Guillain-Barré Syndrome

mcloud · Silver Member Joined: 08 Feb 2001 Posts: 216

Hi, I'm 22 year old medical student and recently I have bumped on one problem.
Few days ago professor on one class just mentioned some disease called Gillian Barre syndrome and connection between this and some other neurological disease.
He didn’t explain to us what kind of disease this really is.
I searched in some medical books informations about this disease but with no success what so ever.
So, if anybody knows more about it- feel free to inform me!

carne · Newbie Joined: 14 May 2005 Posts: 18

I know some facts about this disease because recently my close relative was diagnosed with it.
I don’t know much but I know it is very serious and not explored completely disease.
Gillian Barre Syndrome affects the body as if I had a brain stem stroke, paralyzing both sides of human body.
Scientists assume that some virus is trigger for this disease.
After this, one autoimmune process is starting. Main target are nerves and myelin membrane of it.
Good thing about it is that there is cure for it if treatment start early in process. There are some immunoglobulins that can cure this but there are very expensive.
Also, some physical therapy may be involved because it is shown that it can relieve symptoms like paralysis.

AimBS · Newbie Joined: 07 Nov 2005 Posts: 1

I am very familiar with the syndrome – I have it. I was diagnosed with it at 15 years old. Doctors believe that I received it from a child hood illness Herpes simplex, that disease severely weakened my immune system killing off my white blood cells, which Dr.’s believed caused the Guillain-Barré Syndrome. I was very lucky, with the intense weakening of the immune system they were afraid I was going contract HIV. Instead I live with GBS.
The fluid that is spinal cord and brain contains more protein than usual, so Doctors usually do a spinal tap, that is how they monitor me. Dr.’s do not know much about the syndrome as it is very rare but they do know the immune system begins to attack the body, causing muscle spasms, back pain, temporary paralization. The syndrome comes and goes, I may go months even a year without a sign. The back pain sticks around all the time unfortunately but I have grown to live with it. I know when it is coming on usually by leg spasms I will start to get them slowly then 2-3 times a day, that is when I know to contact my doctor and depending on how everything else is doing determines weather I wait it out or hospitalize me. It gets pretty bad sometimes and is not really treatable, they just can help make you comfortable until it fades – which it always does. Hope this helped.

Miia · Gold Member Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Posts: 388

I am very sorry to hear that you have to live with such disease. I am a sociology student and I am interested in how you felt and reacted when you were first diagnosed with it. I realize you were just a teenager then. I am also interested in how your friends accepted your disease and how do they (or your new friends) see you now. Are they trying to be helpful or do they just mind their own business? How does the disease affect your whole life? I hope you don’t mind me asking this. If you don’t feel comfortable with talking about it, it is cool.

Thank you anyway!

sanchez · Newbie Joined: 12 Feb 2006 Posts: 1

I am very sorry to hear that u have guillain-barre, I also have GB. I have had since my senior year in high school, which was 5 years ago. I do struggle time to time with the sickness. I have gotten bad to where I was in bed for 72 hours, because I've gotten so sick. When it all happen I was 18, and the first symptoms was being tired, and not eating. Then I started getting really sick. My paralization started at the legs worked all the way up and then back down. My lungs collapased, and went into code blue several times. I was in the hospital for 8 weeks and was paralized for about 4 months total. Doctors claimed that i would not walk for at least a year, but in less then 6 months i was walking, not walking like i did 2 months before i got sick, but it didn't matter I was happy to be moving on my own. It was tough year,but i ended up graduating a month later after i was released from the hospital. All i saw was tears of joy across the gym. Thanks to the support of my family, and the one above i still here. Having the sickness has brougt alot pain, but at the same time made me relize how really life is imporant. Thanks Cool

Guest · Guest

When i was 6 years old, my mom noticed something wrong with my speech. It was starting to slurr a little and she didnt know what was wrong. After a week or two she noticed it wasnt going away so she took my to the doctor and asked what was wrong with me. The doctor said i was fine and its probably just a phase. So she took me to 3 other doctors until one diagnosed me with GBS. They rushed me into the ER and hooked me up to and IV. After a few more weeks i was paralized and it lasted for about 3 months and it it temporarily took away my speech. The doctors took a spinal tap... and at age 6... thats the worst pain you can ever imagine. After many months of therapy i was back to normal and fuctioning like i was before it even occured.

I am still a normal kid and i have no traces of GBS ever anymore.

Guest · Guest

i had it too..when i was 12..im recovered about 90%..still have weak legs and dropped feet..i can walk good but cant run..i pretty much can do anything a 45 yr old guy can except run ..other then that it was a slow process recovering ..but it comes back eventually..

Guest · Guest

HI, I Had the disease when i was 11 years old. It started one morning when I woke up and I had double vision. My mom noticed I was cross-eyed and took me to the hospital. The doctors didn't know what I had at first but reffered me to a specialist and diagnosed me with GBS. I was in the hospital for about 3 months and had to undergo treatments and therapy. That was the only time I had to deal with the sickness. I am 32 years old now and have not had any problems yet. It is not fun to have it because you do have to go through spinal taps, blood transfusions, surgeries, and therapies for about 6-9 months after you get diagnosed. The doctors said I was very lucky I was not put on a respirator and that my major organs did not shut down. The best thing for this is to catch it in it's very early stages. The funny thing is after I fully recovered, I read in the newspaper that a healthy 30-something male died from the exact same illness that I had. God bless that I am being watched by someone who loves me. The only advice that I can offer is that if you feel that something is wrong with you, GET CHECKED!!!

cupkaik · Newbie Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 1

i was diagnosed with GBS when i was 10 years old. It started with what Dr's diagnosed as a simple viral infection. During the period of seeing various Dr's, I was prescribed PCN and had a horrible allergic reaction. Over a period of about 1 1/2 years, i went from a vibrant energentic child to wheelchair bound and virtually helpless. It went away almost as fast as it came... I am now 32 years old and just recently even realized that i needed to tell my Dr's about this event in my life. I was always under the impression that it was a one-time illness. I'm glad i came across this post... is this disease genetically transferred to offspring?

God is good.

Guest · Guest

Hi, I am a 30 year old female who has had GBS twice. The first occurance was when I was 17 which started with severe headache, vomiting, tingling in hands and legs. I was diagnosed with GBS and treated at my local hospital where I there had treatement through plasmo. In 2003, I woke up one morning with a severe headache and my right eye had totally crossed over and I had blurred vision. I went to the hospital thinking it could've been a mild stroke, especially after being told GBS would not come back. After another spinal tap though, it confirmed that I had Miller Fischer's which is another form of GBS. My question is can this continue to come back and also what are long term side effects from this disease. I feel very uninformed unfortunately even after several dr. visits .

Guillain-Barré Syndrome

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