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Do You Have Both Parkinson's And Essential Tremors?

A MyParkinsonsTeam Member asked a question 💭
Mesa, AZ

My body shakes whether I'm trying to do something or relax. Occupational therapy is difficult but I do it three times a week. Both PD and ET have symptoms that overlap, and I do not know sometimes which is which.

(Essential tremors are a related neurological disease it also caused tremors. Essential tremors are an action related tremor whereas Parkinson's tremors are at rest tremors. You have Parkinson's tremors when you relax your tremors begin if you have essential tremors they bother you… read more

7 days ago (edited)
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A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

Kathryn, it sounds like we are in the same boat. Dyskinesia drives me nuts when I'm sitting in my recliner. I have also worn out the foot of my bed or my feet rubbed together. I hope you have some relief for your essential tremors.

🦉

20 hours ago
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

Osiyo David! Hope you are doing well. I was first diagnosed with ET several years ago ( about 2013 I think). Was referred to another Neurologist who in 2019 said I had PD but my Primary Neuro disagreed with. Was referred to UT Southwestern Neurology in 2022 where they did exams and a DatScan (returned negative) and they ordered an Syn-One Test (returned Positive). My Neurologist said that test was confirmatory for PD and so I had diagnosis of both ET and PD. He retired in Jan 2024 so after an 8 month search I found a new neurologist with specialization in movement disorders such as PD. After reviewing all previous neurologist in Tulsa and UT Southwestern Neurology notes, all my CT & MRI brain scans, DatScan and Syn-One skin punch biopsy result and performing a thorough (IMHO) physical examination she changed my diagnosis from PD to Parkinsonism In September this year. I go back to see her for 2nd time in November and hopefully she will clarify my diagnosis. {After researching, believe I check off almost every box matching up with MSA (Multiple System Atrophy} but we’ll see… Hope my story is helpfull David! God Bless!

2 days ago
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

David - The ET tremors are a lot more difficult to deal with. It’s also hard for me to eat, and drinking, even more so.

3 days ago
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

Hey Dale, I can relate to your feelings about changing medications. Sometimes it seems like we are all guinea pigs. I take propanolol and a supplement called tremonol. They do provide me some relief from my ET. If I take too much propranolol it drops my heart rate too low. At my current dosage I do get some relief, but the tremor is still dominate my life. It is very hard to eat.

For PD I'm taking 50/200 five times a day. Over the past few years my PD has advanced making it difficult for me to stand very long. When I walk I stagger a bit but I can still walk around the block. Sometimes it is difficult to stay on the sidewalk.
While I'm still in my '60s, my 92-year-old father gets around better than I do.

Dale, if you have any ideas of how to better live with this one two punch of PD/ET I'm open for suggestions.

Thank you, and thank you to all of my MPT Friends who have supported me for the last few years. May the Lord bless you.

🦉

3 days ago
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

I also have PD and Essential Tremors. I gave up shaving for fear of cutting myself.

I also have the REM sleep disorder. This is kept in check with Prazosin. This was diagnosed by a Psychiatrist “off label). I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else, but it certainly worked for me.

My essential tremor seems to be the same as what others have described. I don’t have medication for it. I’m afraid they’ll take a one or the other approach, and I don’t want to trade treatments.

3 days ago

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