Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) - Symptoms, Causes, Types, Diagnosis, and Medications

Symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare but severe autoimmune disorder that occurs in the nervous system. The immune system of the body attacks its own nerve cells, usually as a response to an infection, resulting in muscle weakness and even paralysis.

Although the prevalence of GBS in India ranges between 1.75 to 2 per lakh population, early diagnosis of GBS syndrome symptoms is crucial to ensure appropriate treatment and recovery.

With immediate medical care, most people are able to recover completely. Learning the GBS symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment is important in addressing this health issue effectively.

What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)?

Types of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Causes of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Risk Factors of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Treatment of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)?

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves. It may affect the nerves responsible for muscle movement and those that carry sensations such as pain, temperature, and touch.

As a result, individuals may develop numbness, loss of sensation in their arms and legs, difficulty swallowing or breathing, tingling sensations, and weakness in muscles that may advance to paralysis. Although this condition is rare, it occurs primarily in adults and predominantly in males, but it may occur in patients of any age.

Types of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

There are four main forms of GBS, with each having its own set of symptoms and development.

Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (AIDP)

AIDP is the most prevalent form of GBS. It destroys the myelin sheath — the nerve covering — causing muscle weakness that begins in the feet and ascends. It also causes drooping of the face, tingling, delayed reflexes, and breathing complications in extreme cases.

AIDP can develop into a condition called Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) if symptoms persist for more than 8 weeks.

Acute Motor and Sensory Axonal Neuropathy (AMSAN)

AMSAN is a less common and more serious variant that impacts both motor and sensory nerve axons. It leads to rapid development of numbness, tingling, and severe weakness of the limbs, usually leading to difficulty walking or standing. Autonomic processes such as breathing may also be affected, and recovery is usually slow and difficult.

Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy (AMAN)

AMAN, responsible for 5–10% of GBS cases, affects only the motor nerve axons. Frequently associated with infections like Campylobacter jejuni, it may cause symptoms like fainting, gastrointestinal problems, bladder dysfunction, and muscle weakness without loss of sensation. Although uncommon, it can have a significant effect on motor control.

Miller Fisher Syndrome (MFS)

MFS is a rare form that primarily involves the cranial nerves. It frequently starts with weakness of the muscles around the eyes and trouble moving the eyes. Other symptoms involve poor coordination, weakness of the face, and trouble swallowing. Most individuals improve completely within six months and many times without even medical treatment.

Symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Identifying the initial symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is crucial for receiving prompt medical attention. Common signs and symptoms of GBS include:

Numbness in the hands and feet (paresthesia).
Leg weakness that can progress to the upper limbs.
Difficulty in walking, climbing stairs, or performing daily activities.
Weakness of the facial muscles, which can prevent smiling or chewing.
Difficulty in breathing in more advanced cases.
Weakness of the chest muscles, which may hinder breathing, affects about one-third of those suffering from GBS.
Difficulty in speaking and swallowing (dysphagia).
Difficulty with eye movements (ophthalmoplegia), including double vision.
Paralysis of the legs, arms, or face muscles in extreme cases

Note: The GBS disease symptoms may worsen within hours, days, or over several weeks.

Causes of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

The exact cause of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is still unknown, but it is usually triggered by an abnormal immune response after an infection, trauma, or illness. The common causes of GBS include:

Infections

The most frequent cause is Campylobacter jejuni, a bacterium commonly found in undercooked chicken. Other infections, such as the influenza virus, Epstein-Barr virus, Zika virus, cytomegalovirus, and HIV, can also trigger an immune response that injures nerves.

Viral Infections

Hepatitis A, B, C, and E and Mycoplasma pneumonia have also been associated with GBS. Infections caused by the COVID-19 virus in recent years have demonstrated an association with more GBS cases worldwide.

Surgery or Trauma

Severe surgery or bodily injury at times causes an immune reaction, resulting in GBS. This is presumed to be the result of the immune system's response to tissue injury.

Vaccinations

Although very unusual, some vaccines, such as the flu vaccine or the child vaccinations, have been linked with GBS in isolated cases.

Other Conditions

Illnesses like Hodgkin lymphoma can often initiate GBS, possibly as a result of immune system disturbances found in the illness.

Risk Factors of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Here are the medical conditions that can elevate the risk for Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) disease:

Cancer or history of cancer
Heart disease
Diabetes
Congestive heart failure
Obesity

Diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) may be difficult to diagnose at an early stage, as symptoms tend to look like other disorders and differ between patients. The diagnosis usually includes:

Medical History and Physical Exam: The physician takes a symptom review and conducts a complete physical examination.
Spinal Tap (Lumbar Puncture): A cerebrospinal fluid sample is drawn from the lower back to test for changes that usually occur in GBS.
Electromyography (EMG): Tiny needle electrodes are inserted into muscles to measure the electrical activity and detect nerve damage.
Imaging Test: Your healthcare provider may perform an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of your spine to examine the damage.

Treatment of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

The major treatments for Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) consist of 2 options:

Plasma Exchange (Plasmapheresis)

Plasma exchange is a treatment that uses a machine to separate plasma from blood, treat it, and then return the plasma and blood to the body. Plasma exchange removes antibodies from plasma that are attacking nerves.

Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy (IVIG)

This treatment involves providing immunoglobulins through intravenous (IV) delivery. Immunoglobulins are proteins made by your immune system that respond to infection. They are made from pooled plasma from healthy donors, and IVIG can help decrease the immune system's attack on your nerves.

Best Medications Used to Treat Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Listed below are the common medications used to treat or alleviate the GBS syndrome symptoms:

Bivigam vial
Carimune NF Nano-filtered 3-gram intravenous solution
Carimune solution, reconstituted (recon soln)
Flebogamma dif vial
Flebogamma solution
Gamimune n solution
Gamimune-n injectable
Gammagard liquid vial
Gammagard s-d (iga < 1 mcg/ml) 5-gram intravenous solution
Gammaplex vial
Gamma IV solution, reconstituted (recon soln)
Gamunex vial
Immunoglobulin G (IGG)-pro-iga 0-50 solution
Immune globulin (human) (IGG) solution
Immune globulin iv solution, reconstituted (recon soln)
Octagam vial
Iveegam solution, reconstituted (recon soln)
Panglobulin nf solution, reconstituted (recon soln)
Panglobulin solution, reconstituted (recon soln)
Polygam solution, reconstituted (recon soln)
Sandoglobulin solution, reconstituted (recon soln)
Venoglobulin-i solution, reconstituted (recon soln)
Venoglobulin-s solution

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a severe medical condition that needs immediate identification and treatment. Quick diagnosis of the GBS syndrome symptoms and early intervention can result in an effective treatment, but the recovery process might be slow and need continuous rehabilitation.

Star Health Insurance provides wide-ranging coverage schemes that cover medical treatments for various chronic diseases, providing financial support during such uncertain times. A proper health insurance policy can ensure your and your family's safety from the financial implications of sudden medical emergencies.

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FAQs

What are the early signs of GBS?

Early signs of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) are typically tingling or a pins-and-needles sensation in fingers, toes, ankles, or wrists. This is followed by weakness of the legs, potentially progressing to the arms. Difficulty in the movement of facial muscles, such as talking, chewing, or swallowing, is also encountered at the advancing stages of the disease.

Are antibiotics good for GBS?

If you are pregnant and suffer from complications of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), your doctor will prescribe you certain oral antibiotics like penicillin, cephalexin (Keflex), or amoxicillin (Amoxil, Larotid).

How long does it take to cure GBS?

Even though there is no treatment for Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), most individuals usually recover much of their function within a few weeks to a year. However, some people might still experience the GBS symptoms or take longer to fully recover.

What are the symptoms of a GBS flu shot?

Although it is rare, Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) can sometimes occur after a flu shot, and symptoms can include difficulty with movement or breathing, tingling sensations, muscle weakness, etc.

Is GBS an infectious illness?

No, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is not contagious and cannot spread from person to person.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) - Symptoms, Causes, Types, Diagnosis, and Medications

Symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Table of Contents

What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)?

Types of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Causes of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Risk Factors of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Treatment of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Best Medications Used to Treat Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Confused? We’ve got the answers

FAQs