Reviewed by Dr Jessica Gunawan and Physician Brandon Yew

GBS Infection Recovery: How Long Will It Take?

Published September 10, 2022| 5 min read

A Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) infection attacks healthy nerves in the body. It’s often preceded by a gastrointestinal or respiratory condition.

Man holding his right knee with both hands as he sits on the top step of a staircase

A Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) infection is uncommon. It’s characterised by pain, muscle weakness, balance and coordination problems, and a numb or prickly sensation in the limbs.

In some cases, albeit rare, people may suffer long-term effects or near-total paralysis. It can also lead to life-threatening complications, such as blood clots and severe breathing difficulties.

The condition affects people of all ages and adult men more than women. Read on to discover the reasons behind a GBS infection and treatment options that’ll address symptoms and help restore a person’s health.

Woman holding a tissue roll with her left hand and placing her right hand on her abdomen — Food poisoning is one of the medical conditions that can lead to a GBS infection.

What is GBS and Why Does It Happen?

GBS is an autoimmune disease. It involves the immune system mistakenly attacking healthy nerves in the hands and feet. Notably, the condition can happen a few days or weeks after a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection.

Some infections that make a person vulnerable to GBS include:

HIV
Influenza virus
Cytomegalovirus
Epstein-Barr virus
Hepatitis A, B, C and E
Dengue fever
Glandular fever
Zika virus
COVID-19 virus
Surgery
Trauma

Food poisoning due to consumption of foods or beverages that contain the Campylobacter jejuni bacteria (often found in undercooked poultry)

 In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the occurrence of a GBS infection relates to pathogenic factors.

“Phlegm, blood clots, Cold, Wind, Fire, Dampness, and Qi Stagnation are common causes of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Blood, Qi (vital life force), Yin (passive energy), and Yang (active energy) Deficiencies can also increase a person’s risk of a GBS infection. These involve the major visceral organs, which are the Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys,” explains Real Health Medical’s Senior Physician Brandon Yew.

Is it Possible to Recover from a GBS Infection?

The condition is incurable and impairs physical functioning. However, the silver lining is that supportive clinical care can help patients recover over time. These will run over several weeks or months and may require hospital admission. TCM, meanwhile, can speed up recovery from a GBS infection.

Man undergoing IVIG treatment at a healthcare facility — IVIG is frequently used to treat autoimmune diseases.

Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (IVIG)

People with a GBS infection are given IVIG in a few large doses. It has a high concentration and diverse collection of antibodies and is prepared from blood donated by thousands of people.

IVIG is also used to treat various other autoimmune and infectious diseases. It has the same effect on medical conditions that stem from an unknown cause. These are called idiopathic diseases or conditions.

Plasma exchange (Plasmapheresis)

The treatment helps remove excess antibodies, abnormal proteins, or harmful substances from the blood. Hence, plasma exchange is a viable option to treat or manage autoimmune, blood, or nervous system disorders.

It uses a machine to pull plasma – the liquid portion of blood – from blood cells. The latter is then mixed with a substitute and returned to the body.

Herbal decoctions

TCM recognises that the pathological subtypes of GBS have specific effects on different body constitutions. Thus, Physician Yew recommends using herbal formulas to correct imbalances within the visceral organs or meridians, fibrous tissues (sinews), spinal muscles, and joints.

Examples of these are:

Fu Ling Wan (茯苓丸)
Si Ni San (四逆散)

Si Ni Tang (四逆汤)
Xuan Bi Tang (宣痹汤)
Yi Yi Ren Tang (薏苡仁汤)
Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang (补阳还五汤)
Dang Gui Nian Tong Tang (当归拈痛汤)

Dang Gui Si Ni Tang (当归四逆汤)
Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang (独活寄生汤)
Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang (身痛逐瘀汤)
Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Tang (桂枝芍药知母汤)
Huang Qi Gui Zhi Wu Wu Tang (黄芪桂枝五物汤)

Ma Huang Xi Xin Fu Zi Tang (麻黄细辛附子汤)

Acupuncture and acupressure treatments

In clinical therapy, acupuncture helps suppress nervous system inflammation. It also promotes healing and recovery of nerve functions.

TCM also uses the treatment to lower a person’s risk of disease. It does this by unblocking meridian channels, restoring organ function, and enhancing blood and qi circulation.

Acupressure is a massage technique used alongside acupuncture to achieve similar benefits.

The acupressure points that are associated with an improvement of GBS symptoms include:

Jing ming (BL1, 睛明), bai hui (DU20, 百会), and yang bai (GB14, 阳白) for alertness, cognition, mood, vision, and facial movement

In a depression, one finger-breadth above the inner canthus of the eye.

Daily stimulation of the Bai Hui acupoint can help avert myocardial infarction.

Located above the left eye, on the left side of the forehead.

Tian tu (RN22, 天突), di cang (ST4, 地仓), jia che (ST6, 颊车), and xia guan (ST7,下关) for speech, chewing and swallowing

Located in front of the neck, in the centre of the depression above the sternum. It dispels Cold, Fire and phlegm and clears the upper respiratory tract.

Directly below the pupil lateral to the corner of the mouth.

One finger width anterior and superior to the angle of the lower jawbone at the belly of the cheek muscle with teeth clenched.

At the lower border of the cheekbone, in the depression anterior to the condyloid process of the lower jawbone.

He gu (LI4, 合谷), shou san li (LI10, 手三里), qu chi (LI11, 曲池), bi nao (LI14, 臂臑), lao gong (PC8, 劳宫), and wai guan (SJ5, 外关) for pain, numbness and weakness in the upper body

An illustration of a left hand, showing he gu (LI4) acupressure point — He gu is located on the back of the hand, between the 1st and 2nd metacarpal bones. It helps dispel pathogens and restores and enhances qi and blood circulation within the meridians.

Located at the end of the elbow crease, two thumb-widths down along the forearm muscle.

When the elbow is flexed, qu chi is in the depression at the lateral end of the transverse cubital crease, midway between chi ze (LU5) and the lateral epicondyle of the humerus.

Located where the tip of the middle finger touches the palm when a fist is made.

On the lateral side of the upper arm, just over and in front of the insertion of the deltoid muscle.

On the dorsal aspect of the forearm, on the line connecting yang chi (SJ4) and the tip of the elbow, two finger-breadths above the transverse crease of the wrist between the ulna and radius bones.

Early intervention can help the symptoms of a GBS infection resolve naturally. If a person wishes to use herbal remedies or acupuncture treatment, it’s advisable to seek consultation with a TCM practitioner beforehand.