Tremors from environment or illness?

Hi, @cateye13 . I have no advice on what might be causing the tremors, but I am empathetic. To me, it seems more than coincidental that all members of the family (2 and 4 leg varieties) are experiencing similar symptoms. I hope you get answers soon. Not knowing must be frustrating.

Mold?

Thanks! It is very frustrating. My primary care provider was convinced it was Essential Tremor. I never bought that, and now I really don’t.

The more I look through the symptoms, the more that makes sense. I’m hoping the mold test I ordered will hold some answers. In the meantime, I will continue searching for a source.

Hello and welcome to Connect @cateye13. So very interesting. What a head scratcher, your family having hand tremors, and your pet, too. Are you all under a great deal of stress or stressful living conditions by chance? How long have you lived in the home?

For you, given your chronic pain from fibro, tremors can be symptoms from Central Sensitization which is an umbrella to conditions like fibromyalgia, neuropathy, migraine, IBS, TMJ etc... Here's a pretty extensive government article from PubMed Central about central sensitization:

Central Sensitization: A Generator of Pain Hypersensitivity by Central Neural Plasticity
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2750819/#:~:text=Central%20sensitization%20corresponds%20to%20an,efficacy%2C%20or%20a%20reduced%20inhibition

Working with a neurologist will help pursue necessary testing and rule out other potential underlying cause or conditions. I hope you get in soon (cancellations happen)! CSS is sort of the final straw when everything else is off the plate and docs have no more answers. Even doctors can be unaware of central sensation which is why I like bring attention to it here, just so folks are aware that it could explain the unexplainable. Will you please keep us posted? Wishing your whole family well.

Hello Rachel. No, we are not under abnormal stress. We built the house and moved in three years ago. Thanks for the info. I will research that too.

@cateye13
You're going through a lot and it sounds so frustrating. It just seems the whole family having similar issues can't be a coincidence. The cat...maybe coincidence or maybe the cat is just more sensitive to whatever is toxic to your family. I noticed the cat has had tremors for 3 years and you moved into a newly constructed house 3 years ago. Did the cat have tremors at the last house? If so, that can rule some things out.

It sounds like you are the most sensitive person in your home to whatever it is. I am very chemically sensitive to everything -- cleaning agents, fragrances, new furniture and cars, just about new anything and I have to air it outside for awhile due to chemical smells. Some new things I just have to toss due to chemical smells. I recently had a horrible reaction to just 4 square feet painted in a cabinet with non-toxic paint -- the room was spinning for a week, falling down, muscle twitches, lost of neuro symptoms. My point is that you can react to just about any chemical.

I read that vinyl flooring can give off strong chemicals for 5 years after installation. Yes, mold is a consideration, but with a new house that's curious unless you have an unusual water leak or live on the water or maybe very high humidity. New construction makes some of the old stuff like asbestos and lead paint seem less likely. I was looking online for ideas and found a website greenamerica.org that has a couple articles that might be helpful. 1) 13 Toxic Chemicals Lurking in Your Home. 2) Room-by-Room Detox.

Have you checked with others in the neighborhood to see if any other families are having symptoms? Maybe there is something toxic in the area? We've seen that story before of a chemical dump or leak nearby affecting entire neighborhoods.

You were diagnosed with fibromyalgia 5 years ago. Again, makes me think your body is very sensitive to everything. You stated your tremors started about 3 months ago. Same for the family? Try to think if you brought anything new into your home around that time. Did you buy a new set of pans (many of those non-stick ones have toxic chemicals that are released during cooking). Did you get any new furniture? New scotchguard type product on the furniture? Refinish any old furniture? New paint? What home projects did you do recently? Pesticides can really cause neuro issues. Any new pesticides that you ordered or that someone else is using in the area? Something to keep mosquitoes or rodents away? Did your immediate neighbors do anything new around their homes/yards? Do you have a pool? New pool chemicals? New cleaning supplies being used in your home? New diet? New vitamins? New soap, shampoo, etc.? New plastic containers for food or anything else? I'm sure you've checked for gas or carbon monoxide leaks. Did you go on vacation anywhere just before this happened? Any new landscaping? New fertilizer? I'm just trying to think of anything new that your family could have come in contact with right before this all started. What's different at this house from the old one? What's new 3 months or more ago as it could have taken some time to start causing issues. I'm hoping to spark an aha moment of what it could be. I know how miserable this type of stuff can be. I'm praying you can figure it out and eliminate the cause so you can all get on with a healthier life. Zebra

Zebra,

I am so sorry that you have such a sensitivity to things. It sounds quite debilitating for you at times.

Yes, I am quite sensitive to certain chemicals. We do have a lot of new in the house, besides just the house itself. Much of the furniture had to be purchased after moving in, and it has slowly accumulated. We do have vinyl plank floors throughout much of the house. We also have a propane stovetop and fireplace. Our trusty old vehicle finally gave out, so we also have a new car. (It’s not looking good on the chemical front, is it?) Most everyone has their lawn treated by the same company.

Honestly, it could be so many things, I will just have to pick away at the list to see if there are any correlations with stronger symptoms. You’ve provided so many great suggestions!

I have multiple tests for the home coming today and tomorrow. We do live in a rather damp area, and we have woods near our home.

We got our cat after moving in to this house, and he was tiny and extremely sick when we got him. We don’t know if he has a “normal” that doesn’t include tremors. They developed as he aged.

I did go visit family after the first episode. During the trip, I started having smaller episodes. By the end of the two weeks, I was having tremors 24/7. My mother is good about minimizing unnatural environmental stuff because of her own health issues, so the fact that I continued to get worse there is curious.

I finally received the remainder of my blood test results. No tick issues and nothing else abnormal shows up. This situation is so bizarre! After noticing the small tremors on the others, I realized I could have been having them much longer than I realized. They’re very not noticeable, but I did confirm with a nurse that they definitely look abnormal.

I appreciate all of the kind words and suggestions that everyone has provided. I’m really hoping to solve this mystery soon. Prayers for healing for you too! Cateye13

@cateye13
That really is curious that you got worse after 2 weeks away from home unless it’s your car or personal products. If just your kids also had symptoms I’d even suspect something hereditary but since your husband is having issues too…hmmm. These kinds of medical mysteries are sooo frustrating. Believe me, I understand. Normal lab results are normally welcome except when you’re still experiencing symptoms. Good luck with the home testing. Please keep us posted. I feel invested in your story.

Please remove your smart meter immediately.