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Independent information guide — not a medical service.

Other body symptoms and overlaps

Route broad body symptoms to appropriate assessment while keeping limited evidence, coexistence and urgent boundaries visible.

Other body symptoms and overlaps

Palpitations, faintness, sweating, temperature changes, breathlessness, chest symptoms, bowel symptoms and bladder symptoms may be discussed around FND. These broad experiences are not unique to FND and may belong to separately diagnosable autonomic, heart, lung, gastrointestinal, urological, neurological or other conditions.

What to do next: Start with the body symptom and the diagnosis already given, if any, without assuming that FND caused it.

Important limit: This route organises overlapping information. It cannot determine which body system or condition explains an individual's symptom.

Sources and review information

Status: Owner released - source checked

Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims

Jurisdiction: UK

Last checked: Check the linked live source

Prepared by: Project editorial team

Owner release date: 2026-07-22

Independent review: Not independently reviewed

Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.

  • Autonomic disorder boundary — Blitshteyn S, et al. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and other common autonomic disorders are not functional neurologic disorders. Front Neurol. 2024;15:1490744.
  • Rome IV gut-brain disorders — Drossman DA, Hasler WL. Rome IV - Functional GI Disorders: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction. Gastroenterology. 2016;150(6):1257-1261.
  • Internal symptom taxonomy — FND Symptoms Comprehensive Evidence Guide. Internal project research catalogue; 2026.
  • Urological symptoms and FND — Hoeritzauer I, et al. Urologic symptoms and functional neurologic disorders. Handb Clin Neurol. 2016;139:469-481.
  • Scan-negative suspected cauda equina syndrome — Hoeritzauer I, Pronin S, Carson A, et al. Clinical features and outcome of scan-negative and scan-positive suspected cauda equina syndrome: retrospective study of 276 patients. J Neurol. 2018;265:2916-2926.
  • Diagnosis and management of FND — Aybek S, Perez DL. Diagnosis and management of functional neurological disorder. BMJ. 2022;376:o64.
  • NICE NG127 referral — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral (NG127). Updated 2 October 2023.
  • NICE FND quality statement — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Quality statement 5: Functional neurological disorders in adults (QS198). 2021.
  • FND subtypes and shared mechanisms — Hallett M, Aybek S, Dworetzky BA, McWhirter L, Staab JP, Stone J. Functional neurological disorder: new subtypes and shared mechanisms. Lancet Neurol. 2022;21(6):537-550.
  • Overall FND comorbidities review — Guilhem Carle-Toulemonde, Julie Goutte, Nathalie Do-Quang-Cantagrel et al. Overall comorbidities in functional neurological disorder: A narrative review. Encephale. 2023;49(4S):S24-S32.
  • Cognition across FND, fibromyalgia and CFS — Tiago Teodoro, Mark J Edwards, Jeremy D Isaacs A unifying theory for cognitive abnormalities in functional neurological disorders, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: systematic review. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2018;89(12):1308-1319.
  • FND manifestations and comorbidities survey — Alexandra Ducroizet, Ioanna Zimianti, Dawn Golder et al. Functional neurological disorder: Clinical manifestations and comorbidities; an online survey. J Clin Neurosci. 2023;110:116-125.
  • International FND patient survey — Matthew Butler, Oliver Shipston-Sharman, Mathieu Seynaeve et al. International online survey of 1048 individuals with functional neurological disorder. Eur J Neurol. 2021;28(11):3591-3602.
  • PPPD criteria — Staab JP, Eckhardt-Henn A, Horii A, et al. Diagnostic criteria for persistent postural-perceptual dizziness: Barany Society consensus. J Vestib Res. 2017;27(4):191-208.
  • NHS PoTS page — NHS. Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS).
  • Approach to disorders of gut-brain interaction — June Tome, Amrit K Kamboj, Conor G Loftus Approach to Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction. Mayo Clin Proc. 2023;98(3):458-467.
  • NICE IBS guideline — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Irritable bowel syndrome in adults: diagnosis and management. CG61. Updated 4 April 2017.
  • Dysfunctional breathing review — Richard Boulding, Rebecca Stacey, Rob Niven et al. Dysfunctional breathing: a review of the literature and proposal for classification. Eur Respir Rev. 2016;25(141):287-94.
  • Breathing-pattern disorder diagnostics — Claudio F Milstein, Derek J Vos, Carlos Eduardo Aguirre Franco Breathing Pattern Disorder: Introduction and Diagnostics. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2025;45(1):113-122.
  • NHS shortness-of-breath page — NHS. Shortness of breath.

Last checked: 2026-07-16

Jurisdiction: UK

Prepared by: Project editorial team

Owner release date: 2026-07-22

Independent review: Not independently reviewed

Correction route: Report changed or inaccurate information without including personal health information.

The evidence and labels are not all the same

The symptom catalogue keeps four overlap families separate and preserves uncertainty where the FND-specific evidence is limited.

  • Autonomic and orthostatic symptoms: PoTS and other autonomic disorders have their own criteria and are not FND subtypes.
  • Breathing and chest symptoms: breathing-pattern disorder is a separate clinical description, while heart, lung, autonomic, medicine and other explanations may need assessment.
  • Bowel and gastrointestinal symptoms: disorders of gut-brain interaction, including IBS and functional dyspepsia, are separate gastrointestinal diagnoses.
  • Bladder and urological symptoms: symptoms are reported at the FND interface, but the evidence is limited and does not establish that common urinary symptoms are caused by FND.

What to do next: Use the relationship label to find the right professional or information route, not to identify the cause yourself.

Important limit: Overlap means shared symptoms or coexisting care needs. It does not mean the conditions are the same or that one caused the other.

Sources and review information

Status: Owner released - source checked

Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims

Jurisdiction: UK

Last checked: Check the linked live source

Prepared by: Project editorial team

Owner release date: 2026-07-22

Independent review: Not independently reviewed

Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.

  • FND subtypes and shared mechanisms — Hallett M, Aybek S, Dworetzky BA, McWhirter L, Staab JP, Stone J. Functional neurological disorder: new subtypes and shared mechanisms. Lancet Neurol. 2022;21(6):537-550.
  • Overall FND comorbidities review — Guilhem Carle-Toulemonde, Julie Goutte, Nathalie Do-Quang-Cantagrel et al. Overall comorbidities in functional neurological disorder: A narrative review. Encephale. 2023;49(4S):S24-S32.
  • Cognition across FND, fibromyalgia and CFS — Tiago Teodoro, Mark J Edwards, Jeremy D Isaacs A unifying theory for cognitive abnormalities in functional neurological disorders, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: systematic review. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2018;89(12):1308-1319.
  • FND manifestations and comorbidities survey — Alexandra Ducroizet, Ioanna Zimianti, Dawn Golder et al. Functional neurological disorder: Clinical manifestations and comorbidities; an online survey. J Clin Neurosci. 2023;110:116-125.
  • International FND patient survey — Matthew Butler, Oliver Shipston-Sharman, Mathieu Seynaeve et al. International online survey of 1048 individuals with functional neurological disorder. Eur J Neurol. 2021;28(11):3591-3602.
  • Internal symptom taxonomy — FND Symptoms Comprehensive Evidence Guide. Internal project research catalogue; 2026.
  • Diagnosis and management of FND — Aybek S, Perez DL. Diagnosis and management of functional neurological disorder. BMJ. 2022;376:o64.
  • Cautionary diagnostic notes — Perez DL, Aybek S, Popkirov S, et al. Cautionary notes on diagnosing functional neurologic disorder as a neurologist-in-training. Neurol Clin Pract. 2021;11(1):e72-e76.
  • NICE FND quality statement — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Quality statement 5: Functional neurological disorders in adults (QS198). 2021.
  • Autonomic disorder boundary — Blitshteyn S, et al. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and other common autonomic disorders are not functional neurologic disorders. Front Neurol. 2024;15:1490744.
  • NHS PoTS page — NHS. Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS).
  • Rome IV gut-brain disorders — Drossman DA, Hasler WL. Rome IV - Functional GI Disorders: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction. Gastroenterology. 2016;150(6):1257-1261.
  • Approach to disorders of gut-brain interaction — June Tome, Amrit K Kamboj, Conor G Loftus Approach to Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction. Mayo Clin Proc. 2023;98(3):458-467.
  • NICE IBS guideline — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Irritable bowel syndrome in adults: diagnosis and management. CG61. Updated 4 April 2017.
  • Urological symptoms and FND — Hoeritzauer I, et al. Urologic symptoms and functional neurologic disorders. Handb Clin Neurol. 2016;139:469-481.
  • Scan-negative suspected cauda equina syndrome — Hoeritzauer I, Pronin S, Carson A, et al. Clinical features and outcome of scan-negative and scan-positive suspected cauda equina syndrome: retrospective study of 276 patients. J Neurol. 2018;265:2916-2926.
  • Dysfunctional breathing review — Richard Boulding, Rebecca Stacey, Rob Niven et al. Dysfunctional breathing: a review of the literature and proposal for classification. Eur Respir Rev. 2016;25(141):287-94.
  • Breathing-pattern disorder diagnostics — Claudio F Milstein, Derek J Vos, Carlos Eduardo Aguirre Franco Breathing Pattern Disorder: Introduction and Diagnostics. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2025;45(1):113-122.

Assessment follows the symptom and the relevant body system

A clinician may need to consider the timing, severity, medicines, examination and condition-specific tests. A broad symptom list or home measurement cannot settle the diagnosis.

  • Autonomic or fainting symptoms may involve primary care, cardiology, autonomic neurology or syncope services depending on local pathways.
  • Breathlessness or chest symptoms need assessment according to severity and context; they should not automatically be routed to anxiety, FND or breathing exercises.
  • Persistent or changed gastrointestinal symptoms keep their own assessment and red-flag route.
  • Lower urinary-tract symptoms have their own GP assessment and may need urology, neurourology or pelvic-health care.

What to do next: Ask what question the assessment is trying to answer, which service owns follow-up and what remains uncertain.

Important limit: This page publishes no home diagnostic threshold, self-test, treatment instruction or guarantee of referral acceptance.

Sources and review information

Status: Owner released - source checked

Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims

Jurisdiction: UK

Last checked: Check the linked live source

Prepared by: Project editorial team

Owner release date: 2026-07-22

Independent review: Not independently reviewed

Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.

Urgent changes are not explained away by an FND label

Severe breathing difficulty, serious chest symptoms, sudden confusion, or an acute bladder change with new neurological symptoms need ordinary urgent or emergency assessment. Persistent, changed or otherwise concerning bowel, bladder, breathing, fainting or chest symptoms also deserve appropriate clinical review.

  • Describe what is new, different or severe rather than relying on the existing diagnosis.
  • Do not use a previous normal test or scan as automatic reassurance about a new event.
  • Use current NHS urgent or emergency routes when the situation requires them.

What to do next: Put immediate safety ahead of deciding whether the symptom is functional, autonomic, gastrointestinal, urological or something else.

Important limit: This page cannot assess an emergency and does not provide a complete red-flag list or automated triage result.

Sources and review information

Status: Owner released - source checked

Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims

Jurisdiction: UK

Last checked: Check the linked live source

Prepared by: Project editorial team

Owner release date: 2026-07-22

Independent review: Not independently reviewed

Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.

  • NICE NG127 referral — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral (NG127). Updated 2 October 2023.
  • NICE FND quality statement — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Quality statement 5: Functional neurological disorders in adults (QS198). 2021.
  • Cautionary diagnostic notes — Perez DL, Aybek S, Popkirov S, et al. Cautionary notes on diagnosing functional neurologic disorder as a neurologist-in-training. Neurol Clin Pract. 2021;11(1):e72-e76.
  • Misdiagnosis in both directions — Walzl D, Carson AJ, Stone J. The misdiagnosis of functional disorders as other neurological conditions. J Neurol. 2019;266(8):2018-2026.
  • NICE IBS guideline — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Irritable bowel syndrome in adults: diagnosis and management. CG61. Updated 4 April 2017.
  • Scan-negative suspected cauda equina syndrome — Hoeritzauer I, Pronin S, Carson A, et al. Clinical features and outcome of scan-negative and scan-positive suspected cauda equina syndrome: retrospective study of 276 patients. J Neurol. 2018;265:2916-2926.
  • NHS shortness-of-breath page — NHS. Shortness of breath.
  • NHS emergency-call guidance — NHS. When to call 999.

Parallel care keeps each problem visible

A person can need FND care and condition-specific assessment or treatment at the same time. The safest model records each diagnosis, treatment goal, precaution and responsible clinician rather than asking which diagnosis is the 'real' one.

  • Autonomic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, cardiac, urological, pelvic-health and neurological plans keep their own purpose and safety boundaries.
  • Where activity or rehabilitation advice conflicts, the responsible clinicians should reconcile the plans for the individual.
  • A separate condition should not disappear from the care plan because FND is also present.

What to do next: Ask who owns each part of the plan and how one service will hand back to another if a referral is declined or completed.

Important limit: This page does not coordinate care, rank treatments, recommend testing or tell a person to start, stop or change a medicine or activity plan.

Sources and review information

Status: Owner released - source checked

Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims

Jurisdiction: UK

Last checked: Check the linked live source

Prepared by: Project editorial team

Owner release date: 2026-07-22

Independent review: Not independently reviewed

Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.

  • FND subtypes and shared mechanisms — Hallett M, Aybek S, Dworetzky BA, McWhirter L, Staab JP, Stone J. Functional neurological disorder: new subtypes and shared mechanisms. Lancet Neurol. 2022;21(6):537-550.
  • Cautionary diagnostic notes — Perez DL, Aybek S, Popkirov S, et al. Cautionary notes on diagnosing functional neurologic disorder as a neurologist-in-training. Neurol Clin Pract. 2021;11(1):e72-e76.
  • Epilepsy and functional seizures coexist — Kutlubaev MA, Xu Y, Hackett ML, Stone J. Dual diagnosis of epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: systematic review and meta-analysis. Epilepsy Behav. 2018;89:70-78.
  • PPPD criteria — Staab JP, Eckhardt-Henn A, Horii A, et al. Diagnostic criteria for persistent postural-perceptual dizziness: Barany Society consensus. J Vestib Res. 2017;27(4):191-208.
  • Migraine and FND overlap — Stone J, Coebergh JA, Khoja L, et al. Migraine and functional neurological disorder: a review of comorbidity and potential overlap. Brain Commun. 2025;7(4):fcaf288.
  • Autonomic disorder boundary — Blitshteyn S, et al. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and other common autonomic disorders are not functional neurologic disorders. Front Neurol. 2024;15:1490744.
  • Rome IV gut-brain disorders — Drossman DA, Hasler WL. Rome IV - Functional GI Disorders: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction. Gastroenterology. 2016;150(6):1257-1261.
  • FMD with other neurological disease cohort — Michele Tinazzi, Christian Geroin, Roberto Erro et al. Functional motor disorders associated with other neurological diseases: Beyond the boundaries of "organic" neurology. Eur J Neurol. 2021;28(5):1752-1758.
  • NHS England FND minimum services — NHS England. Annex A: Specialised Neurology Service Specification—Minimum Services for Neurology Subspecialties. August 2025.
  • England adult specialised neurology specification — NHS England. Specialised neurology services (adults): service specification. Effective 1 April 2026.
  • NHS booking and referral standard — NHS England. NHS Booking and Referral Standard. Accessed 14 July 2026.
  • Physiotherapy consensus — Nielsen G, Stone J, Matthews A, et al. Physiotherapy for functional motor disorders: a consensus recommendation. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2015;86:1113-1119.
  • Physio4FMD phase 3 RCT — Nielsen G, Buszewicz M, Stevenson F, et al. Specialist physiotherapy for functional motor disorder in England and Scotland (Physio4FMD): a pragmatic, multicentre, phase 3 randomised controlled trial. Lancet Neurol. 2024;23:675-686.
  • NICE ME/CFS guideline — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. ME/CFS: diagnosis and management. NG206. 2021.
  • NICE long-COVID guideline — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19. NG188. Updated 25 January 2024.
  • NHS PoTS page — NHS. Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS).
  • NICE chronic pain guideline — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s. NG193. 2021.
  • FND treatment umbrella review — Mavroudis I, Petrides F, Franekova K, et al. Treatment of functional neurological disorder: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. J Neurol. 2025;272:710.
  • AAN clinician summary — American Academy of Neurology. Management of Functional Seizures: Clinician Summary. Practice guideline; December 2025.
  • AAN functional-seizure guideline — Tolchin B, Goldstein LH, Reuber M, et al. Management of Functional Seizures Practice Guideline Executive Summary: Report of the AAN Guidelines Subcommittee. Neurology. 2026;106:e214466.
  • Practical management review — Dworetzky BA, Baslet G. Functional neurological disorder: practical management. Neurotherapeutics. 2025;22:e00612.
  • Pain and FND meta-analysis — Steinruecke M, Mason I, Keen M, et al. Pain and functional neurological disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JNNP. 2024;95(9):874-885.
  • Sleep and FND meta-analysis — Kannan S, et al. Sleep disorders in functional neurological disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurol Sci. 2025;46(4):1573-1580.
  • Scotland FND pathway — NHS Scotland Centre for Sustainable Delivery. Functional Neurological Disorder pathway. Current at 14 July 2026.

Prepare the next contact without choosing a diagnosis

A few concrete details can help the right clinician understand the pattern while keeping uncertainty honest.

  • Describe the symptom, when it happens and what makes the current episode different, if anything.
  • List established diagnoses, medicines, recent changes and which clinician currently owns each plan.
  • Record relevant assessments and what question each was intended to answer.
  • Note one practical impact and any existing condition-specific precaution or access need.

What to do next: Use Treatment and living to prepare questions, or Find help to understand available clinical and information routes.

Important limit: Preparation cannot diagnose PoTS, a breathing disorder, a gastrointestinal or urological condition, FND or another cause.

Sources and review information

Status: Owner released - source checked

Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims

Jurisdiction: UK

Last checked: Check the linked live source

Prepared by: Project editorial team

Owner release date: 2026-07-22

Independent review: Not independently reviewed

Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.

  • Motor and sensory FND lived experience — Bailey C, Tamasauskas A, Bradley-Westguard A, et al. What are the experiences of people with motor and sensory FND? A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies. Disabil Rehabil. 2025;47(1):1-15.
  • Explanation as treatment — Stone J, Carson A, Hallett M. Explanation as treatment for functional neurologic disorders. Handb Clin Neurol. 2016;139:543-553.
  • Internal symptom taxonomy — FND Symptoms Comprehensive Evidence Guide. Internal project research catalogue; 2026.
  • Diagnosis and management of FND — Aybek S, Perez DL. Diagnosis and management of functional neurological disorder. BMJ. 2022;376:o64.
  • NICE NG127 referral — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral (NG127). Updated 2 October 2023.
  • NICE FND quality statement — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Quality statement 5: Functional neurological disorders in adults (QS198). 2021.
  • Cautionary diagnostic notes — Perez DL, Aybek S, Popkirov S, et al. Cautionary notes on diagnosing functional neurologic disorder as a neurologist-in-training. Neurol Clin Pract. 2021;11(1):e72-e76.
  • Misdiagnosis in both directions — Walzl D, Carson AJ, Stone J. The misdiagnosis of functional disorders as other neurological conditions. J Neurol. 2019;266(8):2018-2026.
  • NHS England FND minimum services — NHS England. Annex A: Specialised Neurology Service Specification—Minimum Services for Neurology Subspecialties. August 2025.
  • England adult specialised neurology specification — NHS England. Specialised neurology services (adults): service specification. Effective 1 April 2026.
  • NHS booking and referral standard — NHS England. NHS Booking and Referral Standard. Accessed 14 July 2026.
  • NICE chronic pain guideline — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s. NG193. 2021.
  • NICE ME/CFS guideline — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. ME/CFS: diagnosis and management. NG206. 2021.
  • NICE long-COVID guideline — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19. NG188. Updated 25 January 2024.
  • BPS FND psychology guidance — British Psychological Society. Functional Neurological Disorder: Neuropsychological and psychological management in children and adults. Division of Neuropsychology Policy Unit FND Working Group. 2024.
  • Wales FND national optimal pathway — NHS Wales Performance and Improvement, Neurological Conditions Network. National Optimal Pathway for Functional Neurological Disorder: adults aged 16 and over. March 2026.
  • UK community OT barriers — Nicholson C, Francis J, Nielsen G, Lorencatto F. Barriers and enablers to providing community-based occupational therapy to people with functional neurological disorder: an interview study with occupational therapists in the United Kingdom. Br J Occup Ther. 2022;85:262-273.
  • Journey to diagnosis and care — Pritomanova S, et al. The journey to diagnosis and care of functional neurological disorder. PLoS One. 2026;21:e0328321.