Autonomic Neuropathy

What is it?

Also called dysautonomia, this affects the nerves in the autonomic nervous system, which control the involuntary functioning of internal organs
It can often impact sweat gland function, causing too much or too little sweating, which can lead to problems with body temperature regulations
Autonomic neuropathy (AN) can also cause sudden blood pressure drops when standing and can often present as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
AN can impact bladder control, making it difficult to empty the bladder completely
It can also impact digestive function, causing nausea, appetite loss, diarrhea, and heartburn
Autonomic neuropathy is common in people with small fiber neuropathy

Autonomic function tests measure how heart rate and blood pressure respond during exercises such as deep breathing and forcefully exhaling
The tilt-table test measures how blood pressure and heart rate react to the body being tilted to a standing position
Gastrointestinal tests can check for digestive abnormalities
The quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test and the thermoregulatory sweat test evaluate the nerves that regulate sweat glands
Urinalysis tests and ultrasounds can evaluate bladder and urinary tract function

If you want to learn more, click on the links below that we used to get our information.

Here are some useful webinars and presentations about autonomic neuropathy.

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Read personal stories about people’s experiences with autonomic neuropathy.

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Here are some useful podcasts we have come across.