Hello, I'm newly diagnosed with Autonomic Dysfunction. I don't have POTS, mine affects the sweating of my body. The Dr. told there is nothing he can do for this, no medications either. I'm also having weakness in all four extremities, and shortness of breath. I don't know who is more upset my wife or me. I'm currently seeing two dr.s in Milwaukee, WI, but am thinking about going up to Mayo Clinic at Rochester, MN. Can anyone suggest who I should try to see up there?

Hi Dennis ....

I don't know of any Docs in your area, but wanted to say welcome. If you don't get a reply here, repost on the 'Dysautonomia Talk' Forum. There is more traffic in that area.

Good luck.

Hey Dennis I'm in Milwaukee and have a great Neurologist. Go to Froedtert Hospital. If you need a name I'll send you a private email.

I had a complete lack of sweating among other symptoms. You can be treated!!

Hi Denis,

Welome! again.

I'm wondering if you have excessive sweating or lack of it?Like avngal I have lack of it. For about 5 years or so I didn't sweat at all but lately am sweating a little -- sometimes.

Hello, blueskies, I have a lack of sweating, I had both tilt table test and sweat test at Froedtert in Milwaukee. Sweat test first, totally trashed after. My wife had to push me around in wheelchair afterwards. Arrived at Froedtert at 8:45 a.m. left at 2p.m. Thank God my wife was with me. Dr. told me I will not be able to go outside much as I could rapidly overheat. I love to be outside. I used to work 45 mins from home. Normal day I would leave at 3:20 a.m. and not get home again till 4:30 p.m. Now somedays I don't even leave the house. My legs and arms are weak and shaky. When I leave the house, I use a cane to steady myself. I walk very short distances. I also get short of breath very easily. Thanks again.

Hey Dennis..I thought about this today. i bought a cheap box fan and used it so I could sit outside (and for inside even with the AC running). It helped alot especially for comfortable sleeping. i also have used noise canceling headphones with great success. anyway you can reduce the stress on your ANS helps. No hot baths or showers (friction on the skin surface makes symptoms worse)of any kind.

just a few tips to get you feeling better...hopefully very soon!

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for answering my question. I'm now noticing somes sweating at times. So there's hope for us it seems. I use a cane somedays to steady myself occasionally. Most of the time I find it difficult to hang onto it when walking and find that I'd rather have both arms free to steady myself (sort of balance myself) and also I can use my arms to help break a fall when they happen. I fall straight down (sort of crumple) luckily. And luckily I haven't done much of that lately. No falling for quite a while (Knock on wood and hope 'the gods aren't listening'. Like you I can't walk far. And this past summer (winter now in australia) I couldn't stand being out in the sun as my body wouldn't cool itself. Can't stand the sun in winter either, it's like I've just developed an aversion to it and dont' want it on my face etc. I'm already light sensitive and need to wear sunglasses a lot. But am also becomming just plain sun sensitive -- winter or summer. I do try to get a bit of sun on my hands by sitting on my balcony under an umbrella but with my hands in the sun -- so as to make some Vitamin D.

Swimming cools me down although I didn't do much of it this past summer as the water was filthy and it also meant going out in the sun. Both unpleasant thoughts and I'm not sure which was the greatest deterrent. I find air-conditioning in large buildings also help me a lot -- make me feel 'normal' temperature wise. I don't have central air-conditioning at home but am hoping to get some by the end of the year. The past few years I've used an italian airconditioner that vents out a window and it does keep the lounge-room very cool and does help a bit.

I can't use a fan because I've found that fans causes my migraine to get worse. Even if I have it blowing sideways on me it will make my migraine hurt more. I know that sounds super weird but that's the way it is. Although if you can use a fan you'd probably find it helps.

One thing I've found that helps skin that doesn't sweat is to minimize my use of soap. I use a body wash oil made by ego called QV body wash oil. It gets me clean and leaves my skin feeling smooth. Before I started using this having no moisture in my skin was really unpleasant. The body was oil makes my skin soft but not oily and makes the 'no sweating thing' a little more tolerable. Prior to using this my skin often felt like sandpaper and was supersensitive to clothes. I could only bear wearing the softest clothes. Now, I rarely get that 'sandpaper' feeling that I think was caused by my body's inability to sweat. The body wash oil helped a lot.

If you feel it might help you, beware, although it won't make you oily, it will leave an oily residue in your shower or bath floor making it easy to fall over.

Hm, interesting, blue. I also have some kind of issues with my skin if/when my natural oils get stripped away. Especially if there's any 'scrubbing', even rubbing dry with a towel is irritating. I think I'll try a body wash oil. Thanks. (I think my sweating is not too little though? I'm thinking it's just wacky and sometimes too much or too little for the situation.)