Differential Diagnosis for Total Body Shaking
Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Essential Tremor: This is a common movement disorder characterized by tremors during action or with posture, which can sometimes be perceived as total body shaking. It's often familial and can be exacerbated by stress, fatigue, or certain medications.
Other Likely Diagnoses
- Anxiety or Panic Attack: Severe anxiety can manifest physically, including total body shaking due to the release of stress hormones like adrenaline.
- Hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar can cause a range of symptoms including shaking, sweating, and confusion, especially in diabetic patients.
- Parkinson's Disease: While more commonly associated with resting tremors, advanced Parkinson's disease can cause significant tremors and rigidity that might be perceived as total body shaking.
- Alcohol Withdrawal: Withdrawal from alcohol can lead to tremors, among other symptoms, as part of a broader withdrawal syndrome.
Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Seizure: Certain types of seizures, especially generalized seizures, can cause convulsive movements that might be described as total body shaking. Missing this diagnosis could lead to untreated epilepsy.
- Meningitis or Encephalitis: Infections of the brain and meninges can cause a range of neurological symptoms, including seizures and tremors. Early diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment.
- Thyroid Storm: A life-threatening complication of untreated or undertreated hyperthyroidism, characterized by extreme symptoms of hyperthyroidism, including tremors.
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS): A rare but life-threatening side effect of neuroleptic medications, characterized by fever, muscle rigidity, and altered mental status, which could initially present with total body shaking.
Rare Diagnoses
- Wilson's Disease: A genetic disorder leading to copper accumulation in the body, which can cause neurological symptoms including tremors.
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A rare, degenerative, fatal brain disorder that can cause a variety of neurological symptoms, including myoclonus (sudden, involuntary jerking of a muscle or group of muscles).
- Stiff Person Syndrome: A rare neurological disorder characterized by progressive stiffness and rigidity of the muscles, which can lead to spasms and tremors.
- Tardive Dyskinesia: A side effect of long-term use of neuroleptic drugs, characterized by repetitive, involuntary, purposeless movements, which might be perceived as shaking in some cases.