Mitigating Parkinson’s tremor

[James]

hey Robert… Actually Xanax seems to help relieve the tremors.  It’s good to use , especially if you have to go out to a function or go out to dinner etc… it helps stop the tremors.  Doctors will never suggest this for some reason and no one on here will talk about it, but it does help most of the time, unless they are very severe, but try it and see if it works.   I know constant exercise , especially weightlifting, whether it’s light weights or heavy, helps tremendously. Taking light amounts of Creatine can also help…

[Anita McDaniel Brueck]

Left hand and wrist tremors were my first obvious symptom that prompted me to get a diagnosis.   That was two years ago.    Some time during the last approximately  eighteen months, my tremors have stopped completely.  Nada.   None.   I’m not symptom free — but those tremors have disappeared –  vamoose!

Here’s my regimen, fwiw:

C/L ER 50-200mg 4 x day             Citalopram 10mg 2 x day

C/L 250199mg 3 x day                    Gocovri 137mg 1@bedtime

Neurpro 4 mg.24 hrs

 

[Andrew L.]

The day  I got my diagnosis I presented with foot tremors. The neuro told me they could only be relieved with brain surgery.  However getting treated with carbidopa / levodopa and selegiline, they went away (for the most part).

[Robert]

Hi James

Xanax isn’t generally available in the UK although I think it can be purchased on a Private Prescription if you can get one.  I find small doses of Diazepam (same general group of meds as Xanax) can be helpful on occasion but, I think, that is more dealing with Parkinson’s anxiety than the actual tremor.  I have noticed that the more anxious I become, the worse my tremor!  I gave up the gym when Covid-19 became a concern and now do limited exercise at home. I was hoping someone on the Forum had “discovered” a supplement that helps alongside of medication.

Anita/Andrew, I am on similar medication to you but it doesn’t help with my Tremor.  I think that all PD sufferers get almost a unique set of symptoms and mine can vary from day to day but Tremor stays consistent for me. It is a constant reminder of my PD and adds to my anxiety.  A vicious circle!

[Todd Kitten]

Hi Robert,

Can I take it that you know the tremor is from PD? The only reason I ask is because I have essential tremor in addition to PD. The first responds to propranolol and the second to C/L. They’re very different in character. The ET tremor is more constant and bilateral.

[Robert]

Hi Todd

Interestingly, no one has ever suggested that i might have Essential Tremor.  I have seen four different movement/Parkinson’s consultants and they all concur that i have PD.  From looking on the internet i don’t think i fit the Essential Tremor profile.  Many thanks for your thoughts though.

[Daniel Best]

My arm tremor gets a lot worse with stress and anxiety, alcohol helps, so I wonder if a beta blocker of some type would provide temporary relief.  Does anyone have any experience with them?

[Robert]

Hi Daniel
Yes, I’ve tried beta blockers. Unfortunately I have a very slow heart rate so they don’t suit me. Dropped me down from low to mid 50 bpm to low 40’s. definitely don’t recommend that ?. My tremor also gets worse with anxiety, hence the diazepam as I have had no luck with any other anti anxiety meds.

[Todd Kitten]

Daniel,

In my message to Robert, I mentioned that I take propranolol (also called Inderal) to treat the essential tremor (ET) that I have had far longer than I’ve had PD. (It’s not uncommon to have both.) Propranolol is a beta blocker, so yes I do have experience with it. As Robert mentioned, it can cause problems for people with PD since many of us already have issues with orthostatic hypotension. In fact, after I was diagnosed with PD, I tried dropping or cutting back on propranolol, thinking that my tremor might have more to do with my PD than my ET, but I found that my ET tremor came back.

Although she certainly wasn’t prescribing it, a nurse practitioner I used to work with told me that alcohol also helped for ET. In truth, I never noticed that it did for me. I could imagine that if it relieves anxiety, it could also help with a PD tremor. However, if you have any question as to whether your tremor is from PD or ET or both, this site seems to describe the differences well:
<h2>Difference in frequency and magnitude of tremor</h2>
The tremor seen in ET is generally of a higher frequency (more repetitions over a length of time), although the frequency can decrease over time. In PD, the frequency of tremor is slower. The magnitude, or strength, of the tremor also differs: in PD the magnitude of tremor is high, whereas the tremor in ET can be variable throughout the day, ranging from very low to high magnitude.^2,3

(I would replace the word “magnitude” with “amplitude,” but I think we’re saying the same thing.)
<h2>Difference in sides of the body affected</h2>
The tremor in PD usually starts on one side of the body and may develop on the other side as the disease progresses. In ET, the tremor usually affects both sides from the beginning of the condition.²
<h2>Differences in what improves tremor</h2>
People with PD who experience tremor usually experience improvement in their symptoms with levodopa therapy. People with ET may get relief from their tremor with primidone and propranolol. Also, the tremor from ET can be improved with alcohol consumption, whereas alcohol consumption has no effect on a tremor from PD.²

etc.

https://parkinsonsdisease.net/answers/differences-essential-tremor/

Of course, this is of no help to Robert, who asked the question to begin with. I’m sorry I can’t help, but I thought this might be of use to someone else if they come across this discussion at a later date.