In my case, I do believe that very high stress levels, both at work and at home, contributed to my CIDP. Of course, I also wonder about those yearly flu shots I had leading up to symptoms. Or the celiac disease (another auto-immune condition) that developed a decade earlier. Who knows?

I have read that the stress of an auto accident, or surgery or other “stressful” experiences can set off GBS. I would [I]think[/I] that could be true for CIDP. . .

The mechanics of CIDP are not conducive to the argument.

The disease fighting cells of the immune system (The t-cells) attack the myelin sheath that surrounds the axons. After a period of attack time, the axon has difficulty transmittiong the nerve signal from point A to point B. A starting point is usually when the “abberant “T-cell ignores the “do not attack the body” instruction and beging the attack cycle. I would not think that an accident, or physical trauma would cause a cellular change like CIDP.

ON THE OTHER HAND… I do most certainly agree that stress does affect the disease. The body has a lot of changes during stressful conditions and these can certainly aggravate anything that might be happpening in the body. Many long time sufferers of CIDP will agree that stress makes CIDP worse. And healing goes faster when stresses are lower.

That being said, it may be possible that the CIDP was in its infancy, you know, just starting, when the stress occurred, which may have magnified the body’s response. That may have caused the CIDP to bloom and have a more violent beginning.

Just my thoughts.

[B]From what I have come to understand all these years is that GBS or CIDP are caused by a foreign substance in the body provoking the white blood cells to do their job of eliminating them. The problem begins when the immune system doesn’t know when to stop fighting off any foreign thing, like bacteria or any vaccine in the body, it just keeps attacking and attacking until the myelin is eaten away and also can progress to the axons for the worst kind of nerve damage. The key is usually some form of bacteria entering the body from surgery, dental work, urinary tract infections, upper repiratory infections, and even just a small cut on a finger can trigger GBS/CIDP because bacteria has entered the wound. Stress affects the syndromes but doesn’t cause GBS or CIDP. Trauma from a car accident yes if there possibly is an open wound for the bacteria to enter but not just from a car accident.

Our senior “EXPERT” Jethro can give more detailed info. Jethro can you please weigh in on this subject.[/B]

[QUOTE=ReimarGaertner]In my case, I do believe that very high stress levels, both at work and at home, contributed to my CIDP. Of course, I also wonder about those yearly flu shots I had leading up to symptoms. Or the celiac disease (another auto-immune condition) that developed a decade earlier. Who knows?[/QUOTE]

[B]More then likely your CIDP was brought on by the Flu vaccine, not stress at all. Stress does not cause GBS/CIDP.[/B]