Shaking in legs

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AngelaRenee

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Sep 11, 2012
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Loved one DX
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Ohio
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Cincinnati
It's me again. My mother has been experiencing shaking in her legs a lot lately. Uncontrollable shaking. Is this normal? Is there medication for it?

-Angela
 
Angela,

I don't know if it is normal with ALS but my mother started doing that about the time we noticed ALS affecting her legs. It still happens now but not nearly as often as it used to. I haven't heard of any medication for it, but I don't know how many people have this. It is always worse when Mom is nervous. When it was happening it didn't matter what we did, nothing would stop it. They only lasted about 10-20 seconds. Maybe someone else will know something that can be done. I just wanted you to know it happens to my mother as well.

Todd
 
It happens to people with ALS (uncontrollable leg shaking) and it goes away after a few seconds (or minutes).

It's called Clonus and, it happens when there is UMN (Upper Motor Neuron) damage.
It's not life threatening but it's unpleasant while it lasts.
It happens to myself and it's triggered when I'm sitting at the table and I raise the ankle a little bit, or when I experiencing a little fear or phobia to fall.

I don't know if there is medication for it, to keep it under control but, you may want to ask your ALS Clinic to see what they recommend you if Clonus has become very troublesome to your PALS.

HTH
 
Thank you everyone. We wil ask her doctor about it also. I try to make it stop, she is haveing trouble walking a lot more than a few weeks ago.
 
Angela, contact your clinic to see if they can expedite getting a PWC for your Mom. Perhaps your local ALSA or MDA chapter has one in their loaner closet. Falls can be fatal for PALS. You can purchase a transfer chair for safer outings for around $100.00.
 
Hi Angela, As explained above it' clonus due to a stretch on the ankle. Sometimes it can be lessened by putting some weight down through the thigh to get the heel on the ground (eg before a stand up), but sometimes you just have to stop and wait for it to subside to do the transfer/stand etc. There are anti "spasticity" meds eg baclofen/tizanadine but ask your docs advice on that one as it can be a bit of a sledgehammer for a nut scenario. It may also be the case that splints/different footwear may help alleviate the stretch on the calf& stabilise the ankle therefore reducing the clonus - might be something to ask your doc&pt about? Good luck.
 
My mother has the same symptoms with her legs and shaking. When I lift her up the moment she holds her own weight her legs shake. I usually put a little pressure to my finger tips and grasp her thigh and do a little massage motion and it tends to stop. I joke with her that there's an Earthquake going on when her legs shake being that we live so close to the San Andreas Fault Line. This occurs almost everyday but the pressure applied from the sharp grip seems to do the job most of the time.
 
What you are describing are called tremors. I have them in my hands and legs. My doctor prescribed me Propranolol 20 mg daily and it works pretty well. From what I understand it's a beta blocker. Public speakers use it to control nervousness and it also lowers your heart rate a little bit. It gives you a calm relaxing feeling and controls the tremors.
 
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