stiff-man syndrome

[oblina]

  After a long course of trying to find a diagnosis for my problems, I've just returned from a second
  visit to the Mayo clinic. My symptoms include balance problems, minor muscle weakness, hypertension and tachycardia
  (an hyperadrenergic state). I've also had abnormal EMG's which originally looked like an inflammatory state but noe
  show spontaneous myotonic discharges in my back that have advanced to my arms. I know this is complicated, but I would like to find out if this is consistant with stiffmans
  is Mayo a good place to go, would the Clevlend clinic be an improvment, and are there any others out there with similar problems? I will answer any and all responses. Thankyou in advance
  BTW the treatment they've started me on is clonazepem, which I think is working, but I don't like the side effets.
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Dear Oblina:
Your problem may be a difficult one to diagnose. Myotonic discharges are not a typical feature of the stiff-man syndrome. If you indeed have myotonic discharges in your spinal muscles and also in your limbs, numerous other muscular and other conditions come into the differential diagnosis. Other tests, including numerous genetic tests on blood, and possibly a muscle biopsy will likely be required to diagnose your problem, besides, of course, a good examination by a competent neuromuscular specialist.
The Mayo Clinic is one of the best places in the world to go to for a problem of your type.