Symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources
for Guillain-Barre Syndrome includes the 30
symptoms listed below:
Research symptoms & diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome:
Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Complications
Review medical complications possibly associated with Guillain-Barre Syndrome:
Guillain-Barre Syndrome Symptoms: Book Excerpts
Diagnostic Testing
Diagnostic testing of medical conditions related to Guillain-Barre Syndrome:
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Do I have Guillain-Barre Syndrome?
Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Undiagnosed Conditions
Diseases that may be commonly undiagnosed in related medical areas:
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical tests related to Guillain-Barre Syndrome:
Wrongly Diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome?
The list of other diseases or medical conditions
that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses
for Guillain-Barre Syndrome includes:
See the full list of 18
alternative diagnoses for Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Research Doctors & Specialists
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Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list
of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions,
or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Online about Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Medical Books Excerpts
Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Guillain-Barre Syndrome
are available from published medical books
for more detailed information about Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Medical Books Excerpts
- Paralysis
- "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Paralysis
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Paralysis
- "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Paralysis
- "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Paralysis
- "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms" (2007)
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Guillain-Barré syndrome:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
About 50% of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome have a history of minor febrile illness (10 to 14 days before onset), usually an upper respiratory tract infection or, less commonly, gastroenteritis. When infection precedes onset of Guillain-Barré syndrome, signs of infection subside before neurologic features appear. Other possible precipitating factors include surgery, rabies or swine influenza vaccination, viral illness, Hodgkin’s or other malignant disease, and lupus erythematosus.
Symmetrical muscle weakness, the major neurologic sign, usually appears in the legs first (ascending type) and then extends to the arms and facial nerves in 24 to 72 hours. Sometimes, muscle weakness develops in the arms first (descending type) or in the arms and legs simultaneously. (See Testing for thoracic sensation.) In milder forms of this disease, muscle weakness may affect only the cranial nerves or may not occur at all.
Another common neurologic sign is paresthesia, which sometimes precedes muscle weakness but tends to vanish quickly. However, some patients with this disorder never develop this symptom. Other clinical features may include facial diplegia (possibly with ophthalmoplegia), dysphagia or dysarthria and, less commonly, weakness of the muscles supplied by cranial nerve XI. Muscle weakness develops so quickly that muscle atrophy doesn’t occur, but hypotonia and areflexia do. Stiffness and pain in the form of a severe “charley horse” commonly occur.
The clinical course of Guillain-Barré syndrome is divided into three phases. The initial phase begins when the first definitive symptom appears and ends 1 to 3 weeks later, when no further deterioration manifests. The plateau phase lasts several days to 2 weeks and is followed by the recovery phase, which is believed to coincide with remyelination and axonal process regrowth. The recovery phase extends over a period of 4 to 6 months; patients with severe disease may take up to 2 years to recover, and recovery may not be complete.
Significant complications of Guillain-Barré syndrome include mechanical ventilatory failure, aspiration, pneumonia, sepsis, joint contractures, and deep vein thrombosis. Unexplained autonomic nervous system involvement may cause sinus tachycardia or bradycardia, hypertension, postural hypotension, or loss of bladder and bowel sphincter control.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Vocal cord paralysis:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Unilateral paralysis, the most common form, may cause vocal weakness and hoarseness. Bilateral paralysis typically produces vocal weakness and incapacitating airway obstruction if the cords become paralyzed in the adducted position.
PEDIATRIC TIP Children may present with hoarseness, aspiration, and stridor. If the paralysis is unilateral, it typically involves the left recurrent laryngeal nerve. In unilateral paralysis, airway intervention involving intubation and tracheostomy is rarely indicated; it’s usually required if the paralysis is bilateral.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Guillain-Barré syndrome:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Muscle weakness, the major neurologic sign, usually appears in the legs first (ascending type) and then extends to the arms and facial nerves within 24 to 72 hours. Sometimes, muscle weakness develops in the arms first (descending type) or in the arms and legs simultaneously. In milder forms of the disease, muscle weakness may affect only the cranial nerves or may not occur.
Paresthesia, another common neurologic sign, sometimes precedes muscle weakness but vanishes quickly. Some patients with the disorder never develop this symptom.
Other clinical features include facial diplegia (possibly with ophthalmoplegia [ocular paralysis]), dysphagia or dysarthria and, less commonly, weakness of the muscles supplied by cranial nerve XI (spinal accessory nerve).
Muscle weakness develops so quickly that muscle atrophy doesn’t occur, but hypotonia and areflexia do. Stiffness and pain in the form of a severe “charley horse” occur in many cases.
Three-phase course
The clinical course of Guillain-Barré syndrome is divided into three phases:
❑ The initial phase begins when the first definitive symptom develops; it ends 1 to 3 weeks later, when no further deterioration is noted.
❑ The plateau phase lasts from several days to 2 weeks.
❑ The recovery phase is believed to coincide with remyelination and axonal process regrowth. This phase extends over 4 to 6 months; patients with severe disease may take up to 2 years to recover, and recovery may not be complete.
Complications
Significant complications of Guillain-Barré syndrome include mechanical ventilatory failure, aspiration pneumonia, sepsis, joint contractures, and deep vein thrombosis. Unexplained autonomic nervous system involvement may cause sinus tachycardia or bradycardia, hypertension, postural hypotension, and loss of bladder and bowel sphincter control.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Vocal cord paralysis:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Unilateral paralysis, the most common form, may cause vocal weakness and hoarseness. Bilateral paralysis typically produces vocal weakness and incapacitating airway obstruction if the cords become paralyzed in the adducted position.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome:
NINDS Guillain-Barre Syndrome Information Page: NINDS (Excerpt)
The first symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of
weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. In many instances, the
weakness and abnormal sensations spread to the arms and upper body. These
symptoms can increase in intensity until the muscles cannot be used at all
and the patient is almost totally paralyzed. In these cases, the disorder
is life-threatening and is considered a medical emergency. The patient is
often put on a respirator to assist with breathing. Most patients,
however, recover from even the most severe cases of Guillain-Barré
syndrome, although some continue to have some degree of weakness.
(Source: excerpt from NINDS Guillain-Barre Syndrome Information Page: NINDS)
NIAID Guillain Barre Fact Sheet: NIAID (Excerpt)
Symptoms range from weakness and tingling
sensations in the legs to spread to the arms and upper body. While most
patients recover with no, or minor, long term effects, total paralysis and
the need for ventilatory assist and death can result. (Source: excerpt from NIAID Guillain Barre Fact Sheet: NIAID)
Guillain-Barre Syndrome: NWHIC (Excerpt)
The first
symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of weakness or tingling
sensations in the legs. In many instances the weakness and abnormal
sensations spread to the arms and upper body. These symptoms can increase
in intensity until the muscles cannot be used at all, and the patient is
almost totally paralyzed. This may include a temporary distortion of
facial appearance as facial muscles become paralyzed. In these cases the
disorder is life threatening -- potentially interfering with blood
pressure, heart rate, and breathing -- and is considered a medical
emergency. The patient is often put on a respirator to assist with
breathing and is watched closely for problems such as an abnormal
heartbeat, infections, blood clots, and high or low blood pressure. Most
patients, however, recover from even the most severe cases of
Guillain-Barre syndrome, although some continue to have minor problems.
(Source: excerpt from Guillain-Barre Syndrome: NWHIC)
Neuromuscular Diseases: NWHIC (Excerpt)
Tingling in the fingers and toes, general muscle weakness,
difficulty breathing, and, in severe cases, paralysis.
(Source: excerpt from Neuromuscular Diseases: NWHIC)
Guillain-Barre Syndrome as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions
When considering symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, it is also important to consider Guillain-Barre Syndrome as a possible cause of other medical conditions.
The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Guillain-Barre Syndrome may cause:
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Guillain-Barre Syndrome as a symptom:
For a more detailed analysis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome as a symptom, including causes, drug side effect causes, and drug interaction causes, please see our Symptom Center information for Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Onset and Incubation
Incubation period for Guillain-Barre Syndrome: 1 to 3 weeks after an infection or other event.
Incubation period for Guillain-Barre Syndrome: The disorder can develop over the course of hours or days, or it
may take up to 3 to 4 weeks. (Source: excerpt from Guillain-Barre Syndrome: NWHIC)
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
These general reference articles may be of interest
in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
About signs and symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome:
The symptom information on this page
attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
This signs and symptoms information for Guillain-Barre Syndrome has been gathered from various sources,
may not be fully accurate,
and may not be the full list of Guillain-Barre Syndrome signs or Guillain-Barre Syndrome symptoms.
Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome may vary on an individual basis for each patient.
Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they
are indeed Guillain-Barre Syndrome symptoms.
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» Next page: Diagnostic Tests for Guillain-Barre Syndrome
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