiety/depression, there are months horrible but then wears off to come back again, amitriptiline helps but in a few months so im even not sure how much exactly it does the job,once treating anaemia(iron only) helped just slightly,once they suspected parathyroide problem(but specialist refused to see me and only adviced doctor to give me 3 months calcium treatment,recently reumatologist gave me diagnosis of fibromyalgia.im 49 and symptoms were ongoing and changing their variety and wideness since i was 42 when i also had serious vision dizz headaches and migraines and periodes of  absence ..but eeg did not confirmed suspected epi..either.
What i personally think this is progressing in one way or another and i suppose this is a defensive mechanism of my body responding to something bad creating like eg cancerous,like it would have developed already till now IF my organism did not fight, but is fighting on all different fields neurologically,etc. This finromyalgia syndrom(a group of symptoms) is in my opinion and experience(how does it feel like) ONLY  masking up some underlying real cause.i wish i could tell more but dont know anything yet.

[DGincleve]

I am convinced (at least in my case) this tremor is the result of mineral deficiencies.  I experienced the symptoms as most of you described for about a week. What a terrible experience. When  I had success with the magnesium/zinc, I figured that was part of the solution and not just a temporary aid.

I believe I was over-hydrating and depleting my body of minerals.  

Now, I drink only enough fluids to keep my urine slightly yellow. That is consideired to be slightly dehydrated.  If it's clear, I can't tell if I'm over-hydrated. I'm taking a multi-mineral, multi-vitamin, potassium and magnesium/zinc.   With the exception of last night (I forgot, but no relapse) I've been taking the magnesium/zinc.  I'm also drinking San Pelligrino mineral water, it has the highest mineral content (best deal at Trader Joes)

My symptoms are all gone now, I feel back to normal.  Actually, I stopped drinking caffeine and alcohol too.  I feel better than normal, I'm not sure if the latter two have any impact, but I didn't want to put anything bad in me till I felt better.

Buy a book to make sure you don't go toxic on the minerals.  I think your body can handle a lot, with the exception of potassium. Do you homework and be safe. If I can help, ***@****

[Wiggypooh]

So very helpful. Balancing Minerals and water intake.

[DGincleve]

I'm new here. My symptoms are the same, and the medical establishment has done the same to me.  I think I know the cause for me.  My story is very acute.  Two weeks ago I was doing alright and then a train wreck, looks like its gonna cost me my marriage.  Yep, train wreck.  More importantly.

Success last night!!! Finally a bit of real sleep.  As soon as I went to bed, the tremble began.  I couldn't take it, so I got up grabbed my iPad and entered "I tremble when I rest" into the browser. It brought me to all of you.  Early in someone suggested magnesium/zinc. I took 266mg/10mg, respectively. I stayed on my feet for 15-20 minutes and laid back down. Gone!  

As I lay there with my ear on the pillow I hear the rapid tick, this time I didn't turn my head to make it go away.  I just listened, then I took a deep breath,exhaled and it slowed to a snails pace.  I bet it was slow enough that I could count the ticks, but I never got the chance.  It Stopped!

The tremble returned this morning, but today was the first day in two weeks I was able to function before 10am.  I was doing okay as soon as I got out of bed.  No issues bed this morning either.

I could not feel tremor today until I was sitting and had my fingers in my mouth.  Specifically, against my teeth, ever so faint, there it was.  I tried to tune in to it again a few hours later in the same manner but couldn't pick it up.  I am by no means out of the woods.  

Here is my story.  I drink more water than most people.  About a month ago, I began to drink even more water.  Two Sundays ago, midday, I was napping when I noticed my heart rate was picking up speed, its about 57-59 resting.  By the time I put my HR monitor on I was at 162 bpm.  EMS, hospital over-night. The following week was hell.  Full  of dizzy spells, irregular heart beats up/down, nausia, death warmed over.

I vacated my house thinking mold.  The next day I was better until the evening.  That was my first tremor.  I was on my way to my cardiologist (incidently, he said my heart is in good shape), I called with some symptoms and he directed me to the ER.  The results of the diagnostics were the same as yours.  Diagnosis, Anxiety/panic attacks.

I slept at a third location for several nights--so its not mold spore.  

Today, I've taken supplements.  Between the first and second attempts to find the Tick against my teeth, the only thing I consumed was a small bottle of mineral water.

Both times when I was in the hospital, my potassium was low.  Remember from school, the sodium-ion pump?  We are  basically a chemistry set wrapped in skin.

Here is what I believe happened to me.  Drinking excessive water over time, I depleted the vitamin and mineral stores in my body.  When I ran out of a certain something or combination of somethings, my heart reacted, then the rest of my body.  I've had the tremble for a week.

So, now I have limited success magnesium/zinc both last night and today.  But, if its not enough to mange the tremble and build up a storage supply, the tremble will just come back.  And of course, that's only two of many  minerals I need to restock.

So, since yesterday, I only drink enough fluids to keep my urine pale yellow.  If clear, I can't tell if I'm over-hydrating or not, so I accept slightly dehydrated.  I was not taking my multi-vitamin lately, so I bought both it and a multi-mineral today, along with the mineral water.

I felt pretty good all day, just as I write, I feel it in my chest so I will attend to that.

I would appreciate anyone's thoughts and insights. 9sorry if this is posted twice, I'm blog challenged)

[JannaMorrell]

I see its been 4 years since you wrote this but with someone else's experiences and yours combined, I am wondering if the imbalance with drinking too much water was from too much iron in your water?  Hemochromatosis.  Too much ferritin IRON  was the diagnosis of  
toby1101 .

Maybe the way you synthesize Iron is to add other minerals which balance it out (I have no idea though), like perhaps Magnesium and zinc!  I'm interested in an update!

[JannaMorrell]

I have these same tremors and we have a well (living in Wellsville that sounds sort of ironic!).  Recently the smallest filter got clogged so my husband took it out for a while and brought it up to clean.  I soaked it in CLR for two days and it finally cleared all the IRON in it.  It makes sense that too much Iron not only tastes bad but could be the culprit!

[DGincleve]

Maybe iron, who knows.  I have city water but predominantly drank spring water at the time.  18 months ago I installed a RO filter under my sink.  I just posted an update of my status to the original post.

[silverill]

Been researching and it seems like I might give Chinese medicine a go!!!! tryhttps://sites.google.com/site/tcmstudentweb/home/herbs-ii/substances-that-extinguish-wind-and-stop-tremors.

[silverill]

I do believe that these inner tremors are caused by stress, toxic buildup, diseases and or static electrical procedures at hospitals EKG Stress Test etc.  I am no doctor but I have been suffering with this problem and have noticed that when I sleep earlier like 8pm instead later I notice it is a lot less severe or bailey noticeable when I wake.  I also take 1 vitamin pill and a half glass of water before bed which seems to help too.  I still haven't come up with a solid solution yet and have recently tried a 3 day water fast that didn't help with the tremors.  I am going to attempt a 3 Dry fast to see if that will rid it.  Also going to try 1 mile a jogs a day a few hours before sleep.  If anyone has any solid solutions please share!!!!!!

[bluebandit28]

hi tom...ive been suffering from the same condition exactly and two days ago was just prescribed propanol but ive been too scared to take it but after reading this im going too.....how are you doing now...?