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Uncontrollable shaking

Hello,

I am new to this forum. I am not sure where to post this as I do not know what I have. Around 9/26 I had a strange attack. I wasn't doing anything strenuous or stressful, but I felt like I was having difficulty inhaling and catching my breath. I immediatley got up and started walking around, only to find that my legs had begun to shake so bad that my legs had gone weak and I was having difficulty walking. I also felt like my mouth was very dry and that  I needed to use the restroom and was burping and passing gas a lot. After a few minutes of trying to walk, I regained my normal state, walked outside for fresh air, calmed down and had some fruit. Later on that night, I experienced something similar. I immediatley went to the ER. Unfortunately for me, by the time I got there the episode had stopped. The doctor who saw me, checked me out and said I had hyperventilated and had an anxiety attack. I was relieved it was not serious. A few days later I had ANOTHER attack. Same problems, only I had noticed my bowel movemtents had become runny. So i called my doctor for an appointment. The morning before my appointment, I had another attack, only more severe. It felt like if I stopped moving I would die. All of my vital signs came back normal at the doctors that day. My doctor checked me out and said she wanted to do a blood test for my thyroid because I also had a goiter. So she did and the results came back that I did have high levels in my bloodstream for hyperthyroidism.I immediatley cut caffeine out of my diet, thinking this may help me. The next week I went for my scans of my thyroid and didnt have any major issues at all for a couple of days, no shaking, weakness, nothing. I had started experiencing little aches all over my body though. Never dehabilitating or severe, just an ache on my shoulder blade here and an arm pain there. The arm pain has been consistent ever since. It feels almost like carpal tunnel.   I had an appointment to meet with my PCP on october 17th and an endocrinologist on the 18th. That sunday and monday (the 15th and 16th) I began to shake again, although this time it was just the uncontrollable  shaking. I went to my PCP the next day and she said my scans came back normal so she was interested to see what the endo would say.  My endo said that the scans came back normal but he would do a second blood test anyway to check my levels. He also said I was slightly tachycardic and I told him about the shaking fits. He then prescribed me some propranolol (20MGs twice a day), calling my shaking fits "tremors". These meds seemed to work for about two weeks or so. Just this past sunday the shaking fits started again. They mainly happen at night now and the shaking starts in my legs and then my whole body begins to shake afterwards. My bowel movements have gone back to normal though and my heart rate seems to stay the same.  Sometimes it lasts a couple hours, other times 20 minutes or so. My hands and feet get extremely cold when this happens. I curl up under a blanket and that seems to help. If I just lay under a blanket and relax I feel much better. I can't understand what is wrong with me. I don't have
headaches or dizziness, or anything but I feel "off". People say you know your body and know when somethings wrong. Well something is wrong with me. I have googled everything from "anxiety" to "epilepsy" to "brain tumors". I have another appointment with my endo on the 15th of this month to check my thyroid again. If its not my thyroid causing this, then what is it? Its disheartening shaking for no apparent reason. Am I having a seizure? Do I have an infection somewhere? Is it possible that I have poor circulation from the meds?  I normally don't post in forums, but
I'm really scared. Any insight would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance to anyone who reads this,
Joanna

45 Responses
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Avatar universal
Sounds like MS (Multiple Sclerosis).  If you go to www.webmd.com****.***, you will see that most of the symptoms you are describing fit that disease.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Also, check out if you have a cyst on your pyneal gland.  I've experienced that same thing twice now in the last couple months.  All my tests (EKG, blood, etc) were normal.  However, after I told them that my Dad died of brain tumors (albeit in his 60's), they decided to do a CT scan.  They found that I had a small blister (cyst or fluid pocket) on my pyneal gland.  What I've found is that they are not cancerous but they can put pressure on the optic nerves and can affect your sleep (pyneal glands regulate melatonin, etc.).  Some doctors don't do anything because there's not much you can do being so far in the brain and being somewhat dangerous procedure to remove.  However, some will monitor it over time to see if it grows.

Most cysts on the pyneal gland don't get much larger than 2cm.  This was my first CT scan and so there's no way to tell how long it's been there.  They said it could've formed anytime.  Yet, many people have said that they've had some traumatic head event before discovering the cyst.  It's possible hitting your head could cause them.  It's hard to say.

Anyway, many people have these cysts and never seem to have trouble.  Others experience headaches, dizziness along with other systems.  If your symptoms get worse over time than I'd suspect that the cyst is getting larger (filling with more fluid) and may require a surgical procedure to drain it or remove it.

Of course, CT scans and surgery are expensive routes.  Don't allow your anxiety (along with depression, are also possible symptoms but not always) to go crazy.  Be smart and act according to how severe you think your symptoms are.  If it's disrupting your normal life then I would have them check.  My doctor said mine was really small but that I should have a neurologist check it out anyway, because of my family history.  Isn't the human body a fun toy?  My model comes with free weird problems.  Cheers!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Oh, another interesting side note is that if you have chronic pain on both sides of your body, (muscle knots, pains in various joints or muscles, etc) then you should also look up fibromyalgia.  It may not explain the shivering but it's still interesting to know. =)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
...Continued.....

My doctor called my two episodes, along with my extreme fear and anxiety, "severe anxiety" or Panic attacks.  She proscribed Paxil (generic version is called Paroxetine).  I do well with 10mg but have the best results with 20mg once a day at the same time (usually before bed is what they say on the bottle).  Anyway, it also helps treat depression as well.  I find that things don't bother me and make me worry like before.  I'm just much more calm and relaxed.  It's supposed to treat the symptoms and not just cover them like Xanax (tranquilizer).  It took a week or so to kick in but it definitely was a noticeable improvement.  My friends noticed as well.

It also helps to exercise regularly and eliminate caffeine.  Caffeine worsens anxiety symptoms and usually makes you more irritable.  I also regulate your blood sugar levels so that you're more level.  High fiber (beans, etc) along with Vitamin B and C are good for that.  I really like this organic stuff called Moringa, Noni juice and Coral calcium.  All three of these help regulate blood sugar levels, improve immune system and energy.  

I'd also highly recommend keeping a regular sleeping schedule.  A great natural way to fall asleep is using Delta Wave cds.  In other words, there are programs out there that you can rent from the library or purchase that help you reach sleep and dream states easier by generating certain tones that you can hear by using stereo headphones.  These tones help to stimulate your own body's brain patterns that most closely resemble those stages of sleep and dreaming.  I have found that it helps me reach deeper sleep, despite any anxiety I might have.

There are other natural sleep aids out there but you have to be careful when mixing them with medications that treat anxiety or depression, especially tranquilizers.  Supplements like Melatonin can accelerate the drowsy effects of medications in these areas, making you a little too sleepy or in the extreme, death.  Of course, if that happens, you can counter it by using products like Emergen-C (high vit C and B) to boost your energy quickly and keeping it up for hours.  Vitamin C is the quick energy and vitamin B helps regulate your energy so that it lasts longer and limits the peaks and valleys.

I hope all this helps.  The best thing is to listen to your body and don't be afraid to ask for help from medical professionals.  =)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Check out this discussion.  I posted some good stuff about an all-natural series of products like Amoryn, Seredyn and Mellodyn:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/198914

Also check out the actual homepages of these homeopathic alternative treatments for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, vitamin deficiencies.

http://www.amoryn.com
http://www.seredyn.com
http://www.mellodyn.com

I ordered all three.  I imagine I'll only use Seredyn and Mellodyn as needed.  Amoryn is the longterm treatment that I'm most looking forward to.

Hope this helps!  Good luck!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
sounds like you guys got Et other wise known as Essential Tremor you guys if you belive this is it go see your closet qualified neurologist know about your health, your family medical history, medicines you may be taking, and any surgeries you have had, your doctor will want to know bout this. there are treatments, the two proven are Stereotactic Thalamotomy Chronic thalamic deep brain stimulation(DBS) ask your doctor bout that. you will also most likely be put on meds.... which will help with the conbusions... Patients who cannot undergo surgery include those who have medical conditions other than ET that make them poor surgical candidates and those with a significant loss of thinking ability.

good luck
Helpful - 0
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