Posted on 03/26/2008 2:16:56 PM PDT by naturalman1975
HUNDREDS of Australian veterans took pills linked to the diverse and debilitating symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome.
In a bitter twist, the pyridostigmine bromide pills were given to troops to protect them from nerve gases such as sarin.
A spokesperson for the Defence Department confirmed PB pills were issued during the Gulf War as part of a "range of prophylactic measures", including vaccination against diseases prevalent in the region.
The policy was reversed after a 1999 report flagged the possible risk the pills posed.
A new study by clinician and researcher Beatrice Golomb, of the University of California in San Diego, published on March 10 in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has for the first time established a clear link between PB pills and Gulf War Syndrome. The study drew on earlier reports, including a 2003 survey of Australian Gulf War veterans.
To assess the implications for the 1873 Australians who served in the 1990-91 conflict, Veterans' Affairs Minister Alan Griffin has asked his department to review the latest findings.
A spokesperson for Mr Griffin said the results of the review were expected early next week, when he would decide whether action was warranted.
A veteran who served on HMAS Brisbane throughout the war said he was pleased the minister was considering Professor Golomb's paper. "But I hope that any response won't take years, as it did with Agent Orange (used as a defoliate in the Vietnam War) and asbestos," he said.
The veteran, who asked not to be identified, said he suffered common symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome: breathing difficulties, fatigue and muscle and joint pain.
Other symptoms include memory problems, sleep disorders and rash.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au ...
Certainly I am not completely sanguine about the idea that my health might have been damaged in the Gulf - but the fact is, when I joined the RAN I knew that the job I wanted to do meant exposing myself to risk at times. And considering the absolutely horrible injuries that a person can receive in any war, I feel I got off very lightly indeed.
You join the Defence Force, you choose to risk your health and your life in the service of your country if that is what you are called on to do. Sure, I want those risks to be ameliorated as much as possible, but the bottom line is that sometimes you're going to get hurt.
But I've been told this attitude is 'unhelpful' to my fellow veterans.
I took pills, but only to guard against Malaria...that's what they said at least. I didn't take anyother pills while in the sandbox.
So far, I have not had any problems with GWS. I had cancer, but don't think that was related to my service.
When I found out the level (or lack thereof) testing that had been done on those pills prior to issuing them, I quietly decided not to take any of them and take my chances with the nerve gas.
I still have the unopened packages.
I am a Gulf War vet as well (Army Infantry). I have a memory of an officer stating that he had no idea what the pills actually were, so he was not going to take them; he then said we could do as we wished with the pills. I chose not to take them. I did, however, have to get several shots in my rear-— one of them was administered cold. I never found out what they were for. Any time I’ve requested my records, the VA can never locate them. Oh well.
I remember that shot. Two, in fact. One in each cheek. Felt like ice cold chunky peanut butter going in, and took it right before sitting for many many hours on the flight over.
I think they called it Gam-you-globulin or something like that.
As for the PB pills, I took them because we weren’t given a choice. So far no effects, though.
Unless you believe my ex-wife, who said that I came home an a**hole.
I blame the pills.
I remember that shot. Two, in fact. One in each cheek. Felt like ice cold chunky peanut butter going in, and took it right before sitting for many many hours on the flight over.
I think they called it Gam-you-globulin or something like that.
As for the PB pills, I took them because we weren’t given a choice. So far no effects, though.
Unless you believe my ex-wife, who said that I came home an a**hole.
I blame the pills.
Oops, sorry for the double post.
I blame the pills for that, too.
The only thing I have trouble with is my memory. I have a terrible time remembering things. I don’t get it though. I have several college degrees, but for some reason, I have whole blocks of my life missing. For one thing, I can recall very little from my childhood. When other people bring up memorable things such as holidays and birthdays, I really don’t know what they’re talking about. Most of my memory of the military is missing too. Heck, I can hardly remember what I did last week! Seriously though-I think I have somehow compartmentalized my life into different chapters, with each one closed to the other. I actually saw no combat in the military. Sure, we trained (like everyone else) for it, but I was never actually in any fire fights. Sure, we had stuff going off in our general area, we did our patrols, had SCUDS fired at us (actually saw one blown up over us-—landed several football fields away from our assembly area)-—in general, saw lots of boogered up stuff, but I never actually had to step up to the plate.
Delayed PTSD perhaps? I really don’t know.
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