Essential tremor

I can’t offer advice only sympathy.
My friend’s H suffers from this, has done as long as I have known him.
Apart from the tremor it has affected his speech and it is painful to have a conversation with him.
However he is over 90, leads a very full life , he had to have a GA when having cataract surgery and another procedure which I can’t remember just now.
I know he has had injections of some kind to help the tremor.
I just wish you well and a satisfactory consultation when you get one.

My friend had this but it didn't progress from spilling the tea.

Could you phone the consultant's secretary and ask if you could be seen if they have a cancellation?
They often do have one at fairly short notice.
And tell her how things are progressing and that you are very anxious.

I can't tell you how lovely my consultant's secretary was with me.

My dh has essential tremour and think I have too, but a lesser extent. He hasn’t had any tests or been referred anywhere . He was told it’s very common and it definitely wasn’t Parkinson’s which was a concern. That was it.
Stress can bring lots of things on, including dizziness. I take meds fir vertigo so understand how horrible it is, but think you are stressed (24 hour shifts in difficult situations is stressful) so just rest, try not to worry and phone the secretary to see if you can be seen earlier on a cancellation.

My BIL has this and his shakes are very bad at times. He can only have half a cup or glass of drink because it goes everywhere.

He is 75 and we have noticed he also gets a lot more tired than he used to. I think he has also mentioned being dizzy sometimes.

I have this and take propranolol which stops it. It’s only in my dominant hand at present, two of my children also have it, again in their dominant hand. DD also takes propranolol but at a lower dose than me.

Thank you all for your kind replies. I'll see if I can find a number for the neurology department and give them a ring. Falling has left me feeling both scared and foolish so I think I'd like to know what I'm dealing with. Parkinsons runs in my family (maternal grandmother) and I'm praying it's not that but best to know, I suppose. I'm glad there are tablets available; I didn't know that. I do remember Gran being diagnosed and she went downhill very swiftly. I'm only 64.

The tremor is in both hands, but more pronounced in my left. I'm right handed, so that's a bonus I suppose.

Again, thanks to you all for being kind.

If you don’t have details ring the hospital and ask to speak to the neurology department secretary. They are usually very helpful and try not to worry. It doesn’t help.
If your dizziness continues the tablets I took are called serc or betahistine. I don’t need them now but they really helped me, my problem was/ is inner ear related.

Update I called the hospital neurology dept. It's currently a one year wait for a first appointment. They can do nothing unless my GP pushes for an earlier appointment. Will have to pray I manage to stay upright until the telephone appointment on the 20th.

I really wish there was a way to acknowledge all replies - something like the 'like' button on other forms of SM. @silverlining48, I shall ask about those tablets in case that's the issue.

And your suggestion, LtEve. I suppose, in the meantime, I'll have my daughter doing the bending over for things I drop...

If it started after an assault it could be FND or psychogenic tremors formerly conversion disorder. Also dystonia. Hopefully the neurologist can diagnose it. There's a poor man's test for essential tremor which is to have some alcohol if you are able. If it quietens down it's probably ET.

Could you ask your GP if a referral to a different hospital is quicker?

I did this for my mother-in-law and the wait was only weeks instead of months for a particular speciality.

I know someone who has this and he was given a beta blocker, Propranolol, by his GP. I can understand them wanting to do further tests etc but your GP could have tried you on this in the meantime. I do hope it settles down a bit and you can speak to someone soon.

I love dragonflies why not get a picker upper, not expensive and very handy for avoiding bending. Which is a good idea if dizzy. . I used to use mine to pick up things but also put washing in my machine and taking it out, all sorts of things.
Nearly as good as long handled shoe horns, another favourite aid.
I am sure if you can relax a bit you will start to feel better. Assume you are ‘off sick’ for now?
Sorry about the wait, I have a referral to a hospital consultant and my appointment is mid June next year. Over 9 months. What happened to the under 18 weeks wait? The glory days…

This does not sound like essential tremor. My daughter has had essential tremor all her life and was diagnosed in her late teens when MS,Parkinson’s and Friedrich’s Ataxia were considered but thankfully ruled out. It has not progressed in over 20 years and certainly does not cause loss of balance. She was offered beta blockers but declined them because she says they slow her down mentally.

Beta blockers are helping a close family member with their head and hand tremors. A low dose to begin with, prescribed by their GP didn’t have to see a specialist

I am so sorry to hear you are experiencing this. You mentioned a 24 hour shift ! As an aside, being overtired can cause the same symptoms as alcohol intoxication including dizziness lightheadedness and falling to one side/loss of balance. I’ve experienced this myself and it was pretty unnerving until I realised what the problem was. I’m so sorry to hear that you had a fall. In light of the tremor please look after yourself and have good quality sleep and rest if at all possible and stay well nourished and properly hydrated. I hope that helps you a little.💐

I know it's expensive but could you perhaps get approximately £250 together to consult someone privately? What can happen if you do this is after you've been seen, they'll put you back on the NHS list for any tests to be done,but you are often seen much, much sooner. This has now happened to me a few times with various problems with long waiting lists. Could you perhaps borrow the money, if it is too much. I think it's important that you are seen for your own peace of mind as much as anything else.

Do you work in the NHS? If so could you access your appointment earlier via Occ. health? Especially as it was a workplace accident/ assault that caused it. Would it be worth considering going private for the 1st appointment with follow ups on the NHS.

I have this. I see a specialist in 2018 when it was only in my left hand. He told me back then that to persevere as long as possible before going on tablets as all they do is make tired. I have seen my GP recently as my symptoms have progressed to my dominant hand & my head sometimes. I have been prescribed Primidone. I haven’t noticed much difference yet but I’m only on a small dose which increases for the next few weeks. I do know that the more tired I am the more I shake. Which could explain your dizziness when you were very tired. Hope you get seen soon to put your mind at rest re diagnosis.

I paid to see a consultant privately (£200) as I was having problems walking after watching me walk down the corridor he said I had Parkinsons. He referred me to an NHS specialist who I am now under. An MRI showed scaring on my brain and I am now on medication that has improved my mobility. If you can afford to see a consultant I would recommend it as a way of cutting down the waiting time.

Two of my sisters have Parkinson's which in both cases became visible after a big workplace stress incident.
People a right to say look after yourself. I have had some ear problems thus last year which has caused giddyness at times. Balance as someone rightly said is connected to the inner ear. But trembling is different. Could be trauma related, could be excessively long shifts. Very worthwhile asking about Union advice and support if you are in one, and if not, worth joining one for the protection afforded.

I am so sorry reading your description to hear of your work-load and that you have been the victim of an attack at work.

The are two things I can say that might just help: I suspect there is a bug going the rounds that causes dizzyness, as I woke up one day last week feeling sick, was not sick, but did have a very slightly upset tummy. Later on in the day, I felt dizzy when I bent down to pick something up off the floor.

This continued for a couple of days, but I found it helped to make quite sure that I drank enough fluids - mainly water, even at the risk of feeling I was going to wet myself before getting to the toilet.

So make sure you are drinking enough. And if the attack you mentioned was physical, could you possibly have a slight concussion?