Hi I was diagnosed last week with young onset after a Brain dopamein Transporter test ,as my consultant is on holiday theres been a delay in getting meds sorted,this is fine after seeing a nurse ive decided to wait until my consultant returns , my only symptom that i recognise i have a tremor in my left arm ,its starting to get me down and my arm aches terribly by the end of the day ,i use normal pain killers and they help the ache in my wrist a little but was wondering if anybody new of anything else,
ive read about wrist weights , anybody use these ?can you buy them ? as chemists just seem to have splints and sports injury supports ,just wondered if any company produced them for people with PD/Tremors ?
also ive seen like a glove with a giroscope attached supposedly to counter tremors and make more bearable any one any experiance of this ?
any advice greatly received.as ive discovered this is as much a mental battle as a physical one and im struggling.
Hi Simon,
I am sorry to read of your anxiety. I am not equipped to offer you any medical advice but having suffered from PD since being diagnosed in 2011 I can give you the benefit of my own experience. Like you, my initial symptoms were tremors in my left arm and leg. At the beginning, I also suffered from anxiety and had difficulty sleeping at night resulting in reliance upon sleeping pills. But its astonishing how human nature learns to cope and adjust. Within a short time, you will also learn to cope and find your own way of living with PD. I found that rolling a small ball in my left hand gave me some relief from the tremors. I also suffered from pain in my left shoulder from which I obtained relief by swinging my left arm above my head. My own symptoms are now more advanced and I can only type this response with difficulty and very slowly but this is after 7 years with PD. Keep logging in to this forum and you will gain invaluable advice from the many contributors who have learned to cope with PD. I do hope that your PD progresses very slowly and that you are able to live a full and contented life. For what its worth I am 84 and looking forward to the future.
With my very best wishes,
Gerrard
I’ve used wrist weights during exercise for about 7 years now. I started off with 0.5kg per wrist before going to 1kg per wrist, since DBS last year I’ve added ankle weights too, 1.25kg per ankle. Follow this link,
Hi simon.
I was diagnosed in Jan at the age of 45. I too have left arm/hand tremor. I use my hands a lot in hairdressing so I don’t get too many aches or pains. But I’ve just signed up to PD warrior classes. I have to wait til Jan as so booked. It’s a 10 week course. Very interesting results. Have a look on YouTube as might help with some exercises for you.
Best wishes
Hi Gerrard
i appreciate you taking the time and effort to respond ,i shall try a marble or something ,i have been squeezing a ball of string and fiddling with a paper clip ,it helps a little to just concentrate and not tremor i guess ,i to have occasional very slight tremor in leg when im sitting in some positions so i guess ive got that to look forward too,today i feel fine and happy but yesterday i was very negative and teary ,ive been told to expect this as said above this seems like a bit of a mental battle as much as anything,i have great support from my partner who is diabetic and epileptic ,(what a pair we make ) and she knows what its like to have life long conditions and is helping me cope. im just 2 weeks in since diagnosis so im expecting good days and bad days ,but i wont lie down im gonna fight this .
Hi Simon, That’s the spirit. Don’t allow yourself to forget that when you are having a rough period it will be followed by a more uplifting spell. You seem to have the right partner and will draw great comfort from each other. I have been married for 50 years and my wife has suffered from MS for the past 25. I am her carer but we are now equally dependent on each other. Keep smiling, Gerrard
Hi Simon - sorry to hear if your diagnosis but can only echo what others have said. Your PD Warrior classes will give you some relief. Try to get time with a neurophysio if you can because your arm pain may not be due to tremor. It may be that you are out of alignment or your arm is not sitting properly in its socket and specific exercises will help that. As another reader said you do get usd to living with PD and it becomes the norm. It is not very glamorous but you’ve a long way to go so try to relax about it - anxiety doesn’t help. My consultant did say that as I had presented with a tremor then I could expect a very slow degeneration and 5.5 years on I see very little change. Exercise is key and a positive outlook helps. Good luck. Fizzy
Hi @simon2003 .
You have my/all our sympathies for your diagnosis, and a warm welcome to the club. I was diagnosed in 2011 with same symptoms as you (tremor in left arm/hand and to a lesser degree leg0 My shoulders are stiff & sore every morning. I haven’t deteriorated much - but I’ve continued to work hard at it (daily stretches first thing every day; zach bush’s 4-minute exercises every 3 hours; high intensity interval training (spinning) three times a week; an hour each of yoga and Pilates once a week. Drink plenty of water, and meditate daily. Reduce sugar from your diet; … just some of the good advice you’ll find here.
I took 4 weeks off work and took advice from a Cognitive Behavioural therapist (CBT) it really helped with the depression & the negative thoughts. Take time to heal.
I encourage you to do all these things, and work with your partner, use this group, this forum will be a great help to you.
Wishing you well on your path
) and she knows what its like to have life long conditions and is helping me cope. im just 2 weeks in since diagnosis so im expecting good days and bad days ,but i wont lie down im gonna fight this .