Gulf War Syndrome

[Occasional Chemist]

What does that mean?

Permanently and totally disabled. Sorry about abbreviating - I'm used to abbreviating it "out loud" when discussing it.

BTW- I'd never suggest that the vets are grubbing for money. But thier views are very much subjective, wouldnt you think?

It is difficult to look at the situation objectively when you're the one in the wheelchair, yes. (I'm not in the wheelchair, of course, but the family member I spoke of earlier is getting there.)

 

[Occasional Chemist]

( don't donate blood for 2 years ...)
Do any other Desert Storm vets here remember this? I believe the memo stated something about a desert black fly carrying some disease.

Here's a link that might be related.

 

[svero]

Permanently and totally disabled. Sorry about abbreviating - I'm used to abbreviating it "out loud" when discussing it.



It is difficult to look at the situation objectively when you're the one in the wheelchair, yes. (I'm not in the wheelchair, of course, but the family member I spoke of earlier is getting there.)

I don't think anyone is arguing that *nobody* got sick or hurt from Gulf War service. This is about whether there is statistically significant evidence of deteriorating health in a large percentage of GWV's due to DU or some other identifiable cause like exposure to toxic gas, or disease.

If a disease spread by black flies was the culprit that would be easy to test for and show so I can only assume that, while there may have been such a disease, it is not the reason for deteriorating health in a large number of veterans, if indeed there is any evidence that GWV's are statistically less healthy than the general population.

 

[Guest]

I think the very first debate I engaged in with Jedi Knight was over the Gulf War Syndrome. He made some outlandish claims, as usual, and cited, but did not link, the VA as backing him up.

I was able to go right to a VA link to show that Gulf War veterans suffered no more illness, right up to the current day, than the civilian population, with the exception of motor vehicle accidents shortly after returning. Which is understandable, since they were out of practice.

And now I am going to be hypocritical and not provide the link.

I am tired, but promise to look for it later.

 

[Guest]

Okay. I hate to leave anyone hanging.

Here is the Gulf War Syndrom topic that JK started. Don't let the title throw you off. My posts begin on page 3.

And here is the VA report I mentioned in the same topic and in my last post on this topic.

Here is the relevant data from the VA report:

In summary, the mortality rates in both Gulf War veterans and non-deployed veterans are about 40% of the mortality rates in the general US population, which means that veterans are much healthier. In both the US and the UK, Gulf War veterans have had a significantly higher mortality rate due to unintentional injuries, mostly motor vehicle injuries, compared to non-deployed veterans. This is the only difference in mortality rates, to date. The follow-up mortality studies in the US and UK will continue indefinitely.

 

[Bjorn]

Thanks, Luke.

I was going to PM you since I knew you had some research results handy - you saved me the trouble.

 

[Nephilimn]

Here's a link that might be related.

Thanks!!!

I've been wondering about that for quite some time. It was the desert sandfly that was mentioned to us.

I wonder if some of these diseases could be the cause of GWS, misdiagnosed or not understood?

 

[pgwenthold]

Thanks!!!

I've been wondering about that for quite some time. It was the desert sandfly that was mentioned to us.

I wonder if some of these diseases could be the cause of GWS, misdiagnosed or not understood?

This assumes that there are some unattributable diseases that can be called "GWS".

However, the links provided above make an important claim: deployed Gulf war vets _DO NOT_ have a higher incidence of unattributable disease or problems than non-deployed troops.

IOW, you are speculating on a mechanism without having observed an effect.

 

[Troll]

I was in an artillery regiment in the Marines during the Gulf war. We used depleted uranium rounds. we were given the new and experimental NAP (nerve agent protection) pills. we were given shots for anthrax. we spent days in the clouded skies filled with the smoke from the oil fires in Kuwait. we used literally tons of dead animals to mark roads, how the animals died is unkown, they were not shot. Did any of that kill me or mess me up? So far no. Could any of it mess someone up? Yep. Different people get different reactions. I know a guy that became anemic because of the malaria pills we take when we went to the Phillipines, I've taken those pills on 4 different occassions and have no known adverse effects from them. I wouldn't call it a syndrome so much as a bad reaction to something that someone was exposed to.