GBS (Guillain-Barré syndrome) is a rare disorder in which a person’s immune system attacks part of their nervous system. The most common type of GBS seen in the United States is AIDP (acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy).

Symptoms

The onset of GBS can be very sudden.

Early symptoms include weakness or tingling sensations in the legs, which sometimes spreads to the arms and upper body. Symptoms may worsen, causing paralysis, breathing difficulty, and affecting blood pressure and heart function.

GBS can range from a very mild case with brief weakness to a devastating paralysis that leaves a person unable to breathe independently.

Recovery

Most people fully recover from GBS, even the most severe forms. The recovery period can range from a few weeks to a few years. Longer recoveries are required for residual muscle weakness or paralysis.

Cause

The exact cause of GBS is not known. It is not contagious or inherited. GBS is often preceded by a bacterial or viral infection. It may also be triggered by a surgery, an injury, or a reaction to a vaccination.

Recently, some countries worldwide reported an increased incidence of GBS following infection with the Zika virus.

Related disorder

CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy) is a related peripheral nerve disorder with slow onset and persisting or recurrent symptoms. CIDP features weakness that can recur, repeatedly, over the course of years, with symptoms that are usually more severe on one side of the body.

Contact Us

If you have been diagnosed with GBS, AIDP, or CIDP, contact our office for a free consultation with one of our experienced vaccine team members. You may be eligible for compensation from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

Learn more about GBS:

• GBS fact sheet from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• GBS description from Johns Hopkins
• GBS fact sheet from the World Health Organization