Do You Drink A Lot? No, I End Up Spilling It.
Patient: My hands won't stop shaking.
Doctor: Do you drink often?
Patient: No, I spill most of it.
The shaking started off slow. My moms hands would shake from time to time. Then it became a 24/7 occurrence I know this made her nervous. Soon after came the head shaking. That's when my worry meeter went up a little.
Shaking was never on our radar as a symptom of MS. I don't know why, but we just didn't think about it. So at a neurologist appointment we brought it up. The doctor tells us "oh it could be secondary Parkinson's Disease". What, what! Did you just say Parkinson's? Now my worry meeter has exploded! She said "I'll just write you a script for a benzo". That was it. The visit ended and she left the room. She didn't perform and kind of tests. She just diagnosed and prescribed blindly. That was the day we decided to get a different neurologist.
Here's what we learned from our neurologist who we have now and who has explained tremors to us:
Doctor: Do you drink often?
Patient: No, I spill most of it.
The shaking started off slow. My moms hands would shake from time to time. Then it became a 24/7 occurrence I know this made her nervous. Soon after came the head shaking. That's when my worry meeter went up a little.
Shaking was never on our radar as a symptom of MS. I don't know why, but we just didn't think about it. So at a neurologist appointment we brought it up. The doctor tells us "oh it could be secondary Parkinson's Disease". What, what! Did you just say Parkinson's? Now my worry meeter has exploded! She said "I'll just write you a script for a benzo". That was it. The visit ended and she left the room. She didn't perform and kind of tests. She just diagnosed and prescribed blindly. That was the day we decided to get a different neurologist.
Here's what we learned from our neurologist who we have now and who has explained tremors to us:
- tremors are involuntary movements of different body parts
- medications can cause them
- stress can bring them on and worsen them
- medication can help alleviate them
- occupational therapy and physical therapy can help reduce them
- Intention tremor - greatest during physical movement. There is no shaking at rest. The tremor develops and becomes more pronounced as the person grasps or reaches for something.
- Postural tremor - greatest when a limb or the whole body is being supported against gravity. A postural tremor will shake while sitting or standing, but not while lying down.
- Resting tremor - greatest when the body part is at rest and is diminished with movement.
My mom doesn't have Parkinson's and she never took a benzo. Since the tremors have started, she has started up painting. You're probably thinking paining? How is she going to hold a paintbrush if she's shaking all the time? It completely helps her. It's the one time where she doesn't shake. It's become a form of therapy for her, both physically and mentally. It's a hobby that has brought her a great deal of peace and happiness.
Who knows, maybe I'm living with the next Van Gogh.
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