How to Treat Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder that causes sudden weakness in the lower part of the body that escalates and spreads to the arms and upper body. While there is no cure for Guillain-Barre Syndrome, the good news is that symptoms can be managed and the severity of the disorder can be eased with two treatments. To treat Guillain-Barre Syndrome, doctors may recommend plasmapheresis or high-dose immunoglobulin therapy. Read on to learn how to treat Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Consider Plasmapheresis

1. Evaluate plasmapheresis with your doctor. With this therapy, the liquid portion of your blood, or plasma, is removed and separated from the blood cells. The blood cells are then put back into your body, producing new plasma. When plasmapheresis is used to treat Guillain-Barre Syndrome, it is believed that the process removes damaging antibodies that have spurred the body's attack on its own immune system.
2. Educate yourself about plasmapheresis. The process takes several hours and is done on an outpatient basis. As you sit in a reclining chair, a tube will be placed in one arm to remove the blood, which is then separated and replaced through another tube on the opposite side.
3. Understand that plasmapheresis is usually not painful, although there can be discomfort at the sites where the tubes are placed.
4. Expect to receive medication to prevent the blood from clotting. The amount of blood removed from your body is likely to be less than what you would donate during a blood drive.
5. Expect to receive four to six plasma exchanges during an eight- to 10-day period.

Treat GBS With IV Immunoglobulin

6. Consider intravenous immunoglobulin as a possible treatment for Guillane-Barre Syndrome. High doses of immunoglobulin treat Guillain-Barre Syndrome by blocking harmful antibodies that contribute to the disorder. The immunoglobulin is given through an IV, and the treatment usually takes several hours.
7. Know what to expect from intravenous immunoglobulin. Your doctor may recommend treatment for one to five days, and the dosage will depend on your body weight and the severity of your symptoms.

Tips & Warnings

• Research on using plasmapheresis to treat Guillain-Barre Syndrome shows that it is most effective when started within seven days after symptom onset. Make sure you seek medical attention immediately.
• Be aware that research on using plasmapheresis or high-dose immunoglobulin therapy to treat Guillain-Barre Syndrome shows that they are equally effective. One medication shows no benefit over the other in relieving symptoms and speeding recovery from Guillaine-Barre Syndrome, and there is no benefit from combining the two.