All the anticonvulsants I’ve been on have left me with tremors in my right hand. They are drug-induced kinetic tremors, as opposed to resting tremors that are typical of Parkinson’s disease. They happen primarily when I am holding something in my right hand. They are most obvious when I am in the midst of an activity such as bringing a glass to my mouth or putting on eye liner — an activity that requires some intention and precision.
The most frustrating part about it is how the shaking looks in public. I try to drink with my left hand but can’t always. And I worry that people will get the wrong idea seeing how badly my right hand shakes. Considering that it’s really none of their business, I tend not to mention it. Furthermore, doing so would require a lengthy explanation of having epilepsy, oh but not the grand mal seizure kind, and how it’s just the medication that makes me shake.
My daughters always notice it, and point it out, especially when it gets really bad. It it often bad enough to make it difficult to write. Typing is fine. But my handwriting can be just horrendous when the sjaking is particularly strong.
