As a (retired) Occupational Therapist I would suggest trying the use of weightier cups, glasses, cutlery etc as this can help by reducing the need for the hands to respond to fine movements. This is something that can often help people with an “intention tremor” as in Multiple Sclerosis, but doesnt usually work for people with Parkinsons / Parkinsonian type tremor which is a “resting tremor”. Good luck,
Hi, my first post. Essential Tremor or Familial tremor. It’s an embarrassing pita. I have had it all my life and has worsened with age. Hands only. Neuro consultant confirmed diagnosis with a simple test, hold both hands up and with thumbs and 2 fingers rapidly do a nagging action. If after 5-20 seconds your arms go into a slightly wild spasm you have ET. You may also get emotional.
Many drugs 1st line beta blockers called propranolol 10-320mg per day.
May cause transient breathlessness also psoriasis.
Primidone 5mg upwards. Lethargy and nausea usually pass.
There are many others, some will work some won’t and effect wears so you need to work with your gp.
Tea and coffee no proof of causation, Red Bull etc…don’t be stupid!
Don’t order soup, take your first slurp at the bar 
It won’t shorten your life unless you work with detonators.
It’s NOTHING LIKE OR TO DO WITH PARKINSONS.
Try to deal with it in a humorous manner and just when eating peas make the gravy thick.
I find for detailed jobs like small screws, use your hands touched together,they seem to cancel each other’s tremor to a point .
Rattle on friend.
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Me again, it is believed cannibis oil could have wonderful success in treating ET. Let’s hope it gets cleared. No I am not and never have been a ‘user’
Hi Maurice and Welcome to the forum.
Thanks for your very informative and encouraging Post.
cheers 
Thanks too from me Maurice
what do you mean by “nagging action” pls?
Mine is now also in my head, like the dogs you see on back windows shelf of Cars.! Hands, well, handwriting is finished, eat with a spoon, use my fingers a lot (like the Indian Nation)
Sorry not to have reported in for so long 
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That was a great post Maurice, as geri said, what is the “nagging action”?
OK folks… how many of us have been wagging/wiggling fingers and thumbs ???
I know I have… 
I took the “nagging” to mean waving first finger (belligerently) while having the thumb extended/lowered in the “thumbs up”… the two digits alternating… no idea if that is correct… but… I gave it a go…
Thanks for the welcome. Ok put both arms up like a lazy surrender, then with your thumb and first two fingers make a rapid open and pinching action.
An update. I saw this on Al Jazeera news,
Targeted ultrasound heats and destroys offending cells in the thalamus that cause tremors, the results seem astonishing, no invasive brain surgery, no drugs and at less than half of the cost of deep brain implant.
Pioneered in Ohio but now passed by the medical world and available in many countries I believe. Roughly €40k but insurance companies may supplement.
My father is 87 and his hands have shook ever since I can remember, so at least 55 years. I don’t know if he has essential tremor or not. We never fill his cup and he has a lot of milk in hot drinks. His writing doesn’t seem too bad. He’s never, to my knowledge, had any sort of diagnosis. I sometimes help him with coat zips because he shakes too much to line the zip up.
A lot of the males from my mums side of the family have a tremor . Even ones were the blood connection is slight Genetics are weird
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A very late reply but ET is related to Parkinson’s according to many of the studies that have been done. It IS NOT Parkinson’s, of course, and I never said it was. I’ll see if I can find a study or two and post them here.
Here’s some further info:
http://practicalneurology.com/2012/12/distinguishing-essential-tremor-from-parkinsons-disease/
And another. The studies I saw are eluding me at the moment. By “related” I mean that about 20% of people with an ET diagnosis go on to develop Parkinson’s, but as you can see it’s not know whether ET is a cause of PD.
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