Updated 1 May 2000
Gulf War Illness
A Treatment Plan that's Working
"The Anthrax Vaccine Controversy" from The Medical Sentinel 2000
What's Really Causing Gulf War Illness?
(Note: I am not selling anything. I am concerned about you!)
I am not going to waste your time. The following physician supervised, Doxycycline based, treatment plan has taken me from a couch ridden invalid to a reasonably active parent of two school age kids able to maintain a part-time job in 5 months time. I continue to improve mentally and physically. I am not cured in the sense that I no longer need the medicine. I am cured in the sense that all the severe symptoms are gone (I still have some fatigue, skin and memory problems). I still have an abnormally low activity ceiling which I can not exceed without a relapse. Overall, though, I am about 80% recovered, and certainly dramatically improved! I anticipate a complete cure* at some point due to the excellent response to the medicine. (7 month update) (9 month update) (16 month update) However, 80% recovery (compared to death or complete disability) is very much an improvement. Nonetheless, I am pursuing this so far successful course of treatment to its maximum benefit, which to date has been tremendous.
With medical insurance that pays 75%, 100 tablets cost me $12.23 (more or less a month's supply). Without insurance, the cost is $49 (varies from pharmacy to pharmacy).
(Note: I am not a medical professional and not qualified to recommend medical treatments. This is simply a factual report of what has worked for me. Any program of medical treatment must be supervised by a qualified physician and tailored to your specific needs. )
Here are the basics of the treatment program that has worked for me:
- Consulted a doctor and presented him with copies of all the free medical research information available from the Institute for Molecular Medicine.
- Took Doxycycline 100 mg tablets 3 times a day (capsules didn't work, Azithromyacin appeared to work for my kids, but not for me). Didn't notice improvement for a few weeks. The first couple weeks actually felt worse. This is the Herxheimer reaction caused by the toxin released by the germs as they die - this is normal and to be expected. It took some willpower to stick with it! Remember, you are fighting for your life here, as well as those of your family. Don't "chicken out" or draw any hasty conclusions during the first few weeks.
- Eliminated every stressful aspect of my daily routine possible (some will remain of course)
- Mild exercise only 5 times a week, starting at 15 minutes daily. Increased gradually as stamina built (after approximately 2 months). Intense exercise makes symptoms worse in the early months (and even beyond - there appears to be a ceiling of activity which increases as your recovery progresses, but beyond which symptoms will be aggravated even to the point of a major relapse). To avoid any misunderstandings, I want to make it clear that my exercise is still mild. Not only that, but during the relapses (which are also normal and to be expected) I cut down to less times per week. Contrary to everything we have been taught and experienced about the beneficial effects of exercise, too much of it can hurt you severely with this disease. The trick is to get just enough to increase your circulation and general health.
- Took a lot of extra C, E & B vitamins, as well as extra basic vitamin/mineral combos.
- I noticed that I felt better when I ate a lot of good protein source food, mainly eggs, so I added eggs to my diet 4 times a week. (Note: I have since reduced my egg consumption somewhat out of concern for long-term cholesterol management (2 or 3 times a week). However, during the acute phase prior to seeing any real improvement, I felt strongly that the eggs did in fact boost my strength to the point that I could accomplish more of my essential daily routine as a parent. I don't know why, but suspect the intense nutritional content of eggs helped repair damaged cells and tissues - amino acid depletion?.)
- The following foods & supplements also seem to help: ginseng & echinacea tea (both in same cup, 4 cups a day), fresh garlic, grape seed extract, extra fruits and vegetables, Ginkgo biloba. The lemon and olive drink recommended by Dr. Nicolson also helped during the first 3 weeks of Doxycycline treatment.
- Rest when your tired, don't push it. Let the body tell you when your stamina is sufficient for further activity.
- Drink a lot of extra water ( No caffeine, period - makes symptoms worse. Unfortunately so does sugar and chocolate.) Avoid these things like the plague. Along with stress and too much physical activity, they are the things that will cause a serious relapse and negate the positive effects of the rest of your treatment plan.
- A good quality prescription antihistamine helps tremendously. I have had good results from Claritin, Allegra, and Zyrtec. My allergy season lasts from May through October. I get a systemic type of sick fatigue in addition to the more minor problems which these medicines counteract quite well. I think that anytime your allergies act up and invoke your immune system the Gulf War Illness is aggravated. Consequently you may be suprised at just how much better you feel when taking one of these antihistamines regularly.
- Pray! I believe prayer can have great benefits to your health and actually impact the course of world events (spiritual warfare).
- Seek out positive interaction with friends and family (not intense physical sports - maybe later)
- Laugh and have fun as much as you can - this actually changes your body chemistry
Note: If you start the doxycycline or one of the other antibiotics Dr. Nicolson recommends, don't forget to eat a couple small bowls of yogurt daily to replenish the gut flora which the antibiotic kills. There are also supplements you can buy at health food stores which do this better than yogurt alone. These are the Acidophilus tablets. The better alternative is to get the one that has Bulgaricus, Thermophilus, and Bifidum in addition to Acidophilus.
Note: I now also take several other potent immune boosters and antioxidants such as COQ10, DHEA, glandular extracts etc. The immune
system really seems to be the focus of GWI problems. Another supplement
that I take which seems to help with joint problems is called "Osteo-Bi-Flex". The active ingredients are Glucosamine HCI and Chondroitin Sulfate. I am not recommending the Osteo-Bi-Flex brand over any other
which contains the same ingredients.
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Knowledge is power.
My response to the Doxycycline tablets (and the fact that other medicines did not work) have led me to conclude that I am suffering from an infection from some kind of "germ" which is extremely hard to clear from the body 100% - in other words something "new". My symptoms were precisely what Dr. Nicolson describes for Mycoplasma, and the recovery phase tracks exactly as he describes it. For more info about Mycoplasma see: Mycoplasma
I have watched as close relatives began to display similar symptoms
and improved after seeing a doctor and taking the medicines recommend by Dr. Nicolson. I have seen two friendly pet cats die while their standoffish companions survived. A third friendly cat developed a tumor and "wasting" type disease while its human wary mate did not.
These were three different sets of cats in three different residences
(all different states).
(PETS)
I would not lightly speculate about an issue of such grave concern to so
many families. I am certain this particular illness is contagious.
I understand that many Persian Gulf War veterans may have other serious health problems derived from exposure to chemical warfare agents and other toxic substances in the Gulf. Given my own experience though, I would recommend seeing a private physician to discuss a trial period of Doxycycline (at least 90 days?) to see if it helps.
It seems plausible to me that some veterans may have both a toxic exposure problem and an infectious disease, in which case effective treatment of the disease may aid in sorting out exactly which symptoms derive from the toxic exposure(s). The remaining symptoms can then be targeted (once again under guidance of a qualified physician)by the proper combination of conventional medicine, environmental medicine, holistic medicine, nutritional therapy etc. There now appears to be a clear genetic component to this illness as well. These problems have probably resulted from experimental DNA vaccines which have caused the DNA in some of our cells to become altered in ways that impair normal healthy functions. Also see the article at: DNA Vaccines Generate Excitement as Human Trials Begin [Too Late ...! - I think they may have begun earlier, say about 1990-1991.]
For information on the value of long term antibiotic treatment see
the following sites which discuss documented clinical and research studies indicating that selected antibiotics are an effective treatment method. The treatment is, however, fairly long term.
http://rheumatic.org/martin.htm http://rheumatic.org/faq.htm http://rheumatic.org/mirkin.htm http://arthritis.tqn.com/health/arthritis/library/weekly/aa072998.htm http://www.compkarori.com/arthritis/pi15003.htm http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol3no1/baseman.htm http://rheumatic.org/refs.htm http://www.immed.org/illness/infectous_disease_research.html http://www.immed.org/illness/autoimmune_illness_research.html
Testing for infectious microorganisms can be performed at INTERNATIONAL MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS, INC.: http://www.immed.org/illness/clinical_testing.html
For an overview of the symptoms of Gulf War Illness go to:
The Symptoms - How to Identify Gulf War Illness Medical Contacts for Gulf War Illness
I wish I could say that the military and VA hospitals were likely to give you the proper treatment. However, their track record up to this point is terrible. See Dr. Garth Nicolson's recent Senate testimony (Nov 98) &
Note: The government's approach may be changing, see What's New? - GWS News Summary. However; in the currently very dangerous (and unethical) national and international situation, a healthy dose of skepticism may be required to stay healthy.
More good info at:
Mycoplasma Information Package
You may find it worthwhile to checkout the following books from
your local library:
- Brain Longevity by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. Study it. This information could prove invaluable in combating the cognitive decline (brain damage) caused by this disease.
- Signs of Life by Robert Pollack, Ph.D. This book should convince you that it would be mere child's play to create a genetically modified germ, given the current state of genetic science.
