Backache prior to onset?

I had low back pain through the day prior to GBS onset. Im at 21/2 years post GBS and still have back pain if I do to much or on my feet to much.
Shirley

When I first started having symptoms one of the first was a numbness for of a four inch band under my sholder blades from side to side. My first trip to the doctor was for a spine MRI looking for disk problems. This continued to worsten as did the numbness in hands, arms, legs and feet. Back pain was my only pain. Back pain went away after fourth IVIG infusion but the band of numbness continued for awhile and has not totaly gone away.

I had back pain for about a week before I was hospitilized in ICU. I am almost 2 years post GBS and still have back pain if I am up on my feet to long. The back pain was the only symptom I had prior to not being able to move.

After my 2007 flu shot, I had a severe headache first for about a week before the other symptoms began, then dizziness, then I started feeling very cold. (The headache stayed for the first 1 1/2 years.) Icy chills started in my back, and I couldn’t warm up. My limbs and all of my muscles became very cold. Pain in my back gradually took over, and changed into extreme pain in my lower spine (I have some herniated disks there). By then, there were lots of muscle contractions in my arms and hands, then they moved down my back to my legs and feet. The lower back pain has been the hardest thing to take with my GBS, next to the constant foot cramps and pain which makes it impossible to walk at times; the headaches and dizziness have diminished greatly.

The back pain was worst for the first year and a half, then diminished somewhat, but I still have to take pain meds (acetaminophen) to deal with the pain when it gets too bad. Walking makes it much worse, because I can only move my legs from the hips, now having very poor reflexes and weakness in my ankles and knees. So I have to be careful not to overdo walking, lifting or bending, or at some point I will be hardly be able to move my legs until I’ve rested by sitting or lying down. I had many bouts of terrible back-pain for a long time after onset. One time during the first year, the pain was so bad and I couldn’t get it under control, I actually screamed aloud for about 10 minutes till I was hoarse. However, I’ve had some healing in these 2 1/3 years; the muscle pain is still very troublesome, but I have adjusted to my new limitations, on the whole I have fewer painful episodes with my back nowadays.

Hi Mallard Drake,

Yes, I had lower back pain as my first symptom of my GBS. At first I thought it was from perhaps overdoing, or a disc problem. The pain continued in my lower back and eventually started to radiate down my legs. I saw my family doctor after I couldn’t stand the pain, which was especially intensive at night, and she ran some tests. X-rays, and an MRI, which were negative. The pain became too much to bear and I was admitted on the 6th week (I started falling), and diagnosed with GBS. I was given an IV pain med, which took away my back pain to this day. Yea! The best was yet to come with paralysis from the neck down. Soon I will be celebrating my 1 year anniversary, feeling good about the recovery……saw the neuro this week and he expects a full recovery in the next 6-12 months. My patience and persistance has paid off. I hope that you will soon return to your pre-GBS life. Take care……..tom

Hello,
I had lower back pain when my GBS starterd 2/3/2009. I thought mine was more syatica nerve related. I had trouble walking, had to use the hand rail when climbing stairs, started to fall. The pain was unbearable. I was like that for almost 2 weeks before I was diaognosed. It does get better. Hang in there and keep up posted!