Hand tremor - anyone had success treating with physical therapy or other approach?

steve68

Hi All,

I am new to this with recently-treated diffuse astrocytoma (radiation, temodar). I have developed a tremor in my left hand which has made typing and other tasks difficult. I understand this is a fairly common symptom. Has anyone had success controlling it? Looking for ideas.

Steve

dsharlee

hand tremor
Steve, I don't know of any way to control this, but if you find out, let me know!! I have terrible hand tremors and it is extremely bothersome. It is continuous, even during my weeks off the Temodar.

Sorry I can't help, but please know that many of us can relate.

Debbie

Vulgarism

dsharlee said:

hand tremor
Steve, I don't know of any way to control this, but if you find out, let me know!! I have terrible hand tremors and it is extremely bothersome. It is continuous, even during my weeks off the Temodar.

Sorry I can't help, but please know that many of us can relate.

Debbie

You know, this actually
You know, this actually reminded me. I had forgotten all about it, but for a while (I'd say about a week) after one of my chemos I developed a severe tremor in my hand when I was moving it or doing something, for example, I was eating a bowl of cereal, and as I'd lift the spoon, my hand would shake thus drop off all the cereal. I did not have radiation, however. I can only hope that yours will resolve itself on its own as mine did, and is not lasting.

the_liz_army

Could be a seizure
Hi Steve,

I also have a low-grade, diffuse astrocytoma and I just finished my 11th month of Temodar. I have not had radiation.

I occasionally have hand tremors but they are seizures due to tumor, not due to the TREATMENT of the tumor. Have you thought about that as a possibility? Seizures are fairly common among low-grade gliomas (like an astrocytoma).

Your friend,
Liz

ShowMeFellow

Hand Tremors
Neurologist suggested a regimen of handwriting, 15 minutes a day x seven days a week, to get my right hand "back in the game." Handwriting is on a par with my 8 and 10 y/o grandsons,... with whom I shall become a regular correspondent! They're aware that their Granddad has a "problem on his brain," and needs a pen pal. It's a win-win.

Every day's an adventure of discovery in Cancervivorville.

the_liz_army

ShowMeFellow said:

Hand Tremors
Neurologist suggested a regimen of handwriting, 15 minutes a day x seven days a week, to get my right hand "back in the game." Handwriting is on a par with my 8 and 10 y/o grandsons,... with whom I shall become a regular correspondent! They're aware that their Granddad has a "problem on his brain," and needs a pen pal. It's a win-win.

Every day's an adventure of discovery in Cancervivorville.

Cancervivorville
ShowMeFellow:

I am totally going to steal your term: Cancervivorville.



Liz

steve68

ShowMeFellow said:

Hand Tremors
Neurologist suggested a regimen of handwriting, 15 minutes a day x seven days a week, to get my right hand "back in the game." Handwriting is on a par with my 8 and 10 y/o grandsons,... with whom I shall become a regular correspondent! They're aware that their Granddad has a "problem on his brain," and needs a pen pal. It's a win-win.

Every day's an adventure of discovery in Cancervivorville.

win-win
sounds like a great approach for you and your grandson. I'm curious to hear how it goes.

steve68

dsharlee said:

hand tremor
Steve, I don't know of any way to control this, but if you find out, let me know!! I have terrible hand tremors and it is extremely bothersome. It is continuous, even during my weeks off the Temodar.

Sorry I can't help, but please know that many of us can relate.

Debbie

hand tremor
Hi,

I am trying a few things and will let you know the results -
- I have stopped drinking coffee. I've read that caffein makes it worse
- I like "show-me-fellow's" pen-pal idea. He is hand writing letters to his grandson to help retrain his right hand. My tremor is worst in my left hand (I am a righty), so will am going to try to keep up guitar-playing as a form of physical therapy for the left.

From the responses I got, it seems that some people have had the tremors come and go, and for some they were more permanent.
Let you know how it goes in a few weeks.

Steve

ShowMeFellow

the_liz_army said:

Cancervivorville
ShowMeFellow:

I am totally going to steal your term: Cancervivorville.



Liz

Aetiology of "Cancervivorville"
Be my guest, Liz!
Actually, if you actually google it, you can be as surprised as I was to see that I'm the first one in cyberspace to use that name for the place in which we all find ourselves.

Here's the skinny.

1) In my case, "survivor" doesn't really work,... inasmuch as I am more accurately "under siege,"... so, when The Smack Down comes, nobody outlives what I've got,... nobody actually survives it,... and certainly not long enough to earn a tee-shirt in five years.

2) My Professional Menders concede on that.

3) But still,... The Latest Clinical Study is outdated before the ink dries.

4) My Professional Menders concede on that, too.

5) ("Being realistic" is not the opposite of "being optimistic," but rather the first building block.)

6) So, since "survivor" doesn't work, I've been on the scout for a different paradigm.

7) I wonder if "cultural anthropologist" isn't a better fit,... you see them in National Geographic magazine: Nikon cameras, notebooks, cargo pants,... exploring jungle villages and villagers,... trying to figure out what the deal is with the ear lobes, who makes decisions, and why the old woman who lives in the hut across the river always gets the last word on everything that happens in the village.

8) So,... cancerVILLE,... although I'm probably not the first one to put it together,... (Nope,... just googled it,... it's been around for a couple of years).

9) Likewise cancervivor,... just googled it, too,... somebody else gets credit for that.

10) But, hey,... if you google Cancervivorville,... you and I are, so far, the first two to call our village by its useful name.

11) So,... I'm a short-time visitor, an observer, a cultural anthropologist in Cancervivorville,... learning what I can and sending dispatches back to my sponsors. Every day's an adventure,... in Cancervivorville....

"...where there are no "endings",... only "discoveries!"" (And there's a whole different story to that line, which I recite like scripture (although its not in The Holy Writ)).

Thank you, God, for giving me another day,...
for giving me the opportunities to spend it wisely and well, and
forgiving me when I don't, excusing myself because it's a Chemo Week.

ShowMeFellow.

Vulgarism

steve68 said:

hand tremor
Hi,

I am trying a few things and will let you know the results -
- I have stopped drinking coffee. I've read that caffein makes it worse
- I like "show-me-fellow's" pen-pal idea. He is hand writing letters to his grandson to help retrain his right hand. My tremor is worst in my left hand (I am a righty), so will am going to try to keep up guitar-playing as a form of physical therapy for the left.

From the responses I got, it seems that some people have had the tremors come and go, and for some they were more permanent.
Let you know how it goes in a few weeks.

Steve

I too had the tremors in my
I too had the tremors in my left hand, not in the right that I recall. And from what I remember, I don't know if caffeine played a role or not. I do not drink coffees.

the_liz_army

Dear Steve 68,
I initially
Dear Steve 68,

I initially responded to this post after my 11th month of Temodar and at that time I had no hand tremors. In fact, I suggested you could be having a seizures. Oh, what a fool I was.

Now I am approaching my 17th month of Temodar and have started noticing the shakes. Actually, a co-worker noticed it too, which is what solidified what I thought was going on.

Yes, stopping caffeine helps. But still... there are times when it is hard for me to use the touch screen on my iPhone because I lose control of my fine motor skills in the hands.

I wish this was a better post.

But hey--at least Temodar is still working. *crosses fingers*

Your friend,
Liz

sspencer23

dsharlee said:

hand tremor
Steve, I don't know of any way to control this, but if you find out, let me know!! I have terrible hand tremors and it is extremely bothersome. It is continuous, even during my weeks off the Temodar.

Sorry I can't help, but please know that many of us can relate.

Debbie

Deb and Steve
Hi I'm new to the Survivors Network. I know exactly what you mean when you say tremors have developed in your hands. I have been living with tremors in both hands a long time; sometimes they are worse and other times almost non existent. I don't even know if there is a way to control them but I will tell you what works for me. The medicine I take for migraines (the dizzy part not the headache) is called meclazine and it helps some. It sounds really weird but I take Allegra for allergys and when I take that with the meclazine and an antioxidant the tremors are gone!

Sam