Hi my diabetic dr did some autonomic testing and said i do not have autonomic neuropathy.
The teats he.did were
He hooked me up to a ecg machine and had me stand ,then then i had to bllw into tube (valsva manovure). and breathing in and out. Then i had a bp monitor on and had to stand agajn and i jad to do breathing again and sustained handgrip....
His,letter to my dr was as follows
I.arranged some autonomic function tests which have now come back and are essentily completly normal with a normal heart rate response to standing,her blood pressure if anything goes up a bit when she stands and does not change with sustained handgrip.
I have,spoken to her on the phone and reassured her that she,does not have autonomic neuropathy. Do u think theses tests were .good enuff and i accept wot he says or do i need to see a neuro its quite a statement for him to mske if its wrong isnt it.
Thanks amanda

Im not sure, but Im positive someone will come along and give you an opinion soon.

I have not done those tests.

Good luck!

It sounds like you had a simplistic version of autonomic testing. I think maybe he was doing some very basic tests to see if a more specific autonomic battery was necessary.

Typically someone with autonomic dysfunction will have increases in heart rate and/or drops in BP upon standing. However, as anyone with autonomic neuropathy knows, symptoms don't occur EVERY time you stand. So one crude test should not be the definitive answer. If you continue to have symptoms of autonomic dysfunction, you should see a neurologist for a full battery of testing (tilt table, QSART, sweat test, 24 hour BP, 48 hour holter, gastric empty test, etc).

What sort of symptoms are you having? Is you diabetes properly controlled? What was your last A1C?

My last hba1c was.39 in uk so about 5.0 in uk terms . My bp does not drop on stsndibg it.rises if anything .my hr does rise on standing but thats normal to.rise. the main problem im having is constsnt dizziness even sitging and not fully voiding. My diabetes is controlled ive had it only about 6 years . Im scared to javr autonomkc neuropathy i dont want to die ... help please

It is normal for your BP to rise a little upon standing...same for heart rate (but not excessive).

Those with autonomic issues get dizziness/lightheaded from BP dropping upon standing or heart rate rising. Yours sounds normal.

The incomplete voided (retention) can be from autonomic dysfunction, but may also be from some other cause. You might want to see a urologist.

Constant dizziness (even while sitting) does not sound like autonomic neuropathy without some sort of significant change in your BP or heart rate or change when you stand. It may be Vertigo, which can be from an inner ear problem. I'd start with a visit to your primary care doctor...who may refer you to an ENT.

The most common autonomic problems are: increased heart rate upon standing (POTS), drops in heart rate (bradycardia), increases in heart rate (IST--inappropriate sinus tachycardia), drop in BP upon standing, difficulty initiating urination or complete emptying (retention), delayed gastric motility/emptying, temperature regulation, vasospasms, livedo reticularis, sexual dysfunction, etc.

Although autonomic neuropathy can be associated with diabetes, you don't seem to have the most significant aspects of this (good news). You should follow up with your general doctor about the dizziness and urine retention.

Do you mind if I ask how old are you?

You do sound very scared and desperate for help. I think you need someone in your real life, not a internet forum to give you help and support beyond what we can offer you. Places like this are great for picking the minds of other people and getting information, and this place sure has a lot of great information for sure. I'm just worried that you sound very afraid and might need help beyond what the internet can offer.