Vaccine Reaction or GBS???

    • Anonymous
      November 29, 2012 at 7:51 pm

      First of all this is an excellent forum! This is my first post here…….

      I received 3 vaccinations for travel (Polio booster, Meningitis (Menveo), and Rabies (RabAvert) about 3 weeks ago. I was very healthy and haven’t had any colds or anything else for a long time. 1 day after I received the vaccines I had some numbness in my toes (but with sensation)… a few days later I had a tingling/burning like sensation in my legs.

      I went to a Neurologist a few days later and he did some typical reflex test… all were ok except I had no reflexes at all in both my ankles. He also did Electromyography and Nerve conduction studies… both were ok.

      About 1 week ago (2 weeks since the vaccines and the onset of these symptoms) my Neurologist decided to do a lumber puncture test and also tons of blood work. For the most part the blood work looked ok but I’m still waiting on the lumber puncture test results (it’s been 6 days and still waiting!!! UGH!).

      I currently have numbness in a few toes only, burning (cool feelings) in my legs, muscles aches in my legs, burning in my tail bone and upper spine/neck, sometimes numbness in one thumb on my right hand, night sweats, ringing in my ears. I’ve also had for about 2 days a bit on numbness in my neck and around my month but haven’t had it in about a week.

      The Neurologist thinks it’s not GBS since I never had any loss of strength in my legs or arms (but have muscles aches in my legs) and it’s been 3 weeks now since the onset of all this.

      I’m confused on what this might be… some kind of odd vaccine related neuropathy symptoms… mild GBS or something else. Very confused and nervous what this might be and what to do!

      Open to any ideas or thoughts!

    • GH
      November 29, 2012 at 8:01 pm

      It could be a neurologic response to the vaccinations. You are doing the right thing in having a neurologist watch it closely. GBS and CIDP cause progressive loss of strength to some degree, generally bilaterally symmetric, and usually progressing from the feet upward. GBS, by definition, reaches maximum loss of strength in eight weeks or less. There are many neuropathies, however, and much variation within each type of neuropathy. Only a neurologist can sort it out.

    • November 29, 2012 at 10:38 pm

      Hi, the LP should not take this long, we knew with in a couple of hours that there was an elevation in protein.  Your symptoms sound like possible GBS.  I would agree it sounds like a mild case.  There was a member named Jessica H  (try looking in archives) who had a flu shot and presented similarly to you.  Keep watch and go to the ER if you worsen, as GH mentioned, 8 weeks is the time span for gbs, any continuing weakening after 8 weeks would be considered cidp.