{"id":2029761,"date":"2025-09-17T20:32:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T20:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2029761"},"modified":"2025-09-17T20:32:04","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T20:32:04","slug":"downton-abbey-creator-undergoes-terrifying-tremor-procedure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/downton-abbey-creator-undergoes-terrifying-tremor-procedure\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Downton Abbey&#8217; creator undergoes &#8216;terrifying&#8217; tremor procedure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2025%2F09%2Fnewspress-collage-ls9833n3o-1758130825924.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall%261758116565\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>He gave Mr. Carson a tremor \u2014 but behind the scenes, Julian Fellowes was the one shaking.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cDownton Abbey\u201d creator recently opened up about how he\u2019s overcoming a supposedly \u201cincurable\u201d condition that made everyday tasks nearly impossible, thanks to a \u201cterrifying\u201d yet \u201crevolutionary\u201d procedure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re kept awake the whole time,\u201d Fellowes, 76, said in a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=meKGDc7F3AQ&amp;t=250s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">new video with Insightec<\/a>, which documents his journey to treat a little-known neurological disorder that affects an <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nm.org\/conditions-and-care-areas\/neurosciences\/movement-disorders\/essential-tremor\">estimated 1 in 5 adults<\/a> over the age of 65.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Julian Fellowes has been living with a tremor in his hands for more than a decade.  <span class=\"credit\">FilmMagic<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What condition does Julian Fellowes have?<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s called an essential tremor, a nervous system disorder that causes uncontrollable, rhythmic shaking. It can strike almost any part of the body but most often hits the hands, arms, head and voice, according to the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/essential-tremor\/diagnosis-treatment\/drc-20350539\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mayo Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Often confused with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/07\/08\/health\/seemingly-harmless-symptomless-virus-may-actually-cause-parkinsons-disease-study\/\">Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/a>, essential tremors flare up during movement \u2014 like lifting a cup or writing. Parkinson\u2019s shakes tend to be most prevalent when the body is at rest.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Anyone can develop the movement disorder, but it\u2019s most common in older adults.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt started for me around my mid-60s,\u201d Fellowes said. \u201cAt the beginning I was in denial and I sort of said, \u2018Oh, wonder what\u2019s the matter with me today.\u2019 But gradually I realized it was a condition.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Fellowes created both \u201cThe Gilded Age\u201d and \u201cDownton Abbey,\u201d the final installment of which came out this month. <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9Focus Features\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the symptoms?<\/h2>\n<p>The main symptom is shaking, usually in the hands. The trembling tends to worsen with movement, but things like stress, fatigue and caffeine can also exacerbate it.<\/p>\n<p>As it advances, the tremor can take a major toll on your quality of life \u2014 making it tough to eat, drink or even get dressed independently. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoing up buttons, fastening a tie \u2014 everything became a labor. My cuff links would go flying off,\u201d Fellowes said in an interview with Britain\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/life-style\/health-fitness\/article\/julian-fellowes-interview-downton-abbey-essential-tremor-xtt2mvp5m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Times<\/a>. \u201cIt is very, very depressing and upsetting.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>On \u201cDownton,\u201d Mr. Carson also has a tremor. <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9Focus Features\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What causes it?<\/h2>\n<p>Experts aren\u2019t exactly sure, but research suggests essential tremor is linked to changes in specific areas of the brain, according to the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/11886-essential-tremor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>What is known is that the condition often runs in families, with about half of all cases inherited. Currently, there\u2019s no known way to prevent it.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can you treat an essential tremor?<\/h2>\n<p>When Fellowes was first diagnosed, a specialist told him the condition was \u201cincurable.\u201d Over the last decade, however, new treatments have emerged.<\/p>\n<p>Options include medication, physical therapy, assistive devices or deep brain stimulation. But the \u201cGilded Age\u201d creator chose a treatment that sounds straight out of a science fiction movie.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Focused ultrasound thalamotomy for essential tremor was approved by the FDA in 2016.  <span class=\"credit\">Youtube<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In May, he underwent a noninvasive procedure that fires MRI-guided focused ultrasound beams into the brain, targeting and destroying the tremor-producing tissue without harming surrounding areas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey put this metal crown on to keep your head still, which is quite unpleasant,\u201d he told the Times. He was conscious during the entire operation so doctors could monitor his responses.<\/p>\n<p>It was an almost-instant success.<\/p>\n<p>In a video, Fellowes can be seen effortlessly drawing spirals on paper \u2014 a dramatic improvement from the shaky spiral he scrawled down before the procedure. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Thanks to the procedure, Fellowes can write by hand again. <span class=\"credit\">Youtube<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He even managed to drink from a glass.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s quite strange, actually, because I haven\u2019t trusted myself to do that for some time,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>Just a month after the treatment, Fellowes regained his ability to write by hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me at least, this was worth it, and I haven\u2019t regretted it for one second,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Fellowes isn\u2019t alone. A <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusfoundation.org\/posts\/focused-ultrasound-for-essential-tremor-five-year-results\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2022 study<\/a> found patients with essential tremor maintained a 73% reduction in shaking severity five years after undergoing a focused ultrasound thalamotomy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve had the treatment and I\u2019ve, in a sense, cured the tremor in my right hand. And I want people to know that,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope that I can be of some small use in getting it known.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source celebrity.land \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>He gave Mr. Carson a tremor \u2014 but behind the scenes, Julian Fellowes was the one shaking. The \u201cDownton Abbey\u201d creator recently opened up about how he\u2019s overcoming a supposedly \u201cincurable\u201d condition that made everyday tasks nearly impossible, thanks to a \u201cterrifying\u201d yet \u201crevolutionary\u201d procedure. \u201cYou\u2019re kept awake the whole time,\u201d Fellowes, 76, said in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2029762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25174],"tags":[374227,21751,334480,22271,374228,334473,363308,22171],"class_list":["post-2029761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gossip","tag-brains","tag-celebrities","tag-downton-abbey","tag-health","tag-incurable-degenerative-disease","tag-julian-fellowes","tag-neuroscience","tag-surgery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Downton-Abbey-creator-undergoes-terrifying-tremor-procedure.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2029761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2029761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2029761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2029762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2029761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2029761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2029761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}