hand tremors

[Charliek1]

hi was wondering if anyone could help I’ve be on terceva for stage 4 lung cancer and doing very well but recently I’ve hand hand tremors on my left side same side as the lung cancer I’m due a ct scan next month and they are going to scan my head as well just wondering has anyone experienced these tremors to the point I can’t hold a cup of coffee without it spilling everywhere thanks for an help xx

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Hi Charliek1

Sorry to hear of your hand tremors and the anxiety that you have with this. I assume you have informed the oncology team and if not do let them know.

There can be many reasons for hand tremors, one of the most common is essential hand tremor, however it is good that they are checking you out with some scans and you will not have too long to wait for some answers and to see if they can treat this for you and reduce the tremors.

It is encouraging that you are keeping well with the Tarceva, and you are welcome to contact us if you would like to discuss anything, our ask the nurse helpline is open Monday to Thursday 0900-1700 and Friday 0900-1600 on 0800 358 7200 alternatively you can email us at [e-mail]

Kind regards

The Roy Castle Support Team

[Charliek1 in reply to RoyCastleHelpline]

Thanks so much for your reply means a lot x

[JanetteR57]

our first thought is always that new symptoms must be related to the cancer or treatment but it isn't always the case.

I was hospitalised in June 2015 and when I came out I kept getting strange sensations in my left hand/arm (I'd had an upper left lobectomy and tumour on that same side diagnosed in 2011) and was due to have a bronchoscopy a couple of weeks later. As it was a rigid bronchoscopy I was having general anaesthetic so had a pre-op meeting and was asked 'anything else you need to report'?' so I told them about the left hand (I'm left handed so it was affecting my writing, typing, driving and holding things including hot drinks) and was told to go to my GP as it was likely to be a trapped nerve.

I went to the GP and waited weeks/months for a referral to a hand specialist and in the end, requested an appointment with another hospital (under a scheme called 'choose and book' available at the time) and was sent to a private hospital on the NHS. The hand consultant I saw was from the hospital where I was still waiting and he said 'given your history, you need to have a scan to check that there's nothing untoward impacting the nerves' as the nerve conduction tests showed issues. The scan didn't reveal anything sinister and in my case, turned out to be a trapped ulna nerve which runs from the back of the neck to the little finger and can trap at the wrist, elbow or neck.

In my case, it turned out to be trapped inside the cubital tunnel in the elbow and I had a day case surgery to reposition it.

In 2019 I had similar symptoms so thought a hospital stay where they'd botched the cannula inside the elbow (near where my nerve had been repositioned) may have impacted its functionality. due to the pandemic I only saw somebody last year about it and nerve conduction tests showed some residual entrapment but they also suspected side effects from other medications.

Hope you get some answers soon following your investigations. good luck.

[mikee2all]

Hi Charliek1, yes I have tremors just recently. Not bad ones but sometimes I shake when pointing to touching an object with my finger.

What medication are you taking for your cancer. I am taking Tagrisso. Very expensive and I'm running out of money. Don't know what to do?