Survey and Discussion. Gulf War Illness Symptoms in Servicemembers.

SGT Kristin Wiley — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 15:47:09 -0500

For those of you who don't know I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a medically unexplained and incorrectly named illness that onset after I returned from my deployment in Iraq (2011). Despite reading about the prominence of this condition from the VA and in the media, I have never met another service member with this diagnosis. I am also surprised by the lack of knowledge military health care providers have on these conditions. I am currently working towards attending medical school in an effort to a make a difference in this field of study.

The VA relates these symptoms to the Southwest Asia Theater of military operations; however since the cause is unknown I wonder how many who have not served in this theater of operations have these symptoms. I wanted to take a general survey on how many have/or suspect to have the symptoms related to these diagnoses. I also wanted to open up discussion to servicemembers to share experience, resources, and tools related to these symptoms. (Please send me a private message if you do not feel comfortable discussing this publicly).

What the VA says on Gulf War Veterans’ Medically Unexplained Illnesses:

A prominent condition affecting Gulf War Veterans is a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, and memory problems. VA refers to these illnesses as "chronic multisymptom illness" and "undiagnosed illnesses."

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a condition of long-term and severe fatigue that is not relieved by rest and is not directly caused by other conditions.

Fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by widespread muscle pain. Other symptoms may include insomnia, morning stiffness, headache, and memory problems.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders, a group of conditions marked by chronic or recurrent symptoms related to any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Functional condition refers to an abnormal function of an organ, without a structural alteration in the tissues. Examples include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia, and functional abdominal pain syndrome.

Undiagnosed illnesses with symptoms that may include but are not limited to: abnormal weight loss, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, muscle and joint pain, headache, menstrual disorders, neurological and psychological problems, skin conditions, respiratory disorders, and sleep disturbances.

http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/medically-unexplained-illness.asp

Gulf War Veterans’ Medically Unexplained Illnesses - Public Health

Information on Veterans' medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses that VA recognizes are related to Gulf War service

Response by CPL Zach Spurloch made Jun 17 at 2016 5:35 PM

CPL Zach Spurloch — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 17:35:20 -0400

I suspect the majority of these illnesses are under-rooted diagnoses of the adjuvant used inin vaccines, squalene, predominately. The VA Dr.'s are told not to diagnose any illness they can label as being somatoform (all in your mind), or psychosomatic. If you think you are sick, you therefore make yourself sick. It's the military's easy way out of a situation they know they should acknowledge, yet choose to do otherwise. Did you know military Dr.'s dont need to carry malpractice insurance? - Because no service member can sue due to an error in prognosis, treatment, or diagnosis. You should look at your medical records to determine if any of your vaccines were squalene based. I am told there are FB groups out there (somewhere) that deal with these adjuvants and the side effects derived from them.

Response by SPC Rhonda Godlewski-Reese made Jan 23 at 2020 7:19 AM

SPC Rhonda Godlewski-Reese — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 07:19:52 -0500

I went back every year a few times a year since 2006 to see Doctors. Finally saw a Rheumy in 2018 and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Until then I suffered from widespread joint pain tiredness, insomnia (It sucks wanting to sleep but then being unable) if I sleep it doesn’t make me feel rested I wake up stiff and sore. “Fibro fog” I’m tired and sick of being tired