This is my first post in quite awhile. I've had a new and troubling symptom recently. It's what my doctor calls "intention tremors" in both hands, worse in the left than in the right, as my right is my dominant hand.
This is troubling for me because as a teacher and radio host, I use my hands all day, to write, talk, etc. It's not presently a situation where my hands are visibly shaking. It's more like doing intricate things is a bit more challenging - writing neatly, buttoning buttons, tapping a small link on my iphone, etc.
Does anyone have experience with improving this symptom? What has worked for you? Should I just succumb and expect this to get worse over time? Is this a losing battle?
Obviously, it's quite mentally challenging, troubling, and depressing to be dealing with. Thanks in advance for your thoughtful reply. Have a beautiful day.
Marc
Posts: 2 | From Houston, TX | Registered: Aug 2017
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Sorry, I don't have any answers for you, but Lyme can result in all sorts of problems. The bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) which cause Lyme cross the blood/brain barrier, so it's not surprising you have these symptoms.
Our son had involuntary twitching as well as not being able to straighten up or bend over. This went away with treatment.
Have you been clinically diagnosed with Lyme disease and are you under the treatment of a Lyme-literate doctor (LLMD) now?
Btw - you should not use your real name, because this is a public forum with all sorts of people on it. Read this link about it:
posted
Thank you. I do have a good LLMD, but this symptom is new and concerning. Could you show me how to contact a moderator to change my username? Thank you.
Posts: 2 | From Houston, TX | Registered: Aug 2017
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Go to "Flash Discussion", then "Seeking a Doctor" or "Medical Questions". In the upper left-hand side will be names of moderators.
Click on "Jenifer" and her profile will come up. Click on "Send New Private Message" in the upper right-hand side.
Title it and write that you want to change your username. Click "Send New Private Message".
Posts: 8982 | From Illinois | Registered: May 2006
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
Good news! And I really don't care if you call yourself Peter Pan or Mr. Potatoe Head... HA!
I researched this for you and didn't find any cases where tremor, even whole body tremor and intentional tremor, didn't improve with treatment.
Sharing some quotes and links to the sources for you...
Tremor is described in children and adults. In children you will see ataxia and tremors, sometimes together.
In this study serotonin was used to reduce tremors in a Lyme patient. They call it 5-hydroxytriptamine (5-HT). See serotonin info below.
QUOTE- "The result of the three-month treatment with 5-HT was a gradual diminution of the tremor and the ataxia and an increase in the ability to eat, walk and work independently." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27373127
A young girl with "total body tremor" used therapeutic exercise and gait training. The study states...
"After 18 weeks of treatment, the patient achieved 96.7% of her predicted distance on the Six-Minute Walk Test with normal gait mechanics and returned to playing high school sports.
She had a manual muscle test grade of 4/5 or greater in major extremity muscle groups. She returned to school and church participation with minimal total body tremor when fatigued and daily pain rated 0 to 3/10." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21737523
In this study they indicate tremor was a symptom and although it improved with standard treatment they also (idiots) actually say not to treat if symptoms continue or come back.
"Neurological problems occurred 15 years after the tick bite with headache, nystagmus, intentional tremor and spastic paraparesis with sphincter disturbances. ...
The patient reacted favourably to intravenous crystal penicillin 20 x 10(6) units daily during 18 days. Till now, she is in remission and has only mild paresis of the left leg."
posted
I understand. I as well have tremors. They weren't my most prominent symptom to begin with. After starting treatment the tremors flared, but I think it was the antibiotics hitting the right place.
After it flared for a while, it would come and go. I do not have tremors very often anymore. I'm about 1 year into treatment.
There is hope. It is a bothersome symptom. I felt like an 80 year old woman. Hands shaking as I take bites of food, or anything that uses fine motor skills.
Keep treating. I bet it improves with time.
Posts: 798 | From Cincinnati, OH | Registered: Jul 2016
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ukcarry
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 18147
posted
Two other possible reasons for hand tremors (outside of the vague condition familial or essential tremor that my mother had) are magnesium deficiency and mercury toxicity.
People with Lyme are often low in magneium, so it might be worth taking a good mg supplement to see if it is helpful. I take a sustained release form by Jigsaw Health.
Posts: 1647 | From UK | Registered: Nov 2008
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ukcarry
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 18147
posted
I forgot to mention that B12 deficiency is another possible culprit, along with some of the other B vitamins.
Posts: 1647 | From UK | Registered: Nov 2008
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