Alcohol in essential tremor and other movement disorders.

Many patients with essential tremor (ET) report transient improvement of symptoms after drinking alcohol. However, the brief duration of action, subsequent rebound, and the risk of developing alcohol addiction make the use of alcohol as a treatment for ET inappropriate. Whether excessive alcohol consumption is a risk for or a consequence of ET has been a subject of some controversy. In this review, we critically examine the mechanism of action of alcohol and its role in ET and other movement disorders.