Symptoms of Small Fiber Neuropathy
As mentioned, the study suggests that doctors treating fibromyalgia patients should consider the possibility of small fiber neuropathy causing the symptoms in patients. This is especially so if they also exhibit the following symptoms:
- A feeling of sharp and shooting pains
- Autonomic symptoms
- Incontinence
- Orthostatic hypotension or feeling dizzy when standing
- Sexual dysfunction
- Skin changes that are a result of interrupted nerve supply
- Other neuropathic symptoms
However, some doctors have argued that skin biopsies are not completely reliable and must only be used for diagnosis after examination and checking of patient’s history.
Most of the symptoms listed above are also common in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, such as the feeling of pain, autonomic symptoms, and orthostatic hypotension. The overlapping of symptoms has made it even more difficult to identify small fiber neuropathy based merely on symptoms and examinations. Thus, a skin biopsy may be more useful when confirming a diagnosis in fibromyalgia and CFS patients.
