Autonomic Dysfunction, Pain Of All Kinds And Small Fiber Neuropathy Study

[RichGotsPots]

As many of you know I have been diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy (SFN). It's my belief that most of us have it, even though Mayo in a round about way states that around half of us have it. I won't go in the reason why I think more of us have it to save us time. I have just started looking into SFN and I came accross a really great study.

First off the study mentions this about autonomic dysfunction in the neuropathy patients tested: "Autonomic signs and functional tests in SFN

Clinical signs of autonomic dysfunction were present in 32 patients (47.8%) with SFN: 18 patients had hypo-anidrosis (lack of sweating), 12 patients had flushing or other vasomotor dysfunctions and two patients had Adie's pupils with post-ganglionic hypersensibility to 0.1% pilocarpine test. Laser Doppler flowmetry was abnormal in 51 patients (76.1%), whereas 16 patients (32.9%) showed abnormal temperature and basal cutaneous blood flow with inverted hand-foot gradient. Vasoconstriction reflexes to deep breathing at the foot were abnormal in 11 patients (16.4%) and veno-arteriolar reflex was abnormal in 18 patients (26.8%). Vasodilatation response to local heating was reduced in 42 patients (38.8%): in 26 patients at the foot, in 20 patients at the distal leg and one patient at the proximal thigh."

Here is the rest of the study so you can see how much pain these patients have and the different types of pain they have too http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2442424/ I really think a ton of ppl who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia really have small fiber neuropathy causing their pain...

The last amazing part is how they followed the patients for around 2 years after the study. Unknown idiopathic, became known causes in that time for many.. Some ppl start out with SFN and progress to large fiber neuropathy. It's all interesting and I encourage everyone to read this study.

[ramakentesh]

Interesting article.

I've had adies pupil, itching and two weird recent things: firstly an ant walked around on my skin of my foot and I couldn't feel a thing. Secondly I spilt boiling water on my foot this morning and could not feel it.

I want to get a qsart.

[RichGotsPots]

Try to get a skin biopsy mate, they say in the article its nearly 30% more sensative to picking it up. Before my dr. Gave me the skin biopsy he used a random cold metal dr instrament to test my perisheral temperature sensativity and found that I couldn't feel cold on my shin... I thought maybe it was from when I was young and thai boxed, because we train to deaden our shin nerves..

[tinkerbella]

I don't feel much sensitivity wise on my skin, but I wish someone could tell me what the deep bone pain is... Anyone else with sfpn have this. My doc said he has this complaint with one other pt. with a metabolic disorder. Thanks for the link Rich. I hope my head will clear so I can better understand it later on. Brain fog going on bad today...

[Aimes]

This is interesting to me! When I was young, I got a very deep cut on my knee (required eight stitches) and didn't feel a thing. I didn't even know I had cut it until a friend pointed out the blood running down my leg (sorry tmi). For some reason, I just never really thought anything about it! I also feel like my skin doesn't feel heat. I have to be very careful running baths for my girls because the water never feels very hot to me. Another thing for me to ask Dr. Goodman about! Thanks for the info!