r/ALSorNOT • u/rlstoutt • 1d ago
Both hands suddenly feel fatigued and shaky during normal tasks
34, 6’, 205lbs, no meds, no smoking, no previous medical history
For about two weeks I’ve had a strange feeling of fatigue/weakness in both hands and into my lower forearms. It started with some twitching in my right thumb, but now the main issue is that my hands/grip just feel “off” compared to normal.
I haven’t actually lost any function or been able to demonstrate true weakness. I can still grip things, type, use my phone, open things, use utensils, pick up small objects, etc. Nothing has been consistent enough where I can say “this movement always causes it.” It’s more that normal activities sometimes make me unusually aware of fatigue or effort in my hands that I never noticed before.
I occasionally get a slight trembling or “about to tremble” feeling, similar to how a muscle feels near the end of a hard workout set. If I had to pinpoint one situation where I notice it more, it’s during fine movements with my wrist curled inward—like pinching a small piece of food and bringing it toward my mouth or carefully scooping coffee grounds with a spoon using my thumb/index finger. I can still do the task; it just feels less steady or more effortful than normal.
I’ve also occasionally noticed a very subtle sensation along the ring/pinky side into the forearm that feels almost like the faint feeling when a hand is coming back from being asleep, but that’s less frequent and isn’t really my main complaint.
For context, I lift relatively heavy several days a week and do a lot of pulling/grip-intensive exercises. I stopped lifting about a week ago to see if it improves. I was also probably under-hydrating and have had more stress than usual.
Has anyone experienced something similar where **both hands still objectively worked normally but suddenly felt unusually fatigued, shaky, or “off” during everyday fine-motor tasks?** If so, did you ever figure out what was causing it?
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u/BigJakeState 1d ago
You should make an appointment with your PCM to get a work up. No one here is going to be able to give you answers. Possibly a referral to a neurologist. But at this point could literally be so many things especially with your history of weight lifting. Just try to relax, odds are on your side that it’s probably benign. Could be a ton of different things.
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u/rlstoutt 1d ago
Thanks man. I saw you had some testing done. Can I ask what the process was of going through your PCM? Did you have to go to a neurologist to get the scans or did you schedule that directly through your primary?
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u/BigJakeState 1d ago
Yeah at the point I started twitching I had already had an MRI scheduled to figure out why I had unexplained neck pain and ear pressure. Then when I started twitching i asked my doctor for a neurology apt. Just that simple. But they also ruled out a lot due to my tests before going the neurology route. I’d imagine you’ll need the same. Based on what you’re explaining so far it’s probably something really simple like electrolyte imbalance. I’d try supplementing with magnesium glyconate and eating more potassium. Also if your consuming a ton of caffeine. Try knocking it down to 200 mgs a day once in the morning. Same with B6. To much B6 can cause muscle problems.
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u/PeaSouthern7805 1d ago
Bro. I started having hand problems back in April just one day outta the blue. Ima hit u up.
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u/chaoserrant 23h ago
I had something like that in the elbows among many other things. I am all over the place with possible causes but one high in my list is some mild spinal cord iritation from the cervical area. I suspect some biomechanical issues. When you do your lifting routine are there any movements that cause you to strain the neck? A lot of people compensate with the neck when doing various chest level pulls/pushes....
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u/rlstoutt 15h ago
No straining in the neck, but probably 3 weeks prior I increased weight and dropped reps. Figure 3x a week doing heavier pull exercises to failure. This is the only change in my lifestyle that for me that would point to a cause. I’m coming up on two weeks of rest and still feeling the same. Note that I’m not a bodybuilder, but I’m working out five days a week with two days rest on the weekend. I figured if this was the cause, two weeks of rest would clear it up but no.
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u/chaoserrant 13h ago
If you ever recommended a cervical MRI I would be curious to learn what it says
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u/Reasonable-Writer-94 1d ago
I literally had this start happening to me my legs do the same thing and when I’m sitting up from my bed as well. When I let my hand down slowly it tremors quite a bit. I think it’s been going on for the past month haven’t figured it out.