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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Mike Andersen on April 3, 2008, at 4:05:14
I'll try to be brief. Every since I was a little boy, I've had these occasional spells of shivering. Just like when you're really cold, except I have felt particularly cold during such an episode. When I was a child, these episodes would always precede vomiting, usually because I was sick or had eaten something bad. I actually appreciated the symptom as a kind of "early warning" that I would vomit in about 10 minutes. After vomiting, the shivering would stop and I'd feel better.
In my 20's this hardly happened at all. Very rare and always associated with binge drinking (which I've not done in the last 10 years or so).
I'm now 39. In my 30's, these little episodes started occurring more frequently, without the vomiting involved. A little indigestion is all it takes. Over the last 3 years, they've because more frequent than ever. It's still under 20 times a year, but this year I'm on pace to break that barrier.
The shaking most often starts when I lie down to sleep. It lasts for between 30 minutes and 8 hours. Nothing I do stops the shaking completely.
I don't know what causes the shivering/shaking/whatever it is, but I know it doesn't match classic symptoms for things like epilepsy: I never lose consciousness, I have normal fine motor control, I don't lose control of my bowels, etc. etc.
There is definitely a stress-reaction of some kind going on here. I broke a tooth recently and suffered a kind of burst of anxiety about it, and the shakes started up shortly thereafter. First, I realized I'd broken the tooth. Then, it seemed like all the blood in my body rushed into my lower abdomen. I felt a little nauseated and very panicked. Then the shaking started. And here's an interesting point: the broken tooth didn't hurt (the nerve was not exposed, it was a very small chip off of the tooth).
I don't expect anyone hear to know what's wrong with me, but I hope somebody maybe knows what kind of doctor I should see? I tried a neurologist and he said "I have no idea what it could be." My psychologist and psychiatrist are also stumped, as is my internist. My many internet searches have turned up a lot about hypothermia, and some things about seratonin syndrone. I'm not currently taking any anti-depressants, although I did take them for many years. But this shouldn't be related to modern medicines as my symptoms precede those medications by 2 decades.
If anyone here could point me in a direction that would help me understand why this happens to me and how to make it stop, it would be immensely helpful to me. I could go to bed at night with no worries about getting the shakes.
I said I'd try to be brief, and it looks like I failed. If you want to know more, go ahead and ask me. I'll be up for a while :(
Posted by 10derHeart on April 3, 2008, at 17:11:39
In reply to shivering, shaking, I don't know why, posted by Mike Andersen on April 3, 2008, at 4:05:14
Hi Mike,
Just a pure hunch here, and I know you said your pdoc and your psychologist are also stumped, but your post sure does make me suspect significant anxiety as a possible cause. Sometimes MH professionals aren't entirely well versed in every area, and if they aren't intimately familiar with anxiety/panic, maybe they didn't put all the things you've just written here all together....?
All the things you named - trembling or shaking, nausea and/or vomiting, indigestion and a feeling of a cold flash are all physical symptoms of anxiety/panic disorders (along with many others, too, of course). Could you have been anxious to the point it would qualify as a disorder since childhood, and maybe it evolved and changed as you reached adulthood, were on various meds, etc.? - so many factors could be in play in why it wouldn't always produce the same symptoms.
Although you remember having eaten something bad before the trembling/cold feelings came over you, followed by vomiting (which sure *can* describe episodes of 'food poisoning' as I unfortunately know from several experiences - yuk!), and I'm sure that's true - is it possible *some* of those times it wasn't the food , but fear over something else happening around the same time? And even when you were sick, could it be the anticipation of throwing up and all the other scary, bad stuff that can come along with being sick (especially to a child) triggering panic which showed up as shaking, etc.?
Are you someone who worries at night when you lay down to sleep - maybe for years so now you hardly even notice it, but still it could be the root cause of the shaking? Although 8 hours is really a long time....must be so uncomfortable!!
I'm truly just throwing out ideas here, and I may be way off base, but I know from a friends' experience and what I've learned about anxiety here at Babble, it can be tricky, it can be lifelong, it can morph over time, and it can easily be missed by the sufferer and all sorts of doctors.
Have you read all the stuff out on the net about anxiety/panic disorders to see how it feels as far as fitting your experiences? I notice when you wrote you did mention stress and panic, so maybe you're suspecting this as well, on some level?
Hope someone else throws out some ideas, but this board tends to be quiet and slow with low traffic. You did put this on the correct board, as you weren't asking about meds, per se, but you may want to go the the main board (Medication)
and post something briefly about "any anxiety experts here?" or "mysterious symptoms - what is this?" or whatever might catch attention....and then post a link over to this post. I suggest this as that's a very busy board and there are so many knowledgable folks over there that could help you play detective.
Welcome to Babble, and my best to you in your search for answers. If I can assist with the logistics of my last suggestion or anything else, please let me know. (I've kinda been here for a while and know my way around where it can be pretty confusing when you are new...)
--10derHeart
Posted by Mike Andersen on April 3, 2008, at 20:22:09
In reply to Re: shivering, shaking, I don't know why » Mike Andersen, posted by 10derHeart on April 3, 2008, at 17:11:39
Hi 10der, thanks for the feedback. I will post to the other board and see if I get any additional takers there :)
You're right on several counts: There are too many factors in play to make an easy diagnosis; I do worry, a lot more now than I did as a younger man; and I have considered that this a panic-related problem, especially in light of my experience with the broken tooth triggering the shakes.
You know, it's funny in a perverse way: I stopped taking anti-anxiety medication (welbutrin) because I thought was making the shaking more frequent and severe. Now I might wind up going back on anti-anxiety medication to get the shakes under control.
The really freaky part is that it happens almost exclusively at night. I almost never experience symptoms during the day. Very strange.
Anyway, thanks again for the warm welcome and good wishes. I'll keep looking for answers.
Best,
Mike
Posted by yxibow on April 3, 2008, at 23:03:39
In reply to Re: shivering, shaking, I don't know why, posted by Mike Andersen on April 3, 2008, at 20:22:09
> Hi 10der, thanks for the feedback. I will post to the other board and see if I get any additional takers there :)
>
> You're right on several counts: There are too many factors in play to make an easy diagnosis; I do worry, a lot more now than I did as a younger man; and I have considered that this a panic-related problem, especially in light of my experience with the broken tooth triggering the shakes.
>
> You know, it's funny in a perverse way: I stopped taking anti-anxiety medication (welbutrin) because I thought was making the shaking more frequent and severe. Now I might wind up going back on anti-anxiety medication to get the shakes under control.
>
> The really freaky part is that it happens almost exclusively at night. I almost never experience symptoms during the day. Very strange.
>
> Anyway, thanks again for the warm welcome and good wishes. I'll keep looking for answers.
>
> Best,
>
> MikeI'm not trying to project my own illness onto what you have but it could be some sort of somatization related to stress.
Have you had a full neurological evaluation exam to differential diagnose?
The only other thing I can think of is Raynaud's Phenomenon, a general set of Raynaud's, but nausea isn't mentioned as an effect, more vascular than anything and the patient should keep themselves as blanketed as needed. This would be usually diagnosed somewhat more easily.
Serotonin syndrome is marked by other things such as confusion and tremor and other things and is a fairly immediate drug reaction.
Posted by Phillipa on April 6, 2008, at 12:51:44
In reply to Re: shivering, shaking, I don't know why » Mike Andersen, posted by yxibow on April 3, 2008, at 23:03:39
Jay thought Renauds was cold and blue hands? Circulatory autoimmune disease. Could be a cluster of them? Love Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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