There are some new posts on the net about Gulf War Syndrome, linking it to the Anthrax vaccines given to the soldiers.

This vaccine back then was experimental, and had squalene in it.
This adjuvant has shown autoimmune damage in animals and is still banned by the FDA here for that reason. (But the military is exempt).

A small number of soldiers were vaccinated and at the last moment were not deployed to Iraq then, but stayed in US. They also developed the Syndrome!

While this is still controversial...I tend to think it is a vaccine autoimmune stimulated disorder.

You can search this and find many hits on this subject like this:
http://www.autoimmune.com/GWSGen.html

Vaccines are NOT safe as we all think. Some of the H1N1 allowed into the US last fall (because we didn't have enough of non-squalene type) had this adjuvant in them.

There are some videos on YouTube with reputable doctors explaining how squalene causes autoimmune disease when INJECTED into the body.

Boy this is good to know. I never heard of this. My lung doc has been very pointed about me needing to have flu vaccines after this last season. I am not comfortable with vaccines. So many questions and I am chemically sensitive to begin with. Thanks so much Mrs D.

Annie59

ap750, I wish GI6607 were still around but hasn't been on for a while.

I read that info too, Mrs. D., about the soldiers who didn't even make it over to Iraq and got sick. They get some nasty vaccines when they enlist. And I "love" the bait and switch tactics when the talk about the lesser "evil" of mercury and thimerosal in vaccines yet completely ignore squalene.

Annie59, Mestinon doesn't "heighten" the immune system. Did your doctor tell you that? What it does is to inhibit an enzyme in our body called acetylcholinesterase, whose job it is to "eat up" acetylcholine. That way, we can keep more acetylcholine in our neuromuscular junction longer and we can use more. Mestinon may, in fact, suppress the humoral immune system that produces antibodies. I wanted to clarify that for you. Also, the caffeine in coffee does the same thing as Mestinon does. It inhibits that enzyme too. So caffeine may help make muscles stronger or make them weaker if you get too much of it.

So many things happened to soldiers during the Gulf War. The vaccines, the sarin gas, taking Mestinon, being exposed to both permethrin and organophosphates, having diet soda sit out in 100+ weather when aspartame goes toxic above 86 degrees . . . so much didn't go well for them.

I know of someone who had a pneumovax shot and had their immune system go into overdrive (again, probably the squalene), cause nervous system damage and cause their left arm/hand not to function for months.

Deciding to have a vaccine or any other drug is a personal decision. You should always do research before putting anything into your body! Those in the Armed Services weren't really given a choice.

Annie

Here I am. I haven't been on for awhile but some things have happened. As I thought was coming quite awhile ago, my young wife divorced me after 22 years of marriage. She said I was not the same guy she married and was impossible to live with. After three and a half years, the Veterans Administration finally accepted my claim that MG was service related. They granted me 30% disability for the organophosphate exposure in the Gulf that they agreed was the catalyst for my myasthenia gravis. I am now taking Imuran instead of Cellcept but am still taking the Mestinon. Finally, I now have to wear a brace on one of my legs. Still kicking. Still here. Hope all are doing well...

Jim's records indicate biochemical exposure which is related to his diagnosis of MS. It is amazing how many military are developing MS or MG. Jim spent time in Jordan for desert training before the Gulf War started. This was when Iraq and Iran were going at it. The shots they had to take were crazy! He was dx'd with MS and medically discharged before the war broke out. Fastest medical discharge.

What I hope is with all these diagnosis is they come closer to finding out what may be triggering the disease and find a cure faster.

Does Jim receive VA disability? How is he coping?

Yes, he is 100% service connected. He's coping best he can considering. He was a grunt, 101st Airborne and now a quad. He was originally on military disability when he was discharged but converted to VA. They take good care of him despite a few bumps in the road. He was discharged back in 1988.

Make sure you take advantage of all the benefits you are entitiled to including vehicle and adaptive equipment as well as adaptive housing grants. You deserve it.

PS: Also keep track of all your new symptoms in case you need a rating eval. Jim started out at 75% disabled and is now 100%