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  • Updated 11.10.2025
  • Released 09.19.2003
  • Expires For CME 11.10.2028

Autonomic neuropathy: treatment

Authors
Aziz I Shaibani MD, Abdulwahhab M Alhabib MD
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Editor
Louis H Weimer MD
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Cite this article

Introduction

Overview

Autonomic neuropathy has numerous causes, some of them common, such as diabetic autonomic neuropathy, and others rare, such as Fabry disease, but all can produce disabling symptoms. Autonomic neuropathy can affect the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric branches of the autonomic nervous system to variable degrees, causing dysfunction of different organs such as the heart, intestinal tract, and urinary bladder. In this article, the authors review the available symptomatic treatments of these dysfunctions, focusing mainly on orthostatic hypotension, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), gastroparesis, bladder hypomotility, and erectile dysfunction. Emerging treatment for amyloidosis may affect the outcome of the associated autonomic neuropathy. This will be reviewed. A brief physiological and pathophysiological review and a discussion of available treatments are included for each disease discussed.

Key points

• Although autonomic neuropathy can be disabling, the patient's symptoms and quality of life can be improved efficiently.

• In general practice, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) can be easily overlooked.

• New promising treatments are available for orthostatic hypotension, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and gastroparesis.

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