Essential Tremor
Essential tremor causes rhythmic shaking, most often in the hands during actions such as writing, drinking or reaching. It can also affect the head or voice and is not the same condition as Parkinson’s disease.
Inderal La
40mg
Indicated to manage cardiovascular stress and anxiety symptoms by antagonizing beta-adrenergic receptors.
Key takeaways
- Shaking is usually most noticeable during movement or while holding a posture, rather than when fully at rest.
- Caffeine, stress, fatigue and some medicines can make tremor more noticeable.
- Treatment is considered when tremor interferes with daily tasks; it does not remove every possible cause of shaking.
A tremor medicine listing is not a diagnosis: new or changing tremor needs assessment for medicines, thyroid problems and other neurological causes.
How is essential tremor recognised?
The pattern, affected body parts and family history help distinguish essential tremor from other movement disorders. A clinician may also review current medicines and check for signs such as stiffness, slowness or balance problems that point elsewhere.
What can treatment do?
Propranolol can reduce hand tremor for some people, but asthma, low heart rate and low blood pressure may limit its use. A neurology specialist may consider an anticonvulsant or a procedure when symptoms remain disabling. Weighted utensils, task adaptations, adequate sleep and reducing caffeine can also help.
When to seek urgent care
Seek urgent assessment for sudden-onset shaking with weakness, facial droop, speech difficulty, severe headache or loss of coordination. Prompt review is also needed if shaking follows a medicine change or is accompanied by confusion or difficulty swallowing.