Tremors in Hands

Beary-nice · Jun 1, 2006

Thats awful, i am so sorry. Do the meds help you?
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Somewhat, but even tho I'm still on them, and had the surgery, I'm not rock steady, especially under stress.
Oh well, it could be worse - at least the tremors aren't life threatening - and I met and educated a lot of people over the years with the same problem.
I'm am so glad when there is someone willing to educate others on this issue. I always thought the hardest part was educating the people who don't have this type of problem. One of those people was my hubby. He didn't understand and thought it was strictly because I was nervous. He thought I could control it by slowing down and taking a deep breath. I had to tell him I had been trying to do that since age nine, hasn't worked yet. He finally understood when he actually looked and noticed that I wasn't shaking hardly at all while on medication and when he actually looked and said "Your dad and brother do that too." I have heard of the surgery you had. Best of luck to you and take care.

suzy253, RN · Jun 1, 2006

Thank you very much Beary. I always thought I was alone in this and have suffered from them for a very very long time as well.

Hoozdo, ADN · Jun 2, 2006

I have problems with tremors r/t side effects of an immune suppressant I take. For anyone entering nursing school I would recommend you tell your clinical instructor that you are not shaking due to nervousness....... I went to nursing school and successfully work in ICU with tremors (though they are not MAJOR tremors). I would say they are bad enough to interfere with putting eyeliner on straight, but not lipstick :lol2: You can always stabilize your hand on the patient before sticking an IV in - works great for me.

wjf00 · Jun 2, 2006

I have had essential tremors for years. On the unit I work on, one other RN and an MD also have essential tremors. Not a problem for any of us. I have prn propanolol, I may use that twice a year.

banditrn · Jun 2, 2006

I have had essential tremors for years. On the unit I work on, one other RN and an MD also have essential tremors. Not a problem for any of us. I have prn propanolol, I may use that twice a year.

That sounds great! No one where I worked had the tremor, and I got tired of being treated like a mental defective in the last place I worked.

One of my son's stuttered, so I had some insight in how people with even a slight disability are viewed by many - even health care workers. I've observed it so often over the years.

windchaser, ASN · Jul 14, 2006

This is a reply to cdietrich 404 who has tremors,

I am about to finish my first semester of nursing school and I also suffer with essential tremor. I am here to tell you to GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dr put me on Inderal 60mg and also Klonopin and it has been working

very well for me so far. The Klonopine just relaxes me so much because when we are being checked off on our lab skills I get sooo nervous my hands would shake even worse!!! I would be so embarrassed just taking a simple blood pressure and my instructor would blurt out why are you shaking so everyone else of course heard her too. Well I am not about to let some ignorant person ruin my dream of finishing RN school and you shouldn't either. My advice to you is to get into a program. Go to your dr

and get started on some meds. The Klonopine makes me tired but I do not have a panic attack knowing I am being closely evaluated doing a certain skill. I did injections today and am so proud of myself. Honestly I wanted to cry tears of joy because I hardly shook while administering an IM injection and I also had to draw up insulin. Such a small feat to most people, but for those of us with ET it is an awesome accomplishment!

So go all out and if nursing is what you want to do don't let anyone stop you girl!!!

Good luck and God bless!!!!

chadash · Jul 14, 2006

This is a reply to cdietrich 404 who has tremors,
I am about to finish my first semester of nursing school and I also suffer with essential tremor. I am here to tell you to GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My dr put me on Inderal 60mg and also Klonopin and it has been working
very well for me so far. The Klonopine just relaxes me so much because when we are being checked off on our lab skills I get sooo nervous my hands would shake even worse!!! I would be so embarrassed just taking a simple blood pressure and my instructor would blurt out why are you shaking so everyone else of course heard her too. Well I am not about to let some ignorant person ruin my dream of finishing RN school and you shouldn't either. My advice to you is to get into a program. Go to your dr
and get started on some meds. The Klonopine makes me tired but I do not have a panic attack knowing I am being closely evaluated doing a certain skill. I did injections today and am so proud of myself. Honestly I wanted to cry tears of joy because I hardly shook while administering an IM injection and I also had to draw up insulin. Such a small feat to most people, but for those of us with ET it is an awesome accomplishment!
So go all out and if nursing is what you want to do don't let anyone stop you girl!!!
Good luck and God bless!!!!

Thanks for your post! I am so proud of you and how you have gone forward and done all it takes to be an RN. I would like to kick that instructor in the behind!

CapeCoralNurse2be · Jul 15, 2006

I used to have a good friend and coworker that was an ER nurse that had bad temors. He was probably the best nurse I have ever known, and I never once saw him have difficulty starting an IV or performing any nursing task for that matter. You just learn to work with what you've been dealt.

Good luck

gooch951 · Jul 15, 2006

Thank God for this nurse site and all the nurses who come together and help each other. i never knew what i had is essential hand tremors..wow..and there is hope! i always have to deal with this especially starting an IV but i never had a severe problem with it..just patients think they scare me!

i have an appointment on monday with PCP and will make mention of this..thanks all and beary-nice!

God Speed!

nursecave · Jul 15, 2006

I work with a nurse who has tremors and she is awesome at doing arterial sticks on Newborns. Go figure! She is on atenolol or a related drug, which helps some, but she still tremors bad. To assist her in arterial sticks, it is so tempting to reach over to steady her hand, but she gets more than she misses, so I guess she's learned to overcome her "disability". We have talked about her condition some, and she says some patients and some nurses really make her feel incompetent because they assume she's nervous or something is wrong with her and make rude comments. My advice is - go for it- nursing can work with tremors. You may have to practice harder at certain skills to learn to work around your tremors, but you can do it. If someone with severe tremors can hit a newborn's radial artery, you can do a lot of the fine motor skilled tasks too! As far as handwriting- go to a facility that computer charts- it will be a whole lot easier for you.

chadash · Jul 16, 2006

It really effects my handwriting, which sometimes gives the impression I am less precise than I really am by nature. Typing is so so much better. Unfortunately, not been able to implement that on the job. I have never had to do anything like IVs (not a nurse) but oddly when I did intermittent caths for a patient in home health, my hands were strangely steady, and she said I did the most comfortable caths of anyone. Hmm. It is strange how sometimes these things surprise you. When you are not being "tested" and you are really focused on just doing it right by your standards, you may find you have no problem.

azgal40 · Jul 31, 2006

What a great post! I am working on my prereqs and I was just diagnosed w/benign familial tremor and was wondering if there was any point in me even continuing. I don't shake much at this point unless I am stressed, and I figured was I am in nursing school and after graduation it will be nothing but stress. It is good to hear from those of you who are dealing with this problem successfully.

Kim