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Doctors wary of swine flu link to nerve disease

(World health - EU Monitor 16/08/2009)

Doctors treating swine flu patients are to study the incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome, which affects the nervous system and can cause temporary paralysis, during the swine flu pandemic and vaccination programme. Health officials stress that there is no evidence linking the syndrome to vaccination, but it is known that there is an increased risk of developing it after a flu-like illness.

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Crocodile tears: Woman who cried every time she ate for 15 years is finally cured with Botox

(Daily Mail 21/01/2009)

Mrs Webster was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome in 1991, which attacks all nerves in the body. As Mrs Webster fought to regain mobility, a partial facial paralysis remained and the crocodile tears developed as a side effect. But help was at hand in the form of botox. When injected underneath the eyelid it blocks the message from the damaged nerves, stopping tears from falling.

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Medics plunged a mum into a six-week coma to save her from a rare disease

(Daily Mail 17/11/2008)

A mother was plunged into a six-week coma to save her from a rare disease. Juliet Baron, from Alvechurch, Worcestershire, was left temporarily paralysed after her treatment for the potentially fatal Guillain Barr syndrome. The 34-year-old BBC production controller had to undergo four months of gruelling physiotherapy before she was strong enough to return home.

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