Re Autonomic neuropathy
6 months after my problem started, I was chest breathing (paradoxical breathing)
Flare ups sometimes caused situations where my heartbeat would race and I could feel a sensation in tune with my heart beat on the skin on my upper back. Two years later a doctor said I had myofascial pain of the erector spinae muscles (the 2 ridges of muscles either side of the spine) he gave me dry needling treatment. This is great when the muscles finally relax. Another doctor took over the treatment , he said the condition was called T4 syndrome. My affected hand was cyanotic and sometimes really cold compared to the other one as well as many problems.
Now that I have my shoulder problem under control, I don’t need dry needling, I haven’t seen cyanosis for 3 years and have I had a cold hand only once in the last couple of years. I have no doubt that a significant number of my symptoms were caused by having a tight thoracic spine. The nerves which form part of the autonomic nervous system which emerge at T2 supposedly control a) constriction of the bronchial tubes and constriction of the blood supply to the upper extremity. Strangely the evening meal seemed to make my thoracic spine worse. It was as though the spine which was “wound up by the scapular stabilizer during the course of the day” only needed a bit of extra pressure on my diaphragm to cause more chest breathing to cause more thoracic spine tightness, to cause more chest breathing and so on. The chest breathing made oesophageal reflux much worse also.
Those tight bands of muscle which a trained Chiropractor or masseur can detect (and you know when they flick their thumbs across them) are, I believe a huge contributing factor to this condition. I still have a nerve problem which causes my shoulder to be unstable, however I don’t let it escalate. I have just purchased a back massaging folding seat cover. This one has 2 rotating massaging wheels with what feel like knuckles on them which rotate slowly as the mechanism makes its way up and down the seat. The mechanism can be programmed to move up and down the thoracic spine only. It is evident when the knuckles move across the bands of muscle in spasm. The fact that I can use this seat when I feel the muscles tightening and in my own home is a huge advantage compared with a once or twice a week massage where one has to then drive home and much of the good is undone by the process of sitting and driving.

I wish you all well
Regards Towelhorse

Definitely STRESS causes the neurovascular system and neurons to the brain flare up your whole body. My body just shuts down like a bad *** flu.
1. Fever
2. Entire body shakes like it's going into shock
3. Aches and pains sky rocket
4. Muscular-skeletal system tightens up like a rock so you can't move or breathe.
5. Emotions run ramp-id and you wanna die.
6. And when you finally come out of it you are exhausted and in pain for days.

My hubby actually got me on tape the other night. It's just damn frustrating.

XXOO to all

You know Olecyn I used to have those symptoms and just thought they were a flare. But then the extended digestive problems started. And then the times when I couldn't breathe hit. IF you're having times when you cannot catch your breath for a day or two then you have to consider that what I have learned, and that is that my nerve damage progressed to a new and worse level, that of the autonomic nerve damage. Some of it has been better since the last hospital put me on Atavan and two digestive meds. So I'm hoping that the meds change is allowing my nerves to heal, rather than having those attacks every 45 days. (I had 7 hospitalizations since July.)

Just more info. And they did all sorts of MRIs and CTs which came up normal, so it's the nerve damage, not some new ancillary problem...

Well, I have the breathing, heartrate, and fever issues. My doctor says "it is just anxiety". Well I say who wouldn't be a little bit anxious when we are in the kind of pain we have to live with on a daily basis?
I have started taking Ativan on a more regular basis, which seems to help.
Trix

Bump
for discussion of autnomic neuropathy

Hi towelhorse. Thankyou for your posts which I have been reading with great interest. After twenty years of neck and shoulder problems I am attempting to do some more serious research into my condition which began in a form when I stretched to put clothes on the clothesline which may have been a little higher than usual. The only diagnoses I have had over this time is c5-6 disc bulge, nerve exit narrowing (not sure which level) and c6-c7 disc bulge. My symptoms include pain in the middle of the neck on left side, left shoulder blade that feels like it pops in and out of place, sheath on top of head feeling twisted, turning neck causes cracking noise and sheath on top of head tightening. I notice you talk about chest breathing. I find that sitting makes matters worse but if I tighten my stomach muscles as often as I can it alleviates my symptoms quite a lot. So do you find that "stomach" breathing is something that should be learned and if so do you have any tips? I get some relief by pushing with my left scapula area into something hard. I read in one of your posts a little about strapping of the scapula. I feel that this could help me. Regarding the neck pain I put ice in the middle of my neck which I feel may relieve the symptoms a little. I don't know if I am doing more damage with ice and with the pushing in of my scapula area. I haven't finished reading all your posts yet which I hope to do over time (I have to limit sitting at the computer)...if there is a way of viewing all your posts quickly please let me know. Regardless of whether you are able to get back to me or not I wish to thankyou again for sharing your info with us and hope that your condition can improve or you can continue to manage it well. Best wishes Kezane

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here's towelhorse's posts -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/se...g_searchinfo=1

dysautonomia is my middle name

my most obvious sx which i can easily track is how much water i drink. i used to think i was a diabetic (lols) because i cant go 20 minutes without drinking water.

oh yeah i cant sit/stand still for any amoutn of time or else i feel dizzy and my neck hurts.

MsPennyDysautonomiaLoafer is quite a long name!

MsPennyloafer - is this a symptom of dysautonomia? I wonder why I always have to be drinking something (even thru the night). I thought it may be helping the pain - staying hydrated helps conduct the electricity in nerves.