Former adult film star Jenna Jameson, 47, has been diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease called Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Jenna shared the health update from the hospital via Instagram on Monday, January 10, days after she lost mobility in her legs. “I’m in the hospital still. I’m dealing with a little syndrome called Guillain-Barré Syndrome,” Jenna explained in her video. “We’re working through that and I just wanted to let you know that I see all your DMs and I appreciate it so much.”
In her caption, Jenna revealed that she’s started IVIG treatment to fight the disease, which causes the body’s immune system to attack the nervous system and cause muscle weakness/paralysis, according to the CDC. “I am in the hospital and will likely remain here until treatment is complete. I hope to be out of here soon,” she said.
Jenna’s boyfriend, Lior Bitton, had previously given an update on the TV personality’s health over the weekend. Lior said in a IG video that Jenna was “throwing up for a couple weeks,” so she went to the hospital and got a CT scan. Jenna was cleared and released from the hospital, but once she got home, she “couldn’t carry herself,” Lior said. “Her muscles were very weak. She was falling on the way back or to the bathroom, and then I would have to pick her up and put her to bed,” he said. “Within two days, It got not so good. Her legs started to not hold her. She wasn’t able to walk.” Lior took Jenna back to the hospital, where doctors determined she had Guillain-Barré Syndrome after performing an MRI and a spinal tap.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome typically causes symptoms that last “for a few weeks to several years,” according to the CDC. The rare disease affects only about 1 in 100,000 people, and an estimated 3,000-6,000 people develop it each year in the US. Some people have died of GBS, though it is extremely rare.