Tremor Treatments in MS Patients

A symptom like tremors is something you might see in someone with Parkinson’s disease or perhaps someone coming off an addiction. However, tremors are also a symptom of an autoimmune disease called multiple sclerosis (MS). Many people with MS at some point or another have some type of tremor aka uncontrollable shaking and it can happen in various parts of the body from the hands to the head to even the feet.

Types of MS Tremors

There are three main types of tremors which MS sufferers may experience. The first one is called a postural tremor. The uncontrollable shaking can occur while someone is sitting or standing. However, it does not happen while that person is lying down. A nystagmus is a tremor that creates jumpy eye movements and can impair your vision during those episodes.

The other type of tremor is an intention tremor. What this means is that if a person is not doing anything, they have no tremor. However, if they try to grab something, shake a person’s hand or move a foot to a particular spot, tremors occur. The intention tremor is the most common of all MS tremors and it is also the most confining and troublesome as well.

Tremor Background

There is one main reason why the tremors occur and it has to do with the damage that the immune system causes on the protective nerve sheaths called myelin. When the body’s own T cells attack the cells within the myelin, this causes damage along these nerve pathways which control the coordination of movement.

Tremors are unfortunately one of the toughest signs of MS to treat and so far, there have been no reports of drugs that continually work to treat the tremors. Drugs that treat other diseases and health conditions seem to help lower the frequency and severity of tremors although no one knows exactly why. Several antihistamines like Vistaril and Atarax have shown some tremor effectiveness as well as anti-anxiety medications like Klonopin, diuretics like Diamox and even an anti-tuberculosis medication called Isoniazid.

The Effect of Tremors

The impact that tremors have on an MS sufferer is profound and can greatly limit the activities throughout the day. Social and emotional impacts are considerable and MS patients with severe tremors will isolate themselves to avoid embarrassment in public because of it. The type of action can turn into depression as well as other mental problems. This depression is best treated before it becomes more debilitating than the multiple sclerosis. Anti-depressants and counseling can definitely help.

Someone with MS tremors should talk with their doctor about how to lessen the severity of them or at least become better equipped to handle them while in public. Tremors can be a problem but it should not affect your ability to enjoy going to the mall or visiting your local neighborhood park. It takes time to ignore the stares and speculation about your tremors. Life should be lived to the fullest, whether you have MS or not, because it is the only one you have.