After going through my history and all the meds that I have taken in the past, he asked me if I would trial a new medication, and I was willing. The medication is Lyrica (Pregablin), much much cheaper than Gabapentin, but a lot stronger drug. I started on 75 mg tablet, one in the morning and one at night, reducing gabapentin over about 5 days. I have always suffered insomnia, but this drug made it much worse. I rang my neurologist and told him and said I was stopping Lyrica, he said to bring the night tablet back to lunch time, if that does not help, take the two tablet in the morning. This is what I am now doing, two 75 mg in the morning. I did go to my GP and got some sleeping tablets but only took them for a week, but now do not need them. I think my body just had to adjust to the new medication.
The results are very pleasing. I have better balance, with the tremor taking longer to commence, also I am able to stand longer than I have been able to do. With Lyrica I take SAMe (homeopathic), this is to keep me positive, one tablet three times a day. I have been taking SAMe for about two years.
Whilst doing a lot of thinking about OT, one wonders if our brain is over producing or under producing a chemical in the brain, and Lyrica or Gabapentin has some component of this chemical. Why I think this is, most of us have reported that if we get stressed, upset, excited or anxious the tremor is considerably worse.
We all experience the same things with the tremor, worse in the darkness, up and down steps we need hand rails, tiredness, short term standing, the blues at times, cannot walk the line, cannot stand on one leg. Plus carrying stools, using wheelie walkers, and of course sitting, sitting. Frustrating as this is for all of us, we have to stay strong, and not giving in to these tremors.
All that we can hope for is that they keep finding new medications which help us to cope, or find out why OT occurs.
Cheers to you all. Lorna.