Hello,
My name is Rod, I am an Australian Vietnam veteran engaged in welfare work with veterans.

I have an interest in establishing the possible causes of MS stemming from Military service. In particular, I am trying to ascertain the minimum levels of exposure to organic slovents to possibiliy cause MS, also typical delay periods in a person's life before MS is manifest. I have a Vietnam veteran at the momnet in his mid sixties who has been just struck down by MS in an agressive way. We believe the cause is exposure to solvents during his military service some 35 to 40 years ago. Is this possible?

Hope somebody has some helpful information.

Regards
RODG

Hi Rod and welcome to NeuroTalk. Here is the link to our very active MS Forum...http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum17.html

I don't know if they can answer your specific question but trust me when I say that you'll be overwhelmed with their friendliness.

Hello Rod and Welcome to NeuroTalk. Hope you take a look around and make yourself at home. We have a Community Welcome Team Member from Tazmania name Koala~ I'm sure she'll chime in later.
I also think what you are researching is really amazing. Since you are a Veteren, I salute you.

Welcome~

Hi and welcome to NT! My husband has ms and is also a veteran. We have often thought or wondered about all the chemicals he has been exposed to, not to mention shots given to go overseas. However, with so many civilian persons affected with ms I am reluctant to say the military alone is the reason for ms. I definitely think some virus or environmental exposure plays a part and maybe being in the military increases such exposure. My husband is retired Army at 100% service connected.

This is a great place to be for much support. Welcome again!

Hi Rod and welcome to Neurotalk.

I was recently in Washington DC and you are not the only one who is interested in this very subject.

There is currently a study being done to look into why so many Gulf War vets are being dx'd with MS. In fact, over 25,000 from all wars!

We are trying to get the Department of Defense to fund MS research specifically due this increase in dx'd in returning Veterans. Some researchers believe there may be an environmental link.

The issue in Congress right now is: Multiple Sclerosis Research Funding in the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/gov....aspx#research

Take a look at the link I provided and if you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me. I am the Government Relations Representative for the Idaho Chapter.

I can put you in contact with members of the CDMRP committee for further information.

We are asking the DoD to fund MS Research this year for the first time ever. We need support.

Hi, Rodg! Welcome to NeuroTalk!

Boy, there is the golden question. The thing is, so many of us MSrs have never been anywhere near any of the agents used in Vietnam in any way.

My immediate reaction is that the exposure could possibly have aggravated your man's MS, or agitated it enough to accelerate more speedily, but no one knows a concrete answer to that question.

Hi RODG and welcome to NeuroTalk!

I wish I had the answer for you....unfortunately there seems to be a lot of variables when it comes to determining why or how some people get MS and some don't.

Hopefully the MS community here will be able to help you uncover an answer!

Hi Rod and welcome from me as well. I'm the Tasmanian that DaisyMay mentioned in her post, and I also have MS.

I also worked with Veterans for many years, but for me it was as an RN at two of our Veteran hospitals ......... Heidelberg Repat, and the Hobart Repatriation Hospitals which as you know, no longer exist.

I agree with AfterMyNap's suggestion that maybe exposure has agrravated your client's condition, and may even have been the trigger that initiated onset.

Good luck in your search. Welcome again to NeuroTalk, and do check the link that Av8rGirl has provided.

Welcome to NeuroTalk!

Rod,

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Great to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene