Can't stop shaking

[Skans]

You don't have to be a Diabetic to have low blood sugar once in awhile. It happens, especially if you are athletic and/or simply haven't eaten enough. This is fairly common, temporary and not dangerous, unless you are driving or operating machinery. Parkinson's is comparatively a rare disease.

[Stealth01]

+1 for the rehydration! I was out yesterday in full Missouri sun shooting for an hour and a half. I started sweating heavy... as time on the range passed I watched my groupings fall apart and I couldn't hold the red dot on the bulls eye!! Packed it in and came home to a Gatorade.

[Mello2u]

oo0juice0oo

I already workout 5 days a week, I've been power lifting with some old Corps buddies for a little over a year now, so I don't think thats a problem. And I doubt it's dehydration because I have a strange obsession with water, so I drink 3-5 gallons a day

In addition to diabetes insipidus as a possible issue, you might consider hyper hydration. By drinking large amounts of pure water and failing to replace electrolytes lost to sweating, you may dilute your electrolytes to the point that your nerves begin to malfunction.

Seek medical advice.

It could be almost anything.

Seek competent medical advice. Maybe a sport medicine specialist.

Edit:
Why Drinking Too Much Water Is Dangerous
http://drbenkim.com/drink-too-much-water-dangerous.html

Water intoxication, also known as hyper-hydration, water poisoning, or overhydration, is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water.

At the onset of this condition fluid outside the cells has an excessively low amount of solutes (such as sodium and other electrolytes) in comparison to that inside the cells, the fluid shifts through osmosis into the cells in order to balance its concentration. This causes the cells to swell. In the brain, this swelling increases intracranial pressure (ICP). It is this increase in pressure which leads to the first observable symptoms of water intoxication: headache, personality changes, changes in behavior, confusion, irritability, and drowsiness.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

[Alaska444]

3-5 gallons a day is a lot of water which could be a symptom of other conditions. I would agree that you should discuss these symptoms with your doctor.

[chris in va]

I get the shakes if I shoot a snappy caliber too much. Try renting an all steel 9mm and see if that helps.

[T. O'Heir]

"...a problem lately..." New thing or always? Vision go wonky too? If new, go see your MD.

[federali]

I think you have what I have and it's called essential tremor. Started in my early 40s and I too can barely get through a magazine of ammo before it kicks in. Every case is different. I can shoot revolvers all day without incident. Switch to autoloaders and there it is. No known cause or cure.
See the following:


Home | About PubMed Health | Contact Us
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PubMed Health
Home > Diseases and Conditions > Essential tremor
Essential tremor

Tremor - essential; Familial tremor; Tremor - familial
Last reviewed: June 24, 2009.

Essential tremor is a type of involuntary shaking movement in which no cause can be identified. Involuntary means you shake without trying to do so.

See also:

Drug-induced tremor

Tremor

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Essential tremor is the most common type of tremor. In general, tremors occur when there is a problem with the nerves supplying certain muscles. However, everyone has some essential tremor but the movements are usually so small that they can't be seen.

The specific cause for essential tremor is unknown. Some research suggests that the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls muscles movements, does not work correctly in patients with essential tremor.

Noticeable essential tremors can be seen at any age but are most common in people older than 65.

Essential tremor can also occur with other neurological conditions, including dystonia, parkinsonism, and certain inherited nerve conditions such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

If an essential tremor occurs in more than one member of a family, it is called a familial tremor. This type of essential tremor is passed down through families (inherited), which suggests that genes play a role in its cause.

Familial tremor is usually a dominant trait, which means that you only need to get the gene from one parent to develop the disorder. It usually starts in early middle age, but may be seen in people who are older or younger.

Symptoms

The tremor is usually most obvious in the hands, but may affect the arms, head, eyelids, or other muscles. The tremor rarely affects the legs or feet. People with essential tremor may have trouble holding or using small objects such as silverware or a pen.

[g.willikers]

Maybe we've all overlooked the obvious.
You've become politically correct, and are now afraid of guns!

[8shot357]

Try Kava Kava.

TBS, I can't find it at Walmart anymore.

PS: power lifting is for the Olympics, your to old son. If you are not, that's why your looking for answers to your problem.

Honestly, I get the shakes sometimes to, I just don't need to drink so much the day before I go shooting.

[federali]

Those of you who drink truly large amounts of water might want to read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

[C0untZer0]

If I were drinking 3 to 5 gallons a day I'd be shaking because I had to pee so badly...

[smitty704]

It could also be that you are not breathing regularly while your aiming and shooting. I had that issue way back. Now I breath normally during my range sessions and all the shaking has stopped. It also had a lot to do with my coffee consumption, and I drink a lot of coffee. Now with the breathing, and NO coffee before the range, I have the shaking under control.

[8shot357]

Alaska444

#29

3-5 gallons a day is a lot of water which could be a symptom of other conditions.

OCD?
OCD?
OCD?
OCD?

Yes, I did repeat myself. 1-2-3-4
Yes, I did repeat myself. 1-2-3-4
Yes, I did repeat myself. 1-2-3-4
Yes, I did repeat myself. 1-2-3-4

[Brasscatcher84]

If you're drinking that much water in a day and working out, you are probably flushing electrolytes out of your body. This will result in the symptoms you describe. You need to be careful w/ that much water, I had a good friend who spent 4 days in ICU because he flushed all the electrolytes out of his system.

Try adding a little more salt to your diet and a little gatorade. Also, look around and see if you can find coconut water. I get it at my local grocery store, but if you can't find it there, look at a health food store (if you can stand doing business with dirty hippy retreads). NOTHING replenishes electrolytes better than coconut water. I'd bet dollars to donuts that at least part of yout problem is electrolyte deficiency.

[8shot357]

NOTHING replenishes electrolytes better than coconut water.

Isn't that a laxative? And don't give me no shoot about it!

[Brasscatcher84]

It's not nearly as bad as coconut milk, which is why it's used instead for electrolyte replenishement.

Sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade contain at most four essential electrolytes. Coconut water contains seventeen.

I used to have the same problem when I was in the army. I sweat heavily, especially in body armor, and after a few hours either on a range or patrol (two tours, OEF/OIF) I'd begin to shake a little. I always carried powdered Gatorade mix and the salt packets from my MREs. I'd take the salt like a BC powder and mix a little Gatorade and chug it, and the tremors would go away.

I try to mix my fluid intake about 15% sports drinks and 85% water, and use salt and coconut water as supplements as needed (because coconut water, while effective, is expensive and tastes like sh**).

[johnbt]

Sometimes, some people can calm the shakes a little by actively doing something with the gun other than trying to hold it dead still. Try using the sights to draw/paint a circle around the bullseye.

There's a name for this, but it's too early for me to think of it. It's hard enough to type with one hand while holding a cup of coffee in the other.

[GeauxTide]

Captains of Crush Grip Trainers

[C0untZer0]

I definately beleive in working out and here is a thread on a set of exercises that improve forearm, wrist and finger strength:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/show...9&postcount=23

I find that the most helpfull exercise in keeping my sights on target are the wrist rollers:



http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...Extention.html



When I do the wrist roller I hold my arms straight out at shoulder level to develop the same muscles I use when pointing a pistol.

But anyway - I don't think that oo0juice0oo problem is from muscle weakness. My gut feeling is it's lack of electrolytes - especially Potassium.

[Topos]

I discovered that using a quality hand grip (e.g., <<http://www.heavygrips.com/ >> has minimized oscillations
when pistol shooting ( .45 NM, and .22 M41. )

My regime is during the day to start with the 150 lb version
in sets of 20, first in spring coil at 12:00 position, pointing up;
20 in 6:00 position, pointing down.

Then I proceed to the 200 lb version - sets of 10 up&down pointing.

[ I cut a thin bicycle inner tube to sleeve the grips. The knurling
is a bear on the hands and fingers. ]

Next: hold the 200 lb closed for 10 secs. as if I was aiming at a target.
Up the down position in turn.

Added benefit: seems that military M.D.s have seen a secondary
benefit to pilots is that it aids in reducing blood pressure.

Being over 70 I find that I can still hold my .45 with minimum
oscillation.


Hope this adds to your information data base.

[BGutzman]

Outside of medical conditions, eating food causes minor shakes as the digestive system works on the food, of course caffeine and and other stimulants can do the same thing...

[dallascj]

Like what chris in va said: I had been away from shooting for a couple of years. when I first started back, I was having this issue. I spent the next couple of range sessions with a .22 revolver, and the shakes went away. For me it was recoil anticipation after being away from regular shooting practice.

[freedomfreak]

If the shaking is not medical related, try a lot of dry firing both at home and the range. Have someone else load for you and have them stick an empty case in once in a while. Also, practice with a .22 lr. (Recoil is often the enemy of accuracy.)

BTW, You can actually drink too much water, your brain can swell like a concussion and people have died!

Best of luck

NRA Certified Firearm Instructor
www.shootingmentor.com

[Sparks1957]

3-5 gallons of water a day? See your doctor, mate!

Diabetes mellitus might be the cause; your shakiness leads me to believe that could be the problem. Untreated, DM accounts for most of the kidney failures & amputations out there.

It could also be diabetes insipidus, which I have (a rare inherited type at that)... This is also easily treated with desmopressin, a synthetic hormone to replace the antidiuretic hormone that is lacking. I used to drink that much water daily until I got the desmopressin.

Don't mess around, get some help.

[Ichiban]

If you are taking supplements to help with your power-lifting, you might want to research their side effects. Specially if you are "supplementing." It might also be related to post-workout recovery if you are hitting the range within a couple of hours after a workout. The hyper-hydration is also high in the list of suspects as you are flushing a lot of electrolytes out of your system. You really should cut your water consumption at least in half. Remember, a lot of the training advise you get from your buddies, read in a magazine, or hear at the gym is BS, gym lore, and mostly down right wrong. Just like advise you get on the internet.