I feel like this is pretty applicalbe to me - if only i can get hooked into the right place for testing. I too have autonomic symptoms and they started with a herpes virus on chest and head. iknow its apparetnly not hsv2, and most likely hsv1, though herpes zoster is possible. its just impossible to get docs to believe a word I say, and i have plenty of credentials when i walk in the door. if they can't see the encephalitis from the other side of the room, theyre not buying it.
nmda has indeed been linked to herpes viruses (and of course acetylcholine and some andernergic autoanitbodies in CFS). But when i asked an expert at neuro complicatiosn of herpes (he's a reseacher), he had never even heard of the nmda link- i sent him a paper. He was unaware of even any antibody testing going on for brain involvement in herpes neuro complications.
anywya, i'm in the states. I know someone above listed the Mayo panel for encephiliitis , but at the moment don't have a doc that would order that. my rheum has humored me in the past, but the last test i begged for (a cytokine panel from ARUP) turned up as all normal and he put a stop to my ordering. my internist would be happy to if i had a good reason, which ialways do, - but he retired. Have a quite smart neurologist (more than many i've been too) , but he's very by the book and suffers from "I am God" syndrome.
i also have had an AI rheumatic disease for decades, so everythign blamed on that. But this autonommic stuff started with a herpes virus. Also gives me vertigo.
so frustrating because i can watch the damage and at some point willl all be irreversable.
In addition recent amino acid testing shows oxidative stress to the max, plus i was able to reconstruct their might be some attack on myelin. Recent testing also shows elevated epinerphine, nor epineprhine, dopamine, and glutimate (oddly serotonin and GABA also not too far beyond). other tests includ igg subclasses which shows very low end of normal ig3 (not uncommon in both CFS and especially for herpes viruss) , and ratio of igg1 to igg2 different than normal suggesting higher relative igg2) . Syptom wise, brain "zaps", feeling head is flying away every time i try to sleep (dozens of times in first 2 hours of night), migraine type headaches, dizziness, bouts of very high blood pressure, bouts of tachy cardi (140+ bpm, some of it positionally dependent, but not alays), night sweats, can never be compformatble temp wise- burning up or freezing, chest zaps (feels nerve related), sound senstivie, feel overstimulated, vertigo, pain along bridge of nose.
rheum is willing to do rituxin, and i might be able to make a case for ivig _ but i would only do sub g which hi harder - i don't think rituxin a great idea in my case because of possbily revurring herpes virus (Not to mention possible chronic sinutistis)
anyway, feeling stuck. I understand alot more than many, but it does not seem to do me much good. Cannot get to china. i'm lucky if i can drive 5 miles in a really good day.