inderal 10mg 3 times a day not working

Brain and nerves
1

Hello!

I noticed tremors on my body since I was 12. But it was mild tremors that I didn't care about. But since November 2014 my tremors got worse and now I have tremors all over my body. For example, when I try to do abs my trunk starts to tremble, when I lift my legs against the gravity, they start to tremble a lot, when I try to smile my face trembles, when I'm with my friends and try to drink some tea from a tea cup my hand and my head starts to tremble, and I feel that my neck and my head will start to tremble if I move in a "No" movement, and sometimes when I am in a place with lots of people my legs starts to shake and I get very embarassed about that and they start to shake even more. So I went to a neurologist and I showed to him the positions that I tremble and my situation, and he said that some people has more physiologic tremor than others (even though I think that I have essential tremor), and he had to give me something for the anxiety, but I tremble a lot, and when I'm cold my body trembles a lot (a lot more than normal people). He gave me Inderal 10 mg to take 3 times a day . But it's not working on controlling my anxiety. I also tried to take 20mg and it didn't work as well and I'm not having side effects too. But the problem is I get anxious because of my tremors and not the opposite . If I had no tremors, I wouldn't have a reason to be anxious.  I already went to the only 2 neurologists that I have on my city and only the second one gave me some medication. I really want this tremors to stop. I know he gave me that dosage because the anxiety makes the tremors worse but not even for the anxiety it's working. And I'm going to work out of my country with people that I dont talk and I will get very embarassed with this tremors... So what should I do?

2

Hi,

Have you had MRI scans done, or CT scans? You'll notice the "Related information" on the right of these messages, "Dystonia" is at the top, if you look up Generalized Dystonia on Google you see it relates to the whole body.

There is no known cause or cure, but it can be controlled with medication.

Regards,

Les.

3

Hey Thomas

Maybe this'll help:

Physiologic tremor occurs in every normal individual.  It is rarely visible to the eye and may be heightened by strong emotion (such as anxiety or fear), physical exhaustion, hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, heavy metal poisoning, stimulants, alcohol withdrawal, caffeine, or fever.  It can occur in all voluntary muscle groups and can be detected by extending the arms and placing a piece of paper on top of the hands.  Enhanced physiologic tremor is a strengthening of physiologic tremor to more visible levels.  It is generally not caused by a neurological disease but by reaction to certain drugs, alcohol withdrawal, or medical conditions including an overactive thyroid and hypoglycemia.  It is usually reversible once the cause is corrected.

Psychogenic tremor (also called functional tremor) can appear as any form of tremor movement.  The characteristics of this kind of tremor may vary but generally include sudden onset and remission, increased incidence with stress, change in tremor direction and/or body part affected, and greatly decreased or disappearing tremor activity when the individual is being distracted.  Many indviduals with psychogenic tremor have a conversion disorder (defined as a psychological disorder that produces physical symptoms) or another psychiatric disease.

As Les says, it could also be Dystonia, but I'd love to know what age you are now?

 

4

No, I didn't have MRI or CT scans. I only went to a neurologist and told him that I tremble a lot when I move some parts of my body. He only gave me Inderal 10mg to take 3 times a day and it's not working. I am 19 years old but on child hood until my 17 years old i had mild tremors and I could live well with it. But now its getting worse and it's ruining my life... I forgot to say something. I stutter as well and it's getting worse too... 

5

And by the way, thanks for the answer

6

Thanks for the information. I am 19 years old.

7

Sorry Thomas - delays! If it helps, I don't think it's Parkinson's...too irratic for even that SOB!

If you're in a town with only two Neurologists, ask if you can get a referral to somewhere else; there's many centers of excellence in Neurology.

Failing that, it's going to be a matter of wait and see - sounds worse that it is. There's an old adage that says 'only a fool welcomes bad news'.

But your age works for you in two ways:

1. You're young enough that it could just be anxiety driven. But that I mean, if it is; you can control it with time and practise.

2. You're also old enough to chart it. Keep a tab of your symptoms - don't dwell on them - just note them. See if there's a pattern, and see if you can alter them in any way over the coming weeks.

Good luck

8

My only symptoms are tremors on my body. Besides that, I don't have any symptoms. Even when im not anxious I tremble when I do certain positions with my hands, trunk, legs, face or head. It could be essential tremor. The tremors are less noticeable when I drink some alchool. I get very anxious because of the tremors, so I avoid doing things that I know I will tremble, but the problem is that on August 2015 I'm going to work out of my country with people  I don't talk, and that work envolves things that I know I will tremble. 

9

Ah.....

Best form of defense is offense, and I don't mean as in 'offensive'

TELL people that it's 'essential tremor', but add to that 'oh, it's no big thing'. What that does is 

1. Introduce it (the elephant in the room).

2. Make it easier for them to feel comfortable around you.

3. Most importantly, takes the anxiety out of you having to wait until someone says something!

Clearly, you're anxiety is a factor here - something else to put on your chart in a score of 1 - 10. Try it out before you go.....

 

10

It's like this from 1-10:

Anxiety when I'm resting - 1

Anxiety when I'm doing things that I tremble alone - 4 (because I'm always thinking that I'm gonna tremble more on other places since I tremble even when I'm not anxious)

Anxiety when I'm with my friends - 5 (Only on the beggining of the night, because I feel that my head will start to tremble if I do a "No" movement, but then the anxiety fades away)

Anxiety when I'm doing something that I know I will tremble with my friends - 8

Anxiety when I'm doing something that I know I will tremble with people I don't talk - 10

-Anxiety when I'm waiting on a line on the supermarket, etc.. - 8 (because I feel my legs tremble and then I get more anxious).

 

11

1-10 Tremors

Tremors on trunk - 8 (when I'm doing abs. It's pretty severe.)

Tremors on head - 4 (But it's embarrassing because everyone can see it if I start to tremble)

Tremors on hands - 3 (It's only bad when I'm anxious)

Tremors on legs - 9 (When I try to lift my legs they shake a lot, and  when I move my feet fingers, my feet starts to shake. And in stressful situations they start to shake when I'm waiting on the supermarket, or standing with someone talking to me)

Tremors on face muscles - 4 (I only  tremble when I'm trying to laugh for a photo)

Oh, and when I'm taking a photo, if I'm standing looking for the camera, my legs, my face and my head starts to shake.

12

Not feet fingers xD. *My toes

13

And when I contract my muscles like my biceps, my arm shakes a lot ( a lot more than normal people)

14

There is nothing that is never too young!! I thought that, many years ago...  Thomas is 19.. that plays very little if you have a Dystonic disorder! Mine started was I was only 22, until then I was fit and well, worked 16 hour shifts and thought nothing of it. At the age of 23 the company that employed me said they can no longer get insurance, because (A) I was a danger to myself and (B) a danger to others.

It took specialists from across the world to diagnose me, back then I was only the 7th known case in the UK, and it was diagnosed just under 2 years later by an American Professor in Neurology and his team. At first I was diagnosed with Focal Segmental Dystonia or Torsion Dystonia, both are virtually the same, last year it came under review to Generalized Dystonia affecting all the body, and not just a few limbs.

I went from being a healthy fit and able to run to a person that requires care 24/7 by the age 52. No one knows what causes Dystonia, there are brain operations, but I refused these due to the cure rate of only being 5%. So, now I see the top Neurologist in the UK every six months, I also see another Neurologist every 10 weeks for BoTox Injections, plus I'm on over 30 tablets a day! On top of that, Dystonia damages the nerve system which can cause seizures, I get Epilepsy and Functional Episodes. And, to top all that I have had cancer only just come out of remission and two major operations in which I was dying from the inside out, which was part of my intestines turned gangrene, I had 50cm removed, 2 days later I should of started to get better but become worse, an emergency operation  revealed that part of my intestine had touched my liver, so pat of that was removed because it was gangrene, and had already started attacking the intestine again. Those two operations kept me in hospital for nearly 4 weeks and a full recovery took over 11 months... These days I rely on a wheelchair, which my wife has to push me around in, because the dystonia became to bad to coordinate with my arms, and use a zimmer in the house.

Tremors are my problem, they prevent me from walking, drinking, and I'm forever tipping things down myself. I used to get to the stage of whats the point of living, and feeling depressed. But I don't let it beaat me, I have 3 children - all grown up, well my youngest daughter is nearly 15. What got me out of that state and mess was coming on here, and passing on what I knew - the fact I'm physically challenged doesn't effect you mentally unless you let it, thats what I did. I am intelligent, in many ways, but I'm also a danger in many ways. It's like a 50/50 job, which I have to push myself not to let the nervous system control me, eventhough it does.

Thomas if you live in southern england, then you could see the neurologist I see - he is well known by many people, and not just a normal neurologist. People from all over England actually come to see him, and all wish the same 'why couldn't they have a neurologist like him?'

Anyway, I wish you all the best and if you need any info let me know.

Regards,

Les.

15

Sorry dude - had a class. at the feet-fingers!

Head tremor - describe; is it a total-head tremor, foward, sideways...shake?

LOVE it that you've started scoring; keep the 1-10 on how your anxiety level is at the onset (or before if applicable) of these different tremors. If nothing else, you'll have a very acurate graft for a different Neurologist - proud of you, dude!

 

16

That feet fingers :D. I'm portuguese so I'm trying hard to talk in english xD. I prefer english forums because there is more people to talk about.

The head tremor is a shake, but when i'm with my friends, when trying to drink from a tea cup the head tremor it's sideways (because of the anxiety).

I have my next appointment with my neurologist at 7th July. So I'll try to explain him more and see if there's a solution for my tremors. I really don't wanna work with this tremors, because I get very embarassed very easily.

 If I see for myself or I know that I'm not going to tremble doing a task I don't get anxious, but when I know I'm gonna tremble my anxiety rises like hell!!

17

And I can't go to another neurologist, because I live in an Island and I haven't  the money to travel to the continent.

18

Hi Thomas,

May I ask where in the UK are you situated? I'm not after your full address, some people have done that before now and I have had to get the post edited. What I need to know is roughly where you are?

There's a Neurologist that covers Gloucester, Cheltenham and Bristol - but he's a specialist Neuro-brain-surgery and other specialist areas, all in Neurology, his team are 5 other Neurologists - unlike your 2, which to me sounds ridiculous. But it may be down to your area.

I will send you via PM some details which I cannot send you on these forums due to the moderation settings being set so high. These will be of benefit to you, in many ways - have done a lot of research in Neurological conditions.

What I put about myself earlier is my life, and believe me I missed much of it out. It is a sad world we live in, but even though I'm disabled by Dystonia, there are many people of these forums worse than me.

The point I was trying to get across was age doesn't stop some disorders because scientists have yet to find out what causes many neuro-symptoms / disorders, some have told me perhaps its a trauma that you cannot remember, or your memory has blocked it, the truth is no one knows what causes these tremors.

Like yourself I too, felt anxiety causes to become worse. People stare at you, causes many problems again with me its tremors. I am on medication to suppress the tremors, but never found one that stops them all completely.

The reason I cannot stand is because my brain sends signals to my hip area, which for some obscure reason causes me to put 90% of my weight on one leg, while on the other is 10% which causes a bad gait and pulls inwards.

I will send you a detailed Private Message on Neurologists in the UK that are rated highly, and are available on the NHS.

I would be interested in what your Neurologist says in July.

I have Botulinum Toxin Injections every 10 weeks, this calms down the tremor that causes your neck muscles to keep pulling, but it is 6 injections and they are painful, and yes they are the same type that celebrities have to drop facial muscles. I, personally would not have them even if was a celebrity!! Even having them is like hundreds of Bee stings for awhile, some people have collapsed after having them, that did happen to me once.

The one Neurologist I'll put you in contact with is a guy, that you can email - and he is very good. Ignore what I told you about myself, I know I been through hell - but thats me, not you! I probably came across wrong, which I was not meant to do.

Anyway, it's late here... I'll PM you tomorrow.

Regards,

Les.

 

19

Hey Les63. Thanks for being very helpful. For now I only have tremors, not the others symptoms of Dystonia. But the fact that it could be it, it scares me a lot. I want to think that this is Essential Tremor. At least the only symptoms are tremors and in some people Inderal helps a lot with the tremors. I'm taking Inderal now but it's a small dose for anxiety and it's not working. I have to talk to my neurologist and see If he gives me some medication for my tremors.

You can give me the Neurologist contacts, but I can't use it. I'm from Portugal. I only use English Forums because there is more people to talk about and help. If I was living in Portugal Continental, like Lisbon or Porto, i would have access to lots of neurologists. But I live in a small Portugal Island called Madeira Island, and I haven't too much money to travel to the Continent. I'm hoping that my neurologist will find a solution to this problem . I was desperate when my first neurologist didn't want to give me medication because he said I was too young to take medication for tremors like Inderal or Primidone. But then this neurologist is giving me some hope, because at least he gave me some medication. Perhaps, He gave me this dose just to see If I don't get any severe side effect with propranolol, and the next appointment he increases the dose.

20

Hi Les.

So, I went to my neurologist 2 days ago. I explained him again my situation and he increased the Inderal dose to 20mg 3x a day. Now, I'll have to wait more 2 or 3 weeks to see if it works. He also gave me Alprazolam 0.25 mg to take only in stressfull situations and he advised me to take a maximum of 1 per week. I forgot to ask him if I could take a higher dose If I feel that doesn't relief my anxiety. Do you think it's bad to take 0.50mg in a stressfull situation if I feel that 0.25mg doesn't calm down my anxiety?