COVID vaccine and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)

Posted by cff @cff, Jun 30, 2021

I had GBS years ago and now hear pros and cons on if I should get the Vaccine or not. I also had covid in January and was hospitalized for 6 days. It took me two years to get over GBS and 2 months to get over covid so not sure what to do.

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@cff

I had Covid in January 2021 and GBS many years ago so i did much research and ask lots of questions before i got vaccine. But finally decided to get the shots. Got both shots this month and other than a mild tired feeling for one day, I have been fine. At this point i am glad i did.

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Were you paralyzed when you head GPS? I have damaged myelin Sheath and was paralyzed for a long time. I had a very serious case of CBS. It sounds as though you did also. If so, your message is very promising. I just cannot risk being paralyzed again

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@debbieker

Were you paralyzed when you head GPS? I have damaged myelin Sheath and was paralyzed for a long time. I had a very serious case of CBS. It sounds as though you did also. If so, your message is very promising. I just cannot risk being paralyzed again

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i totally understand. I was almost totally paralyzed. The only thing i could still do is barely feed myself. That was it. I could hardly talk because my face was paralyzed as well and I was 3 weeks pregnant, which I didn't know until admitted to hospital. (Had a beautful daughter 9 months later and she was ok. Dr had suggrsted abortion but I was not into to that) Spent 30 days in hospital and then took two years to totally get over it. So when i had Covid it took 2 months to totally get over it so comparing the two covid was the easiest to recover from. So I wanted to be sure i wanted to risk the vaccine. So i totally understand the caution in considering the vaccine. For me it has been fine.

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@krisjb1

I'm with you. I already had Covid (over 70 yo with Lyme and autoimmune disease) and although it was unpleasant for a week I don't believe there have been serious consequences. My antibody level virtually guarantees that all known strains of Covid will pass me by in the future. In addition I now have T-cell immunity which will kick in when titers start to wane. Despite the daily scare reporting indicating that the "vaccine" is a life saver most people who get the virus are survivors but little reporting is done to give anyone who does not agree to the shot any confidence. Israel reports that a majority of its population being vaccinated has not stopped the inflow of Covid positive hospital patients. Perhaps doing more research will help you make up your mind and keep you focused on staying well without the shot. There are many supplements that may be helpful in preventing the disease and treatments that can be given to people who become ill.

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Thank you so much for this information. I really appreciate it

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@cff

i totally understand. I was almost totally paralyzed. The only thing i could still do is barely feed myself. That was it. I could hardly talk because my face was paralyzed as well and I was 3 weeks pregnant, which I didn't know until admitted to hospital. (Had a beautful daughter 9 months later and she was ok. Dr had suggrsted abortion but I was not into to that) Spent 30 days in hospital and then took two years to totally get over it. So when i had Covid it took 2 months to totally get over it so comparing the two covid was the easiest to recover from. So I wanted to be sure i wanted to risk the vaccine. So i totally understand the caution in considering the vaccine. For me it has been fine.

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Which vaccine did you have?

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I truly appreciate all the information you provided. It's been very helpful. And you are so lucky to have had a healthy baby after such a bad ordeal

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@sueinmn

I'm sorry that you are so fearful of a side effect which has not been confirmed anyone with respect to the mRNA Covid vaccine and only twice with Johnson & Johnson, when about 400,000,000 doses have been administered in the US. 2 out of 400,000,000 is about as close to 100% as I can imagine.

On the other hand, 36,000,000 have had Covid infections, and hundreds of thousands are dealing with long haul symptoms, which include GBS and other neuropathic conditions.

There are absolutely no 100% guarantees in medicine, or life, including any guarantee that another infection, Covid or not, could cause another GBS episode, with or without paralysis.

You need to make your own decisions, I hope you will think about the numbers, and resign yourself to stating isolated for the foreseeable future if you choose not to get vaccinated.

As I write this tonight, I have been notified that a friend, who didn't think vaccination was necessary, is fighting for his life in an ICU and on a ventilator. I am heartbroken.
Sue

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So are you saying that many that have had GBS in the past are successfully having the vaccine other than the two cases? I thought I had heard that there were many more then two cases. But that could be wrong.

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@colleenyoung

Hi @cff, I can understand your hesitancy in getting the COVID vaccine given your history of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). And at the same time, you surely don't want to be hospitalized again due to the COVID infection.

According to the CDC:
"People who have previously had GBS may receive a COVID-19 vaccine. To date, no cases of GBS have been reported following vaccination in participants in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. One case of GBS was reported in a vaccinated participant in the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine clinical trial (compared to one GBS case among those who received placebo). With few exceptions, the independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) general best practice guidelines for immunization do not include a history of GBS as a precaution to vaccination with other vaccines." https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/underlying-conditions.html

This article may also interest you.
- Preventing COVID-19 outweighs ‘theoretical’ risk for Guillain-Barré syndrome with vaccine https://www.healio.com/news/neurology/20210407/preventing-covid19-outweighs-theoretical-risk-for-guillainbarr-syndrome-with-vaccine

What has your doctor recommended for you?

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My GP does NOT suggest I receive the Covid vaccine. I also had meningitis and last month Shingles. If not GB, what other affects might happen? I am 77 years old.

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My GP does NOT suggest I receive the Covid vaccine. I've had GB and meningitis and just last month, Shingles. What other side affects will I expose myself to if I get the shot. I am 77 years old.

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