For a person with dystonia, a doctor may prescribe a class of medications called anticholinergic agents. Anticholinergics work by reducing the effects of a brain chemical called acetylcholine, resulting in decreased tremors or muscle stiffness. Medications in this group include trihexyphenidyl and benztropine.
One of the more serious side effects of lisinopril is yellowing of the eyes and skin. If this occurs, seek the advice of a medical professional. HCN Medical MemoRegular monitoring and patient education are essential in managing medication-induced tremors, ensuring therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. We trust you are in touch with your doctor about other ways to control your blood pressure. We offer more information about lisinopril, other medications and nondrug approaches in our eGuide to Blood Pressure Solutions.
Your doctor will diagnose the cause of your tremor based on your medical history, physical exam, and blood tests. Drug-induced tremors may cause your head to shake or nod uncontrollably. The tremors may not happen all of the time, but they’re likely to occur within the first hour of taking medication.
If nightmares or insomnia persist, talk with your doctor about another medication for high blood pressure. Contact your provider if you are taking a medicine and a tremor develops that interferes with your activity or is accompanied by other symptoms. If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911.
Lifestyle Quizzes
More invasive options, such as deep brain stimulation and surgery, may be offered to people with severe tremors who have not responded to other treatments. Certain antiviral medications like vidarabine and acyclovir have been linked to neurotoxic side effects, including a drug-induced tremor. For information about what to do if you take an extra dose of your specific blood pressure drugs, you can call your pharmacist or a poison control center. If you have problems with erections during sex, talk with your doctor. Some high blood pressure medications can cause this problem.
Your doctor may reduce your medication dose or stop the offending drug and then switch you over to a different medication. If it is not possible to stop a medicine, your doctor may prescribe an additional medication to control the rhythmic shaking. A medication called tetrabenazine is sometimes prescribed to patients with a severe type of tremor called tardive tremor that occurs due to the long-term use of certain psychiatric drugs. A tremor is an involuntary, rhythmic shaking of any part of the body that you cannot control. It occurs due to muscle contractions and can affect the hands, head, arms, legs, trunk, or vocal cords. Tremors can be symptoms of certain medical conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
While many people taking high blood pressure medication have only mild or no side effects, it’s important to work closely with your doctor to manage any side effects you may have. If you cannot discontinue the medicine that is causing your tremor, your healthcare provider may change your medication dose or switch you to another medicine to treat your health condition. Tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline can cause tremor progression or an increase in tremor amplitude or tremor severity, i.e., it can make a tremor more noticeable. Stopping these medications abruptly can cause tremors due to withdrawal effects. Lisinopril has a number of side blood pressure medications that cause tremors effects that affect the cardiovascular system. It can cause orthostatic hypotension, low blood pressure, edema and inflammation of the blood vessels.
The Link Between High Blood Pressure and Body Shaking
Many patients have experienced tremors with immunosuppressants, especially when the serum drug level is high. Some side affects of lisinopril affect the nervous system and how it interprets sensations. This drug can cause tremors, nerve pain, tingling sensations and spasms. A. A dry cough is the most common complication of ACE inhibitors like lisinopril.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
In this condition, the tissues of the face, especially the lips, tongue and throat, swell and may block the ability to breathe. Angioedema can also occur in the abdomen, causing intestinal blockage. To learn more about angioedema and how serious it can be, check out this link. Side effects may include hallucinations, confusion, decreased short-term memory, blurred vision, and urinary problems. Your doctor works with you to monitor any additional symptoms and adjust your medication if needed. I wasn’t nervous, but my hands were trembling — a symptom I later learned my husband had noticed but never brought up.
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Talk to your doctor if any of these medications could be worsening your tremor. It also can expand from one part of your body to other parts over time. Your doctor will identify essential tremor by its pattern and your history.
It can be a postural tremor or position-dependent tremor that occurs, for example, when you hold your arms outstretched. An essential tremor typically goes away when you finish the task or you are no longer in that position anymore. The exact cause of essential tremors is unknown, but there is a small chance that genetics may play a part in having tremors. Medications are available to treat a persistent tremor, which is great news since this condition can interfere with your daily life, reducing the quality of life. Many of us may not have considered the serious effects caused by complications of tremors, such as falls leading to injuries or vehicular accidents. Up to 20% of people who take these medications develop tremors.
- Q. After I read on your website that lisinopril could cause hand tremors, I asked my doctor to change my blood pressure medication.
- While it is not life-threatening, many patients find an essential tremor affects their quality of life.
- At last count, more than 20 million Americans swallow this BP pill daily.
- Some of the medications prescribed to asthma patients that can cause tremors include albuterol (Ventolin, Proair, Proventil), theophylline (Theo-Dur), salmeterol (Serevent), and arformoterol (Brovana).
- I wasn’t nervous, but my hands were trembling — a symptom I later learned my husband had noticed but never brought up.
Antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents
Read the insert that comes with your medicine for warnings and advice about when to call your doctor. A medication-induced tremor can be an action tremor that occurs with movement or a resting tremor that occurs at rest. Emotional stress and voluntary movements can make drug-induced tremors worse.
Anticholinergic Agents
We focus on providing cost-effective, high-quality care that extends beyond immediate health concerns. Do not stop taking any medicine without first talking to your provider. Blood tests and imaging tests (such as a CT scan of the head, brain MRI, and x-rays) are usually normal.
Sometimes, antihypertensive medications such as amlodipine and aliskiren, which are used to treat high blood pressure, can cause drug-induced tremors. One large study suggested that thiazide water pills (diuretics) have fewer side effects and work better on average than other drugs commonly prescribed as first treatments for high blood pressure. It’s rare to get severe side effects from your high blood pressure medications. They vary depending on the medicines you take and the doses.
While some side effects — such as dizziness when you stand up — can happen with any drug that lowers your blood pressure, each drug comes with its own potential side effects. So, anytime you get a new prescription for your high blood pressure, be sure to read about it and its possible side effects. Changes in blood sugar can occur in people with diabetes taking diuretics or beta-blockers for high blood pressure. Tests may be done to check for other reasons for your tremor. A tremor that occurs when the muscles are relaxed or that affects the legs or coordination may be a sign of another condition, such as Parkinson disease. The speed of the tremor can be an important way to determine its cause.
Due to space limitations, we will not discuss drug interactions between cardiovascular agents and psychiatric medications in this review. A medication-induced tremor usually disappears when you stop taking the medicine that is causing the involuntary movement. Keep in mind that it can take up to a year or more for the symptoms to completely resolve. You should not stop taking any medication without talking to your healthcare provider first.