Guillain-Barre Syndrome Symptoms

Guillain-Barre syndrome symptoms occur when your immune system attacks your nerves, leading to muscle weakness and paralysis. Here's what you should know.

The first symptom of Guillain-Barre syndrome is a tingling or prickly sensation in your fingers and toes, which can progress rapidly. Other Guillain-Barre syndrome symptoms to watch for include:

• Muscle weakness in your legs that moves to your upper body and progressively worsens
• Having trouble walking
• Having difficulty moving your eyes and face
• Having difficulty chewing, talking, or swallowing
• Experiencing severe lower back pain
• No control of your bladder
• A rapid heart rate
• Having difficulty breathing
• Experiencing paralysis

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What is Guillain-Barre syndrome?

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks healthy nerve cells in your peripheral nervous system. It can cause muscle weakness and even paralysis. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Guillain-Barre affects 1 in 100,000 Americans.

What causes Guillain-Barre syndrome?

Guillain-Barre syndrome causes are unknown, but it often occurs after a viral or bacterial infection. It can stem from a stomach flu or a lung infection.

How do doctors diagnose Guillain-Barre syndrome?

Since Guillain-Barre syndrome symptoms vary and are similar to other diseases, it can be difficult to diagnose. It’s important to talk to your doctor about your specific symptoms and your medical history. Tests that can help narrow down and confirm a diagnosis include:

• Get a spinal tap. Your physician will take a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid from your spine in your lower back. Your doctor will test the fluid for protein levels. If higher than normal protein levels are found, you may have Guillain-Barre syndrome.
• Your doctor may perform an electromyography, which tests your nerves to see if nerve or muscle damage is causing your muscle weakness.
• Nerve conduction tests are another way to find out if you have Guillian-Barre syndrome, testing how your nerves and muscles respond to small electrical pulses.

How do you treat Guillain-Barre syndrome?

While there is no cure for Guillain-Barre syndrome, people usually make a full recovery. But recovery takes time — anywhere from several weeks to several years. Guillain-Barre syndrome treatment will reduce the severity of your symptoms and shorten the length of your illness.

People with the disease are often admitted to a hospital for close observation, since untreated symptoms can get worse and be fatal. Severe cases lead to paralysis, which can affect your diaphragm or chest muscles. If that occurs, breathing can be difficult.

Treatment will attempt to lessen the severity of your Guillain-Barre syndrome symptoms while your body recovers. It may include plasma exchange, or plasmapheresis, in which a machine removes antibodies in your blood that attack the nerves in your body. The machine then returns the blood to your body without the antibodies.

Another Guillain-Barre syndrome treatment is intravenous immunoglobulin. If you chose this option, you will receive high doses of immunoglobulin to block antibodies that cause Guillain-Barre. Immunoglobulin contains normal, healthy antibodies and comes from donors.

In addition to either plasmapheresis or immunoglobulin, you will take medication to relieve pain and prevent blood clots. Your doctor will also recommend physical therapy.

Guillain-Barre syndrome prognosis

It’s possible that weakness and paralysis can spread, making it difficult to breathe. If that happens, you may need a respirator. It’s also possible to:

• Have weakness and numbness after recovery
• Have heart or blood pressure problems
• Experience some pain
• Develop blood clots or a bladder infection

The good news is that most people with Guillain-Barre syndrome make a full recovery.

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