You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Psychiatry
Managing hypermobility spectrum disorder in a psychiatric setting
  1. Hilary Stevenson1,2 and
  2. Rushaniya Khairova3
  1. 1 Psychiatry, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, St Louis, Missouri, USA
  2. 2 Psychiatry, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
  3. 3 Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, SSMHealth/SLUCare Physician Group, St Louis, Missouri, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Hilary Stevenson; hpspsychiatry{at}gmail.com

Abstract

This case highlights the intersection of psychiatric symptoms and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) in a woman in her 20s with multiple comorbidities, including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, chronic pain and obstructive sleep apnoea. The patient had been unresponsive to conventional psychiatric treatments for anxiety and panic attacks. On recognition of HSD, a multidisciplinary approach, including propranolol for autonomic dysfunction, pregabalin for pain and anxiety, and lisdexamfetamine for cognitive impairment, significantly improved her condition. Early identification and tailored management of HSD in psychiatric settings can optimise treatment outcomes by addressing both physical and psychiatric symptoms. This case underscores the need for psychiatrists to incorporate physical health assessments into their diagnostic processes when treating complex psychiatric presentations.

  • Psychiatry
  • Anxiety disorders (including OCD and PTSD)
  • Rheumatology
  • Connective tissue disease

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2024-264159

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    View Full Text

    Footnotes

    • Contributors HS (corresponding author) and RK contributed to all aspects of this case report. HS gathered and organised the case details, drafted the initial manuscript and managed the overall structure and revisions. RK provided clinical expertise, contributed to the interpretation of the case and offered critical revisions to enhance clarity and rigour. Both authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript, meeting all ICMJE criteria for authorship. HS is the guarantor, accepting full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity and overall content of the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.