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Could these symptoms be a sign of Autonomic Dysfunction? If not, what is it?
Sorry for the long post, but this is a rather complex situation that I have been trying to find answers for these past few years.
Situation: Following a fracture of the L fibula in 2010, the listed symptoms below were noted. Please note that NONE of these symptoms were not present at all prior to this incident.
Details of the incident:
- L fibula was fractured following an awkward fall, where the body fell at an awkward angle.
- While the fracture could be felt, there was not pain, and I was very calm about the whole situation. Because of this, paramedics were sceptical that there was a fracture at all, and insisted I try to stand on the leg. It was only because I had insisted that that would be a very bad idea, and that there was in fact a fracture, that the eventually took me to the hospital for an x-ray. Later, a doctor arrived to my room, telling me "you were right!". Doctors constantly comment how odd it is that I felt no pain.
- Doctor offered choice to either have surgery to reinforce the fracture, or use a cast. No information was given to me to indicate which would be better - I chose the cast, as didn't like the idea of surgery if it wasn't necessary. In hindsight, perhaps I should have opted for the surgery instead.
- Recovery included 3 months in a cast, followed by a removable boot-cast. Doctors advised me to keep off my feet as much as possible, and to keep my leg at the same level as my heart, so little physical activity was possible. Afterwards, physiotherapy assisted with flexibility and mobility, as I had to learn how to walk and balance on the leg once more.
- Returning to exercise was slow, as my muscle had fatigued due to inactivity. Swimming was one of the few options, and even simply swimming a single lap felt impossible. After months of struggling, I was finally able to swim many laps again, going from 5 min attempts, to 30 min/ 1 hour sessions. From there, I returned to the gym, starting with low impact weight machines. Cardio is tricky, as most rely on a working leg - treadmills, elliptical machines and bikes are either impossible, or can only be used for 10 mins max. Aerobics is no longer an option, as jumping is difficult, and muscle strength and balance is poor.
- Despite many years passing, the leg hasn't fully recovered. Doctors had conducted many scans, and advise that time, a healthy diet, and exercise, are all I need. It's been 8 years, and issues persist. It wasn't until I finally found one doctor, who was able to see something that the other doctors had somehow missed. This doctor did an xray of my leg, but unlike all the other doctors, noted that the leg fracture had not been properly healed. The fracture had healed unevenly, causing the muscles to be forced to work around the poorly repaired injury. My doctor advised that this likely the cause of my ongoing pains. I asked whether anything could be done to fix this, and he simply advised that I could take pain medication for the pain.
Noted symptoms since the incident in 2010:
- Ongoing pains surrounding the fracture, which can sometimes radiate up the spine, and affect the entire body. Pain and inflammation is reduced through holistic therapy (such as massage or bowen therapy).
- Digestion issues/ pains. Symptoms of IBS, constipation, bloating, diarrhoea, heightened sensitivity towards certain foods and drinking coffee or alcohol, undigested foods in stools.
- Dark patches that come and go, located in the underarm.
- Joint pains/ creaky joints. These has only been maintained by consistently taking krill oil and glucosamine supplements. When supplements are stopped, symptoms return after 1-2 months.
- Extreme sensitivity to pain. More sensitive to general pains. Some pains are so intrusive, this disturbs sleep at night, as the bed/ pillow can feel too hard against the body, that time out is required to recover from bed sores.
The bed/ pillows do not bother other people, and measures have been taken to ensure correct support.
- Dehydration. No matter how much water is consumed, hydration seems difficult to maintain, especially at night. During the day, feelings of thirst are the only notable symptoms. At night, dry eyes and a dry mouth can interrupt sleep, as water is required to keep hydrated. Mornings are often met with an upset stomach, which feels more relieved after drinking more water. - Gained 50 kgs/ 110 lbs in the space of 6 months. Despite a healthy diet and regular exercise, this weight fails to reduce. Signs of improved muscle tone and improved physical ability and fitness levels indicate that the exercises have been sufficient enough to create positive change. Routine check ups with doctors show healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood-sugar levels. The only concerning factor shown through these tests have been a decrease in iron levels, which have been very slowly increasing with the help of iron supplements.
- Sleep apnoea - likely linked to increased weight gain, but have included this to ensure all factors have been mentioned. Prior to identifying issues with sleep apnoea, issues of poor concentration, low energy, and poor memory were present. These have improved since treatment has begun.
- Frequent UTIs. Much more susceptible to getting UTIs now, that doctors have advised not to bother with taking antibiotics to clear these up. UTIs also present no/ minor symptoms, so that they can often only be indicated through testing.
- Sudden onset of panic attacks. Increase in stress/ anxiety/ physical activity can bring these on, with symptoms typically mirroring that of a heart attack. Constant burnouts are an issue that can only be treated with inactivity (this makes going to work a challenge).
-One rather abnormal symptom, which was difficult to identify at first, was the rise in phantom pains and symptoms. This one might make a cynical person disregard these issues altogether (as many doctors have done), but keep in mind that all other issues mentioned have been consistently present. Symptoms that have come and gone erratically are now assumed to be due to an increase in being more sensitive or suggestible. Since this issue has been identified, the number of phantom pains and symptoms has drastically reduced, and are easy to identify, due to an increase in self-awareness and mindfulness of the issue. Considering the sudden onset of panic attacks (which are 'fight or flight' responses), this symptom makes sense.
Other Factors: Age 30, Female, non-smoker, non-drinker (average 1 drink a year), rarely drinks sugary drinks (fizzy drinks/ juices/ bottled drinks - average of 3 per year), no drugs. Prior to the incident, diet was relatively healthy, and regular exercise included aerobics classes 2-3 times a week, and going on regular hour-long walks 1-2 times a week)
Reason I suspect Autonomic Dysfunction:
- While I could be wrong, the rather exhaustive list shows many symptoms that borders on the extreme. The onset of panic attacks and phantom issues are the most concerning issue, and lead me to wonder whether there might have been damage to the nerve, leading to a perpetual state of 'fight or flight' mode. I've spoken with someone close to me, who is educated at a master's level in neurology, and genuinely believes there may be some merit to these findings (I know I can trust their opinion, as they have been rather cynical of all my other symptoms being presented as isolated heath issues, but are more convinced with this theory).
I would appreciate any insight anyone might have - especially if you're a specialist, or have somehow been through something similar. Does this fit? If not, what could it be? If so, how do I go about fixing it? I'm very serious about finding an actual solution, so that I can finally fix things, and move on with my life.
Situation: Following a fracture of the L fibula in 2010, the listed symptoms below were noted. Please note that NONE of these symptoms were not present at all prior to this incident.
Details of the incident:
- L fibula was fractured following an awkward fall, where the body fell at an awkward angle.
- While the fracture could be felt, there was not pain, and I was very calm about the whole situation. Because of this, paramedics were sceptical that there was a fracture at all, and insisted I try to stand on the leg. It was only because I had insisted that that would be a very bad idea, and that there was in fact a fracture, that the eventually took me to the hospital for an x-ray. Later, a doctor arrived to my room, telling me "you were right!". Doctors constantly comment how odd it is that I felt no pain.
- Doctor offered choice to either have surgery to reinforce the fracture, or use a cast. No information was given to me to indicate which would be better - I chose the cast, as didn't like the idea of surgery if it wasn't necessary. In hindsight, perhaps I should have opted for the surgery instead.
- Recovery included 3 months in a cast, followed by a removable boot-cast. Doctors advised me to keep off my feet as much as possible, and to keep my leg at the same level as my heart, so little physical activity was possible. Afterwards, physiotherapy assisted with flexibility and mobility, as I had to learn how to walk and balance on the leg once more.
- Returning to exercise was slow, as my muscle had fatigued due to inactivity. Swimming was one of the few options, and even simply swimming a single lap felt impossible. After months of struggling, I was finally able to swim many laps again, going from 5 min attempts, to 30 min/ 1 hour sessions. From there, I returned to the gym, starting with low impact weight machines. Cardio is tricky, as most rely on a working leg - treadmills, elliptical machines and bikes are either impossible, or can only be used for 10 mins max. Aerobics is no longer an option, as jumping is difficult, and muscle strength and balance is poor.
- Despite many years passing, the leg hasn't fully recovered. Doctors had conducted many scans, and advise that time, a healthy diet, and exercise, are all I need. It's been 8 years, and issues persist. It wasn't until I finally found one doctor, who was able to see something that the other doctors had somehow missed. This doctor did an xray of my leg, but unlike all the other doctors, noted that the leg fracture had not been properly healed. The fracture had healed unevenly, causing the muscles to be forced to work around the poorly repaired injury. My doctor advised that this likely the cause of my ongoing pains. I asked whether anything could be done to fix this, and he simply advised that I could take pain medication for the pain.
Noted symptoms since the incident in 2010:
- Ongoing pains surrounding the fracture, which can sometimes radiate up the spine, and affect the entire body. Pain and inflammation is reduced through holistic therapy (such as massage or bowen therapy).
- Digestion issues/ pains. Symptoms of IBS, constipation, bloating, diarrhoea, heightened sensitivity towards certain foods and drinking coffee or alcohol, undigested foods in stools.
- Dark patches that come and go, located in the underarm.
- Joint pains/ creaky joints. These has only been maintained by consistently taking krill oil and glucosamine supplements. When supplements are stopped, symptoms return after 1-2 months.
- Extreme sensitivity to pain. More sensitive to general pains. Some pains are so intrusive, this disturbs sleep at night, as the bed/ pillow can feel too hard against the body, that time out is required to recover from bed sores.
The bed/ pillows do not bother other people, and measures have been taken to ensure correct support.
- Dehydration. No matter how much water is consumed, hydration seems difficult to maintain, especially at night. During the day, feelings of thirst are the only notable symptoms. At night, dry eyes and a dry mouth can interrupt sleep, as water is required to keep hydrated. Mornings are often met with an upset stomach, which feels more relieved after drinking more water. - Gained 50 kgs/ 110 lbs in the space of 6 months. Despite a healthy diet and regular exercise, this weight fails to reduce. Signs of improved muscle tone and improved physical ability and fitness levels indicate that the exercises have been sufficient enough to create positive change. Routine check ups with doctors show healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood-sugar levels. The only concerning factor shown through these tests have been a decrease in iron levels, which have been very slowly increasing with the help of iron supplements.
- Sleep apnoea - likely linked to increased weight gain, but have included this to ensure all factors have been mentioned. Prior to identifying issues with sleep apnoea, issues of poor concentration, low energy, and poor memory were present. These have improved since treatment has begun.
- Frequent UTIs. Much more susceptible to getting UTIs now, that doctors have advised not to bother with taking antibiotics to clear these up. UTIs also present no/ minor symptoms, so that they can often only be indicated through testing.
- Sudden onset of panic attacks. Increase in stress/ anxiety/ physical activity can bring these on, with symptoms typically mirroring that of a heart attack. Constant burnouts are an issue that can only be treated with inactivity (this makes going to work a challenge).
-One rather abnormal symptom, which was difficult to identify at first, was the rise in phantom pains and symptoms. This one might make a cynical person disregard these issues altogether (as many doctors have done), but keep in mind that all other issues mentioned have been consistently present. Symptoms that have come and gone erratically are now assumed to be due to an increase in being more sensitive or suggestible. Since this issue has been identified, the number of phantom pains and symptoms has drastically reduced, and are easy to identify, due to an increase in self-awareness and mindfulness of the issue. Considering the sudden onset of panic attacks (which are 'fight or flight' responses), this symptom makes sense.
Other Factors: Age 30, Female, non-smoker, non-drinker (average 1 drink a year), rarely drinks sugary drinks (fizzy drinks/ juices/ bottled drinks - average of 3 per year), no drugs. Prior to the incident, diet was relatively healthy, and regular exercise included aerobics classes 2-3 times a week, and going on regular hour-long walks 1-2 times a week)
Reason I suspect Autonomic Dysfunction:
- While I could be wrong, the rather exhaustive list shows many symptoms that borders on the extreme. The onset of panic attacks and phantom issues are the most concerning issue, and lead me to wonder whether there might have been damage to the nerve, leading to a perpetual state of 'fight or flight' mode. I've spoken with someone close to me, who is educated at a master's level in neurology, and genuinely believes there may be some merit to these findings (I know I can trust their opinion, as they have been rather cynical of all my other symptoms being presented as isolated heath issues, but are more convinced with this theory).
I would appreciate any insight anyone might have - especially if you're a specialist, or have somehow been through something similar. Does this fit? If not, what could it be? If so, how do I go about fixing it? I'm very serious about finding an actual solution, so that I can finally fix things, and move on with my life.
Hello~I have not actually had all the symptoms or issues you are having, but, I do think that possibly seeing a naturopathic physician might be of some help to you. They take more time with their patients, take lots of notes and discuss the issues with you. They will order blood work and any other test they feel may help. When all results are in, they will again go over everything with you and then discuss a plan of action. I would suspect that you are low in most vitamins and minerals, again, the naturopath would be able to help you in those areas as well.
There is one disease that comes to my mind, that is Candida, you can have all kinds of symptoms with it, and it does effect the immune system. Here is one of many links to it: https://www.thecandidadiet.com/candida-symptoms/ there are hundreds of articles on it on the net.
I hope you get the help you need and feel better soon. Again, please do consider seeing a naturopathic physician, I think one might be able to help you.
There is one disease that comes to my mind, that is Candida, you can have all kinds of symptoms with it, and it does effect the immune system. Here is one of many links to it: https://www.thecandidadiet.com/candida-symptoms/ there are hundreds of articles on it on the net.
I hope you get the help you need and feel better soon. Again, please do consider seeing a naturopathic physician, I think one might be able to help you.
1 Comments
Thanks for the reply. I'll have to look in to an naturopathic physician I think. I have considered that I might have an imbalance in my gut, though as you mentioned, doctors tend not to focus on treating the source of the issue. A naturopathic physician does sound like the ideal inbetween.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
Sorry for the typo/s, and the two points lumped in to one (dehydration and weight gain). To clarify, symptoms listed only presented themselves after the incident. They did not exist beforehand.
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