Alcohol as a cause of early onset of OT

This is the "main" forum that contains new introductions and other topics. A place to talk about your experiences, thoughts and advice.

Moderator: gloria

Mark
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 5:41 pm

Re: Alcohol as a cause of early onset of OT

Post by Mark »

I am a 71 yo male and only recently diagnosed. I find a little alcohol helps me relax and increases standing time. Funnily enough doing DIY, certainly up a ladder or on a chair (enforced standing) and hard physical work increase the shakes. Do other people suffer from pain in the knees and ankles?
The slightest stress, changes from normal routine, bring it on I think.
Is it just me or do others have similar symptoms? I worry that I may have early Parkinsons, how can that be positively eliminated? Do you think OT effects the memory?!
gloria
Posts: 826
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2004 1:10 pm
Location: New Jersey, USA

Re: Alcohol as a cause of early onset of OT

Post by gloria »

Mark: You keep saying you were just diagnosed but you do not say how you were diagnosed.........what kind of testing was done???????????? No alcohol is not the cause....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gloria
Mark
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 5:41 pm

Re: Alcohol as a cause of early onset of OT

Post by Mark »

Dear Gloria, many thanks for yours. Sorry this is so I....I.....I, but you did ask!
I was suffering from bad depression in late 2015 and on meds. In November I saw a private physicatrist who increased the dose I was on. I was already complaing that I was shaking. By mid 2016 the depression was not improving and so he changed me to Proxac . I was still shaking but we thought it was a symptom of depression or the meds. By early 2017 my depression had lifted (a miracle!), but I was still shaking even after reducing the dose. He advised me to see a neurologist. Luckily I have a son in the medical game and he arranged for me to see a private neurologist who specialised in tremor and Parkinsons. She had even experimented with Botox (without much success).
She sat me down, stood me up, watched me walking, made me draw spiral circles and a clock. She talked to me, made me touch my nose and all the time had one hand on my upper leg! She quickly concluded that she thought I had Primary OT or OT Plus ( plus PD?) but that I would need several expensive tests before I would know exactly what I had. All that without even taking of my trousers!
I went back to my GP who arranged for me to see a hospital neurologist who agreed with the first neurologist and arranged for me to have blood tests, a MRI brain scan and an EGM. When the results were in he saw me again and confirmed that I had primary OT. He did not arrange for me to have a DAT scan which I had been told was the definitive test for PD.
He suggested that I tried Clonazepam starting at 2mg and rising to 1 or even 2mgs but warned me that it may affect my mood as I was still on Prozac. He suggested that I could take it when I knew I would be standing to see if it helped.
I have resisted taking Clonazepam as I had also heard it makes you sleepy and I already get tired and sleep a lot.
So..... here I am in late 2017 with high frequency leg tremors and also hand/arm tremors (mainly left). It stops when I sit, sometimes not arms/hands, but all stops when I walk or lie in bed. The severity depends on whether I have been doing DIY, hard physical work or under stress. Standing is not good. A little alcohol helps! When I awake my right hand shakes badly for a few seconds and I still fear that I may have early PD too.
Sorry this is so long, I worry like others about it getting worse, whether OT also affects memory or cognitive ability but then I am getting older! I am lucky, others have it much worse I know.
On reflection, I have had very mild standing problems when standing at parties or in church for many years, it just got a lot worse suddenly which coincided with being depressed.
Good luck everyone and thank you Gloria for your wonderful work and this site! Yours, Mark
Post Reply