Hand tremor... How do you deal with it?

[papadent]

We all have our bouts of hand tremors for various reasons... Caffeine, anxiety, normal resting tremor...
Just wondering if people can throw out some suggestions for dealing with it. I find my hands shake quite a lot when I'm under pressure.

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[SC2013]

I've had a hand tremor a few times when I first started, it's going away now. Probably not parkinsons at this age =) Well, better now at least.
I don't think doctors can do much about it short of surgery, and even that isn't a fix. Maybe the next step is to get a lobotomy ? Hang tight!

 

[efficient]

I just try to watch my caffeine intake the day before a practical or something important. I found that an extreme lack of sleep will make you shakey as hell. Don't try it.

 

[FutureCTDoc]

Beta blockers

 

[oralcare123]

Take a full chest of air through the nose slowly, then let it out through persed lips.Distruct yourself, think about something.

 

[Saddleshoes]

We all have our bouts of hand tremors for various reasons... Caffeine, anxiety, normal resting tremor...
Just wondering if people can throw out some suggestions for dealing with it. I find my hands shake quite a lot when I'm under pressure.

I have noted hand tremors when my blood glucose drops. This is most common late in the morning if I have not had enough carbohydrates with breakfast.

-SO- I start every workday with a good dose of complex carbohydrate like a bagel, or pancakes, or bowl of oatmeal, or Cheerios. Ideally, I have fruit with that also.

 

[shadow998877]

Well, i'm very interested in surgery, in particular ortho and neuro but i have hypoglycemia. What I would like to know if as a resident or attending, i can take short breaks for a meal every hour and 30 minutes or so. After an hour my concentration is off but i can still work at around 70%, after an hour and 30 minutes i'm at 60%. If i go over 2hrs, its a disaster. It also sucks during exams but i take sweets with me and take a few every 30 min, which helps a bit but obviously i cant do this in surgery. Should I forget about surgery or can i take these breaks or some other alternatives if you have one

 

[malloyevelyn110]

Take a full chest of air

 

[Tooth Pulp]

easy on the caffeine like others said. If it's a tremors from nerves, it will dissipate as you gain confidence. If it's a resting tremor and not intention then you have no worries. If its an intention tremor and you experience it even when your not nervous then it depends on the severity. If it's severe, then look into medication or another career. Everytime we do something new I get the shakes just because I am not confident. Even if its something simple. My first competencies my whole body shook from nerves, even my vision was blurred due to the tremor. Now I'm doing maxillary MOD competencies with no problem. So if it's nerves just accept it and don't let it bother you and don't be embarrassed. It's normal.

 

[annie12]

Beta blockers and topical magnesium oil has helped with my muscle spasms. I didn't have any in my hands, but it's worth a try!

 

[dentalWorks]

We all have our bouts of hand tremors for various reasons... Caffeine, anxiety, normal resting tremor...
Just wondering if people can throw out some suggestions for dealing with it. I find my hands shake quite a lot when I'm under pressure.

I am not a caffeine drinker....but the thing I noticed that messes with my tremors is my hunger. In the sim lab, if I am hungry, I shake more.

 

[Bereno]

I am not a caffeine drinker....but the thing I noticed that messes with my tremors is my hunger. In the sim lab, if I am hungry, I shake more.

My hands shake with hunger as well... Thats about it though.

As far as shaking under pressure, try and breath in and out deeply?

 

[K31]

Well, i'm very interested in surgery, in particular ortho and neuro but i have hypoglycemia. What I would like to know if as a resident or attending, i can take short breaks for a meal every hour and 30 minutes or so. After an hour my concentration is off but i can still work at around 70%, after an hour and 30 minutes i'm at 60%. If i go over 2hrs, its a disaster. It also sucks during exams but i take sweets with me and take a few every 30 min, which helps a bit but obviously i cant do this in surgery. Should I forget about surgery or can i take these breaks or some other alternatives if you have one

You are asking if, while scrubbed in on a surgery, you can take a break every hour or two? No, you can't, with the possible exception of specialties with only short surgeries--ophtho has this reputation, but I don't know if even they have exceptions to this.

 

[shadow998877]

alright, if that's the case i'll probably go with IR although i'm not too certain about their future but that's probably this direction i'll go. Have no interest in ophtho

 

[tinman831]

Your shaking hands could also be due to fatigue or hunger. If these aren't the case, just wait a few minutes and the adrenaline should wear off and you will feel a lot better afterwards. It's fairly common. 🙂

 

[PharmaTope]

Well, i'm very interested in surgery, in particular ortho and neuro but i have hypoglycemia. What I would like to know if as a resident or attending, i can take short breaks for a meal every hour and 30 minutes or so. After an hour my concentration is off but i can still work at around 70%, after an hour and 30 minutes i'm at 60%. If i go over 2hrs, its a disaster. It also sucks during exams but i take sweets with me and take a few every 30 min, which helps a bit but obviously i cant do this in surgery. Should I forget about surgery or can i take these breaks or some other alternatives if you have one

did you find out the reason for your hypoglycemia? what is the cause? are your insulin levels spiking way higher than normal? is your cortisol levels too low?

what are you eating? i suggest getting off the sugar stuff as much as possible. you need slow digesting carbs. also, you can try adding fats with your carbs to help delay the absorption and keep the blood levels more consistent.

 

[shadow998877]

did you find out the reason for your hypoglycemia? what is the cause? are your insulin levels spiking way higher than normal? is your cortisol levels too low?

what are you eating? i suggest getting off the sugar stuff as much as possible. you need slow digesting carbs. also, you can try adding fats with your carbs to help delay the absorption and keep the blood levels more consistent.

I'm already eating those stuff. exercising, eating evenly spaced meals every 3 hours, doing pretty much everything right. dont know the exact reason for it. Thanks 4 the help an what do u think about the future of IR?

 

[TeethRgreat]

I had the same problems in the beginning of Dental School, but I have them all worked out now.

The number one solution was simply to use a good fulcrum position while holding instruments in the mouth. Even when i'm really nervous, and my hands are really shaky, they always become dead still once i'm holding the instruments in a mouth.

Make sure you aren't clenching the instruments too tightly.

Lay off on the caffeine, or drugs that have muscle spasms as a side effect.

 

[SeattleRDH]

Fulcrums, fulcrums, fulcrums. Tuck your elbow into your side, that helps me when I've had too much caffiene and need to give an injection.

 

[Dentalstudent96]

Can someone please help mee!! I have a hand tremor and i think its noticable like i would struggle to hold a pen and follow a straigh line with hand or arm rest, i got into dental school and im think can i do this????? I got a mirror and probe and got stuck into my mams mouth but the mirror was a bit shaky, ive been offered beta blockers but it gets worse with age, can a dental student please help plz someone tell me youve went through waht im going through and its okay and i can do my job i legit wanna cry ty

 

[romoxx23]

Watch this video at dentalmaverick.com It's the first video on the website i believe. It's based off a book called the Energy Bus. It helped me with my handskills. Then just try to remember E+P=O (from the video). Keep practicing on your alone time and it will work out.

 

[tooth knockn]

Can someone please help mee!! I have a hand tremor and i think its noticable like i would struggle to hold a pen and follow a straigh line with hand or arm rest, i got into dental school and im think can i do this????? I got a mirror and probe and got stuck into my mams mouth but the mirror was a bit shaky, ive been offered beta blockers but it gets worse with age, can a dental student please help plz someone tell me youve went through waht im going through and its okay and i can do my job i legit wanna cry ty

Be realistic

You are here asking for help on a serious problem....

For all you or we know, as non-professionals, including dental students...

It could be early stages of Parkinson's!?


Go see a neurologist or hand doctor....

Get that checked out fast

If it is a worse case healthcare scenario.. Then you'll start dental school, then drop out or flunk with a large debt

 

[Dentalstudent96]

Its a minor hand tremor not parkinsons i seen a doctor today and got beta blockers and got told not to drop out as i said its something i was thinking of doing and she said its minor to ones she has seen and itd be stuoid of me to do so, so i guess its hard work from here on in working on these lil shaky hands lolzzz

 

[tooth knockn]

Its a minor hand tremor not parkinsons i seen a doctor today and got beta blockers and got told not to drop out as i said its something i was thinking of doing and she said its minor to ones she has seen and itd be stuoid of me to do so, so i guess its hard work from here on in working on these lil shaky hands lolzzz

Not funny.

Hopefully your doctor is correct.

 

[Dentalstudent96]

Not funny.

Hopefully your doctor is correct.

Oh my god, get a grip im having a laugh try to lighten up a bit "treat other how youd like to be treated"

 

[tooth knockn]

Oh my god, get a grip im having a laugh try to lighten up a bit "treat other how youd like to be treated"

I got worried

And I felt bad for no reason.