SYMPTOMS
get your glasses on - this list is long!
There are many symptoms, and sometimes is get really confusing to know if what you're experiencing is FND or something else.
If you experience something new or alarming, don't mess around with guesses, see your doctor, or call for emergency services!
Below is a list of Official and expanded symptoms. Most are recognised globally, some are not so much, and yet I have encountered personally similar experiences in other FND patients.
Clicking on any image below will take you to the site it belongs to, hopefully the information provided there can be of assistance.
Much of understanding FND involves understanding it is involuntary, and getting to know the language.
Seizures - PNES (Psychogenic Non Epileptic Seizures) Tonic Clonic Type
these can be alarming to witness, and look like a gran mahl type seizure, with full body convulsions.
ensure the person is safe, in recovery position, and can breathe. time it, call an ambulance after 3 minutes.
Image from https://miamineurosciencecenter.com/en/conditions/epilepsy/
Seizures - Dissociative
Focal Aware Type
These range in type and timing, from anything to a halt in steps which may look like a hesitancy, to a full on disappearing act, in that the person has no idea where they are, and 'lose hours' in their day. Some are conscious, but cant move the body, the brain is just not connecting.
Image from https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/09/researchers-pinpoint-brain-circuitry-underlying-dissociation.html
Seizures - Myclonic
Short Sharp Jerking of limbs
This type of seizure can be suffered many times a day. The writer uses a tactile approach to deal with them before they get bad, like crochet - a simple repetitive action can distract myclonic tic-ing long enough to hopefully prevent seizures.
Short sharp electric shock type sensations, including up to complete loss of posture for a second, with sharp jerking of limbs. Usually accompanied with the next topic,
Image retreived from https://www.epsyhealth.com/seizure-epilepsy-blog/what-is-a-myoclonic-seizure-everything-you-need-to-know
Kathrin Koenig, PhD, SLP, is a therapist, speaker, and lecturer in the area of fluency disorders.
During a seizure or a bunch of seizures, vocals are largely affected as well, and sounds like a stutter. To the client is feels like a skipped record with little shocks in between for some, for others, its a dulling process, and gets worse without treatment, for some, it's mutism.
Partial Paralysis
Image retreived from https://fndhope.org/fnd-guide/symptoms/paralysis-weakness/
I really do not enough about this except that for me, I have had it for up to a few minutes. For some, they wake up one day and cant move their legs, or their body, are wheel chair bound and suddenly reliant on care services, therapy to deal with this life change that has no warning.
Paralysis
A more permanent and long term paralysis type, I personally knew of a lady wheelbed bound for over 30 years before receiving the proper treatment, and can now walk!
Many times a long term paralysis have set in for people without warning.
Mutism
Cases of mutism range from a few hours to life long afflications.
Some have no warning and wake up mute, cant even hum. Some have a mimic stroke and suffer stuttering or mutism for some hours or days, For example, I was mute for 3 months only 3 years ago - Every case is different.
IBS
Our favourite thing to hate.
Turns out that theres a lot of misconception (by me, anyway), that eating cereals and nuts etc was a great thing.
NOPE - Not with IBS.
Take a look at our page to find out more.
Temperature Disregulation
this can be really painful -
Just a couple of degrees north or south of comfortable, and, for myself I would describe it as either Dave's Syndrome from Balck Books Series, Manicly crazy because i feel so hot (temp is normal by the way), or if it's cold, the pain goes up the spine into the brain locking the torso in dystonia pain.
Not everyone has it, and also many do.
Appettite Supression
Its unfortunate, and it kind of makes sense.
If the stress response is constantly triggering, then the stomach is not ready for eating. Minimal appettite or even just brain fog - 'forgetting to eat' happens - and can merge into disassociative seizures.
If one is feeling faint, try eating a piece of dried fruit, having a wee sip of juice, it may distract the system going into seizure enough to gain control.
Vertigo
Take it from me, this is not a pleasant experience.
For me it starts with a sudden nausea, maybe even vomitting, then the room is spinning, this goes into a full FND attack, and I suffer full body functional weakness, while spinning out, on the floor unable to support any body weight, while vomitting and other things. Just ew.
Nausea
Hypersomnia
Brain Fog
CRPS - Central Regional Pain Syndrome
Fibromyalgia Type Pain
Rashes
Migraine - Headaches
Immobility
Dystonia - painful contortion of limbs
Parathesia - Burning and numbing pins and needles
Funtional Weakness - Limbs, Back are unable to support weight or function fully
Tremor - Shaking of hands, body
Functional Limb
Dizzyness
Head Tension - Light Headedness
Functional Face -
Image retrieved from https://neurosymptoms.org/en/symptoms/fnd-symptoms/functional-facial-symptoms/