Im Kevin and I have had a tremor for as long as I can remember.  I am 40 and finally got a diagnosis of Familial Tremor about 3 months ago.  I was seen by doctors when I was in 1st grade because the teachers were concerned with my shake.  They chalked it up to separation anxiety.  Never went away.

8 months ago I noticed it getting worse.  On the left side and sometimes my head.  So I went in to the Dr and he ordered a bunch of blood tests. All came back normal so I ened up with a neurologist.  She talked to me for a few min, had me walk, moved my arms, and checked my reflexes.  With this she said Familial Tremor because a few others in my family have a shake.  Prescribed propranolol and said give it a try.

After a month of feeling like I had ice in my veins and no energy, and still a shake, I went back and she decided to have me try primidone.  That worked....for about 3 months.  Now it is worse again and the right side is joining in.  I don't see my new neurologist, the other one retired, unil the end of August. 

I have been doing plenty of reading over the last 8 months and I am still concerned that it may be something worse than ET.  I read that low dopamine levels are an indicator of someing worse.  So I went back to the Dr and asked if they could test my dopamine levels.  She said that was not a usual blood test they run and felt it would be better for me to wait for the neurologist. 

For the last year or so I have been getting more and more depressed. Before the shake got worse but not much longer before.  I had never been diagnosed with or treated for depression in my life.  This was another reason I was concerned about my dopamine levels.  Tired, slow, mood swings, lack of interest in things, kind of blah in general.  I mentioned this at the appointment but she decided to prescribe me sertraline.  So now I am tired, slow, lack of interst, and kind of fuzzy headed. 

So now I sit and wait and worry.