Shake That Booty?

November 5, 2011 1:00 PM

Why am I almost always trembling, shaking, or shivering?

I don't usually notice when I'm trembling or shivering, but other people often do.

Sometimes I'm suitably bedecked in warm clothing or in a warm room though I am often cold and use my comforter randomly sometimes in the summer. The only other thing I can think of having to do with being cold would be if I once-in-a-while accidentally brush the back of my hand against some cold metal, glass, or some plastics; it can be a cooler temperature for other people but borderline painful for me and worse if I'm sick.

I shake whether or not I drink caffeine (I've abstained for a few weeks at a time and will still tremble.) If I do drink a lot of caffeine or some sort of relatively powerful energy drink, my shivering often becomes even more pronounced and almost half-sleep twitchy with random jerks of the hands, fingers, and muscles in my face.

It usually shows in my hands, if I'm holding something out, whether that be a decent weight can of soda/ Arizona tea or whether it's something much lighter, like a pen.

I'm interested in figuring out why this is happening, and if it's possible to stop. It doesn't really interfere with my life except to make some people think that I'm exhausted, drinking caffeine, or even, rarely, taking drugs.

This has been happening for years. I'm 23 and female. More recently, I've been taking Women's One vitamins, which make me feel more energetic but I haven't noticed whether they make a difference in this.

Thank you!

posted by DisreputableDog to health & fitness (11 answers total)

That's called a tremor. Ask your physician.
posted by Ery at 1:09 PM on November 5, 2011

Are you underweight? Had comprehensive bloodwork recently?
posted by availablelight at 1:10 PM on November 5, 2011

It usually shows in my hands, if I'm holding something out, whether that be a decent weight can of soda/ Arizona tea or whether it's something much lighter, like a pen.

That mostly sounds like you have weak muscles in your arms and shoulders.

That said, yeah, it could be a lot of things. Doctor.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:12 PM on November 5, 2011

Yeah, that could be a lot of things. In my little sister it was a sign of hyperthyroid kicking in (at just about that age, too.) Worth getting checked out for sure.
posted by restless_nomad at 1:13 PM on November 5, 2011

Oh yes, sorry. Only other really "different" thing about me is that, with exercise and eating right, I can not seem to get above 122 pounds. If I don't exercise for 3 days in a row, forget/skip a meal or two a few days in a row, or eat a lot of junk food a few meals in a row, I lose pounds. I lost 6 pounds over a weekend when I skipped dinner two days in a row and sat around all weekend.

Oh, and my wrist is really small.
posted by DisreputableDog at 1:15 PM on November 5, 2011

Yeah, get a full thyroid panel then.
posted by availablelight at 1:45 PM on November 5, 2011 [3 favorites]

Do you get three meals a day? Do you get enough sleep? Are you much of a drinker? Malnourishment, exhaustion, and excessive alcohol consumption can all cause tremors. Get some blood work done to check for any abnormalities. Then see a nutritionist. It may be that something you're eating is preventing the proper digestion of the rest of what you eat. When I stopped eating gluten, my shakes went away in a couple of weeks.
posted by Gilbert at 1:46 PM on November 5, 2011

It usually shows in my hands, if I'm holding something out, whether that be a decent weight can of soda/ Arizona tea or whether it's something much lighter, like a pen.

This makes it sound like you may have essential tremor, like I do. Another thing to ask your doctor/neurologist about. Good luck!
posted by trip and a half at 2:09 PM on November 5, 2011

Nthing getting your thyroid checked. And yeah, ask your doctor if you should see a neurologist.
posted by Specklet at 2:14 PM on November 5, 2011

Is it possible this is just you? I have a couple of relatives a friends who have tremble hands, always have, and their doctors have always said, "Meh."

None of them were/ are significantly underweight or particularly cold-blooded, though.

See a doctor, but don't worry too much. At 23, it's not surprising you drop pounds when you skip meals, especially if you are also dehydrating yourself.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 2:46 PM on November 5, 2011

Yes, look into essential tremor.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 6:17 PM on November 5, 2011