TREMOR
A tremor (shakiness) may interfere only minimally with your functioning as you grow older. The condition often runs in families and can start at any age; it is called familial tremor. It does not mean that there is anything terribly wrong with the nervous system. However, the nuisance and self-consciousness can be intolerable.
Sometimes the cerebellum, a part of the brain, becomes impaired, especially if you have been a heavy alcohol drinker. This can lead to an unsteadiness in walking, as well as severe shaking of the hands.
Recently, it has been found that propranolol, which is used extensively for angina pectoris and hypertension, can be effective in stopping the shaking of familial tremor. Many people can be helped by this medication, which often works in small doses. However, a few individuals may not respond to its effects.
I saw one man after he had surgery for a broken leg. The surgeon had noticed a tremor. The man told me that he had a problem with shaking for many years and that it greatly interfered with his life. He had been a senior executive and for years had tried to avoid large company meetings because of his disability. He had a typical familial tremor and was treated with small doses of propranolol. The next time I saw him, he said, “If I knew that all I had to do to get rid of my shaking was to fall and break my leg and receive these pills, I would have jumped out of a window years ago!”
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