GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME (ACUTE INFECTIOUS MULTIPLE NEURITIS)

Clinical Manifestations
  • The classic scenario in GBS involves a patient who has just recovered from a typical, seemingly uncomplicated viral infection. Symptoms of muscle weakness appear one to four weeks later. The most common preceding infections are cytomegalovirus, herpes, Epstein-Barr virus, and viral hepatitis. A gastrointestinal infection with the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni is also common and may cause a severe type of GBS from which it is particularly difficult to recover. About 5% of GBS patients have a surgical procedure as a preceding event. Patients with lymphoma, systemic lupus erythematosus, or AIDS have a higher than normal risk of GBS. Other GBS patients have recently received an immunization, while still others have no known preceding event. In 1976–77, there was a vastly increased number of GBS cases among people who had been recently vaccinated against the Swine flu. The reason for this phenomenon has never been identified, and no other flu vaccine has caused such an increase in GBS cases.
Treatment Principle
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Numbness and pain of the extremities
  • Joint swelling and pain, especially hands and feet
  • Heaviness of joints
  • Numbness of the joints
  • Stiffness of the joints
  • Fever
  • Heaviness of the body
  • Coldness of the body
  • Dizziness
  • Likes pressure
  • Fatigue
  • Pale complexion
  • Preference for warmth
  • Swelling, pain, numbness and stiffness of the joints
  • Skin cornification
  • T: Pale
  • C: Thick, white or Greasy white
  • P: Thready and slippery
Treatment Principle
  • Dispel Wind and Dampness
  • Benefit Qi
  • Activates Blood circulation
  • Tonify the Blood
  • Warm the Channels
  • Relieves muscular tension
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Generalized body aches and pains
  • Irritability
  • Heavy sensation in the shoulder and back
  • Discomfort or a constricted sensation in the area of the chest and diaphragm
  • Multiple sores, carbuncles furuncles or abscesses
  • Redness
  • Itching
  • Persistent swelling
  • Chest pain
  • Fever
  • Thirst
  • Aching and painful extremities
  • Aching and painful joints
  • Unbearable swelling and pain of the lower extremities
  • Shoulder stiffness
  • T: Normal
  • C: Greasy and slightly yellow
  • P: Wiry and rapid or Soft and moderate or Soft, superficial and slow or Slippery and rapid or Deep and tight
Treatment Principle
  • Resolve Dampness
  • Clear Heat
  • Disperse Wind
  • Stop pain
  • Activate the Blood
  • Tonify Qi and Blood
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Dry, hacking cough with little or no sputum
  • Flushed face
  • Sputum is difficult to expectorate
  • Restlessness
  • Maybe hemoptysis
  • Hiccups
  • Cough may cause chest pain
  • Dyspnea
  • Dry or sore throat
  • Upper respiratory tract infection
  • Hoarse voice
  • Asthma
  • Dry lips and mouth
  • Fever
  • Shortness of breath
  • Hemoptysis
  • Decreased urination
  • Constipation
  • Thirst
  • Dry skin and hair
  • Dryness in nose
  • Sensation of fullness in chest
  • Epistaxis
  • Hypochondriac pain
  • Chills and fever
  • Headache
  • Anhidrosis
  • Irritability
  • Itching
  • T: Red tip, dry
  • C: Thin, yellow, or White and dry, or None
  • P: Superficial, maybe rapid or Big and weak or Deficient, big and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Eliminate Dryness
  • Moisten the Lungs
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Prolapse of one or more organs
  • Sallow complexion
  • Anorexia
  • Four limbs feel tired and heavy
  • Abdominal and epigastric distention after eating
  • Maybe acid regurgitation or vomiting
  • Loose stools
  • Shortness of breath
  • T: Pale and flabby - may have teethmarks
  • C: White
  • P: Even or Soft and thready
Treatment Principle
  • Strengthen the Spleen
  • Benefit Qi
  • Reinforce the Center
  • Invigorate Yang
Herb Formulas
Points
  • DU-20, other points are selected according to the type of prolapse
Clinical Manifestations
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Distention of chest and epigastrium
  • Coughing up copious, thin, white sputum
  • Dyspnea
  • Sallow complexion
  • Anorexia
  • Rolled lips
  • Pale lips
  • Stiff tongue
  • Tired limbs
  • Heavy limbs
  • Abdominal and epigastric distention after meals
  • Maybe bleeding
  • Stifling sensation in the chest and epigastrium
  • Acid regurgitation
  • Shortness of breath
  • Loose stools or diarrhea
  • Lethargy
  • Thin muscles
  • Fatigue
  • Does not like to speak
  • Weak, soft voice
  • Maybe enuresis
  • Maybe borborygmus
  • Maybe cold extremities
  • Maybe abundant clear urine
  • Muscle weakness in arms and legs
  • Weak abdomen
  • T: Pale and flabby, may have teeth marks
  • C: White and greasy
  • P: Soft and weak
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify Qi
  • Strengthen the Spleen and Stomach
  • Transform Phlegm
  • Dry Dampness
  • Circulate Qi
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Steaming bone disorder
  • Afternoon fever
  • Tidal fever
  • Night sweats
  • Spontaneous seminal emissions
  • Irritability
  • Heat and pain in the knees (maybe with weakness)
  • Atrophy and weakness of the knees and legs
  • Red face
  • Restless fever
  • Hematemesis
  • Sore knees
  • Sore lower back
  • Maybe hemoptysis
  • May be constant hunger
  • Maybe constipation
  • Hot flashes
  • Restlessness
  • Fidgeting
  • Insomnia with frequent dreams
  • Productive bloody cough
  • Easily angered
  • Nightmares
  • Sore feet with flaccidity
  • Tinnitus
  • Burning sensation over Kidneys
  • Dizziness or vertigo
  • Five Sole Heat
  • Cough
  • T: Red
  • C: Little or None
  • P: Thready, Excess and rapid in the Chi position
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Yin
  • Descend Fire
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Lumbago: low back feels cold, weak and aching
  • Feeling chilled
  • Aversion to Cold
  • Cold limbs
  • General debility
  • Pale face
  • Urinary frequency with abundant, clear urine or
  • Oliguria with edema
  • Maybe nocturia
  • Lassitude
  • Withdrawn, subdued behavior
  • Knees feel cold and aching
  • Dizziness
  • Tinnitus
  • Impotence
  • Spermatorrhea
  • Premature ejaculation
  • Low libido
  • Female infertility ("uterus cold and infertile")
  • Maybe anorexia
  • Maybe loose stools
  • Maybe chronic diarrhea or "cock crow" diarrhea
  • T: Pale and swollen
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Deep and thready - maybe slow
Treatment Principle
  • Warm and Reinforce Kidney Yang
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Dizziness
  • Tinnitus or deafness
  • Poor memory
  • Aching, soreness or weakness of the low back
  • Spermatorrhea or
  • Premature ejaculation
  • Aching in the bones
  • Aching in the leg and heel
  • Dry mouth
  • Thirst
  • Night sweats
  • Five Sole Heat
  • Malar flush
  • Low grade fever in the afternoon
  • Dry throat, maybe recurrent sore throat
  • Dry stools and/or
  • Constipation
  • Urine short and red
  • Heightened libido
  • If Heart Fire also Flares:
    Insomnia
    Frequent dreams
    Palpitations
  • If Liver Yang also Rises:
    Dizziness
    Blurred vision
  • T: Red
  • C: Little or None
  • P: Thready and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Yin
  • Subdue Fire
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Exhaustion from long-term illness
  • Low energy
  • Lethargy
  • Aversion to Cold
  • Coolness of the extremities
  • Impotence
  • Spermatorrhea
  • Aching and weakness of the lower back and knees
  • Infertility
  • Premature ejaculation
  • Seminal emission
  • Loose stools (sometimes with undigested food)
  • Incontinence of urine
  • Edema of the lower extremities
  • Pale face
  • Spontaneous perspiration
  • Dizziness
  • Enuresis
  • T: Pale
  • P: Deep, slow and weak
Treatment Principle
  • Warm and tonify Kidney Yang
  • Replenish Jing
  • Tonify the Blood
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • A constant ache in the lower abdomen that occurs during or just after menstruation
  • The pain responds favorably to pressure
  • Scanty and pale menstrual flow
  • Pale complexion
  • Palpitations
  • Thirst
  • Listlessness
  • Menstrual bleeding that is light in color
  • Lethargy
  • Weak limbs
  • Withdrawn behavior
  • Restlessness
  • Insomnia
  • Sensation of Heat
  • Maybe irritability
  • T: Pale
  • C: Thin
  • P: Thin and frail
Treatment Principle
  • Augment Qi
  • Tonify the Blood
  • Preserve the Blood
  • Tonify Yin
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Anemia
  • Uterine bleeding
  • Cold extremities
  • Pale or sallow face
  • Dizziness
  • General fatigue
  • Coarse skin
  • Nocturnal emissions
  • Weak knees
  • Fatigue
  • Dyspnea
  • Night sweats
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Insomnia
  • Intolerance of Cold
  • Decreased eyesight after a prolonged illness
  • Anxiety
  • Intermittent fever
  • Jaundice
  • Deficient cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Palpitations
  • Anorexia
  • Listlessness
  • Lassitude
  • Spontaneous sweating
  • Spermatorrhea
  • Continuous spotting
  • Leukorrhea
  • Weak legs and knees
  • T: Pale
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Thready and weak
Treatment Principle
  • Replenish Yang
  • Warm and tonify Qi and Blood
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Relatively superficial numbness without pain
  • Paresthesia and numbness of the skin and flesh
  • Paresthesia of the shoulders
  • Neck and shoulder stiffness and pain
  • Abdominal pain alleviated by warmth and pressure
  • Pale complexion
  • Hemiplegia
  • Stiff tongue
  • Flaccidity if the extremities
  • Migratory pain
  • Pain, weakness, tightness or spasms of the extremities
  • Spontaneous sweating
  • Shortness of breath
  • Aphasia
  • Excess salivation
  • Aversion to Wind
  • T: Normal or Thick
  • C: White or Smooth and white or White and greasy
  • P: Faint, choppy and tight or Slightly rough and tight or Large and weak or Slow and large
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify Qi and Blood
  • Warm and harmonize the channels and collaterals
  • Harmonize the Ying and Wei
  • Unblock painful obstruction
  • Warm the Middle Jiao
  • Dispel Cold
  • Alleviate pain
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Copious bleeding of dark purple blood
  • The blood is sticky during menstruation
  • May or may not have clots
  • Menstrual cycle is shortened (early menstruation)
  • Palpitations
  • Dizziness
  • Blurred vision
  • Pale, lusterless complexion
  • Pale nails
  • Abdominal pain
  • Irregular menstruation with little flow
  • Fixed lower abdominal pain
  • Vertigo
  • Tinnitus
  • Pale lips
  • May be amenorrhea
  • Insomnia
  • Menstruation may also be accompanied by distention and pain
  • T: Pale
  • C: Normal
  • P: Thin and weak or Thin and choppy
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify and activate the Blood
  • Regulate Blood circulation
  • Break up Blood Stagnation
  • Regulate menstruation
  • Alleviate pain
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Heaviness of the limbs
  • Weak and flaccid extremities
  • Occasional numbness
  • Slight swelling in the affected extremities
  • Most often affects the lower extremities
  • Possibly fever
  • Stifling sensation in the chest and epigastrium
  • Obesity
  • Lower back pain with a burning sensation
  • Yellow, foul-smelling vaginal discharge
  • Edema
  • Skin problems
  • A dry mouth
  • Irritability
  • A sensation of Heat that begins at the dorsum of the foot and slowly progresses up the leg to the waist
  • Dark, scanty, painful and difficult urination
  • Reddish urine
  • T: Red
  • C: Yellow and greasy
  • P: Soft and rapid and possibly slippery
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Resolve Dampness
  • Activate the Blood in the channels and collaterals
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Pain in low back and knees
  • Weakness or atrophy of lower extremities
  • Scanty yellow urine
  • Red, hot, swollen and painful feet or knees
  • Edema in lower legs
  • Eczema
  • Painful and swollen feet
  • Pain and swelling of the joints
  • Leukorrhea (thick, yellow and foul-smelling)
  • Sores on lower extremities due to Damp
  • Severe numbness and weakness in lower extremities
  • T: Normal
  • C: Yellow and greasy
  • P: Soft and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Eliminate Heat
  • Resolve Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Hemiplegia
  • Paralysis
  • Atrophy of the lower limbs
  • Facial paralysis
  • Slurred speech
  • Drooling
  • Dry stools
  • Frequent urination
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Deviation of the eyes and mouth
  • Excess salivation
  • Cold extremities
  • Asthenia
  • T: Normal
  • C: White
Treatment Principle
  • TonifY Qi
  • Activate the Blood
  • Unblock the channels
  • Promote movement in the limbs
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Facial complexion pale and sallow
  • Both cheeks slightly red
  • Dizziness
  • Dry eyes
  • Blurred vision
  • Spots before the eyes
  • Numbness of limbs
  • Flaccid paralysis (Wei syndrome), weakness
  • Tinnitus
  • Deafness
  • Forgetfulness
  • Low back and knees sore and painful
  • Throat dry and painful
  • Five sole Heat
  • Low-grade fever
  • Night sweats
  • Irritability
  • Insomnia
  • Stools difficult to pass
  • Constipation
  • Men:
    Spermatorrhea
  • Women:
    Irregular menses or
    Scanty menses or
    Amenorrhea
    Vaginal discharge
  • T: Red
  • C: None
  • P: Thready and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish and Reinforce the Liver and Kidneys
Herb Formulas
Points