Guillain-Barré syndrome
Overview
Guillain-Barré (pronounced ghee-yan bar-ray) syndrome is a rare condition that affects the nerves. It's serious and needs urgent treatment in hospital.
Symptoms
Guillain-Barré syndrome affects your senses, your movement and things such as breathing and your heartbeat. It usually affects your arms and legs first before you get symptoms in other parts of your body. Symptoms usually get worse over the first 2 to 4 weeks. You might feel tingling, numbness orpins and needlesin your feet and hands first. This is usually followed by muscle weakness and difficulty moving your joints. Other symptoms can include: sharp, shooting pain (nerve pain), often in your legs or backproblems breathingproblems with your face, such as drooping face muscles or trouble swallowing or speakingproblems with your eyes, such as double vision Some people’s symptoms become so severe that they are not able to move their legs, arms and face (paralysis).
Treatment
If you've been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, you'll be treated in hospital straight away. You'll usually be in hospital for several weeks. Some people may need to stay for several months. Your main treatment will be immunotherapy to stop your immune system from attacking your nerves. You'll either have intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) or plasma exchange. You'll also have treatment to help manage your symptoms and monitor your condition. You might need: medicine and compression stockings to reduce the risk ofdeep vein thrombosis (DVT), if you cannot walkmedicines for pain such asgabapentin,carbamazepineoramitriptylineto be on a ventilator, if you have severe breathing problems – this would be in anintensive care unit (ICU)