Preparing for your FND appointment

Bring a one-page snapshot

• Top 3 symptoms right now (and roughly when each started)
• What a bad day looks like vs a better day (function, not just pain scores)
• What helps / what makes things worse (sleep, stress, heat, activity, sensory load)
• Impact: work, school, driving, self-care, falls, sleep, carers, mood
• Current medications, allergies, and other diagnoses
• Questions you must get answered today (circle your top 2)

Questions many people ask

Optional tools

A structured log (for example SeizeControl on FND Connect) can show frequency, duration and recovery — useful when symptoms are hard to describe in ten minutes. Bring screenshots or a printed summary if that helps.

Safety

Call 999 for a suspected stroke, first seizure, severe breathing difficulty or other medical emergency. For urgent concerns that are not an emergency, contact NHS 111 where available or your local urgent-care service. Do not assume new or different symptoms are FND.

A useful way to describe a symptom

Try: ‘This started around ___. It happens about ___. During it I cannot ___. Afterwards I need ___.’ Include what has changed since your last appointment. Describe falls, injuries, loss of awareness or swallowing problems directly; do not label an unexplained new symptom as FND yourself.

Make the appointment accessible

Tell the practice beforehand if you need an interpreter, communication support, somewhere quieter or help with access. Ask whether a longer appointment is available. You can bring someone with your agreement, but the discussion should still include you and respect what you want to share.

Before you leave

Summarise the plan in your own words: what happens next, who arranges it and when to seek help. Ask how results will reach you and who to contact if you hear nothing. If not everything can be covered, agree a follow-up rather than leaving the most important concern unspoken.