Gulf War illnesses

[1sgboom]

I've been poked,& proded for the last 8yrs. I'm listed by the V.A. as 60% disabled. I've got it all: fatigue, memory loss, gastrointestinal problems, joint, & muscle pain, and large lumps under the skin, by the 100s. I just want to find out what my daughter has, and fix it.


"SAPPERS BREECH HELL"

[Hawk]

Top, Is your daughter have any trouble with schoolwork, such as spelling, reading? My son has trouble with both these areas, we have tried every type of tutoring you can think of, but still little progress for him. My older two (pre gulf war) have little trouble with their schoolwork. But everything seems to come very hard for him and just when you think he has it, he gets it all mixed up again. I am begining to think I might not be the only one who has memory problems.

[catman]

Top & Hawk...I will keep you both and your families in my prayers. i have a few friends from my former unit that are having problems also. Funny how that effected some and not all. I think I am only one of two guys from my unit with PTSD, same funny syndrome there. Take care guys!

Trav

[1sgboom]

My daughter is excelling in school, all A's etc...so no problem there. She is however taking antidepressants.....not good for a kid of 9. Catman, could you have some of your friends get on board here, and describe some of the problems they are experiencing. The more info I can gather on sick kids of Gulf vets, the better. That way I can submit it all to the AGWVA. Thanks guys.

"SAPPERS BREECH HELL"

[catman]

Top...I will send the word to those I know. May be able to get them to private message you but I do not think they will talk on open forum.

Trav

[1sgboom]

OK my friend, thanks I really appreciate it

"SAPPERS BREECH HELL"

[Hawk]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PO3-08
February 5, 2003 Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FDA APPROVES PYRIDOSTIGMINE BROMIDE AS PRETREATMENT AGAINST NERVE GAS
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced approval of pyridostigmine bromide to increase survival after exposure to Soman "nerve gas" poisoning. The product is approved for combat use by United States military personnel.

Pyridostigmine bromide is the first drug approved under a recently issued FDA rule (frequently referred to as the "animal efficacy rule") that allows use of animal data for evidence of the drug's effectiveness for certain conditions when the drug cannot be ethically or feasibly tested in humans.

The "animal efficacy rule," which became effective on June 30, 2002, is an important component of FDA's efforts to make medical countermeasures available to treat or prevent the effects of biological and chemical agents.

FDA Commissioner Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., said, "Today's action will help protect American troops and others from nerve agent attacks."

The "animal efficacy rule" enabled FDA to approve pyridostigmine bromide to increase survival from Soman poisoning despite the impossibility of ethically conducting human studies on the effectiveness of the drug.

The nerve agent Soman causes loss of muscle control and death from respiratory failure. Evidence of the effectiveness of pyridostigmine bromide as a pretreatment for exposure to Soman was obtained primarily from studies in monkeys and guinea pigs. This evidence shows that administration of the drug before exposure to Soman, together with atropine and pralidoxime given after exposure, increases survival. FDA believes that, based on the animal evidence of effectiveness, pyridostigmine bromide is likely to benefit humans exposed to Soman.

The agency's safety assessment is based on long-term use of pyridostigmine bromide, first approved by FDA in 1955, to treat a neuromuscular disease called myasthenia gravis. The Department of the Army has submitted data from multiple controlled trials and uncontrolled clinical experience demonstrating pyridostigmine bromide is well-tolerated at the doses intended for military use. The dose used for myasthenia gravis is higher than the dose used for pretreatment to protect against Soman.

To use this potentially lifesaving drug correctly, military personnel must carefully follow instructions and use the drug only under specific circumstances. For example, if U.S. troops faced the threat of exposure to Soman, they would be given instructions to take pyridostigmine bromide every 8 hours prior to the anticipated exposure. Soldiers will be warned that the drug is not effective and should not be taken at the time of, or after exposure to Soman.

The troops are to use the drug in conjunction with other protective measures, including chemical protective masks and battle dress garments. Furthermore, effectiveness depends on the rapid use of the antidotes atropine and pralidoxime and discontinuation of pyridostigmine bromide at the first indication of nerve gas exposure. The Department of Defense plans to provide all military personnel with extensive training, prior to deployment, on the proper use of pyridostigmine bromide, as well as other methods used in the prevention and treatment of nerve agent poisoning.

A leaflet that explains the drug's use, benefits, and side effects will be provided to military personnel when the drug is distributed. The leaflet advises that pyridostigmine bromide should not be used by persons who have a history of bowel or bladder obstruction, or sensitivity to certain medicines used during surgery (like physostigmine). Side effects that may occur include stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, frequent urination, headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, worsening of peptic ulcer, blurred vision, and watery eyes.

The approved dose of pyridostigmine bromide for Soman pretreatment is one 30-mg. tablet every 8 hours. The leaflet states that pyridostigmine should be started at least several hours before exposure to Soman and emphasizes that it must be discontinued upon exposure to nerve gas, at which point the antidotes atropine and pralidoxime are given.

During the Gulf War, FDA had allowed distribution of pyridostigmine bromide under its Investigational New Drug provisions because pretreatment with this drug had the potential to help save lives if nerve agents were used.

Today's action provides FDA approval for the product.

found at this link:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopag...de/default.htm


"The "animal efficacy rule" enabled FDA to approve pyridostigmine bromide to increase survival from Soman poisoning despite the impossibility of ethically conducting human studies on the effectiveness of the drug."
I guess the above means it is unethical, to test this drug on humans, would that implie that we were test subjects, and as such had forfeited our human rights, simply because we were in the military, we were not intitled to ethical treatment.


pb drug label (good information list all the side effects)
http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2003/020414lbl.pdf

[Arrow]

Division of Epidemiology

---

Research on Gulf War-Associated Neurologic Illness
By the Division of Epidemiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Robert W. Haley, M.D., Director



Dr. Robert Haley and colleagues at UT Southwestern have been conducting epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory research on the "Gulf War syndrome" and related neurologic illnesses in Gulf War veterans since March 1994. The work has been supported by a continuing grant from the Perot Foundation and by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense. The objectives of the research are to define new or unique clinical syndromes among Gulf War veterans, determine their causes, identify areas of damage or dysfunction in the brain and nervous system responsible for the symptoms, develop a cost-effective battery of clinical tests that can diagnose the illness, search for underlying genetic traits that might predispose to the illness, and perform clinical trials of promising treatments.

The initial studies identified three primary syndromes in a Naval reserve construction battalion (seabees) that appear to be unique, demonstrated that the syndromes are associated with subtle dysfunction of the brainstem and lower parts of the brain, and found epidemiologic associations between the syndromes and risk factors of exposure to combinations of chemicals in the Gulf War.

Genetic studies have identified a genetic trait (PON1 enzymes) that may explain why some soldiers sustained brain damage from exposure to neurotoxic chemicals while others working alongside them remained well. Most recently, research using magnetic resonance spectroscopy has demonstrated a loss of functioning brain cells in deep brain structures of ill Gulf War veterans. Additional commentaries by Dr. Haley have challenged the government's stress theory of Gulf War syndrome and findings of no difference in mortality, hospitalization and birth defects between Gulf War-deployed and nondeployed military populations. Additional research and publications are in process.



Click on the following topics for summaries of the published research.

1. A list of the papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.


2. Findings showing that there is a Gulf War syndrome, it is due to organic neurologic dysfunction, and it is associated with exposure to combinations of chemicals in the Gulf War.

3. Dr. Haley's refutation of the stress theory of Gulf War illness.


4. Dr. Haley's refutation of government research showing no increase in mortality, hospitalization, or birth defects in Gulf War veterans compared with the nondeployed military population

5. Findings on the genetic predisposition to Gulf War Syndrome.



6. Findings linking dizziness in Gulf War Veterans to subtle brain injury.



7. Findings on brain cell loss by magnetic resonance spectroscopy.



8. Findings on abnormal brain dopamine levels.

9. Stress does not cause pyridostigmine to enter the brain.

The site listed belowis the original site for this material:

http://www.swmed.edu/home_pages/epidemi/gws/

Peace,

Arrow>>>>>>>>

[Margaret Diann]

Thank you for sharing about your children;

Here is a comment from a clinical and molecular teratology abstract about birth defects of GW I vets: "We observed a higher prevalence of tricuspid valve insufficiency, aortic valve stenosis, and renal agenesis or hypoplasia among infants conceived postwar to GWV men, and a higher prevalence of hypospadias among infants conceived postwar to female GWVs."

As you know, on this topic in general, I always wonder about the fact that 2-butoxyethanol is a teratogen

If it is 2nd hand solvent exposure or an effect of these chemicals - which troops were exposed to during the gulf (& also before and after the gulf) ... you will want to stay clear of chemicals - even medications as much as possible.

Consider these helps

Why I suspect 2-butoxyethanol &/or diethylene glycol monobutyl ether

Test the blood for THESE things that these chemicals do

If you are dealing with central nervous system damage, they say there isn't much that can be done for it. If anyone knows otherwise, please share. But, those odd symptoms that are 'all over the board' even the headaches: reflects the endocrine disruption that pesticides (including these chemicals) do.

Margaret

valdezlink.com/banner.htm

[Margaret Diann]

This thread has important implications I've saved some of it, all

16 months later, check for these things

My goal: get the right tests - Stop the unnecessary poking and prodding!