Is Your Leg Weakness, Numbness and Tingling a Sign of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)?

Have you experienced a sudden and rapid onset of numbness, weakness and tingling in your legs and feet? Have these symptoms gotten progressively worse to the point that you are experiencing paralysis in your legs? If so, then you may be suffering from an autoimmune disease called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). If you have not heard of GBS, then you may be asking, "what is it, anyway?" **What is Guillain-Barré syndrome?** Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder in which the body's immune system is triggered in a way in which it attacks part of the peripheral nervous system (the network of nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord). (https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Guillain-Barre-Syndrome-Fact-Sheet). GBS can range from a very mild case with brief weakness to nearly devastating paralysis, leaving the person unable to walk, balance or breathe independently. The rehabilitation for GBS is intense and severe, and after recovery, some people will continue to have some degree of weakness. (cite: Winer J. B. (2014). An update in guillain-barré syndrome. Autoimmune diseases, 2014, 793024. doi:10.1155/2014/793024) **How does GBS manifest?** The acute progression of limb weakness, often with sensory and cranial nerve involvement 1–2 weeks after immune stimulation, proceeds to its peak clinical deficit in 2–4 weeks. When patients present with rapidly progressive paralysis, the diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome needs to be made as soon as possible. Symptoms peak within 4 weeks, followed by a recovery period that can last months or years, as the immune response decays and the peripheral nerve undergoes an endogenous repair process. (cite: HJ Willison. Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The Lancet. 2016. 388:10045. Pp. 717-727). **What Causes GBS?** Guillain-Barré syndrome is the most common and most severe acute paralytic neuropathy, with about 100,000 people developing the disorder every year worldwide. GBS can be preceded by infections, by viral and bacterial, or by vaccination. Cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome have been linked to recent influenza vaccines. The relevant medical literature that supports the causal link between GBS and the flu shot is based on the 1976 vaccination campaign for H1N1 influenza A virus, where roughly one in 100 000 people who had been vaccinated developed Guillain-Barré syndrome. (cite: HJ Willison. Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The Lancet. 2016. 388:10045. Pp. 717-727). Other vaccines, including tetanus, TDaP, MMR, and Hepatitis A vaccines, have also been linked to the development of GBS. If you or a loved one received a flu shot in the weeks before his or her onset of GBS, please contact our vaccine attorney who can discuss how you would be eligible for vaccine compensation settlements for pain and suffering, medical expenses, future medical care and lost wages. [Click here to see if you are eligible for compensation][1] [1]: https://www.vaccineawarenesscenter.com/contact/