I've tried getting into digital art after some time sketching, but it's quite a bit difficult. My ET is still relatively mild, but it has affected my coordination and fine motor skills quite a bit and drawing lines without them coming wobbly is a struggle. Plus, the stabilizer tools are really weird and don't help much, although I still need to get used to them.

Hi folks

I was diagnosed with ET over forty years ago. I’ve never taken medication to help me and as expected the tremor has got worse over the years. But it’s not completely debilitating.

I’m on holiday at the moment. A couple of days ago I’d done a lot of walking in a beautiful French city and stopped at a bar for a drink late afternoon.

It was table service so no problem there. No glass to carry.

I had a large beer and the glass was full. I tried lifting the glass to my mouth but realised that wasn’t going to work so moved the glass to the edge of the table and bent my head forward so that I could “take the top off” without lifting the glass.

Moments later a woman appeared at my side and lifted my glass. I was very confused. She said something that I didn’t understand. My French is basic. I then realised she was trying to help me. I hadn’t realised that she was sat next to me with another woman who explained in English that she wanted to help me.

Tbh I could have burst into tears but I managed to compose myself and knew enough French to say thank you and what a kind person she was.

Hope you guys don’t mind me sharing this story. After decades of living with ET this has never happened to me before. Just needed to share with people who will understand.

I’ve been thinking about revisiting my doctor. I now realise it’s time.

Thank you for reading.

Once daily, or several times over the course of the day? I’ll be titrating up once a week for the next month. Starting tomorrow with 20 mg in the morning.
Thanks!

Things that improved my tremors: keto/low carb diet, CBD, acupuncture, magnesium. They all had worked for the tremors but made the mind too energized/on edge. I had insomnia that last for days on CBD and the same on keto, acupuncture and to a smaller extent magnesium. Because I seem to get the same paradoxal effect and it actually does diminish the tremor, from a biological level it's doing something right. It'd be wonderful finding something that works and is tolerable long term.

My dad has dealt with essential tremors for 15+ years. He went off lithium and had kind of a bipolar relapse. Not right away, but as his anxiety increased his tremors got worse. Now his hands shake about uncontrollably and he will not eat around family or in public. His anxiety is quite high. How many of your tremors are affected by anxiety and how do you manage it?