Tremor is the shaky movements of your hands, limbs, head, or voice that you can’t control. Sometimes tremor is a normal reaction to a situation such as fear, fatigue, or anger. It also can be a side effect of too much caffeine, a medication, or withdrawal from a drug or medicine.
“I’ve seen my tremor steadily progress throughout my life, as well. When I began taking metoprolol, though, my tremor regressed. I’d say it was knocked back thirty years or more, and it definitely was the metoprolol at work. I’m an artist and had feared what my future would look like. They had been so bad that another nurse friend noticed it when we were out for dinner. I have many hobbies and could not imagine not being able to knit, crochet, sew or embroider again.
Are There Long-Term Side Effects of Blood Pressure Medicines?
This medication may also lead to weight gain, weight loss, gout and fluid overload. Q. After I read on your website that lisinopril could cause hand tremors, I asked my doctor to change my blood pressure medication. She said she hadn’t heard of any connection between the two and suggested I see a neurologist. Some people with movement disorders may benefit from injections of botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox®, in the affected muscles.
Lisinopril has also been linked to heart attack, cardiac arrest, pulmonary embolism, heart arrhythmia and stroke. Protein in the urine and worsening of kidney disease have been reported. Lisinopril can also cause the levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine to increase. Painful urination, reduced frequency of urination, urinary tract infection and inability to urinate may occur. This is usually a minor side effect that will clear up on its own. If the rash is accompanied by redness, swelling of the face or difficulty breathing, seek immediate medical attention.
Treatments like deep brain stimulation and surgery are usually reserved for severe tremors that do not respond to other therapies. Despite these cautions, many clinically important links exist between use of cardiovascular medications and neuropsychiatrie syndromes. In this article, we will examine each class of cardiovascular medication and review the literature that describes the neuropsychiatrie consequences of medications within that class.
Drug-induced tremors may also be referred to as drug-induced Parkinson’s (DIP). In fact, 10 percent of Parkinson’s cases at a Parkinson’s disease treatment center turned out to be DIP. Risk factors for drug-induced tremors include taking many medications at the same time, older age, high doses of medications, and dosage forms of offending medications known for causing tremors. Regarding the dosage forms, the extended-release version of the drug is preferred over their immediate-release preparations if the drug is known for causing tremors as a side effect. Tremors can occur anywhere in the body, such as the head, eyelids, arms, and voice, but they commonly occur in the hands. Blood pressure drugs can have a wide range of side effects.
Essential tremor is much more common than Parkinson’s disease. This is a neurological condition in which damage to the nerve cells results in symptoms such as essential or parkinsonian tremor, balance problems, and stiffening of the limbs. Call 911 right away if you develop hives, wheezing, vomiting, light-headedness, or swelling in your throat or face.
- The vast majority of people with essential tremor experience worsening symptoms over time, Louis says — typically by about 2 to 5 percent per year.
- Drug-induced tremor can be alleviated by discontinuing the offending drug, but do not do so unless consulting your doctor or pharmacist.
- These are generally reserved for severe tremors that don’t respond to other therapies.
- In this article, we will examine each class of cardiovascular medication and review the literature that describes the neuropsychiatrie consequences of medications within that class.
- If you have severe symptoms, such as sudden swelling in your face, breathing problems, or fainting, get emergency medical care.
Antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents
We’re not surprised that your doctor was unaware of tremor as a side effect. Most electronic drug databases that physicians rely on don’t list this adverse reaction. We doubt that most health professionals are aware that it might be linked to lisinopril.
Stress, inadequate sleep, caffeine, and certain medicines may make the tremor worse. If stress makes your tremor worse, you can learn ways to reduce your stress. If you have diabetes, tremor can be a symptom of low blood sugar levels.
What Are the Symptoms?
Indeed, a number of assumed associations (eg, between β-blockers and depression) appear weak or nonexistent when more comprehensive prospective trials are performed. Cardiovascular medications can also have beneficial neuropsychiatrie effects (eg, the use of clonidine in ADHD and tic disorders and prazosin for sleep disturbance in PTSD). Do not stop taking any medication without talking to your healthcare provider first. Your doctor can diagnose whether you have an essential tremor or medication-induced tremor based on your medical history, physical exam, and results of your blood tests. If the symptoms of your medication-induced tremor are severe enough, there are other drugs your doctor can prescribe for you; for example, propranolol at a low dose is commonly used for this situation. Certain medications can cause hand tremors as a side effect.
Our Research and Education in Movement Disorders
Also, certain medications can cause tremors as a side effect. The most prescribed blood pressure medicine in the U.S. is the ACE inhibitor lisinopril. At last count, more than 20 million Americans swallow this BP pill daily. A link between lisinopril and hand tremors was not on our radar scope until we received a question about it a few months ago. Since then, we have received many other reports about lisinopril and hand tremors. People with essential tremor or tremors from another cause may be treated with a blood pressure medication called a beta blocker to alleviate symptoms.
Drug-induced tremor, clinical features, diagnostic approach and management
When tremor occurs during activities and there is no anatomic, emotional, or chemical cause, it can be a sign of a neurological disease called essential tremor. Unfortunately, many medicines used to treat various mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, can cause tremors. In very severe cases of tremors, people have to stop the causative drug and start another medication. Rarely a medicine like propranolol, used to treat essential tremor, may be prescribed to control a medication-induced tremor.
Many people with essential tremor do not require treatment. However, if the tremor causes significant distress or disability, medications called blood pressure medications that cause tremors beta blockers are the most effective treatments. Examples include atenolol (Tenormin) and propranolol (Inderal). Many people with high blood pressure don’t experience symptoms.
Available by prescription, “it kind of looks a little bit like a smartwatch,” Ehrlich says, and delivers a certain pattern of electrical stimulation to the nerves that disrupt the tremor. One study published in 2020 showed an improvement in tremors in people wearing the device, but Louis cautions that additional testing is needed to determine how well it will help patients. Unfortunately, there is no test to diagnose essential tremor. A diagnosis is based on a neurological exam, which generally includes getting a medical history, as well as a history of the symptoms and experiences of the patient, Ehrlich says. These symptoms may be caused by a variety of medical conditions.
This online resource is available in the Health eGuides section of this website. My tremors have gotten slowly worse with time and have progressed to my head. But while the shaking can be embarrassing, it doesn’t affect my life too much. Newest to the menu of treatment options is a wrist device that’s federally approved to treat hand tremors.