Medication for Essential Tremor
Medication
There are two main medicines used initially for essential tremor - propranolol and primidone. These medicines have been shown to ease the tremor in up to 8 in 10 affected people.
Propranolol - this is a medicine that is usually used in heart disease. It is in a class of medicines called beta-blockers. It has also been shown to be effective in essential tremor. This medicine should be used with care if you have a heart conduction problem or a lung disease such as asthma. The most common side effects with propranolol are dizziness, tiredness, and nausea (feeling sick).
Primidone (Mysoline), - this is a medicine that is primarily used for epilepsy, but it also works very well in essential tremor. The most common side-effects are sleepiness, dizziness and nausea. These may improve if you continue to take this medicine.
Tranquilizers. Doctors may use drugs such as alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin) to treat people for whom tension or anxiety worsens tremors. Side effects can include fatigue or mild sedation. These medications should be used with caution because they can be habit-forming.
OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) injections. Botox injections might be useful in treating some types of tremors, especially head and voice tremors. Botox injections can improve tremors for up to three months at a time.
However, if Botox is used to treat hand tremors, it can cause weakness in your fingers. If it's used to treat voice tremors, it can cause a hoarse voice and difficulty swallowing.
When the diagnosis of essential tremor is made, you may be offered one of these medicines. A low dose is usually started at first, and gradually increased until your tremor is eased. If you reach the maximum dose without a satisfactory improvement, then the other medicine can be tried. If that also doesn't work, you can try them together. Other medicines can be tried if these two are not effective. A wide range of medicines have been shown to have some effect on reducing the severity of the tremor.
MEDICATIONS AND RESEARCH One New York-based study showed only 8 percent of patients had actually been prescribed medication for tremor. Furthermore, patients who try one or more medications for treatment usually find them to be less than satisfactory. No medication has been specifically developed to treat ET.
Experts consider the best medications to be propranolol, an FDA-approved beta blocker, and primidone, an anti-epileptic. The anti-anxiety medications clonazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, and alprazolam, and the anti-convulsants gabapentin and topiramate, have also shown some benefit for ET.
Most experts agree that primidone is the most effective treatment for ET, followed by propranolol and other beta-blockers. If tremor is not sufficiently controlled with one of these medications, the two can be used in combination. If these medications do not control tremor or cause intolerable side effects, then gabapentin or topiramate are probably the next most commonly tried medications. Benzodiazepines are also used, especially if anxiety is also an issue, but the potential for addiction should be considered.
Meanwhile, current research focuses on finding the gene that causes ET. In many large families, the condition appears to be dominantly inherited—that is, there's a 50–50 chance each child has it.
Finding a dominantly inherited gene is viewed by experts as crucial to finding a cure.
Experts consider the best medications to be propranolol, an FDA-approved beta blocker, and primidone, an anti-epileptic. The anti-anxiety medications clonazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, and alprazolam, and the anti-convulsants gabapentin and topiramate, have also shown some benefit for ET.
Most experts agree that primidone is the most effective treatment for ET, followed by propranolol and other beta-blockers. If tremor is not sufficiently controlled with one of these medications, the two can be used in combination. If these medications do not control tremor or cause intolerable side effects, then gabapentin or topiramate are probably the next most commonly tried medications. Benzodiazepines are also used, especially if anxiety is also an issue, but the potential for addiction should be considered.
Meanwhile, current research focuses on finding the gene that causes ET. In many large families, the condition appears to be dominantly inherited—that is, there's a 50–50 chance each child has it.
Finding a dominantly inherited gene is viewed by experts as crucial to finding a cure.
