The FReeper Foxhole - Gulf War Syndrome: Fact vs. Fiction - Dec 9th, 2002

http://www.fumento.com/gwspro.html ^ | Michael Fumento

[SAMWolf]

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Remove the Myth and Look at the Science

It is time to put to rest the myth of Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), another meaningless collection of illnesses attributed to serving in the Gulf War. This editorial is based upon the excellent article on GWS found in the March 1997 issue of Reason magazine.

It is important to first consider the evidence to date and why the media in America has been so biased in its reporting of this "syndrome." The broadcast and news media (notably USA Today, the New York Times, and ABC's Nightline) constantly publish a barrage of pro-Gulf War Syndrome stories, peppered by individual accounts of soldiers who were there and now claim to have "it."

Naturally, like multiple chemical sensitivity disorder, there are over 100 symptoms of GWS, ranging from hair loss, graying hair, weight gain, weight loss, irritability, heartburn, rashes, sore throat, sore gums, constipation, insomnia, and a foot fungus, among others. The people claim to have GWS are not doctors, not medical experts, and not scientists. Yet the media consistently push their side of the story, only mentioning the scientific studies which have examined their claims as an afterthought.

A popularly quoted soldier, Pfc. Brian Martin, claims, for instance, that he "would vomit Chemlite-looking fluids every time I ran [in prescribed physical therapy]; an ambulance would pick me up, putting IVs in both arms, rushing me to Womack Community Hospital. This happened every morning after my return from the war" (transcript from a Congressional panel headed by Rep. Chris Shays, on September 19, 1996).

Chemlite refers to a glowing tube, so Martin is claiming his vomit glowed. Would any respectable medical doctor continue to prescribe physical therapy for a patient who was vomiting every morning in fluorescent colors? Sounds unlikely. Yet this is the most widely-quoted soldier in stories on GWS. Hasn't any reporter thought to question the reliability of some of this information?

Taking away the handful of case-study testimonies given before Congress, we're left with a half-dozen or so controlled, scientific studies to examine. The New England Journal of Medicine reported in its November, 1996 issue that cancer rates among Persian Gulf veterans is slightly below that of comparable vets who didn't deploy to the Gulf. In the same issue, it was reported that hospitalization rates for Gulf War vets are the same as non-Gulf War vets.

The final report from the Institute of Medicine, released in October, 1996, concluded that there was no "scientific evidence to date demonstrating adverse health consequences linked with [Gulf War] service." The Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illness draft of the final report, leaked in November, 1996, found "no support for the myriad theories proposed as causes of illnesses among Persian Gulf war veterans, or even evidence there is a 'Gulf War Syndrome.'"

These studies are only the most recent which have been published which show no discernable link between serving in the Persian Gulf war and any higher incidence of disease or illness.

What about the recent accounts of nearly 15,000 troops possibly being exposed to sarin nerve gas after a repository was destroyed in the war? No soldier in the 37th Engineer Battalion (which was responsible for blowing up those bunkers) reported any acute symptoms of nerve gas poisoning at the time. Could slight exposure (since nobody complained of any problems after the explosion) to a known and well-understood nerve gas now be responsible for the wide-spread harm and mayhem related to GWS? Unlikely.

The Institute of Medicine concluded in an October 1996 report that "there is no available evidence in human or animal studies to date that exposure to nerve agents at low levels that do not produce any detectable acute clinical or physiological manifestations results in any chronic or long-term adverse health effects." Did we ever see this as a headline in a newspaper or the lead story on the evening news?

No, it is far more interesting (and therefore, newsworthy) to claim something is causing harm than to claim there is no basis for the harm. For instance, the news media are much more likely to report on so-called Internet Addiction Disorder (despite no scientific evidence that it exists) than on the self-help support groups which quietly save hundreds of lives each year online. This is an ongoing and troubling bias in the media. By focusing on the negative (look at all the attention given to the verdict in a civil trial of a private individual), regardless of whether people care or not, the media often tries to make the news rather than report on it.

So what's causing all the symptoms complained about by these veterans? What is this if it isn't Gulf War Syndrome? The alternative to GWS is often misunderstood and stigmatized, hence the reason it is rarely mentioned.

Individuals who suffer from these very real physical symptoms are looking to an external, rather than internal cause. As the Reason article noted, you "can get diarrhea because you're worried about tomorrow's final exam or because you ate a week-old taco." The first cause is related to stress and internal thoughts; the latter is related to an organic mechanism. Dozens of research studies in psychology over the past few decades have illustrated the link between one's thoughts and one's physical state or well-being.

There are a lot of theories, in fact, about how physical ailments may be caused simply by our thoughts and feelings about ourselves. This is not to say that we intentionally look to create these problems within ourselves, or that the problem is "all in our heads." On the contrary, the problems and symptoms are just as real as the thoughts are and need treatment.

After the debate has been left behind, we are still left with the problem of vets having physical symptoms. Instead of focusing attention on what causes these problems, however, the solution lies in proper care and treatment of these problems. Treatment should likely include a psychological component, given what we know about the possible medical causes to date.

The important facet of all of this to realize is that there is a psychological component to this problem. It may be that some of these problems are psychosomatic in cause, or a social hysteria which some of the vets have come to firmly believe in and identify. In fact, a handful of vets have built their post-war lives around their disorders. Anything which becomes an integral and important part of one's life is not easily given up, no matter what is discovered about GWS in the future.

GWS likely does not exist, nor has it ever. Scientific research to date illustrates this more clearly than any testimonial given before Congress. This fact needs to be realized and the myth discarded before any long-term healing may begin.

[MistyCA]

Sam...it's just possible that some things can't really be treated. I mean....how do you go back and restore people who have been through a war. In many cases, you just don't. War is hell. This sort of thing is part of that hell. But I am sure that if people had not been frightened by the threat (media enhanced) of chemical exposure and all that other stuff, maybe they would have been much better off. The media needs to get a life and stop blowing things out of proportion. People need to understand that life needs to go on. Medical facilities need to deal with the fact that people come back from war needing their assistance. It's just really hard because some of the symptoms could very well be there because of other illnesses that would have come up regardless. But then, that's just my opinion.

[MistyCA]

Thanks for sharing that. My gut tells me you could very well be right. And it is most definately true that people have sensitivities that differ from one to the next. Things that are relatively harmless to you might make me sicker than a dog. May all those people for the Gulf War or any other war find comfort, peace and good health!

[MistyCA]

AMEN!

[Victoria Delsoul]

The Institute of Medicine concluded in an October 1996 report that "there is no available evidence in human or animal studies to date that exposure to nerve agents at low levels that do not produce any detectable acute clinical or physiological manifestations results in any chronic or long-term adverse health effects." Did we ever see this as a headline in a newspaper or the lead story on the evening news?

Wow, excellent info, Sam. Obviously the liberal media (which are most of them) isn't interested in the truth because that will affect their "we are against war" propaganda.

[thatdewd]

Thanks for the info, but if Mycoplasma has anything to do with certain GWS cases, it would probably be from one of weaponized forms which are different from the common varieties mentioned by the NY health dept. The pathogenic forms created as bio-warfare agents can often cause neurological problems, chronic fatigue syndrome, "fibromyalgia" (not a disease, it's a fancy way for the doctor to tell you that your muslces and joints hurt, which you already knew), and even gastro intestinal problems. The respiratory aspects mentioned are usually present as well. There is so much variation on the symptoms because different people have different body chemistries which react differently to the toxins produced by the organism. A good search on google or any other search engine combining "Mycoplasma" with "Gulf War" or "doxycycline" should bring up some good scientific papers. I'd stick to the more scientific sites for background info.

[ninenot]

Its not the depleted uranium that's leftist anti nuclear junk science

Not so fast, my friend.

A good friend of mine was a "nuker," and the Ph.D. responsible for regulatory affairs at the nuclear electricity plant.

He was also about as conservative as you will find.

He had some reservations about depleted uranium and conceded that a number of ill effects may have resulted---PARTICULARLY if fine particulate D.U. was inhaled.

That's all I can recall of the 12-year-old conversation and my friend is now beyond the Pearly Gates, RIP.

You may, just for fun, want to look up the topic.

[Alberta's Child]

Interesting post, Sam. I have to do some research when I have the time -- I have a distant cousin who was in a platoon in Iraq in which something like half the members came down with some kind of strange blood disorder after the Gulf War.

[SAMWolf]

Trial lawyers lumped all of the legitimate problems with personell in the gulf into one big class action suit known as "Gulf War Syndrome".

Tort reform has never looked so good. :D

I have to agree with you on that statement

[ninenot]

in favor of total socialism and World Government....so long as THEY are the Governors.

Remember that NONE of the upper-ranking Party members lived an ascetic life in ANY Communist Government.

[sistergoldenhair]

Thanks so much for this thread.
GWS interests me.
There is so much posted here; it will take awhile to get through it all.

[Jen]

Hahahahaha! You suffer from mental confusion too? You should see some of the wacky posts I've made while in "fibro fog" and under the influence of "Jack and Coke". Or better yet, maybe NOT! hahahahaha ;-)

[PhilDragoo]

You've framed an intelligent discussion of a worthy topic.

The media have been famously wrong and slanderous of the military in the past decade.

They took out after the Navy for a Tailhook convention, and publicized the loathesome antics of one Sara Lister.

They hyped the nonexistent Operation Tailwind when U.S. forces purportedly used nerve agents on defectors.

They pursued a "massacre" at No Gun Ri in Korea, featuring a "witness" who wasn't there.

It is good that a systematic approach has been applied to the phenomenon GWS, and research is ongoing.

I will reserve judgment, except to say that glowing vomit may be a flashback to the 'sixties.

Tinfoil is no longer available, as the lead was found to be harmful.

We have encountered clients who needed sections of wall replaced because their aluminum foil dowsing rods showed bad energy within.

I note with interest the comment upthread by doug from upland at 33 regarding the aspartame disease, the phenylalanine cooked off in the Arabian sun.

That substance is powerful, and dangerous.

Factors cited have included depleted uranium, anthrax vaccine, insect repellant, exposure to nerve agents.

One poster posited sabotage by Clinton via tainted innoculations.

Certainly the furor created by the series of shots has received wide attention. The adverse symptoms coupled with the propensity of traitorraist42 to bend over for ChiCom generals would lead some to speculate.

Patriots are at the helm now, and the fighting force is well-equipped. Lessons have been learned and a keen watch will be kept.

Let the primary victim of Gulf War II Syndrome be the Grinch of Baghdad, whom Santa has deemed a very naughty boy.

Deliver to him Christmas Eve a thermobaric enema, and place him in quarantine one hundred feet beneath layers of reinforced concrete.

Place a bronze plaque on the surface marking the Mother of All Glowing Vomitoria.

[Light Speed]

Well Sam...surely a volitile subject and one were certain critical information is still being withheld.
Yes to Iraqi bio/chem stockpiles going up...and yes to them firing some.
Coupled with "Depleted uranium" exposure..and toxins from the burning oil wells...you certainly have a soup that can account for all of this. Some of this to might be a percentage of serviceman having side effects from innoculations during the Desert Sheild time window.
There were accounts of alarms going off in the evenings after some detonations...these are the records which have been buried..and would reveal if the Iraqi's did infact airburst in the night over Kuwait.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Good stuff! There's a lot of conflicting information out there. Big surprise that so much of the mainstream media is total garbage.

[MistyCA]

LOLOL! Like that one? Just kidding! :)

[SAMWolf]

Ok Thanks for the info, I hadn't considered a weaponized version Mycoplasma.

[SAMWolf]

I think there's a lot that we don't get told. Half these problems come from lack of information.

[SAMWolf]

That's what makes all this so strange, on of my wife's friends son has had physical problems since he came back.

There just seems to be too many cases of different ailments coming out of the Gulf War.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks PhilDragoo.

It's a subject that IMHO doesn't have satifactory anwsers. There are as many theories as there are poeple it seems and it's hard to separate fact from fiction.