Reply To: numbness -> second round of IVIG?

Jim-LA

October 23, 2019 at 6:10 pm

GBS is almost always a single event and does not return after its normal 4-6 week run. The recurrent form (RGBS) is very rare (1-3% incidence rate) but is not known to last much more than 9-12 months. If your condition has seen flare-ups after a year or more from onset of GBS, most Doctors would diagnose the condition as CIDP, or possibly one of its variants (AMAN, MMN, etc.).

I was stricken by GBS/CIDP/MFS in 2008. It left me with permanent nerve damage and I’m still wheelchair-bound today. The long-term prognosis for CIDP patients can vary greatly and is summarized in the following study:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2117396

CIDP can usually be distinguished from GBS/RGBS through the following key tests:
• Diminished or absent deep tendon reflexes.
• A spinal tap, to analyze cerebrospinal fluid for elevated protein levels.
• A Nerve Conduction Velocity Study that measures how well individual nerves can send an electrical signal from the spinal cord to the muscles.
• Complete Blood and urine tests.