Muscle Tremor and Exercise

Hi everyone,So Iong story short: I don't think I have ALS, I've been to neurologist who did tests and said I was fine. So I live with the twitching and I'm not worried about them at all anymore.What I am concerned about is my muscle tremor/shaking. I've mentioned this before on the forum with regard to exercise. Most assured me that with regular exercise the shakiness in the muscles would subside. If anything, the shaking is getting worse and it's really starting to freak me out.Essentially, my muscles, when used in any way (stretched, lifting weights, holding position for period of time) will shake. It is restricted to my legs and arms (so I don't have it happen in my back or my neck). For instance, today I held a carton of milk in line at the grocery store for quite awhile. Once I put the milk down (relieved the muscle tension) my arm/hand would shake whenever I picked something else up or used it in anyway. But JUST this arm.If I'm at the gym doing any sort of muscle excercise (lat pull down, seated row, chest press, squats) my muscles will shake as well. It's a ratchety motion (like I'm under a strobe light). It's noticeable but not ridiculously noticeable. It also does not affect strength. It's just really freaking me out.My doctor said he didn't know what it could be but that it may have something to do with neuro/muscle system. The neuro said it was musculo-skeletal and therefor not something he could comment on. Is this BFS or something else on top of the BFS?Of course - freaking out also means increased muscle shaking... so I'm a shaky mess at the moment! I'm worried it could be something like a brain lesion or trauma... etc. Clearly something is not right.

Hi NateAfter Mommylondon mostly retired from shaking, I inherited the title BFS tremor queen I am now mostly over it and ready to pass it to the next shaker Tremors play a big role in BFS, it is a very weird but common symptom. Shaking before exercise, while exercise and after it, waking up with tremors all over, fingers going crazy (maybe you have seen my vid), legs shaking and bouncing so I feared I would fall....There are lots of theories about BFS, autoimmune, viral, "it is just anxiety".I believe in the theory of my doctor, that we are in a a state of high nerve arousal coupled to somatisation issues and hyperventilation. This brings our muscles in a state of higher tension and nerve excitability than usual, we develop some kind of strange form of "dystonia" which presents in tremors and twitching. If the tremors now started, you will discover that they are increased by exercise, high temperatures (hot baths are killers!!), caffeine and stress. The question is: are they affecting you in daily life or are they just making you nervous? If it is the first (as it was for me because I need fine motor skills for work) I did not do any exercise, drink coffee or have hot baths before work. I just did all that stuff after work and then let my body shake away. One thing I decided for this BFS stuff: I already lost 3 good months with fear to this crap, and I will not let it take away anything I enjoy in my life, be it coffee or hot baths or -maybe in you case-exercise.Most likely they will calm down a lot as time passes by. Sorry I have no better solutions for you.

Chrissi: you serious? Sauna could increase my morning tremor you think? I like sauna it is -15 outside and the heat really does good to my body. I even twitch less in sauna I didn't know I could have worse tremor by hot baths or sauna or hot temperatures I am freaking out also because every morning for the past 5 months I wake at 5 with tremor in my hands. They are simply shaking and if I am lucky just some wierd sensation, like pins and needles but not exactly as they are asleep. Sometimes I get numb hands yes. It is freaking me out, I can not sleep. And doctors told me this is not a medical symptom at all. There is no known disease where you have shaking hands in the morning before you wake up...

Thank you for all of your feedback!Chrissi - It is so nice to know someone else is/has gone through this. It isn't listed (the ratchety muscles) on the aboutbfs info page under symptoms so I was beginning to wonder if this truly is a part of BFS or some other thing. But after hearing what you had to say it seems it is just BFS! Did Mommylondon stop shaking eventually? You said you are mostly over it - does that mean it has gotten better for you too?I am thankful that the shaking is not bad enough to interfere with fine motor skills - it's harder to cut thing for dinner, or use scissors in a straight line, but nothing serious. It's also a bit more difficult to say, lift a child up as I start shaking (don't want to drop them!). I've had BFS symptoms (the twitches) for about 5 years now. I think this shaking has always been there it's just become more pronounced over the last 3-4 months. I think this worries me as it seems my symptoms are getting worse - no longer can I just get frustrated about constant twitches but now I have this horrible ractcheting in my muscles.I'm worried they will get worse over time - the shaking will increase and make it more difficult.Pinprick - thanks for the response. Has yours gotten better at all over time? How long have you had it for?

I have the exact same shaking tremor as you.describe shake like a leaf been that way since this stuff started I totally believe you are fine hang in there

Yes, Robynn was a bad "shaker" and it decreased a lot. She had the same terrible finger tremor as I had, together with arms, legs and even head tremor just as me and others. Hers had already decreased a lot when I met her first time here on the board, and it felt really good to talk to someone that has been going through the same stuff. My tremors have vanished for the most part, yes, some occasional internal vibration of my right arm is still there but I am working on it with muscle relaxation techniques

Thanks journeyer80 and christinasgirl123!I think I'm starting to come down off of this freak out session now.I think the scariest thing is the fear about progression.The "I didn't have this before but now I do so what's next" thought...Somedays I feel like every year I will just keep getting new symptoms to add on to the list! Hearing that the shaking/tremor has gotten better does make me relax a bit. I can be hopeful now that while it may never fully go away - it may not be as intense.

Thanks PrickLedPin.It's good to know I'm not the only one experiencing this. Of course, since I've been focusing on the shaking, my anxiety has skyrocketed, and now my twitching is worse.What a vicious cycle!Le sigh