Autonomic nervous system disorder: No diagnosis or help yet

Posted by joannemm34293 @joannemm30809, Sep 14, 2021

Two years ago I started having what appears to be possible autonomic nervous system malfunction. It started out with pins and needles and numbness in all of my extremities, visual disturbances, bowel disturbances, even paralysis of parts of my body would just go dead numb. What is worse is that these episodes come on out of nowhere and they have progressed to where I suffer almost every day now. The worst part of these episodes are that my spatial awareness, the way I feel sensory wise is totally off. So far no doctor has been able to figure out what's wrong with me from a neurologist to endocrinologist to cardiologist. I even have tachycardia many times during these events and from head to toe I feel absolutely sick head to toe. I am at my wit's end I need to find some doctor that knows what's going on and if this is disorder know me or an autonomic nervous system malfunction I need help. I just cannot believe in the United States of America that so many different doctors I've seen over 2 years with dozens upon dozens of tests and blood workup and no one can figure this out.

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@oldkarl I so agree going threw this right now screaming in pain

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@joannemm30809

They've ruled out diabetes, they've ruled out cancer since they did a very expensive blood test called perineoplastic blood test. They've ruled out MS. They did a cat scan looking for an adrenal tumor and ruled that out. I've had blood work up of every single thing you can think of and it's all come back normal. I've had stool samples done and they came back normal. I had a EEG and that was normal. I had a nerve conduction test and that was normal. I had an EMG test and that was normal even though I have continual muscle twitching from head to toe for the last 1 year. I went to the ophthalmologist because I have visual disturbances and he sees nothing wrong with my optic nerve in my eyes.

I have a loop recorder implanted in my chest because I have had an irregular heartbeat for most of my life which is controlled by taking metotoprolol and every time I have these what I call episodes I sent a loop recording into my cardiologist and even though I have tachycardia sometimes during these events my heart rhythm is absolutely normal. I've had stress test and nuclear CAT scans of my heart and it's all normal. I had the HU antibody test done once again looking for cancer and that came back normal. I had a test looking for thyroid problem for Lyme disease for vitamin deficiency for hormone imbalance and everything came back normal. I have no idea what's wrong with me but Blue Cross Blue shield once again today has denied the request to have an MRI of my spine and a new MRI of my brain because the last MRI of my brain I had was 2 and 1/2 years ago and it did not show any tumors or lesions from MS but over the last 2 and 1/2 years things could have changed where those lesions might be showing up if I do possibly have MS.

I cannot get any of these doctors to really dig into this they all want to blame it on anxiety my neurologist said I have benign fasciculation syndrome and that's why I have muscle twitches all the time and for me just to go take anxiety medicine and all that nonsense. I'll have patches of skin that just go numb. Huge patches of tissue from my back wrapping around in my belly that goes numb. Pins and needles in my hands my feet my right calf always goes numb pins and needles all over creepy crawly feeling crap looks like feels like worms under my skin around my eyebrows and my lips. Yet none of these doctors know what's going on. They all want to try to blame it all on anxiety and I'm too through with it.

None of the doctors here in Orlando or Tampa area do what's called a sweat test to possibly rule out Dysautonomia and the only clinic that does it is the Mayo clinic in Jacksonville and about 1.5 years ago the neurologist tried to get me an appointment there and they read over my file at that time and denied the request to see me to do the sweat test which I thought was insane because I have a lot of symptoms of autonomic nervous system malfunctioning.

So I'm not too sure where to go or who to turn to and I'm so pissed off right now at Blue Cross Blue shield I'd like to sue the doctor in the pre-authorization department that repeatedly is denying the MRI of my spine which is never been scanned at all looking for maybe impinged upon spinal cord

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You need an sfn punch biopsy ..small fiber nerves cause all that and autonomic dysfunction ..i have it all .caused by cipro instant full body damage ..

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@oldkarl

@jwillits8 Yes, sometimes it seems that Mayo and most similar orgs are only helpful for the medicos who sign on with them and collect pay. That is why I ended up getting my own genome analysis, even though it is only a partial and cost me extra money. However, some of the houses are either free or inexpensive. Ambry Genetics is a good place to start. Some places would be good if they would choose to work with insurances, such as medicare. Until they do, their service must be considered second-rate. Now, about your case. My first bet would be some form of Myeloma, probably Amyloidosis. The narrowing function goes this way: Cancer > Myeloma > Amyloidosis > (Gelsolin {GSN}, Apolipoprotein, Lect2, LAMA2, etc.) A second train would by a Congenital Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy {LGMD}, a Neuro-Muscular Disease which is closely related to Myeloma. Types I suspect in your case include such as Duchenne, Fukuyama {FKRP}, Fukutin {FKTN, probably with Walker-Warburg}, etc. most of this stuff, you can get directly from various internet sources, such as National Institutes of Health (NIH), or groups such as http://www.OMIM.org/entry/GSN (XXXX). Now, don't let anyone tell you that you just have anxiety. Jackson Labs Human phenotype Ontology database is a fantastic source for frustrated, sick people such as you and I. But do try Ambrygen.com, and get the choice of tests. Or get the mini-analysis for about $70 from Sequencing, Apollo, etc. Or, if you can afford it on your own, bet the whole (100%) sequencing from Sequencing.com, or one of the others.

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@oldkarl I’m waiting on results from the mini sequencing.com

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@jwillits8

@oldkarl I’m waiting on results from the mini sequencing.com

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@jwillits8 Glad to hear that. We would all be better, I believe, if we put a little more effort into using real science in our lives, and genetics is a great part of that. If you find ANY evidence of disease which you did know previously, you will know just that much more about how to live your life. Way to go. On much of the literature coming from these genetics houses there is a line which says something like "These results are for recreation only. Persons should not change medicines or diet or make other important decision based on these results alone." This line is as much for the protection of the genetics house as for the patient. Before you do anything drastic, be sure to check with more of the generally recognized and clinically proper genetics houses, such as Ambry Genetics, ALNYLAM, Dante, etc., who cooperate with Medicare or other insurance companies.. A good geneticist can help you. I suspect nearly all the current majors are pretty accurate, but only certain ones are certified by insurance companies as being accurate. I have checked my results from Sequencing, Ambry, AncestryDNA, AYASS, and a few others, and they are very close to giving the same results, even with the mini-sequencing. Each has a few pieces which only they note. However, the list of pathogenic or probably pathogenic hits I got from Sequencing.com is almost entirely echoed by the others as well as by medical clinics and diagnosticians across the country.

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I am in a similar position here in Tampa., FL. Have you found any help since this post?

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@sashasamantha

I am in a similar position here in Tampa., FL. Have you found any help since this post?

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nothing really to date, how do I monitor my outpouching size on a regular basis? My united healthcare community plan basically rejects most requests let alone MRA's on a regular basis for monitoring purposes. I'm the last of my biological family, both parents and two brothers died from heart/stroke issues which has me on alert.

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@hendglenn2000

nothing really to date, how do I monitor my outpouching size on a regular basis? My united healthcare community plan basically rejects most requests let alone MRA's on a regular basis for monitoring purposes. I'm the last of my biological family, both parents and two brothers died from heart/stroke issues which has me on alert.

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Such a good question, Glenn. Aneurysms are followed with brain imaging studies (CT, MRI) over several years to ensure they are not growing.

You might find this article helpful:
- Brain Aneurysms Need Watching, Not Worrying https://www.loyolamedicine.org/about-us/blog/brain-aneurysms-need-watching-not-worrying

The title of the article seemed to be speaking exactly to you. I know you are worried, given your family history. Have you worked out a monitoring schedule with your doctors that makes you feel comfortable?

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@colleenyoung

Such a good question, Glenn. Aneurysms are followed with brain imaging studies (CT, MRI) over several years to ensure they are not growing.

You might find this article helpful:
- Brain Aneurysms Need Watching, Not Worrying https://www.loyolamedicine.org/about-us/blog/brain-aneurysms-need-watching-not-worrying

The title of the article seemed to be speaking exactly to you. I know you are worried, given your family history. Have you worked out a monitoring schedule with your doctors that makes you feel comfortable?

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Based on my most recent MRA findings this infundibulum outpouching measures 2mm and they claim there's no need for alarm until we're talking 5mm. My cardiologist said he considered this normal physiology. I can't keep getting CT scans every 6 months I'll die from radiation. This sounds like a catch 22 situation.

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Any answers yet? Going through almost exactly same things for years. Just got released from the ER again with no answers,just more bills. This is for joannemm34293.

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I have been dealing with what I recently learned are autonomic nerve issues for 15 years now. I just got back from another ER visit where they checked my vitals and sent me on my way. I have been trying to tough it out so I can provide fir my family and not be a burden but I am getting to the point where being tough isn't enough. My symptoms are random tender spots all over my body,constipation, dizziness, numbness mostly on my left side,difficulty swallowing and breathing ,tingling in my face feet and hands off and on,dry mouth,sensitivity to light,and others I have probably forgot to mention. I have been ro several neurologists who have found mostly nothing. I did have a sweat test which was significantly off but because I passed the tilt test they dismissed that. I stopped going because even after insurance the debt was just becoming too much. After this latest flare up I may have to give it another shot as I am now way over my head in bills anyway now. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? If I didn't have a young daughter who I want to be there for and love more than anything I would have given up long ago.

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