There are so many autonomic symptoms. They involve a deregulation of a)the sympathetic nervous system...flight or fight is in high gear, and b) the parasympathetic nervous system. ..rest and digest....which sort of takes a hike. My first symptom was 4 pm anxiety everyday...something to do with cortisol levels, if I remember correctly. I had a very rapid onset last April, but the autonomic symptoms preceded sensory neuropathy.

Symptoms can include a rapid fall in blood pressure and a possible rise in heart rate from sitting to standing ("orthostatic intolerance,"(OI) best tested with a "tilt table"), heat and/or cold intolerance (sweating "appropriately" can be a problem, there are tests for this..."Q-SART). Also, there can be dry eyes, mouth and skin; excessive thirst; hair loss (!); insomnia and digestive issues like GERD, and a slowing of the digestive tract (or IBS ). Bladder problems are also common. My anxiety sometimes feels like "superanxiety," (but not panic). Big drag. Some of my symptoms are improving though....

You can Google "dysautonomia" or "autonomic neuropathy" for more info....and we also had a recent thread here. Neuros may or may not know what you are talking about. My cardiologist did my tilt table test, after two neuros failed to do so....turns out my OI is "severe." I'm about to have another at a "dysautonomia center" at NYU, where they analyze blood chemistry while they move you from prone to standing (not fun at all). Yet I think these measurements might lead to a treatment plan (none yet) and I'm horribly fatigued. Oh, unexplained fatigue is common with autonomic neuropathy.

However, you may just have plain old anxiety....which is the best possible DX in light of PN!

S