Stiff Person Syndrome: Want to connect with others

Thanks for your reply but I was able to send her the message! Thanks

Can't figure out how to start a discussion . Help?

Hi Darlene @msdee004
Your messages to Marita @maritakelly and the rest of the group are posting perfectly on Connect. Click VIEW & REPLY in the email notification and you will see your messages in the discussion thread.

Thank you for sharing the information about the in-person support group for people living with ataxia in Tampa, Florida. Please note that I removed your personal telephone number. We recommend not sharing personal contact information since Connect is a public site. It is safer to use the private message function for this purpose. You can learn how to send a private message, start a discussion, follow groups and much more in the Get Started guide here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/get-started-on-connect/

Hi @pollyanna777
You will be able to post links after being an active member of Connect for a few days. Preventing first time members from posting a link is a security measure to prevent spammers. It is important to us to keep Connect spam free.

I love the NORD website. Allow me to post the link to the Stiff Person Syndrome information you wanted to post. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/stiff-person-syndrome/

Pollyanna777, You can learn how to start a discussion, follow groups and much more in the Get Started guide here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/get-started-on-connect/

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Welcome to the community! You mentioned that you are a "significant other". Are you supporting someone living with stiff person syndrome?

Suffering now for 7+years. 2012 DX with Fibromyalgia. Misdiagnosed with MS 2018. 2019 Positive Gluten Intolerance, Small Fiber Neuropathy and now Stiff Person Syndrome. Ivig treatments for past 6+months with minimal affect. Neurologist referred me to Hemotologist/Oncologist due to very high GAD-65. Hemotologist/Oncologist recommended whole body pet scan. Now pending insurance for over 2 weeks. Just received call from Hemotologist/Oncologist stating SPS is Neurological and can't understand why my Neurologist referred me to him. He told me he will get in touch with my Neurologist to find out what prompted him to refer me. This was same discussion over 2wks ago in his office. I honestly feel I'm in the twilight zone. I do realize SPS is extremely rare, but can't one of my doctor's atleast point me in the right direction? Any recommendations on who or where to go for this would be appreciated.

Hi, @njgenevieve - I'm sorry you feel you're in the twilight zone and you're experiencing some bouncing from one specialist to another. Hoping that one of your doctors can indeed point you in the right direction.

Some of the other members in this discussion may have some ideas on to whom or to where to go now with your stiff person syndrome treatment, like @suzanneleafbrock @msdee @nutmeg @maritakelly @pollyanna777 @ndville and others.

Have you had the chance to follow up with the hematologist/oncologist?

Hello, I work at Mayo Clinic and my husband was diagnosed here with stiff person's syndrome. The definitive diagnosis came from a blood marker they found. I can't think of the name of it at the moment, but if you have it, then you have stiff person's. I don't know why your neurologist referred you to oncology, but perhaps he wanted to rule out that there wasn't anything else going on. It is a very difficult disease to manage and lots of rest, lots of heat (wearing layers of clothing) seem to help Tony in addition to the medication. He went through plasma exchange and it did not help, they help some people but not others and there doesn't seem to be a reason why that is known at this time. Wishing you the best.

Hi, @njgenevieve - just wanted to touch base and see how things are going with the stiff person syndrome and also with your doctor visits? Was it determined which specialist was best to care for you?

Hello @mrsbv, Welcome to Connect. There is another discussion for Stiff Person Syndrome where I think your post will receive more visibility. I'm tagging our moderator @ethanmcconkey to see if we can move your post to the following discussion where you can meet other members with similar symptoms who may be able to share suggestions with you.

> Groups > Brain & Nervous System > Stiff Person Syndrome
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/stiff-person-syndrome/

I'm not sure if you have tried this website but the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine website has a link to search for a specialist: https://www.aanem.org/Patients/Find-a-Specialist. Have you been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome?