Comparison of symptoms in conditions to which the ANS is prominently contributory
| Familial dysautonomia | Phaeochromocytoma | Porphyria | Autism | Rett syndrome | Acute infection | Cocaine abuse | Cyclical vomiting | Migraine | PoTS | Fibromyalgia | CFS/ME | CRPS | PTSD | Anxiety | Parkinson's | Multiple sclerosis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temperature instability | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Fatigue | * | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Sleep disturbance | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Palpitations, tachycardia | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Orthostatic intolerance | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Dyspnoea, hyperventilation, apnoea, chest pain | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Pallor; cold peripheries | x | x | x | * | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Flushing, blotchiness | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | * | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| Abnormal sweating | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Difficulty swallowing | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
| Altered salivation | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||||
| Nausea, vomiting | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | * | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Constipation, diarrhoea | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Abdominal pain | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Anxiety, panic | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Emotional lability, Irritability | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Dissociation, unreality, confusion | x | x | x | x | x | x | * | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| Tremor | x | x | * | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Muscle spasm | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| Difficulty walking, motor dysfunction, weakness | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | * | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Proprioceptive abnormality, ataxia | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||
| Seizures/seizure-like episodes | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | * | * | x | x | x | x | ||
| Headache; suboccipital pain, ‘coat hanger’ pain | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| Pain sensitivity, generalised pain, insensitivity to pain | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| Concentration difficulty | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Cognitive difficulty, memory difficulty | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Difficulty speaking/word finding difficulty | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Blurred vision/visual disturbance | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
| Bladder dysfunction, bladder distension, urgency; nocturia | x | x | x | * | x | x | * | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| Hypersensitivity to touch, light, sound | x | * | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Numbness, paraesthesia, ‘crawling’, ‘restless legs’ | x | x | x | * | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| Bone density reduced | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
ANS, autonomic nervous system; PoTS, postural tachycardia; PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder syndrome; x, Peer reviewed journals; *, Commonly described by patients in support groups.