Understand FND
FND symptoms
Functional neurological disorder (FND) symptoms can include weakness, shaking, seizures, and problems with sensation, speech or thinking. Symptoms are real and involuntary. They vary between people and can change over time.
Clear explanations, everyday language and 27 guides to help you find your next step.
What are the symptoms of FND?
This FND symptoms list is a starting point, not a diagnostic checklist. You may have one main symptom or several together.
- Weakness and walking difficulties A weak or heavy arm or leg, legs giving way, or difficulty walking.
- Shaking and other movements Functional tremor, jerks or twitches, or an unusual held posture called dystonia.
- Seizures and episodes Functional seizures can involve shaking, collapse or altered awareness. Also called dissociative or non-epileptic seizures; assessment distinguishes them from epilepsy.
- Changes in sensation Numbness, tingling or altered sensation in part of the body.
- Speech and swallowing difficulties Slurred or interrupted speech, a stutter, or swallowing symptoms.
- Thinking and memory Brain fog, difficulty concentrating or memory problems.
- Dizziness and vision Persistent dizziness or imbalance and visual symptoms can occur. Both also have other possible causes.
Sources: Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS: functional neurological symptoms and Neurosymptoms: symptom guides.
Fatigue, pain and other problems alongside FND
Fatigue, pain, sleep difficulties and migraine can add to the impact of FND. These are associated problems, not proof of FND, and may need their own assessment and treatment. The guides below distinguish FND presentations from associated symptoms and conditions. Read the NHS inform overview.
Your words are a good place to start
Search, filter or browse all 27 guides below.
Everyday words work too: locked hands, shaking, wet myself. Matching guides are not a diagnosis.
27 guides available.
No guides match this search
Try a shorter phrase, another spelling or a different topic.
Optional online matching sends your phrase to a service to suggest existing guides. It cannot assess symptoms. Do not include personal details.
Not sure what a symptom is called? Try what it feels like. This finder helps you find information; it cannot diagnose a condition.
Matching guides
FND presentations
Symptoms that sit at the centre of how Functional Neurological Disorder is often described.
Limb weakness
When an arm or leg will not take orders
Limb weakness in FND is real and involuntary.
FND presentationsFunctional seizures
Episodes that can look like epilepsy — and still be real
Functional seizures are involuntary episodes of altered movement, awareness or responsiveness caused by a functional nervous-system pattern rather than the electrical mechanism of epilepsy.
FND presentationsFunctional tremor
Shaking you cannot switch off
Functional tremor is rhythmical shaking of a body part that is involuntary.
FND presentationsFunctional movement disorders
When movement programmes fire the wrong way
Functional movement disorders cover involuntary movement symptoms — tremor, dystonia-type postures, jerks, gait changes and more — driven by functional nervous-system patterns rather than the classic degenerative movement-disease pathways.
FND presentationsFunctional dystonia
When muscles pull into postures you did not choose
Functional dystonia involves sustained muscle contractions that pull a body part into an abnormal posture.
FND presentationsJerks and twitches
Sudden movements that startle you as much as everyone else
Functional jerks and twitches are sudden, brief involuntary movements.
FND presentationsFunctional tics
Movements or sounds that keep returning
Functional tics are repetitive movements or vocalisations that are involuntary in the moment.
FND presentationsGait disorder
When walking becomes unreliable
Functional gait problems change how you walk — dragging, buckling, tiny cautious steps, veering, or a pattern that looks dramatic and still has a functional mechanism.
FND presentationsDrop attacks
Sudden falls with little or no warning
Drop attacks are sudden falls to the ground while standing or walking.
FND presentationsSensory symptoms
Numbness, tingling, odd sensations and altered touch
Functional sensory symptoms include numbness, pins and needles, burning, tightness, or patches of altered sensation.
FND presentationsSpeech and swallowing symptoms
When words stick, voice changes, or swallowing feels unsafe
Functional speech and swallowing symptoms can include slurred or effortful speech, whispering, word-finding freezes, stuttering-like patterns, and a sense that swallowing is unsafe.
FND presentationsCognitive symptoms
Brain fog, memory gaps and concentration that will not hold
Cognitive symptoms in and around FND include fog, slowed thinking, attention crashes and memory that feels full of holes.
FND presentationsDizziness and persistent imbalance
When the world will not sit still — or you will not
Functional dizziness can feel like rocking, swaying, foggy head, or constant unsteadiness that is worse in busy visual environments.
FND presentationsVisual symptoms
Blur, tunnel vision, light sensitivity and visual “glitches”
Functional visual symptoms can include blurred vision, intermittent loss of vision, double vision sensations, light sensitivity, and visual disturbances that fluctuate.
FND presentationsFacial symptoms
Spasm, pulling, weakness feelings or odd facial movements
Functional facial symptoms include spasms around an eye or lower face, pulling sensations, or episodes of facial movement that are involuntary.
FND presentationsBladder symptoms
Urgency, frequency, retention and loss of control
Bladder symptoms can appear alongside FND — urgency, frequency, incontinence, difficulty starting, or retention.
Often with FND
Common companions. They are not always labelled as FND itself, but they shape daily life for many people.
Fatigue
Exhaustion that does not match how little you “did”
Fatigue is one of the most limiting companions of FND.
Often with FNDPain
When the volume knob on pain sticks high
Pain frequently travels with FND — headaches, limb pain, neck and back pain, widespread aches.
Often with FNDComplex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Intense pain, colour and temperature changes after injury
CRPS is a pain condition that can follow injury.
Often with FNDSleep problems
Nights that do not restore you
Sleep problems are extremely common with FND: trouble getting off to sleep, staying asleep, waking unrefreshed, or sleeping long hours and still exhausted.
Often with FNDHeadache
Migraine, tension-type pain and the daily head load
Headache is common in people living with FND.
Often with FNDDissociative symptoms
Feeling detached, unreal, or far from your body
Dissociation can feel like watching life from behind glass, being unreal, or not fully inhabiting your body.
Often with FNDWorry and panic
When the alarm system will not stand down
Worry and panic are common when living with unpredictable neurological symptoms.
Often with FNDHealth anxiety
When every sensation feels like a warning light
Health anxiety means living on high alert about symptoms and serious disease.
Often with FNDLow mood
When FND weighs on more than the body
Low mood and depression are common when life shrinks around symptoms.
Often with FNDGut, chest and other body symptoms
When the whole body joins the nervous-system story
People with FND more often also meet functional gut symptoms, breathing pattern problems, chest tightness without cardiac disease, jaw pain and related patterns.
Often with FNDPost-concussion symptoms
When recovery after a head injury drags on
After a concussion, some people have prolonged headache, fog, dizziness, mood change and sensory sensitivity.
How FND symptoms can affect daily life
A symptom list cannot show the full effect on your day. Weakness may make stairs difficult; speech problems may interrupt a conversation; brain fog may make instructions hard to follow. Describe what happens in your own words and explain which activities are affected.
Symptoms can fluctuate. A better spell does not cancel out the support you need at other times. If you are looking for help with an FND flare-up, use our dedicated guide; this page helps you understand and find information about individual symptoms.
How do FND symptoms start, and can they change?
FND symptoms can begin suddenly. There is no single first symptom or order of symptoms that everyone follows. Some people have ongoing difficulties; others have episodes with periods of improvement. Symptoms can be short-lived or last much longer. The NINDS overview explains the range of symptoms and how they can develop.
A change after activity, illness or a difficult period may be useful to discuss with your clinician. It does not establish the cause, and a better day does not mean symptoms were deliberate. Stress or trauma is not a requirement for FND. Neurosymptoms explains possible factors around onset.
How are FND symptoms assessed?
A symptom list cannot confirm FND. FND is diagnosed through a clinical assessment, including positive features a specialist recognises. Normal scans alone do not establish the diagnosis. FND can also exist alongside another condition. King’s College Hospital explains assessment and diagnosis.
Symptoms can resemble those of other neurological conditions. A clinician may examine movement, strength, sensation or speech, and arrange investigations where appropriate. Functional seizures need assessment to distinguish them from epileptic seizures and other causes of episodes. Ask your clinician which findings support your diagnosis and what follow-up you need.
What to tell your GP or specialist
You do not need the medical name before asking for help. Describe what happens and how it affects your daily activities. A short note can be more useful than trying to remember everything during an appointment.
- What happens: use your own words, including which part of your body is affected and whether awareness changes.
- When it happens: note when it started, how often it occurs, how long it lasts and what recovery is like.
- What has changed: explain any new symptoms, falls, injuries or difference from your usual pattern.
- What help you need: give an example involving walking, eating, communication, school, work or caring for yourself.
For the broader explanation, see what FND is. For help after diagnosis, see FND treatment and rehabilitation. You can prepare an appointment pack or record symptoms privately with SeizeControl.
Common questions about FND symptoms
What are the most common FND symptoms?
FND presentations include limb weakness, tremor and other movement problems, walking difficulties, functional seizures, sensory changes, and speech or cognitive symptoms. The pattern differs between people. Fatigue, pain and sleep problems often occur alongside FND and may need separate care.
Can FND symptoms come and go?
Yes. Symptoms may vary within a day or over longer periods. Some people have persistent symptoms and others have episodes. A change in symptoms still deserves attention: do not automatically attribute new or different symptoms to an existing FND diagnosis.
What are the first signs of FND?
There is no single first sign that confirms FND. Some people first notice weakness, movement difficulties or seizures; others notice sensory, speech or cognitive changes. Symptoms may begin suddenly. New symptoms need clinical assessment, and sudden stroke-like symptoms need emergency help.
Are fatigue and pain symptoms of FND?
Fatigue and pain commonly occur alongside FND and can be disabling. They are associated problems rather than proof of FND. They may have more than one cause and deserve assessment and care in their own right.
Is there an FND symptoms checklist or test?
There is no online symptom checklist that can confirm FND. A clinician assesses your history and examines you for positive features of FND, with investigations where needed. Normal tests alone are not enough to make the diagnosis.
Can I have FND and another condition?
Yes. FND can coexist with another neurological or medical condition. Having an FND diagnosis does not mean every symptom has the same cause. Tell your clinician about new symptoms and changes to your usual pattern.
When should I seek urgent help?
Do not assume new, sudden, severe or different symptoms are FND. Call 999 for signs of a stroke, such as sudden facial droop, arm weakness or speech difficulty, even if they stop. For other urgent concerns, seek appropriate medical advice rather than relying on a symptom guide.
Sources and editorial information
This guide brings together public health information and practical ways to describe symptoms. You can read the source material below.
- NINDS: functional neurologic disorder
- Neurosymptoms: possible factors around symptom onset
- NHS inform: functional neurological disorder
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS: functional neurological symptoms
- King’s College Hospital: FND assessment and diagnosis
- NHS: stroke symptoms and when to call 999
- Neurosymptoms: FND and associated symptoms
- North Bristol NHS Trust: functional neurological symptoms
- Neurosymptoms: when new or different symptoms need reassessment
Written and published by FND Connect. Updated . General information, not a diagnosis or individual treatment plan. The sources inform this page; their authors have not reviewed or endorsed it.