Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Gulf War Vets

•According to the Veteran's Health Administration, no single, clearly identified diagnosis or type of exposure has emerged that explains the various health problems some veterans of the Gulf War experience. Nevertheless, there are signs and symptoms Gulf War veterans should be aware of that are attributed to chronic fatigue syndrome. These symptoms may be intermittent with no identifiable pattern and can be severe.

Psychological Problems
•Gulf War veterans suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome may experience psychological problems. Symptoms can be unpredictable and may be mild to severe. These include depression, irritability, anxiety disorder and sudden panic attacks. Loss of memory and difficulty with concentration may also occur.

Physical Pain
•Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by ongoing pain that has no identifiable cause. This can include severe headaches and pain in the abdomen, jaw or chest. Unexplained muscle pain and sore throat are also noted symptoms.

Sleep Disorders
•Sleep problems can be a sign of chronic fatigue syndrome. These may include an inability to sleep regularly accompanied by chills and night sweats. Often, when sleep occurs, it is not refreshing or deep, and the veteran may wake up feeling exhausted.

Other Symptoms
•Nausea, irregular heartbeat, visual disturbances and physical stiffness are also signs of chronic fatigue syndrome. Unexplained flu-like symptoms, such as sore throat, chronic cough and dry mouth, may occur. These symptoms can result in cognitive dysfunction, bronchitis, asthma, substance abuse and sexual issues. Because there is a relationship between participation in the Gulf War and chronic fatigue syndrome, veterans experiencing symptoms should seek medical help.

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Gulf War Ills May Be Clue to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Tuesday January 30 8:17 PM ET
Gulf War Ills May Be Clue to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

By John Schieszer

SEATTLE (Reuters Health) - Important similarities exist between Gulf
War (news - web sites) illness and
chronic fatigue syndrome, and those similarities may help unlock some
of the mysteries behind these enigmatic
illnesses, experts on the syndrome said at a conference here.

``The symptoms of both are very similar,'' said Dr. Lea Steele, who is
with the Persian Gulf War Veterans
Health Initiative. ``I think they both encompass different disease
pathways, and so some of those disease
pathways may overlap in Gulf War veterans and civilian patients with
chronic fatigue syndrome.''

In an interview with Reuters Health, Steele said that looking into the
differences and similarities between these
two illnesses may lead to new treatments for both conditions.
Furthermore, veterans with Gulf War illness will
probably find they are better accepted and their symptoms better
managed by physicians who are also treating
chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

``The chronic fatigue syndrome doctors are the ones with probably the
most expertise in dealing with the
symptoms,'' explained Steele, who presented her findings at the
American Association for Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome (AACFS) 5th International Conference.

Gulf War illness is defined as an elevated level of symptoms in at
least 3 of 6 defined symptom domains
(fatigue/sleep problems, pain, neuro/cognitive/mood symptoms,
gastrointestinal symptoms, respiratory
symptoms, and skin symptoms), in the absence of other conditions that
could account for those symptoms.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) symptoms bear some similarity to those
associated with Gulf War illness and
earlier research has suggested that some Gulf War veterans actually had
chronic fatigue syndrome and not a
new illness, Steele noted.

``What my study found was that although there is definitely some
symptomatic overlap between the two
conditions, Gulf War veterans are actually distinct from chronic
fatigue syndrome patients. They have some of
the symptoms but Gulf veterans are more likely to report neurologic
symptoms, and they are more likely to
report more gastrointestinal problems and more likely to report skin
and rash conditions,'' Steele said.

She conducted her study among 1,548 veterans of the Persian Gulf War.
Chronic fatigue syndrome was found
in 7% of Persian Gulf veterans. However, the specific pattern of
symptoms reported by veterans who met
criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome differed from that reported by
chronic fatigue syndrome patients in the
general population.

For example, chronic headache, diarrhea, skin rashes and night sweats
were more prominent among Gulf War
veterans meeting CFS criteria than in CFS patients generally.

``Ultimately, this will increase interest in this area,'' said Dr.
Leonard Jason, who is a professor of clinical
psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. ``Groups of
activists are now going to Congress saying we
need to have services for people with Gulf War illness and the Veterans
Administration will do that work. And
clearly then that sets up the foundation for those people who didn't go
to war and are also sick.''

Currently, there are no approved treatments for either of these
conditions and physicians are only able to
provide symptomatic relief. The causes of both illnesses are still
considered a mystery.

CFS is marked by unrelenting exhaustion, muscle pain, cognitive
disorders that patients call ``brain fog,'' and a
myriad of other physical symptoms. It is believed that about 800,000
Americans have CFS, the majority of
them women. Steele says most patients with both of these illnesses are
not receiving proper care.

``It is true. A lot of chronic fatigue syndrome and Gulf War illness
patients have a hard time finding a doctor
who knows how to help them very much,'' Steele said. ``It used to be
that they even had a hard time finding a
doctor who really believed they were really sick and not just having
some kind of mental disorder.''
--

http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/j/i/jimmoss

or:

http://www.afn.org/~afn64689/

Is Brain Fog treated by VA -gulf war

I have see a lot articles and studies on gulf war veterans which have noticed Impaired Cognitive Function which many vets called Brain Fog.
I have seen studies saying this Brain Fog is aggravated by poor quality of sleep. (see blow)
I have seen studies which chronic pain aggravates ones brain fog/ Impaired Cognitive Function (see blow)
I have seen studies which say Stress like PTSD as aggravates our brain fog.
(see blow)
I question how many vets with Mild brain injury or concussions are left with Impaired Cognitive Function/Brain Fog ?
I question why Dr. Haley imaging studies has not address these issues of brain function ?
I question why the VA-RAC-GWI has not recommended studies to address this symptom - brain fog, which is in the top 10 of 33 symptom list created by the IOM and Congress ?

Impaired cognitive performance in patients with chronic burnout syndrome
Biological Psychology
Volume 69, Issue 3, July 2005, Pages 271-279
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T4T-4DTKS8H-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=8c3a141c12938f0c318fb6b0afd59cb2
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Poor Sleep Is Associated With Impaired Cognitive Function in Older Women: Blackwell et al. 61 (4): 405 -- Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
PubMed Citation
# # #

Chronic pain can alter the brain
The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
61:405-410 (2006)
© 2006 The Gerontological Society of America
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23017866/
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Cognitive Functioning Under Stress:
Evidence from Informal Caregivers of Palliative Patients
J Palliat Med. 2007 June; 10(3): 749–758.
# # # #

A Cause of Depression, Effects of concussions can be long term
Effects of concussions can be long term
also see: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/31/AR2007053101608.html
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/558116
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=247140