How can my father's hands stop shaking?

It could be anything from Parkinson’s disease to, well just about anything. I think this really needs to be diagnosed by a physician. Once diagnosed, they will be able to give him the proper medication to help his tremors.

The shaking only occurs when he decides to pick up something with his hands.

@chyna is correct. This is a diagnosis that should only be made by a physician. You obviously love your father and the concern you express for him touches me deeply. I wish there was something I could do to help, but this could be a very difficult diagnosis for even a physician. Please encourage him to visit one as soon as possible. I will be praying for him.

First up, there is a difference between Parkinson’s and an Essential Tremor ( look up essential tremor) there is an easy way to tell the difference. Watch you father and ask him to paint something very small (like eyes on a bird, petals on a flower) and see if his hands shake more or less when he concentrates. If they shake less, go to the Dr. most likely it is Parkinson and they will need to jump all over it. If, they shake more, and believe me on this, ask him to drink a glass of wine, wait 15 min and try again. That’s it! An essential tremor can be controlled for up to two hours with a simple glass of wine. I was actually on Beta-blockers for ES for years but quit when getting pregnant and if your father doesn’t need them for his heart, you might want to wait on those. Wine or any alcohol is a beta blocker and just a small glass will not effect his behavior and in his 60’s he shouldn’t need to worry about being addicted. If the wine doesn’t work, do get him to the Dr. it could just be an effect of some med. he is on (thyroid meds cause tremors) many of them have that side effect. If he is at the beginning of Parkinson’s, they have make alot of headway in this disease and is no longer considered the frightening diagnosis it once was.

A tremor can begin at any time in life. I started shaking when I was 4 but for some reason mine is also hormonally attached which is unusual but I found out early that if I don’t want to cut my hands to pieces when chopping food, a glass of wine is the way for me to go as the beta blockers make me tired and that just doesn’t work with three kids! He really shouldn’t need brain scans or anything like that for a simple diagnosis of an essential tremor but they may need to rule out some other things by blood test. When I was sixteen they had me pour water from one beaker to another and watched how difficult it was for me…that simple. People with Parkinson’s, like my grandmother, will stop shaking when they focus, at least in the beginning.

I would like to point out, I am NOT in the medical field, I have just been dealing with it for 40 years and my husband said, “Hey, you might have some insight here”. This is just an easy way to check and see where to start. Some of the meds for tremmor might require someone keeping an eye on him for a few days until he adjust but like I said, if it is not affecting his work, I prefer just using a glass of wine now and then and now red wine is good for your heart. Good luck and contact me again if this works for you. Mary Beth…wife of Choreplay

Does it always happen, or only after he has been using his hands? If I garden or knit, or anything, and then try to lift a glass my hands shake so much I am afraid I will drop it. If I try to carry the glass in the morning when I have rested for hours, no shaking. Vitamin D has greatly alleviated my problem, but I was seriously vitamin D dificient. I was dificient in D, B12, iron, and hypothyroid.

The answers above are also very good, I am just giving another possibility that might be less scary. All of what is suggessted on this Q, even the vitamin dificiencies need to be diagnosed by a doctor. Some doctors do not buy into the vitamin connection, but hopefully at minimum they will run the blood tests for you.

Lastly, caffiene can contribute to tremors.