Stiff Person Syndrome: Want to connect with others
Am interested in connecting with people who have this or are significant others of people who have this condition. (I'm in the latter group).
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My daughter takes Clonopin and baclofen as well as IVIG every 3 weeks for 2 days,this has kept her pretty stable for the last 2 years until Nov '21 when she had a crisis situation and was hospitalized been there ever since.
I have keeping up on benefits, and as of this year “Stiff Person Syndrome” with Doctor Diagnosis is automatic coverage for Social Security & Disability. I live in the state of Alabama, but this should apply everywhere.
thank you her insurance pays for it at an infusion center this is more about how a rehab center is reimbursed for the care patients receieve in their facility, the cost of the IVIG would come out of the money they receive from Medicare to cover her during her stay and it wouldn't be cost effective for them if they had to cover the IVIG treatments. It is a matter of how things are paid for in a rehab setting. Sorry this is probably confusing I know it is to me. Just wondering if anyone else ran into this same situation and how they may have solved it i.e. changing treatment modality while in rehab or awareness of a rehab that is willing to take on the cost of IVIG
Hmmm... Have you thought about reaching out to the maker of the gammaglobulin? Our neurologist has told us if we have any insurance issues (which we have in the past) that they may be able to help. It's a tough situation because of how expensive it is. Those of us who need it know what it does, though. I hope you are able to find someone who is able to help your daughter get the medicine. It may be worth a try to contact the company.
I believe it is an insurance issue with the rehab facilities, The way it has been explained to me is a rehab facility is a bundled service so all of your care costs comes out of the set payment, therefore IVIG is too expensive for the rehab to include in their cost of care, it would not be cost effective for them.
Good morning. My husband also gets IVIG for two days every three weeks for a different neurological condition. We normally have a nurse come to the house, although he has gotten it outpatient in the hospital before. Would a rehab facility allow her to be transported back to the hospital when she needs an infusion? Or, would they allow a nurse from her infusion company to come into the rehab facility? It doesn't make sense to me why they wouldn't, unless it's some type of a liability or insurance issue.
I have a daughter who was diagnosed with SPS in 3/2019 but went undiagnosed for several years before that. She had a spasm episode lasting for several hours on 11/18/2021 that ended up with her being hospitalized and intubated. This is the first time this happened to her. Usually extra Clonidine stopped the spasms when they became severe. She got a tracheostomy after 2 1/2 weeks on a vent and currently continues with a tracheostomy with oxygen supplementation over the trach tube. She is able to talk with trach and is just starting to take in some nutrition via mouth (soft foods). She needs to go to an acute care rehab facility to help regain her functioning. Unfortunately she has received IVIG treatments every 3 weeks for 2 days since dx and every rehab facility she has been referred to in NY, NJ and PA has turned her down due to this treatment which is vital to her.
MY question is do you know of any rehab facilities which will take someone on IVIG treatments? If not do you have any suggestions as to what we can do to help her. She is getting minimal OT, PT and speech in the hospital and has been virtually laying in a bed since 11/18. She is only 36 years old.
If you have any suggestions I would appreciate it.
Also please see an infectious disease doctor. They will do every blood test possible and at least you might get some answers. That’s where I started. Good luck and don’t give up. You know your body better than any doctor.
Thank you....yes if the cervical is in pain, it seems to effect whole spine 😖
Thank you....never heard of this but will bring this up w/doc.... I'm willing to try anything !