Essential tremors? Any tricks for making less?

84 yr-old hubby has been dealing with Essential Tremor for decades. Only diagnosed with MGUS a couple of yrs ago. The MGUS isn't a problem, yet, but the tremors in his hands are getting worse. Has trouble holding utensils and writing legibly -- even with special ball point pens for shakiness from Amazon. Could never tolerate any of the tremor meds due to side effects. Have you discussed any of the meds with your doc? Tried hand weights,wrist weights, or weighted utensils?

@tracypage hi. I’ve never seen anything linking essential tremors and MGUS but that doesn’t mean they’re not connected. Nor does it mean it hasn’t been studied. My husband has suffered from essential tremors almost all his life. He recently had surgeries using a focused ultrasound technique on the part of the brain that causes the tremors. The right side was quite successful, the left, worked to stop the tremors but unfortunately, with side effects. Prior to that he took propanolol, which was very helpful and curiously, alcohol consumption helps. He was in a study (at least 15 years ago), at the National Institute of Health on the effect of alcohol on essential tremors. Interesting stuff. I suspect that that course of treatment would be frowned upon at work.
I think I’ll see if I can find anything connecting MGUS with essential tremors. I’d be very interested to know if you find anything as well.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/neurology-neurosurgery/news/respecting-patients-choices-for-tremor-surgery/mac-20576561

@tracypage I always like digging around in the “stacks.” The focused ultrasound technology has advanced since this study was done, but it does connect the dots. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3372617/

@pmm Thank you! They are starting to affect my vocal chords too but the big problem is they make it hard to study my camera.

@pmm Wow! I am IgM Kappa so I guess that fits. And as the neuropathy has increased in the last two years, so have the tremors.

@grrranny My biggest issue is my camera which is about 7 pounds. I have to stand frequently on a stool when I shoot and when I am elevated, holding my camera has started to be an issue. This is something I have done for 20 years and suddenly I can’t. When I am tired too now it seems to be affecting my vocal chords.

I am in PT and we are working on it.

I have Waldenstroms an Parapapanol slow release helps my restless legs and tremors. Just an fyi.

@zeedee1 I will look into it!