I've developed a fine motor tremor from my illness, and remember reading a post in which someone stated that his/her doctor said that Lyme-induced tremors shouldn't really be expected to resolve. Has there generally been some permanent damage done when this symptom appears?
Posted by JaimieB (Member # 19076) on :
I am anxious to hear others experience with this as well. It tends to scare my kids and myself when I start shaking or spill something from trembling.
Posted by Getting Better (Member # 8919) on :
I had severe tremors for a few months, associated with a herx. They continued for about 1.5 years, and then went away completely.
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
Yes and make sure your getting plenty of B12 either in shots plus b12 suppliments and magnesium and I think its b6 take a bcomplex vitamin to.
Posted by SForsgren (Member # 7686) on :
I have had some tremors off and on over the years since Lyme but they do seem to go away. I suspect Bartonella and/or Brucella.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
Also some meds can cause tremors. Malarone caused tremors for me but went away when I stopped taking it.
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
I had tremors prior to proper diagnosis. They have mostly resolved with treatment - including B12 shots.
They began again briefly last fall when I went off abx for 2 mos and relapsed.
Have hope.
Are you a musician? (do I remember correctly?) I hope it hasn't had an impact on that part of your life.
Posted by Staris (Member # 17648) on :
I have had a fine almost full body tremor for a few months (hands, fingers, feet, jaw (teeth chatter), etc) and no improvement with aggressive treatment. Its constant. Sometimes I'll have worse episodes of fingers twitching or moving but this is generally on top of the tremor.
If the tremor is from neuro-lyme and the lyme is actually in your basal ganglia (part of your brain that controls movement) then neurons don't grow back very fast and damage may be permanent or take a long time to improve.
If your tremor is from a vitamin, hormonal or metabolic problem - I think its much easier to resolve with proper treatment.
Just my 2 cents.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
adam, has anyone ever dx you with parkinson's disease?
hubby has UNDIAGNOSED lyme based on his igenex western blot tests.
for last 20-30 years, he's had tremors that were gradual but have evolved to ROLLING=HAND TREMORS, non-stop; worse there is according to his neurologist.
at 1st they diagnosed him for 4-5 yrs. with ESSENTIAL TREMORS!
now 2-3 yrs. ago, 2nd one dx him with advanced parkinsons and rolling hand tremors are just as bad if not worse!
he's on meds for parkinson's.
[ 02-14-2009, 03:46 AM: Message edited by: bettyg ]
Posted by Staris (Member # 17648) on :
Bettyg,
Does your husband respond to the parkinsons meds? I think you are referring to essential tremor as the initial diagnosis.
I'd like to hear from anyone who has had a diagnosis of parkinsons and improved from Lyme treatment. People says Lyme is misdiagnosed that way but haven't heard any improvement stories. There is that Ben Petrick from Under Our Skin but he was only starting treatment in that movie. Wonder how he is now though.
If anyone has had this experience or knows of others - please let me know.
Thanks
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
My brief answer is yes, tremors can improve and even completely disappear. I am sure everyone is not alike, but don't give up hope.
Treatment and prognosis would be somewhat different depending on if there is nerve damage or the tremors/myoclonus is a result of neurotransmitter imbalances or nutritional deficiences as previously mentioned. And as Betty mentioned, length of time between tremor onset and diagnosis and treatment. A few months or even a year or two after tremor onset before treatment most likely could be resolved, but decades I am not so sure.
Another variable is mercury toxicity as that also interferes with acetylcholine and blocks nerve transmission signals.
Will come back to this question and give more details as this is hubby's major symptom and actually how I gauge whether treatment is working for him.
I think actual damage to the basal ganglia from Lyme and other tickborne diseases is very rare, but obviously there are no real studies to assess this possibility.
Bea Seibert
Posted by pab (Member # 904) on :
Adamm,
My son had tremors, mainly his hands. I think he is about the same age as you are - 22. The tremors would be very bad on some days. When I would hand him a glass of water, he's hands were so shaky that he would spill the water.
I don't know what made them go away. He hasn't had them for awhile. It was scary for me to see him that way.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
staris,
yes, essential tremors is how his started.
they started him on amandatine, sp, and he got better than WORSE. THEY ADDED 1 MORE PILL OF SAME; then he started hallucinating bad!!
he dropped it to 1 day and 3 carbo.....
if he stops taking amandatine, he is non-stop SWEATING PROFUSELY and hallucinations start back.
Posted by adamm (Member # 11910) on :
Whoa, thanks--didn't expect to get so many responses!!
Bettyg--I specifically asked the PCP whom I saw about this
whether or not he thought it was Parkinson's, and he said that
he did not think it was. I guess I could see a neuro, but so often
that just winds up being an exercise in frustration.
cactus--Thankfully, they aren't bad enough to interfere with
that. It's really a very subtle thing that you wouldn't see if you
weren't looking for it. Thx for your concern, though.
Scott--Yeah, I think that most of my symptoms at this point are
caused (and possibly have been all along) by co-infections.
Bactrim/RIfampin is the only combo that produced any
improvement whatsoever, and 7 months of Ceftin/Biaxin has
done absolutely nothing for me. Babs or further bart treatment
is definitely next on the list.
Posted by Rianna (Member # 11038) on :
My Husband had terrible tremors and treated for Bart with Levaquin and they totally disapperared.
Rianna
Posted by Staris (Member # 17648) on :
Did/does anyone have rigidty with the tremor? If known what type and what muscles (all major muscles, just arms, etc.)? I seem to have it in neck, truck, arms, legs - almost everywhere.
I just find it so hard to believe that lyme can cause tremor, rigidity, major fasciculations, myoclonus, other involuntary movements, dysautonomia, etc. Maybe it was the triggering cause in me and hoping extended IV will help although nothing after a few months.