Guillain-Barré Syndrome

The first symptoms of GBS usually include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. In many instances, the weakness and abnormal sensations ascend and spread to the arms and upper body. Although many cases are mild, these symptoms can increase in intensity until the muscles cannot be used at all and the patient is almost totally paralyzed. In extreme cases, the patient has difficulty breathing and must be placed on a ventilator. If the throat and face are affected, a feeding tube may be required. In some cases, peripheral neuropathy may develop

GBS improves spontaneously, but the recovery period may take from several weeks to more than a year. Most patients make a total recovery, from even the most severe cases of GBS, although some continue to have a certain degree of weakness, numbness or occasional pain.

Because of its sudden and unexpected onset, GBS can be a devastating disorder. It is called a syndrome rather than a disease because it is not clear that a specific disease-causing agent is involved. No one yet knows why GBS strikes some people and not others, or what sets the disease in motion. There is no known cure for GBS, but therapies can lessen the severity of the illness and speed up recovery in most patients.

GBS can strike anyone, regardless of age or sex. GBS is not contagious, but it may follow a bacterial or viral infection, such as campylobacterial infection (caused by a bacteria found in undercooked food, especially poultry) or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Although GBS is not inherited, there may be a genetic predisposition to the disease. Some patients have a similar but longer-lasting illness called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Once called ‘chronic GBS,’ CIDP is now considered a related, but distinct condition. GBS is also sometimes known as acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP).

Today, doctors are exploring a link between pre-diabetes (also known as impaired glucose tolerance or IGT) and peripheral neuropathy. Approximately 10% of adults in America have what is being called “pre-diabetes” or “borderline diabetes”—a condition where the body has higher than normal blood sugar levels, but not high enough to be diagnosed as true diabetes. If left untreated, people with pre-diabetes are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and nerve damage (which could result in peripheral neuropathy.)

People with pre-diabetes or IGT can significantly reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes through diet, exercise and learning to control their blood sugar levels.

The first sign of diabetic neuropathy is usually numbness, tingling or pain in the feet, legs or hands.

Over a period of several years, the neuropathy may lead to muscle weakness in the feet and a loss of reflexes, especially around the ankle.

As the nerve damage increases, the loss of sensation in the feet can reduce a person’s ability to detect temperature or to notice pain. Because the person can no longer notice when his/her feet become injured, people with diabetic neuropathy are more likely to develop foot problems such as skin lesions and ulcers that may become infected.

Diabetic neuropathy may suddenly flare up and affect a specific nerve or group of nerves. When this occurs, the result may be weakness and muscle atrophy in various parts of the body, such as involvement of the eye muscles or eyelid (e.g., causing double vision or a drooping eyelid) or thigh muscles. Alternatively, neuropathy caused by diabetes may slowly progress over time. It also can interfere with the normal functioning of the digestive system and sexual organs.