Trembling erratically

Posted by bettyherrmann @bettyherrmann, Feb 20 3:23pm

Post Covid I have almost randomly been hit by anxiety-like trembling that is totally disabling, but stops if I lie down and do deep breathing for maybe 5;minutes. Once it was like an internal burst that went down one leg. Also have found my left arm and hand trembling starting near my left armpit. Am seeking to see my MD, hard in Ontario and emergency wait times are hours and hours. I feel as if my autonomic nervous system goes haywire. Has this happened to anyone?

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I went to emergency to try to get tests during an episode. Doctor pushed aside any thought that it could be related to Covid. But thank you to those who tell of similar trembling. What causes it? Is there anything that can stop an episode?

I was given a blood-pressure measuring device by a nurse friend. The trembling is associated with erratic high blood pressure. But how to stop it from happening. Deep breathing breaks during the day drops my blood pressure but does not prevent these trembling events.

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@celia16

My father was diagnosed after excluding everything else. He actually had the seizures in the hospital in front of doctors. At times, he would lose his vision and ability to stand. He takes meds to treat it and they help. The episodes are less frequent and not as severe as they used to be. A cause is not necessarily something they can determine. It’s not always about anxiety.

I hope they can figure out what you have. Please post how you’re doing.

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I think what I am experiencing is NOT a “seizure.” There are many conditions that cause trembling. What I am describing is different, not as severe, and for me associated with blood-pressure spikes.

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@boykin1017

I have had frequent internal tremors post vax for two years. The last month I now also have muscle twitching in different areas of my body which is scary.

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same for me too.

i am going to try gabapentin.

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Anxiety is the hallmark of long covid. That extreme anxiety will cause physical symptoms such as tremors, restless leg, twitching, facilitations etc.

I have these sometimes very badly and the Long Covid clinic at Mayo says they are very common LC symptoms.

Most helpful meds for me:
SSRI - lowered my anxiety massively (fyi I never had anxiety before LC) -Zoloft

Ropinirole - helps with the random twitching and movement issues

Klonopin - lowers anxiety but more importantly for me, stops big twitching while I sleep

Gabapentin - helps with twitching

Most important is the SSRI in my opinion

Hope that helps

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@borg54

Anxiety is the hallmark of long covid. That extreme anxiety will cause physical symptoms such as tremors, restless leg, twitching, facilitations etc.

I have these sometimes very badly and the Long Covid clinic at Mayo says they are very common LC symptoms.

Most helpful meds for me:
SSRI - lowered my anxiety massively (fyi I never had anxiety before LC) -Zoloft

Ropinirole - helps with the random twitching and movement issues

Klonopin - lowers anxiety but more importantly for me, stops big twitching while I sleep

Gabapentin - helps with twitching

Most important is the SSRI in my opinion

Hope that helps

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I have been in anxiety-provoking situations without the trembling —- for example ignored for 15 hours overnight in Emergency waiting to see someone as directed by my doctor’s office because he was too busy to see me. No help!
It is erratic, always in late afternoon or early evening. I have associated it with spikes in ordinarily normal blood pressure.
The situations surrounding these events have never involved anxiety. BUT I agree that having had Covid facilitates my trembling events, something the Emergency doctor dismissed immediately though like you it’s onset was triggered by Covid.
I already take Lyrica because of pain in neck and shoulders related to spinal damage relating to lifetime injuries.
For sure, these events cause some degree of anxiety. I seek to find a way to stop them, and am currently looking for a trigger that causes my blood pressure to precipitously drop.
I suggest that perhaps your “anxiety” is an “anticipatory response” to a terrifying body reaction., triggered by your now being more reactive due to Covid.As you say, you were not an anxious person before, and you are still that person.
I suggest taking your blood pressure during these events. If it drops, as mine does, then look for reasons why this is happening, for “associated variables.”
This is where I am at now.
Thank you for your very careful and detailed response to my post.

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@borg54

Anxiety is the hallmark of long covid. That extreme anxiety will cause physical symptoms such as tremors, restless leg, twitching, facilitations etc.

I have these sometimes very badly and the Long Covid clinic at Mayo says they are very common LC symptoms.

Most helpful meds for me:
SSRI - lowered my anxiety massively (fyi I never had anxiety before LC) -Zoloft

Ropinirole - helps with the random twitching and movement issues

Klonopin - lowers anxiety but more importantly for me, stops big twitching while I sleep

Gabapentin - helps with twitching

Most important is the SSRI in my opinion

Hope that helps

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are your symptoms made worse by food?
if so, what diet changes have you made?
thanks

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@elliep

are your symptoms made worse by food?
if so, what diet changes have you made?
thanks

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I have found that the ONLY variable that has been constant before the late afternoon or post supper trembling attacks is that I have always eaten several squares of a 90% cocoa bar after lunch —- tastes great to me and supposedly has health benefits. Other food and activities can happen at other times. The trembling is accompanied by high blood pressure, a link found by a nurse friend.
This seems a strange possible cause, but I found a study by Consumers Reports that found unsafe levels of heavy metals in dark chocolate. I cut it out for 4 days now and have had no HBP, but it is too soon to judge anything.

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@bettyherrmann

I have found that the ONLY variable that has been constant before the late afternoon or post supper trembling attacks is that I have always eaten several squares of a 90% cocoa bar after lunch —- tastes great to me and supposedly has health benefits. Other food and activities can happen at other times. The trembling is accompanied by high blood pressure, a link found by a nurse friend.
This seems a strange possible cause, but I found a study by Consumers Reports that found unsafe levels of heavy metals in dark chocolate. I cut it out for 4 days now and have had no HBP, but it is too soon to judge anything.

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dark chocolate makes me worse. i can tolerate a small amount of milk chocolate.
cheese is bad too - casein.
i also have HBP with this. my BP was always low. i am now taking 2 BP meds which
has brought the pressure back to my normal. but has had no effect on the tremors.
i have had lots of testing, but no answers.
ellie

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@elliep

dark chocolate makes me worse. i can tolerate a small amount of milk chocolate.
cheese is bad too - casein.
i also have HBP with this. my BP was always low. i am now taking 2 BP meds which
has brought the pressure back to my normal. but has had no effect on the tremors.
i have had lots of testing, but no answers.
ellie

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Thanks for giving your experience. Like you my blood pressure was always low, but my tremors are brief and associated with erratic high blood pressure. Perhaps there is some link, but I cannot take BP pills because it would make my mostly normal periods go too low.
I will watch cheese. My nursing friend gave me her blood pressure monitor. They are pretty reliable. Would be good if you can get home readings. Thanks!

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@bettyherrmann

Thanks for giving your experience. Like you my blood pressure was always low, but my tremors are brief and associated with erratic high blood pressure. Perhaps there is some link, but I cannot take BP pills because it would make my mostly normal periods go too low.
I will watch cheese. My nursing friend gave me her blood pressure monitor. They are pretty reliable. Would be good if you can get home readings. Thanks!

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our symptoms are not totally aligned it seems.
it has been about a year and a half now for me.
my neurologist thinks i have sone form of restless leg syndrome.
you might want to check it out.
she says gabapentin will be helpful, but i haven’t taken it yet.
the other drugs they gave me to try just made things worse.
beta blockers and primidone.
wishing better health for us,
ellie

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