Neuropathy :: Guillain Barre Syndrome – inflammation of peripheral nerves

Guillain-Barre Syndrome – GBS is inflammation of nerves caused by patient?s body producing antibodies against peripheral nerves. The course of the disease is different in different individuals. The syndrome is usually seen after infection of lungs, vaccination, childbirth or post-viral infections as by EBV, CMV or Herpes virus.

The inflammation damages the portions of nerve cell, resulting in muscle weakness, paralysis or sensory disturbances. The damage involves loss of nerve myelin sheath, which slows down the conduction of impulses through the nerve. The damage may also involve axon, part of nerve cell which blocks conduction through the nerve. These damages the nerve that affect the patient arms, legs, lungs, throat, eyes or heart. Patient will experience various symptoms depending on which nerve has been affected and to what degree.

Patient experiences one or more of the following symptoms caused by the nerve damage-Pain, Sensory irregularities, Progressive weakness leading to paralysis or irregular autonomous functions of body. Earliest symptoms may be numbness and tingling felt in lower limbs. Patient also complains of tripping on the toes and later resulting into foot drop. The weakness usually ascends to involve the entire lower extremities and later upper extremities.

The disorder is characterised by progreesive symmetrical paralysis with loss of reflexes, usually beginning in legs. This means that in mild cases, the attack on the nerve may stop going on further. Patient may experience only moderate difficulty in walking, requiring a walking stick or cruches.

In other cases, the progressing attack gives rise to symptoms of increasing severity. In extreme cases, weakness may have progreesed to the extent that that patient is almost totally paralysed. This may cause difficulty in breathing, if respiratory muscles are involved. If the muscles of heart are affected, then patient will experince irregular heartbeat and if the swallowing mechanism is affected, the intake of food will become difficult.

Case

Mr. Mohaamed Iliyas, 55 years of age, has coplained of difficulty in sitting from standing position and raising his hand above shoulder since 15 days. He also complained of profound weakness and numbness and tingling in his lower limbs. He feels as if circulation in limbs is ceased so he is not able to lift it. There is no movement of his feet so neither inversion nor eversion is possible. There is raw and sore feeling all over the body and total loss of muscle power. The eyelids always are in a drooped condition.

Patient is not able to eat anything due to pain in throat while swallowing, but his appatite disappears on attempting to eat. The patient has a specific liking for sweets. Due to weakness of the sphincter muscles, the urine escapes involuntarily. Other physical generalities are non-specific.

Mental Generals – The patient is very sad and hopeless about his disease and often weeps on his condition. The patient has the weakness of memory and thinks a lot before answering. The patient is compassionate for others and is caring towards his family.

On constitutional basis, Causticum came out to be the remedy. Causticum also works in paralytic conditions and muscle weakness.

10 Feb 2004
Caust.200, 3 doses, empty stomach.
Vit. C Syrup/tsp/bds.
Sac lac tds x 15 days.

28 Feb 2004
General condition same as before.
Caust. 200, 3 doses, empty stomach.
Vit. C syrup.
Sac lac tds X 15 days.

15 March 2004
Vit. C syrup.
Sac lac tds x 15 days.

1 April 2004
Caust. 1M, 3 doses, empty stomach.
Vit. C syrup.
Sac lac tds x 1 month.

5 May 2004
Vit. C syrup.
Sac lac tds x 1 month.

10 June 2004
Caust. 1M, 3 doses, empty stomach.
Vit. C syrup.
Sac lac tds x 1month.

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Gullien barre syndrome


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