Hi guys, just wondering if any of you had an intention tremor following surgery and if it improved/ went away eventually. Mine is my right hand and is still present after 9 months, although maybe a little better. I can’t do much with it at all!
Thanks
Hey Salha,
I had a craniotomy and I have a tremor, initially it was really bad, constant. Over time it became less and less constant, rather intermittent. I’m 9yrs on since my last neurosurgery and still today I can have tremors. For me, I find it worse when I get tired or have done too much.
I have fairly good use of my right hand (I’m right-handed) but if I do a task too much using my right hand, I get what I call ‘The shakes’. Sometimes I don’t even notice. My leg shakes too, again it’s intermittent. If I sit next to my wife on the sofa, she’ll often grab my knee to let me know as the whole sofa shakes. I apologise but honestly, I don’t recognise it until she tells me. When I do notice it is when I go to stand up and move. My balance is not good anyway, but the standing on shaky pins (legs) WOW, I’m not just trying to manage my equilibrium but jello legs too. I’ve found the floor (with a thud) a few times. The last time was only a couple of weeks ago.
But over time, years, it has lessened somewhat.
Merl from the Modsupport Team
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Thanks for your reply. Guess I have to hope it eventually improves. Luckily my right leg is not affected- that must be a pain! But being right handed it is obviously stopping me doing stuff - writing, chopping, even cutting nails etc! I’ve been told it is very hard to treat so i’ll just keep hoping…
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I can’t remember having any…sorry.
Yes, those finer/delicate skills can be an issue with the tremor. Luckily for me I have a slave (wife) 
who takes care of most of these for me. Many years ago I use to teach people with disabilities and knife use was an issue for many. I had a ‘rocker knife’ with 2 handles like this Amazon.com: HIC’s Mezzaluna Rocking Vegetable Chopper and Mincing Knife, 6.75-Inch Stainless Steel Blade with Wooden Handles: Home & Kitchen That I’d take along for them to try. It keeps fingers out of the way.
When it comes to nails, I see a podiatrist. If I bend down too far or get my head lower than my heart (like chopping toe nails) I get very dizzy and my head starts pounding. I gave up doing that, hence the podiatrist.
I have found that I need lots of lateral thinking ie I can’t do things the ‘normal’ way, so how else can I achieve my goals? Lots of self-adjustment needed.
Merl from the Modsupport Team
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My daughter had intention tremors.
They have gotten worse over time (but she’s also had changes to her AVM)
She goes for it but I have noticed any improvement her therapist recommends used weighted utensils when eating to help with the tremors.
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I had my right arm numb for 3 months
Hi Salha,
Yes I too had tremors. I eventually learnt they occurred when I was tired too and had done too much. This year marks 9 years and the tremors have gotten less in number and rough shaking over the years. Only this year I realized the link with tiredness and over doing. So I try to take breaks often and stop when I am tired. I also noticed that the tremors start before I yawn, so I missed the link.
Hope is gets better with you.
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Hi Salha
Yes and no. I had a lot of tremors during 1st year of my recovery but a lot disappeared over time. I guess also I adapted to others as my life adjustments.
E.g. I can still go hiking. If I am tired and tried to go downhill on a bumpy track I’m probably going to stagger around and fall over.
No 2 days are the same!
Try and be patient on bad days whilst pushing harder on good days. Your brain is relearning how to do things you learned years ago.
I’m 25+ years post bleed and now find learning new things very difficult.
Good luck
Tim
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Thankyou. Mine is definitely worse when I am tired. Guess I just wanted to know if I have to adjust to it or if there is some hope.
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Thanks for giving me some hope things will improve. I have a lot of bad days compared to good but I know I’m only 9 months down the road so far. If my tremor is worse, often my balance and dizziness is too so it seems to be related a bit to tiredness and doing too much.
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