Essential Tremor Support Group

Ask your Neuro about Deep Brain Stimulation. It's a gods-send if you ask me.
There is a lot they can ado with that for adjustments. Your condition sounds a lot like mine, but mine may be more extensive. Mine was a sudden onset with no triggers.

I forced myself to be left handed, to a degree, as well. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. It took me about 3 or 4 months just to be able to write the alphabet in one sitting. 3 years after trying to force myself, I'm still awkward at it.

Propranolol and any other drug they gave me either didn't touch it, made it worse, or just made me feel weird. I hallucinated pretty bad on Propranolol xD
I check back here once or twice a day, usually. Feel free to send me a message.

Are your legs and hands moving at rest or while you are using them? ET is usually only during movement. Perhaps you need another neurologist. go to the IETF.com website to read up on essential tremors. You might have something else.

I have ET and it has never affected my lets. Also I thought I had rheumatoid arthritis and when to a rheumatologist. And after 3 moth with no relief and $3000 worth of medicine I when to a new rheumatologist and she thinks it's my thyroid. So don't always take the first opinion.

Barbara: ET CAN affect any part of the body.
My case affects my entire body from my toes to my head. My tremors occur both at rest and in motion. There is little not a single moment I am not having tremors and that has been the case for the past 6 and a half years.

After over 3 years I was diagnosed with ET. Recently I've been told that my case is atypical to both ET and Parkinson's. So, meh, I dunno.

Kari and Barbara,
I agree with Aubrey that other parts of the body besides the hands and arms can be affected. And if the ET is severe enough, your arms/hands will shake while at rest, though not as badly as when you are using them. In my case, my legs tremor upon standing and taking small steps (orthostatic tremor), my balance is lousy and my voice tremors. I had deep brain stimulation in 2009 and it stopped the shaking in my hands and arms, both sides. Aubrey, if your neuro still can't decide whether you have ET or PD, you should ask him to prescribe sinemet.

Well, I JUST started seeing these Neuro's, it's not the same person that has known me for 3 years. So, I am not at all surprised they aren't rushing into anything.

Propanalol didn't work for me either, but I've tried both Neurontin and Primidone, both which worked to a degree. I'm currently on Primodone and it seems to do the trick for me.

The thing with ET, though, is that it's an "umbrella diagnosis" used when there's certain sympthoms, but the underlying reason might differ from patient to patient.

My husband (55) has had ET for about 7 years, they've tried 5 drugs so far, even combinations of drugs. Some of the drugs changed his personality, easy going guy to a complete jerk, made him incredibly sleepy, unbelievably paranoid, depressed, and anxiety ridden, other med's had no effect whatsoever. His neuro sent him for botox in his arms/wrists, however when we arrive at the new dr all the NURSE wanted to talk about was DBS. It felt as if she were trying to sell him a used car or some kind of snake oil. She was really pushing this, very excited, etc. He reminded her he was there to talk about botox and her response was, "oh yes, well lets get the dr in here and you can talk to him, but we do this all the time. People come from all over the country, believe it or not, for us to perform this operation." He hadn't even been examined yet! This approach has me scared and he's definitely going for a second opinion. We're thinking a trip to the Mayo may be in our future!