Dysautonomia after chemo

I’m a fit, active 61 yr. old male in the favorable risk category and just completed my last consolidation chemo. Will get my next biopsy in about four weeks.

The primary side effect of my chemo has been dysautonomia, which has affected certain body functions. In my case, I experience ongoing constipation (nerve damage prevents contractions that move stools through the colon). I also experience severe orthostatic hypotension. My systolic pressure routine drops 20-40 points when moving from a sitting to standing position, which results in severe light-headedness.

I’ve started taking a low-dose of Mestinone (60 mg. daily) along with Midodrine and am scheduled to undergo autonomic dysfunction testing at the University of Michigan hospital in October.

I’m curious to hear from others who’ve experienced this side effect and have found ways of dealing with it. I’m doing the more obvious things like increasing fluid intake, eating a high fiber diet, standing up slowly, etc. Any tips would be appreciated