Longtime Gulf War Health activist honored for service

Jeffrey Allen, OneWorld US

People of 2009: Paul Sullivan, for exposing the disgraceful treatment of soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan and for his work to protect civil liberties for all Americans

WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (OneWorld.net) - Gulf War veteran Paul Sullivan has dedicated the last few years of his life to making sure Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans get the care they deserve, while also exposing the true financial and human costs of the current conflicts.

In 2009, Sullivan not only worked quietly behind the scenes to help numerous journalists break stories about the epidemic of suicides and other mental health disorders facing returned veterans, but his organization fought the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) publicly to force the release of documents demonstrating the reality of longterm health issues faced by U.S. veterans.

The Freedom of Information Act request executed by Sullivan's Veterans for Common Sense revealed that nearly 300 veterans filed new disability claims every single day in 2008. Sullivan's group posted all the documents it received from that request on its Web site for journalists and others to use to uncover the extent of damage done to U.S. soldiers in today's wars.

Paul Sullivan

With Sullivan's aid, Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz was able to calculate the financial cost of the war, concluding that an unprecedented $3 trillion will ultimately be spent, when the expenses incurred helping veterans cope with the traumatic stresses of war are fully counted.

Sullivan has testified before Congress seven times throughout his crusade to make the U.S. government fulfill its responsibilities to the men and women it sends into combat. In testimony in March, Sullivan noted that the VA takes six months to process each claim of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and requires onerous documentation of the cause of stress before agreeing to pay for a veteran's medical care.

As the tide of PTSD-related violence rises across the United States, institutional stigmatization of the disease remains intense, causing untold veterans to suffer in silence, Sullivan explained in a letter to new VA Secretary Erik Shinseki last January. The toll is paid in broken families, unemployment, crime, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, and suicide, Sullivan noted.

"The long-term human and social consequences from these two wars remain enormous, and much more work still needs to be done so our veterans stop falling through the cracks at VA and experiencing long delays to access healthcare and disability benefits," Sullivan wrote on the Veterans for Common Sense Web site in September. "Both wars continue undermining our domestic economic recovery and further increasing the Federal budget deficit. VA reports reveal the crisis goes far beyond the military, as the wars are impacting millions of veterans, their families, and local communities." 

* This story profiles one of OneWorld.net's People of 2009. Meet all the honorees and tell us about the people who inspire you.

NGWRC Releases 2010 Legislative Agenda for 1991 Gulf War veterans

The following is a letter from the NGWRC (www.ngwrc.org) to House Veterans’ Affairs Committee chair, Rep. Bob Filner, regarding the NGWRC’s legislative agenda for veterans of the 1991 Gulf War.

==================================

Dear Chairman Filner and Members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs,

The National Gulf War Resource Center (NGWRC) appreciates the opportunity to submit a written statement for the record regarding our priorities for the second session of the 111th Congress.

The NGWRC is a non-profit organization based in Topeka, Kansas, focusing on issues related to Gulf War illnesses. We have testified regularly before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee since 1995, when we were first formed in Washington, DC.

The NGWRC leads the battle in identifying problems facing Gulf War veterans and their families and finding practical solutions. Using the Freedom of Information Act, NGWRC forced the Department of Defense to confirm hundreds of thousands of our fellow veterans who were exposed to toxins during Desert Shield / Desert Storm, including oil well fire pollution, depleted uranium, chemical warfare agents, anthrax vaccines, pyridostigmine bromide pills, pesticides, and others.

NGWRC also led the legislative efforts to fund medical research at the Department of Veterans Affairs, to provide service-connected disability benefits for undiagnosed illnesses, and the creation of VA’s Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses.

Our statement for the record is limited to our top four best ways Congress can assist our Nation’s 700,000 Desert Storm veterans from 1991 and those who entered Southwest Asia since 1991.

The NGWRC asks the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee to work closely with the House Armed Services Committee and the House Appropriations Committee to budget and then appropriate $30,000,000 for the purpose of funding treatments for the estimated 200,000 Gulf War veterans suffering from chronic multi-symptom illnesses.

We would like $10,000,000 of the funding to go to Dr. Haley’s research being done in Texas. The Congress approved $75,000,000 for his research at UTSWMC over a five year time frame. With the VA now redirecting the funding to different studies, the last of Dr Haley’s studies needing to be completed, this money is needed now. To see the importance of the finding, we also ask that you do a joint hearing to hear from Dr. Haley on what his research has found and how it will help the veterans.

NGWRC supports the program because the DoD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program is an innovative, open, peer reviewed program focused on identifying effective treatments, with first priority for pilot studies of treatments already approved for other diseases, so they could be put to use immediately. Nearly 20 years since the start of the war, one-third to one-fourth Gulf War veterans continue to suffer from chronic multi-symptom illness according to the November 2008 report on Gulf War Illness, and there are still no effective treatments.

Congress approved $8 million in 2010, and the first phase of the program resulted in over 100 applications for treatment studies, of which five were approved.

 The bottom line for Gulf War veterans since their return home from combat, is to find ways to improve their health.

NGWRC second request is that Congress remove the presumptive deadlines in the CFR 38 section 1117. By removing the deadline for gulf war illness, you would be doing what was done for the veterans of Vietnam and their exposure to Agent Orange.

NGWRC’s third request is that Congress enacts legislation granting a presumption of service connection for our Gulf War veterans who deployed to the war zone and who are diagnosed with auto-immune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease and auto-immune diseases that act like MS but can not be diagnosed as MS yet.

VA has granted service connection based on the Secretary’s authority under existing regulations. These grants should be made permanent for existing and future veterans so that these very sick and highly vulnerable veterans aren’t needlessly forced to fight diligently when the science is so clear.

The VA November 2008 report does show the three leading causes for the chronic multi-symptom illnesses are chemicals. We are just now starting to understand how these chemicals cause these different auto-immune disorders. While strong evidence linked ALS and brain cancer to Gulf War deployment, we believe the research on auto-immune disorders similar to ALS shows the same results.

NGWRC’s fourth request is that Congress enacts legislation that would add to the CFR title 38 a set way for all raters to be trained and tested on undiagnosed illness and Post Traumatic Stress claims.

We have worked with veterans and their service officers all over the country whose claims were denied because the rater do not know or will not follow the law regarding these claims. I have seen claims turned down for the following presumptive illnesses:  (1) Chronic fatigue syndrome; (2) Fibromyalgia; (3) Irritable bowel syndrome
Being a presumptive for their service in the gulf, the veteran only needs to show they served in the gulf and that they have the illness on or before 31 December 2011. In the last 2 months we have worked with over 200 veterans where the regional office has denied the claim stating that it did not start in service. This is one example of many more claim we have worked around our country.

We need a mandatory training program set up for all adjudicators and their supervisor to attend. By making it mandatory we will take care of a large problem of many adjudicators not going to any training after they get their job. As a part of this training, there needs to be a closed book test on the classes. Everyone that fails the test will need to redo the class and take the test until they pass.  Once an adjudicator is certified to work an undiagnosed, TBI or PTSD claim, then that adjudicator will be allowed to rate those types of claims.

There should also be a quality control system so that as an adjudicator’s claim comes back either as a notice of disagreement or as a remand, the adjudicator must be trained in that area again and retested. As before he will need to pass the test before he can rate claims in that area.

In conclusion, the NGWRC would like to thank you for their continued interest in this important subject. We regret we are not able to appear in person.

We look forward to working with you on these critical issues identified here as well as on other issues impacting our Gulf War, Iraq War, and Afghanistan War veterans and their immediate access to VA’s high-quality healthcare and the prompt receipt of disability compensation benefits.

James A. Bunker, NGWRC

Initial Clinical Trial data suggest that lower-dose Savella improves chronic pain, physical function

Written By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today; Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston.

Action Points 

---

• Explain to patients that a fibromyalgia drug proved superior to a placebo throughout two large clinical trials.
• Note that the drug affected several outcomes and demonstrated efficacy at two different doses.
• Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

(MedPageToday.com - SAN ANTONIO) -- The fibromyalgia drug milnacipran (Savella) achieved clinically meaningful reductions in pain throughout almost four months of randomized therapy, a post-hoc analysis of daily pain control showed.

Half of patients treated with the serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor had at least a 30% improvement in pain scores at 15 weeks, and 35% to 40% had at least a 50% improvement, according to analyses reported here at the American Academy of Pain Medicine meeting.

Two different doses of milnacipran led to at least 30% improvement in pain on almost half of the days during the randomized trial. Patients treated with milnacipran had at least 50% improvement during 30% of the days.

"A 30% improvement in pain is clinically significant, and half the patients treated with milnacipran attained that level of pain relief," Aroon Datta, MD, of Forest Laboratories in Jersey City, N.J., said in an interview. "Even when the more stringent criteria of 50% improvement were applied, significantly more patients in the milnacipran groups achieved that threshold compared with placebo."

"By any measure, it is fair to say that patients treated with milnacipran had significantly better pain control," he added.

Milnacipran is chemically similar to the antidepressant venlafaxine (Effexor). However, milnacipran has three times the power to inhibit norepinephrine reuptake. The drug was approved in 2009 for treatment of fibromyalgia.

Datta reported results of a post-hoc analysis of data from two randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. One lasted 27 weeks, and the other had a 15-week follow-up.

In the 27-week trial, approximately 900 patients were randomized 1:1:2 to placebo, milnacipran 100 mg/d (50 mg BID), or milnacipran 200 mg/d (100 mg BID). In the 15-week trial, 1,200 patients were randomized in equal proportion to placebo and the two doses of milnacipran.

Patients recorded their pain level several times a day by means of an electronic diary. They rated their pain according to a visual analog scale (VAS) with a range of 0 to 100.

The post-hoc analysis centered on outcomes at 15 weeks in both trials. The primary outcomes were change from baseline in weekly 24-hour VAS pain score, the proportion of patients who achieved ≥30% and ≥50% improvement in the VAS pain score, and the proportion of days with ≥30% and ≥50% improvement in pain.

In the longer trial, the change in the weekly average of 24-hour recall of VAS scores differed significantly in both milnacipran groups within two weeks, and the difference was maintained through 15 weeks (P<0.05 to P<0.001).

Significant differences emerged within the first week in the second trial and persisted through week 15 (P<0.05 to P<0.001).

In both trials, 52% of patients assigned to 100 mg of milnacipran and 56% of those assigned to 200 mg had ≥30% improvement in pain scores, compared with 40% to 42% of placebo-treated patients (P<0.05 to P<0.001).

When the more stringent criterion of ≥50% improvement was used, 31% to 35% of the 100-mg milnacipran patients achieved that goal, as did 36% to 37% of patients treated with 200 mg.

About 25% of placebo patients had ≥50% improvement. Only the 200-mg dose differed significantly from placebo (P<0.05 to P<0.01).

A similar pattern emerged in evaluation of the proportion of days with threshold pain reductions. Milnacipran-treated patients had ≥30% improvement on 44% to 47% of days in the trial and ≥50% improvement on 25% to 30% of days.

For both thresholds, milnacipran was significantly better than placebo, whose patients had ≥30% pain improvement on about a third of days and ≥50% improvement on fewer than 20% of days (P<0.01 to P<0.001).

Datta also reported findings from a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the pain relief afforded by the 100-mg daily dose of milnacipran. The study involved 1,025 patients with fibromyalgia randomized to placebo or active therapy.

The trial had two principal 12-week efficacy outcomes: the composite of ≥30% improvement in pain and the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), and the composite of the same two outcomes plus improvement ≥6 points on the physical function component of the SF-36 health assessment survey.

The principal efficacy analysis used baseline observation carried forward (BOCF) for patients with missing data. By that statistical method, 29% of milnacipran patients were responders compared with 18% of the placebo group (P<0.001).

An analysis that employed last observation carried forward (LOCF) showed response rates of 33% with milnacipran and 19% with placebo (P<0.001).

An analysis of observed cases resulted in response rates of 42% versus 26% (P<0.001).

Similar results emerged from analyses of the three-measure outcome. Milnacipran led to significantly higher (P<0.001) response rates by BOCF (20% versus 11%), by LOCF (28% versus 12%), and by observed cases (30% versus 16%).

Milnacipran therapy also led to significantly higher (P<0.001) response rates for each component of the composite outcomes: ≥30% improvement in pain (45% versus 31%), PGIC (42% versus 26%), and ≥6-point improvement in physical function (40% versus 31%).

The results indicate that milnacipran 100 mg (50 mg BID) could offer an alternative for patients who cannot tolerate the FDA-approved 200-mg dose, said Datta. If physicians choose to start patients on 100 mg and then titrate up to the approved dose, that also would appear feasible, he said.

The studies were supported by Forest Laboratories and Cypress Bioscience.

All but two of the authors are employees of the study sponsors.

Primary source: American Academy of Pain Medicine
Source reference:
Mease P, et al "A day-to-day analysis of the analgesic efficacy of milnacipran in the management of fibromyalgia" AAPM 2010; Abstract 110.

Additional source: American Academy of Pain Medicine
Source reference:
Arnold LM, et al "Milnacipran 100 m/day in the management of fibromyalgia: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial" AAPM 2010; Abstract 109.

Selective Channel Blockers Improves MS Fatigue, may prevent further functional impairment

Written by Anthony Hardie

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) -- A new study suggest that the use of selective channel blockers improves fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition thought to be more prevalent among veterans of the 1991 Gulf War than among people who did not have similar military service.

Additionally, the use of these blockers may also help prevent secondary axonal degeneration and the functional impairment that follows.

The study noted that among people with MS, “activity and heat typically serve to exacerbate symptoms of fatigue,” – a cause-and-effect reported among some veterans of the 1991 Gulf War suffering from Gulf War Syndrome (e.g. Gulf War Illness) who do not have MS.

Selective channel blockers like Famipridine – a Potassium channel blocker – are used to treat MS, because, according the manufacturer:

Patients with MS display a range of symptoms that arise from demyelination (loss of myelin sheath) in the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

While symptoms vary between patients, they commonly include blurred vision, slurred speech, numbness or tingling in the limbs and problems with balance and coordination, due to the loss of control over vital functions such as seeing, walking and talking.

Prominent inflammatory and autoimmune responses are also evident in patients with traumatic and compressive SCI, in whom there may also be demyelination.

Demyelination alters the structural and functional relationships of voltage-gated ion channels along the axonal membrane of the nerve cell.

Exposed channels cause potassium ions to leak, so causing the axon to 'short circuit'. By closing exposed potassium channels in these damaged nerve fibres, fampridine-SR enables the axon to transmit nerve impulses again.

The abstract (article) for the published study results is as follows:

Fatigue in multiple sclerosis: Mechanisms and management.

Multiple sclerosis [MS] is a chronic immune-mediated disorder of the central nervous system [CNS]. Fatigue may be a debilitating symptom in MS patients, adversely impacting on their quality of life. Clinically, fatigue may manifest as exhaustion, lack of energy, increased somnolence, or worsening of MS symptoms.

Activity and heat typically serve to exacerbate symptoms of fatigue.

There is now strong evidence to suggest that fatigue results from reduced voluntary activation of muscles by means of central mechanisms.

Given that axonal demyelination is a pathological hallmark of MS, activity-dependent conduction block [ADCB] has been proposed as a mechanism underlying fatigue in MS.

This ADCB results from axonal membrane hyperpolarization, mediated by the Na(+)/K(+) electrogenic pump, with conduction failure precipitated in demyelinated axons with a reduced safety factor of impulse transmission. In addition, Na(+)/K(+) pump dysfunction, as reported in MS, may induce a depolarizing conduction block associated with inactivation of Na(+) channels.

These processes may induce secondary effects including axonal degeneration triggered by raised levels of intracellular Ca(2+) through reverse operation of the Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger.

Restoration of normal conduction in demyelinated axons with selective channel blockers improves fatigue and may yet prove useful as a neuroprotective strategy, in preventing secondary axonal degeneration and consequent functional impairment.

Metabolic Syndrome associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, study shows

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) -- A new study, published January 25 in the medical journal Metabolism, found that metabolic syndrome was found more frequently in people suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephelopathy (CFS/ME) than people who did not have the disease.

In turn, metabolic syndrome further worsened the fatigue symptoms.

According to Google Health:

Metabolic syndrome is a name for a group of symptoms that occur together and promote the development of coronary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Alone, the symptoms can cause medical issues. Combined, they can present severe health problems.

Symptoms include:

• Extra weight around your waist (central or abdominal obesity)
• High blood pressure
• High triglycerides (a type of blood fat)
• Insulin resistance
• Low HDL ("good") cholesterol

Tests that may be done to diagnose metabolic syndrome include:

• Blood pressure measurement
• Glucose test
• HDL cholesterol level
• LDL cholesterol level
• Total cholesterol level
• Triglyceride level

According to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, metabolic syndrome is present if you have three or more of the following:

• Blood pressure equal to or higher than 130/85 mmHg
• Blood sugar (glucose) equal to or higher than 100 mg/dL
• Large waist circumference (length around the waist):
  • Men - 40 inches or more
  • Women - 35 inches or more
• Low HDL cholesterol:
  • Men - under 40 mg/dL
  • Women - under 50 mg/dL
• Triglycerides equal to or higher than 150 mg/dL

Preventing (and managing) the condition involves:

• Eating a diet low in fat, with a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products
• Getting regular exercise, at least 30 minutes of moderate activity almost every day
• Losing weight so that your body mass index (BMI) is less than 25
• Managing blood pressure and blood sugar
• Not smoking
• Trying to include fish, preferably oily fish, in your diet at least twice a week

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is one of three conditions presumed by the federal VA to be service-connected for veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. 

The abstract (summary) of the published study, Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with metabolic syndrome: results from a case-control study in Georgia, is as follows:

Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with metabolic syndrome: results from a case-control study in Georgia.

We hypothesized that persons with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) would have a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome compared with well controls, and that unwell persons with insufficient symptoms or fatigue for CFS (termed ISF) would have a prevalence of metabolic syndrome intermediate between those with CFS and the controls.

We also sought to examine the relationship between metabolic syndrome and measures of functional impairment, fatigue, and other symptoms. Our analysis was based on a population-based case-control study conducted in metropolitan, urban, and rural areas of Georgia, United States, between September 2004 and July 2005. There were 111 persons with CFS, 259 with ISF, and 123 controls.

Metabolic syndrome was determined based on having at least 3 of 5 standard risk components (abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, elevated fasting glucose, and decreased high-density lipids) according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III definition. Persons with CFS were 2-fold as likely to have metabolic syndrome (odds ratio = 2.12, confidence interval = 1.06, 4.23) compared with the controls.

There was a significant graded relationship between the number of metabolic syndrome factors and CFS; each additional factor was associated with a 37% increase in likelihood of having CFS. The association of ISF with metabolic syndrome was weaker (odds ratio = 1.72, confidence interval = 0.94-3.16). Among persons with CFS, the number of metabolic syndrome factors was significantly correlated with worse fatigue on a standardized summary measure of fatigue (r = 0.20, P = .04).

In conclusion, CFS was associated with metabolic syndrome, which further exacerbated fatigue. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Self-Pacing in chronic fatigue may provide modest symptom, daily functioning improvements

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) -- A new Belgian scientific study suggests that patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encepholopathy (CFS/ME) may feel slightly better by pacing their daily activities.

The study by J. Nijs of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Brussles, Belgium and colleagues found that 3 weeks of pacing self-management was accompanied by a modest improvement in symptom severity and daily functioning.

The authors of the study, Can pacing self-management alter physical behavior and symptom severity in chronic fatigue syndrome? A case series, suggest that the next step should be to conduct a larger-scale, randomized controlled clinical trial to examine the effectiveness of pacing self-management for people with CFS.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is one of three presumptive conditions for VA service-connection for veterans with Persian Gulf service in August 1990 or later.

The study’s abstract, published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, is as follows:

Given the lack of evidence in support of pacing self-management for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), we examined whether physical behavior and health status of patients with CFS would improve in response to a pacing self-management program. \

We performed an observational study of pacing self-management in seven CFS patients using a single-case study design. Stages A1 and A2 (7-day assessment periods) of the A1-B-A2 design corresponded to the baseline and posttreatment measurements of physical behavior (real-time activity monitoring) and health status (self-reported measures), respectively. Stage B (3 weeks of treatment) consisted of three individual treatment sessions of pacing self-management.

When comparing pre- versus posttreatment data, we found that the patients' ability to perform daily activities and the severity of their symptom complexes were improved (p = 0.043). Concentration difficulties, mood swings, muscle weakness, and intolerance to bright light improved as well. A statistically significant decrease in the mean time spent doing light activity (<3 metabolic equivalents) was observed, but a change in the way physical activity was spread throughout the day was not.

We found that 3 weeks of pacing self-management was accompanied by a modest improvement in symptom severity and daily functioning.

The outcome of the present study calls for a randomized controlled clinical trial to examine the effectiveness of pacing self-management for people with CFS.

A Call to Action for Fibromyalgia

FIBRO COLLABORATIVE WEBCAST
February 5, 2010

12:30 pm - 1:45 pm CST

The FibroCollaborative Roadmap for Change:
A Call to Action for Fibromyalgia

Please join the National Fibromyalgia Association in listening in to an important Webcast about how we can work together to help improve the lives of people affected by fibromyalgia.

THE WEBCAST

The Webcast will unveil a new Call to Action for Fibromyalgia, a comprehensive roadmap designed to prioritize and address the unmet needs of fibromyalgia in the United States.  

The Call to Action is a product of the FibroCollaborative Advocacy Working Group, a Pfizer initiative in collaboration with 16 medical/professional and advocacy organizations. The Group’s focus is to improve the health and well-being of people with fibromyalgia, one of the most common chronic, widespread pain conditions in the U.S.

The Webcast will also feature new topline results from a national landmark survey on primary care physicians’ attitudes and perceptions about fibro and how it may be impacting diagnosis and care.

Join us at http://fibrocollaborative.stream57.com/february5 on February 5 for the live Webcast, which is streaming from the American Academy of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting:

Some of the Prominent Speakers include:

Daniel Clauw, MD, Director, Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, The University of Michigan Lynne Matallana, President and Founder, National Fibroymalgia Association Bill McCarberg, MD, Founder and Attending Physician, Chronic Pain Management Program, Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Center

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Registration information and questions for Webcast speakers should be sent to Anna Khersonsky (akhersonsky@chandlerchiccocompanies) in advance of the Webcast. We will be accepting questions during the Webcast as well.

ACCESSING THE FIBROCOLLABORATIVE WEBCAST

The Webcast can be accessed by visiting http://fibrocollaborative.stream57.com/february5.

CONNECTION TEST

Participants can test their connection speed at this link: http://test.stream57.com

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• Adobe Flash Player version 8.0 or greater. You can download the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player by clicking here
• Windows XP, 98, ME, 2000, NT, Server 2003, or Vista
• Mac OS X 10.1 or higher
• Most Linux / Solaris distributions with Mozilla 1.4+ or Netscape 7.1+
• Internet Explorer 7.0 or newer, Firefox 1.1 or newer, Mozilla 3.0 or newer, or Safari 3.0 or newer
• Broadband Internet connection for optimal video experience

ABOUT THE FIBROCOLLABORATIVE

The FibroCollaborative brings together a diverse group of healthcare professionals and patient advocacy organizations in an unprecedented effort to:

• Define and prioritize the most urgent unmet needs for those affected by fibromyalgia
• Focus initiatives/resources on fulfilling specific recommendations outlined in The FibroCollaborative Roadmap for Change: A Call to Action for Fibromyalgia.  The FibroCollaborative is a collaborative initiative of Pfizer Inc.

FIBROCOLLABORATIVE CONTACT INFORMATION

Cindy Romano

Chandler Chicco Agency

Ph: 212-229-8425

Email: CRomano@ccapr.com

ABOUT FIBROMYALGIA

Fibromyalgia is estimated to affect more than 5 million Americans.  Despite its far-reaching and potentially debilitating impact, fibromyalgia is still misunderstood by many healthcare professionals and patients, leaving many undiagnosed and undermanaged.

Medical experts and patient advocates believe advancements made over the past decade in the understanding and treatment of fibromyalgia provide the foundation for raising awareness and improving recognition, diagnosis and management to improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction.

ABOUT NATIONAL FIBROMYALGIA ASSOCIATION

The National Fibromyalgia Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to develop and execute programs dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with fibromyalgia by increasing the awareness of the public, media, government and medical communities. www.FMaware.org

Single exposure to mustard gas now linked to lung cancer

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) -- For years, the cancer-causing properties of long-term exposure to mustard gas have been well known.  In a new study published in the January 2010 edition of Clinical Lung Cancer, two researchers reviewing studies of soldiers exposed to mustard gas have found that a single acute exposure to mustard gas can lead to lung cancer. 

Mostafa Ghanei and Ali Amini Harandi, scientists at the Research Center of Chemical Injuries, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences in Tehran have been studying a cohort of veterans of the 1981-88 Iran-Iraq war who were exposed to mustard gas.

According to the study abstract, entitled, Lung Carcinogenicity of Sulfur Mustard:

Sulfur mustard (SM), a major potent chemical warfare agent, has been used for its acute toxic effects. Over time, unfortunately, many different long-term health effects of exposure to SM have been detected in humans. There are many available data from soldiers or civilians exposed to SM: testing programs, contaminated workers in factories who were involved with the production of SM, and animal and molecular studies.

Today it seems that our data are enough to discuss the carcinogenic effects of exposure to SM—as an alkylating agent—many years after exposure.

Herein, we review all available published documents regarding the lung carcinogenicity of SM after both long-term and especially short-term exposure in humans. In summary, it is well documented that SM can cause human lung cancer after long-term exposure, but there has not been strong and definitive evidence for only short-term and acute, single, high-dose exposure until now.

At least some U.S. and Coalition troops were exposed to mustard gas and Lewisite gas during the 1991 Gulf War that forced Iraqi occupying forces out of Kuwait. 

Saddam Hussein’s troops, ordered by Saddam’s cousin “Chemical Ali” – executed last week for crimes against humanity – led chemical warfare agent attacks against Shiites in southern Iraq and Kurds in northern Iraq shortly after the February 1991 ceasefire again.  Those attacks included the use of mustard gas.

Study of Iranian Mustard Gas Veterans: lung complications of Mustard gas inhalation

Late Pulmonary Complication of Mustard Gas Inhalation

By Mastafa Ghanei, MD Associate Professor Dept. of Internal Medicine Baghiatallah University of Medical Sciences Mollasadra Ave., Tehran, Iran

ABSTRACT

Thousands of Iranian people were injured by mustard gas in the Iraq war [e.g., the 1981-1988 Iran-Iraq War]. This injury results in chronic disabilities of eyes, lung and skin organs.

Chronic cough, dyspnea [shortness of breath] and hemoptysis [coughing up of blood or blood-stained sputum] were the major presenting symptoms in these patients.

We studied late pulmonary complications of these patients. One hundred mustard gas victims were selected through a cross sectional study. All selected had documented criteria, pulmonary function tests, high resolution chest CT scan, bronchioscopy and routine blood tests, which were done in a well equipped center.

All patients had chronic bronchitis in their bronchial biopsy.

Pulmonary fibroses, with different types of histology [microscopic tissue structure], were detected in 80% of patients.

A cytologic [cellular] study of bronchial lavage [removal of secretion, cells, and proteins from the lungs using sterile fluid] did not show neoplastic [tumor] cells.

HRCT [e.g., High Resolution CT Scan] findings were compatible with bronchial [upper airway] thickening and subpleural fibrosis [abnormal thickening of the outer membrane of the lung] with definite correlation with histologic [microscopic cellular] data in all patients.

Late complications of mustard gas includes bronchial [upper airway] and paranchymnal [bulk of the lung] involvement.

Although the causative agent is not [any longer] present, the disease has a continuous nature and sometimes progressive course, with end-stage lung disease the outcome.

[End-Stage lung disease: The final stages of lung disease, when the lung can no longer keep the blood supplied with oxygen. End-stage lungs in pulmonary fibrosis have large air spaces separated by bands of inflammation and scarring.]

Editorial: Chemical Ali and Mustard Gas, Sarin, VX and Tabun

Posted in Medical Issues, Poisons & Drugs by D.P. Lyle, MD on January 28, 2010

Saddam Hussein and his two miscreant offspring Uday and Qusay are no longer with us thanks to the US military. Good riddance. The world is a much better place without these three. But Saddam’s legacy lives on in the form of his cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, affectionately known as Chemical Ali.

The good news is that Chemical Ali just received his fourth death sentence for crimes against humanity. The bad news is that he ever existed in the first place. Many of the Shiites and Kurds in Iraq can vouch for his horrific cruelty, which can only be compared to things such as The Holocaust perpetrated by Hitler’s minions, the killing fields of Pol Pot, the purges of Stalin, and, well, the list goes on and on. The inhumanity of humanity is sometimes bewildering.

Chemical Ali is responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of people and these deaths were not pleasant. He employed a wide variety of chemicals such as Mustard Gas, VX, Sarin, and Tabun. Each of these is nasty in its own special way.

Mustard Gas first came to the public’s attention during the trench warfare of WWI. It literally burns the skin, first causing itching and swelling and ultimately large fluid-filled blisters appear over the body. If it affects the eyes it can lead to blindness. If it affects the lungs, as it typically does as the gas is inhaled, it can cause severe burning of the airways and lung tissue, causing the victim to literally drown in the fluids that are released after this type of injury. Even if the person survives the initial injuries, secondary infections often appear in the skin or the lungs and this in turn can lead to death.

Sarin gas is a fluorinated phosphonate that was originally used in insecticides but found its way into modern chemical warfare. It is classified as a cholinesterase inhibitor, which means that it interferes with the function of cholinesterase, a very important enzyme critical to neurotransmissions throughout the body. When exposed the victim will first feel a stuffy head and shortness of breath but very soon will develop chest pains, nausea, vomiting, excessive salivation, loss of control of bowels and bladder, diffuse twitching and jerking of the muscles, full-blown seizures, and finally coma and death. It’s not pretty. Even if the individual survives they can be left with permanent neurological damage. Sarin gas is as much is 500 times more toxic than cyanide.

Like Sarin, VX and Tabun are cholinesterase inhibitors and produce similar symptoms and are equally lethal.

These chemical agents are out there and available to the bad guys who don’t necessarily have our best interests at heart. Isn’t that a pleasant thought?

At least for now Chemical Ali is out of business and hopefully he will soon follow the Hussein Trio to wherever people like them go. I hope it’s a place filled with these very pleasant chemicals. Poetic justice being what it is.

Cellular dysfunction, CoQ10 deficiency found in chronic pain sufferers

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) -- Researchers have found evidence of cellular dysfunction – including decreased levels of CoQ10 – in people suffering from a debilitating chronic pain condition.

Published this month in Arthritis Research & Therapy (January 28, 2010), the study by Mario Cordero et al found reduced levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and several other measures of cellular dysfunction, including cellular suicide (oxidative stress) and cellular self-cannibalization of dysfunctional mitochondria – microorganisms that live within cells and are responsible for nearly all of the body’s energy production – in study subjects with the chronic pain condition currently known as fibromylagia.

Fibromyalgia is one of three ill-defined conditions that are presumptive conditions for VA service-connection.  In other words, if a veteran had qualifying service in the Persian Gulf, and he or she has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, it is presumed by law that the condition was caused by the Gulf War service and no further proof of a “nexus” linking the Gulf War service to the condition is required as it is all non-presumptive conditions.

The studies findings also may provide support for the theory that oxidative stress (essentially cellular suicide) and mitophagy (self-cannibalism by the cell of the dysfunctioning mitochondria microorganisms in the cells) play a role in the pathophysiology (changes from normal functions) of fibromyalgia.

These findings may have profound impact on treatment, including supplementation with Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ10) and other supplements (ATP and others) that impact on cellular energy and health.

The study’s abstract (summary) is as follows:

Mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy activation in blood mononuclear cells of fibromyalgia patients: implication in the pathogenesis of the disease

 

Introduction:  Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome with unknown etiology. Recent studies have shown some evidence demonstrating that oxidative stress may have a role in the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia.

However, it is still not clear whether oxidative stress is the cause or the effect of the abnormalities documented in fibromyalgia. Furthermore, the role of mitochondria in the redox imbalance reported in fibromyalgia is also controversial.

We undertook this study to investigate the role of mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and mitophagy in fibromyalgia.

Methods: We studied 20 patients (2 males and 18 females) recruited from the database of the Sevillian Fibromyalgia Association and 10 healthy controls. We evaluated mitochondrial function in blood mononuclear cells from fibromyalgia patients measuring coenzyme Q10 levels by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and mitochondrial membrane potential by flow cytometry.

Oxidative stress was determined by measuring mitochondrial superoxide production by MitoSOXTM, and lipid peroxidationin blood mononuclear cells and plasma from fibromyalgia patients. Autophagy activation was evaluated by quantifying the fluorescence intensity of LysoTrackerTM Red staining of blood mononuclear cells.

Mitophagy was confirmed by measuring citrate synthase activity and electron microscopy examination of blood mononuclear cells.

Results: We found reduced levels of coenzyme Q10, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, increased level of mitochondrial superoxide in blood mononuclear cells, and increased levels of lipid peroxidation in both blood mononuclear cells and plasma from fibromyalgia patients. Mitochondrial dysfunction was also associated with increased expression of autophagic genes and the elimination of dysfunctional mitochondria by mitophagy.

Conclusions: These findings may support the role of oxidative stress (essentially cellular suicide) and mitophagy (self-cannibalism of the mitochondria in the cells) in the pathophysiology (changes from normal functions) of fibromyalgia.

Author: Mario CorderoManuel De MiguelAna Moreno FernandezInes Carmona LopezJuan Garrido MaraverDavid CotanLourdes Gomez IzquierdoPablo BonalFrancisco CampaPedro BullonPlacido NavasJose Sanchez Alcazar

Credits/Source: Arthritis Research &Therapy 2010, 1

Rep. Buyer’s departure will leave open seat in home state, House Veterans Affairs Committee

Editorial by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) -- As noted in the article below, the decision to retire from Congress by U.S. Representative Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) will leave an open seat and a political scramble in the Indiana Congressional delegation.

However, it will also leave an open seat at the top of the Republican side of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where Buyer has served as the ranking Republican Member in the years since the Democrats won back the House and he shifted to that minority role from his previous chairmanship.

Initially seen by Gulf War veterans as a strong advocate for Gulf War Syndrome issues, he quickly learned that his fitness to govern would be questioned because of these health issues.  Some Gulf War veteran leaders felt Buyer abandoned them, while others have noted his quiet, behind-the-scenes role in supporting Gulf War Illness treatments and research in more recent years.

Buyer came under sharp criticism when, during the George W. Bush Administration, he called for closing off VA health care only to VA’s “core constituency” – the indigent and service-disabled.

Whatever the opinions may be, Buyer’s decision to leave Congress will leave a power vacuum on the Republican side of the House Veterans’ Affairs committee.

A special thanks goes out to Rep. Buyer and his staff for the many years of assistance they did provide in an array of tangible areas.

--Anthony Hardie

=======================================

Buyer's decision leaves open seat

Lawmaker is focused on his wife's health

Written by Mary Beth Schneiderand Maureen Groppe, The Indianapolis Star

(INDIANAPOLIS – IndyStar.com) A political scramble was ignited Friday when Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Buyer said he will end his 18-year congressional career to be with his ailing wife.

Within minutes of the surprise announcement, the list of potential replacements began to grow, with more expected to eye running for that rarity in politics: an open seat.

Buyer said that on Nov. 24, his wife, Joni, 52, was diagnosed with what physicians told them was "an incurable auto-immune disease" -- a finding that was confirmed Jan. 19 and again Friday.

"While Joni's sister died 21 months ago from this disease, I will not call it incurable because it's our faith that allows us to believe that all diseases can be cured," Buyer, 51, said. "As part of Joni's prognosis, she has to de-stress her life."

That, he said, is why he would not seek re-election to Congress for a 10th term and was retiring Aug. 1 from the U.S. Army Reserve, where he is a colonel with 30 years' service.

Buyer's longtime aide, state Sen. Brandt Hershman, is among those expected to vie for the 4th Congressional District seat. The strongly Republican strip of Indiana snakes north from Monticello to Mitchell in the south.

Hershman, a Lafayette Republican who is Buyer's district operations director, said Friday the immediate attention should be on Buyer and his wife. But he said he is considering running for his boss' seat and expects to have Buyer's backing.

Others weighing a run are Secretary of State Todd Rokita -- who earlier this week said he is considering challenging Democrat Evan Bayh for U.S. Senate -- and lobbyist Matt Whetstone, a Brownsburg Republican and a former state representative.

One name that won't be on the list: Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman. While Indiana Republican Party Chairman Murray Clark said Skillman would "be a field-clearer" if she got into the race, she said she plans to remain lieutenant governor.

"I think a lot of people will take a look at it," including county officeholders, Clark said. "We have a really strong bench in that district."

While the 4th Congressional District is prime GOP territory, Democrats in Washington and Indiana said they'll give the race a second look.

So far, only one Democrat -- Purdue University biologist David Sanders, who

Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker said the district is not insurmountable now that no incumbent is on the ballot.

But, he added, "first things first. Our hearts go out to (Buyer) in a terrible time for his family. He served his country both in the military and Congress, and he's got the right priorities for his family."

No one expected Buyer to bow out now, only days from the Feb. 19 deadline to file a candidacy for the May 4 primary election.

But during a news conference at Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis, where he made the announcement, his wife at his side, Buyer said that now is a time he'd like to stay in Washington.

"Politically, the easiest thing for me to do would have been to run again, especially with the present wave that is coming from the American people who are eager to take back their country."

But, he concluded: "Now is the time to step back and focus on Joni," his high school sweetheart whom he has known since third grade.

Neither Buyer nor the friends who joined him at the news conference took any questions.

He made no mention of the ethics complaint filed against him this week by the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility in Ethics in Washington. That group wants the Internal Revenue Service and the Office of Congressional Ethics to review the Frontier Foundation that Buyer created in 2003 to give out scholarships.

Investigations by the news media, including The Indianapolis Star, found the foundation raised more than $880,000, primarily from companies and organizations with interests before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on which Buyer serves. But it had given out no scholarships, while instead spending money to host golf fundraisers at luxury locales.

Buyer has said he is waiting to raise $1 million before giving out scholarships, so that the fund can be self-sustaining, and dismissed CREW's complaint as a political attack.

Friday, CREW extended Buyer's family its sympathies but questioned the timing of his announcement and said his retirement "should not short-circuit an investigation of his conduct."

Among Indiana's nine House members, only Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, and Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indianapolis, have served longer than Buyer.

Buyer, a lawyer from Monticello, was first elected in 1992, beating three-term Democratic Rep. Jim Jontz.

Buyer never faced a tough Democratic challenge in his heavily GOP district. But he was pitted against GOP Rep. Brian Kerns in the 2002 primary after Indiana lost a congressional seat. Buyer beat Kerns and four other GOP challengers with 55 percent.

A veteran of the Persian Gulf War, Buyer had campaigned around the district in his first race against Jontz carrying his combat boots. He suffered from physical ailments after returning from the Persian Gulf and became an advocate for the military to take seriously what became known as "Gulf War syndrome."

Congressional Quarterly's Politics in America credits Buyer with playing a key role in expanding the health-care system for military retirees.

Weight gain could be symptom of underactive thyroid

Written by KJ Mullins, Digital Journal

(DigitalJournal.com) - Sufferers of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome often deal with weight gain. The culprit may not be diet but an underactive thyroid, known as hypothyroidism.

Many sufferers of Fibromyalgia have deficiencies of the endocrine system which result in weight gain.

The Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers released a press release about this issue.

"For some, it doesn't matter how much they exercise or what foods they eat, their own body will thwart their efforts to lose weight," said Dr. Kelly Boulden. "We often find that patients who are overweight also have undiagnosed conditions that may be direct causes of their weight gain.

It is difficult to get an accurate test for hypothyroidism. Blood tests for the condition are unreliable 90 percent of the time, not picking up severely low thyroid levels or thyroid resistance. Doctors at FFC perform a more thorough series of testing in order to detect levels of thyroid function.

"Specialized tests are becoming increasingly important to accurately treat thyroid disorders. The hormonal system is complex and understanding the impact on the body and daily activities can be very difficult and frustrating," said Dr. Boulden. "The endocrine system produces and sends hormones to all areas of our body to regulate essential functions such as temperature, reproduction, growth, immunity and aging - and yes, whether we gain or lose weight."

The red flags that a person could be suffering from an underactive thyroid include sudden weight gain or an increase in body fat.

Despite proper diet or exercise you can't lose weight. You experience fatigue, insomnia or restless sleep, anxiety or panic attacks. You have infections that linger. You develop chronic sinusitis and spastic colon (gas, bloating, diarrhea, and/or constipation).

Rep. Buyer, Gulf War Veteran, will not seek re-election

Written by MIKE SMITH, AP Political Writer

(INDIANAPOLIS – AP)  — Republican Rep. Steve Buyer announced Friday that he will not seek re-election this fall and will leave Congress after 18 years because his wife is ill.

Buyer choked back tears as he stood next to his wife, Joni, on Friday, saying she had been diagnosed with an incurable autoimmune disease.

"As part of her prognosis she has been advised to de-stress her life," he said. "Now is the time for me to step back. It's been an honor."

Buyer, 51, is the top Republican on the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He was the committee's chairman for two years before Democrats won the House majority in the 2006 election.

He has faced questions in recent months about a private scholarship foundation he created that had raised more than $880,000 since 2003 without awarding any scholarships. He has defended his handling of the foundation, but didn't mention it during Friday's announcement and didn't take any questions.

Buyer represents Indiana's heavily Republican 4th District, which stretches from the Lafayette area, through the western and southern suburbs of Indianapolis to Bedford. He won re-election in 2008 with 60 percent of the vote even as Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since 1964.

A possible Republican candidate for the seat is state Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Wheatfield, who is Buyer's district operations director. Candidates face a Feb. 19 deadline to file for the May 4 primary.

Purdue University biology professor David Sanders, who lost badly to Buyer in the 2004 and 2006 elections, is the only Democrat to announce a campaign.

Halabja Monument

Monument to commemorate the victims of the gas attack on Halabja, Iraq in 1988.

Chemical Ali Executed

Written by Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor Staff writer

(Boston – Christian Science Monitor) - Ali Hassan al-Majid, the cousin of Saddam Hussein and regime enforcer who cast almost as fearsome a shadow across Iraq as the former dictator, was executed by hanging on Monday in Baghdad, Mr. Majid, who served as Hussein's internal security chief, came to be known as "Chemical Ali" after he ordered the use of poison gas in a ferocious counterinsurgency campaign against the Kurds in the late 1980s. In one incident, 5,000 men, women, and children were killed with nerve gas in the village of Halabja in 1988. He was the fifth most-wanted regime official and the king of spades on the famous deck of cards that the US military issued after its 2003 invasion.

His execution followed a death sentence last week – the eighth he's received since going on trial for war crimes in 2006. That was a stark contrast to the execution of Hussein, who was killed at the end of 2006, soon after his first confession. The hasty execution derailed further court cases against him, which led human rights organizations to complain that justice was not served. In particular, Hussein was never prosecuted for the the gassing of either the Kurds in the north or Shiites in the south.

Majid, however, was. He led the infamous Anfal campaign in the Kurdish north between 1987 and 1989, named for a chapter of the Koran that translates as the "Spoils of War." On his orders, Iraqi air power bombarded villages and towns with nerve gas and conventional weapons, and Iraqi infantry frequently swept through after the bombardment was over, killing surviving men and frequently evicting whole families from their homes, to make way for ethnic-Arab settlers from the country's south. Researchers estimate the campaign claimed 100,000 lives.

In 1991, after an uprising against the Hussein regime broke out in the largely Shiite south of the country, Majid was placed in charge of operations that killed thousands of civilians and a bloody campaign of terror against regime opponents afterwards. A former Iraqi intelligence officer told this newspaper in 2004 that he was ordered to transfer 14 political prisoners from the Shiite south to Baghdad shortly after the failed uprising.

Once in Baghdad, the men were taken to a large pool of acid and pushed in, one after the other. The tearful ex-intelligence officer said at the time: "There was just a brief scream and they were gone.... Other bus loads got different punishment. Some were buried in sand up to their necks and then run over with a steamroller."

What Majid's death means for Iraq today is hard to say. The country is heading towards March elections and Iraq's citizenry are still badly divided. On Monday, there were coordinated attacks on three major hotels in Baghdad that killed about 30 people.

Four of the five most-wanted men at the time of the invasion are now dead. In addition to Saddam Hussein, his sons Qusay and Uday were killed in a shootout with US forces in 2003. Former presidential secretary Abid Hamid Mahmud, the ace of diamonds, has been in captivity since 2003.

Another Gulf War veteran lost to Cancer; VA still does not track cancers in Gulf War veterans

Master Sergeant Jean-Paul Le Brocq

The Le Brocq family

Orlando Examiner

On December 19, 2009 America lost a son, brother, husband, father and unsung American hero. He did not die in a far-off land, although he had served and fought for you and me in Korea, Iraq and Kuwait. He did not die in an IED ambush, although he had survived many. He died in his bed after a courageous battle with cancer. He lived a life of a professional soldier, serving in the 82nd Airborne in Desert Storm. He later became a Ranger and served in Korea and Iraq before retiring from the military.

“JP” will be missed by many, including his former commander in Iraq. Please take a moment to read the message “JP’s” CO sent to his father. Many different kinds of young men and women have gone off to fight this war and each has had their own reason to contribute. Here is one man’s tribute to another:

“I write this with a heavy heart and tears rolling down my cheeks. I have no reason to exaggerate my words—None.

“I cannot imagine losing my son; or my wife; or my father. You and your wife, and Teresa, and JP's kids...it is you who I mourn for—but it is JP that I knew and loved.

“I drive through the Arlington Cemetery twice a day, everyday, on the metro. It hurts every time. I cried today—twice, as I passed through, thinking of Friday. JP is the sixth man that I have stood side by side with in combat who will be put to rest there.

“What I say now is all I know to say. I am not a good man; or a good Christian; or father; or husband. I lead men in combat. I perform brutal and vicious deeds on other human beings and I ask for no mercy…There are men, who are not like me, who come with me and fight with me, not because they love it as I do, but because it is their duty. They fight for their country and the greater good. I do not. I know there is a God because only God would take JP and leave someone like me here on earth to go on. Your son did not deserve what happened—when it is I who deserve something like that.

“I asked your son to do things for me that you, his mother, his wife, his best friend and his children could never ask of him. He and I were all alone for two months working with 600 Iraqi commandoes. We were roommates for six months. He drove on 61 missions as my driver which was the second most dangerous job in all of Iraq. When we were fighting there, Iraq was the most dangerous place on earth. We hit IEDs, and battled insurgents almost daily. JP fought as a great warrior on 11 December risking his life for his Muslim interpreter...he battled and battled. What you do not know is that he did not have to go on that last trip to Balad. I gave him the option. He did not want to go—but he did.

“I knew him. It brings me great pain to do this. I am a great warrior in battle, but a coward in life. I will be there for him. I will not be able to do or say much—if at all. I will do everything I can to just keep my feet. I will be in civilian clothes in a beard and would like to just stay in the back, unnoticed. But, I will do whatever you ask me to do.

“JP was a warrior, and he was my friend. I am so sorry.

“Please, please know that when your son was under my care, I loved him more than my own children, and that I killed for him and would have died for him.

“He knew I loved him. I told him many times.

“Please let me know where you want me to be and what time. I will be there."

Jim

Therapeutic uses of Chelation Treatment; May have Gulf War Illness implications

 

 

SOURCE:  Cheap Pharmacy Rx Blog

Drugs used to counteract drug overdosage are considered under the appropriate  headings,  e.g.,  physostigmine with atropine;  naloxone  with  opioids;  flumazenil  with  benzodiazepines;  antibody (Fab fragments) with digitalis; and N-acetyl-cysteine  with  acetaminophen intoxication. Chelating agents (A) serve as antidotes  in  poisoning with  heavy metals.

They act to complex and, thus, “inactivate”  heavy  metal  ions.  Chelates  (from Greek: chele = claw [of crayfish]) represent  complexes  between  a  metal  ion and molecules  that  carry  several binding  sites  for  the metal  ion.  Because  of their high affinity, chelating agents “attract” metal  ions present  in  the organism. The chelates are non-toxic, are excreted  predominantly  via  the  kidney, maintain  a  tight  organometallic  bond also in the concentrated, usually acidic, milieu  of  tubular  urine  and  thus  promote the elimination of metal ions.

Na2Ca-EDTA  is  used  to  treat  lead poisoning.  This  antidote  cannot  penetrate cell membranes and must be given parenterally. Because of its high binding affinity, the lead ion displaces Ca2+ from its bond. The lead-containing chelate is eliminated renally. Nephrotoxicity predominates among the unwanted effects.

Na3Ca-Pentetate is a complex of diethylenetriaminopentaacetic  acid  (DPTA) and serves as antidote in lead and other metal intoxications. Dimercaprol  (BAL, British Anti-Lewisite) was developed  in World War  II as an antidote against vesicant organic arsenicals (B). It  is able to chelate various metal  ions. Dimercaprol forms a  liquid,  rapidly  decomposing  substance that  is given  intramuscularly  in an oily vehicle.  A  related  compound,  both  in terms  of  structure  and  activity,  is  dimercaptopropanesulfonic acid, whose sodium salt is suitable for oral administration. Shivering,  fever, and  skin  reactions are potential adverse effects.  -

Deferoxamine  derives  from  the bacterium  Streptomyces  pilosus.  The substance  possesses  a  very  high  ironbinding capacity, but does not withdraw iron  from hemoglobin or  cytochromes. It is poorly absorbed enterally and must be given parenterally to cause increased excretion of iron. Oral administration is indicated  only  if  enteral  absorption  of iron is to be curtailed. Unwanted effects include  allergic  reactions.  It  should  be noted that blood  letting  is the most effective means of removing iron from the body;  however,  this method  is  unsuitable for treating conditions of iron overload associated with anemia.

D-penicillamine  can  promote  the elimination of  copper  (e.g.,  in Wilson’s disease) and of lead ions. It can be given orally. Two additional uses are cystinuria and rheumatoid arthritis. In the former,  formation of cystine stones  in  the urinary  tract  is  prevented  because  the drug can form a disulfide with cysteine that is readily soluble. In the latter, penicillamine  can  be  used  as  a  basal  regimen.  The  therapeutic  effect may result in part from a reaction with aldehydes,  whereby  polymerization  of collagen molecules into fibrils is inhibited.  Unwanted  effects  are:  cutaneous damage  (diminished  resistance  to mechanical stress with a tendency to form blisters),  nephrotoxicity,  bone marrow depression, and taste disturbances.

Survivors of Iraqi chemical warfare agent attacks in Halabja still seriously ill many years after the attacks

Symptoms and duration similar to complaints of Coalition veterans of the 1991 Gulf War

Byline: Aamer Madhani

HALABJA, Iraq _ Like many others in this small Kurdish city who survived the most notorious chemical attack by Saddam Hussein's regime, Hamida Hassen Muhammad suffers from the distinctive raw cough that physicians say plagues the community.

Each day, the 36-year-old widow wakes up hacking, and by the end of the day she finds herself spitting blood into her kitchen sink. The mustard gas used in the attack damaged her lungs, making even walking across her small home exhausting.

"It feels like the blade of a knife is scratching the inside of my neck when I breathe and when I eat," said Muhammad, who also suffered burns to her ...

  [READ MORE]

MORE ARTICLES ABOUT HALABJA:

HEALTH-IRAQ: HALABJA -- THE LEGACY OF CHEMICAL ATTACK
News Wire article from: Inter Press Service English News Wire ...survivors of Iraq's 1988 chemical attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja are strikingly similar...with all its problems, Halabja has just one surgeon...with all legacy of the chemical attack, Halabja needs money, equipment...

Kurdish town of Halabja remembers Saddam's chemical attack
News Wire article from: AP Worldstream 00-00-0000 Dateline: HALABJA, Iraq The people of northern...gave the mountain city of Halabja a painful place in history...Hussein's forces launched a chemical attack on the Kurdish minority in...men, women and children in Halabja. Almost everyone in the city...

VOA NEWS: IRAQI VICTIMS OF HALABJA CHEMICAL ATTACK STILL SUFFER 19 YEARS LATER
News Wire article from: US Fed News Service, Including US State News ...weapons attack on the Kurdish village of Halabja. For the first time, Iraq's central...attacked the mainly Kurdish village of Halabja, using bombs, mustard gas and other...Kurds from their homes, but the attack on Halabja remains one of the most notorious acts...

VOA NEWS: HALABJA BEARS SCARS 18 YEARS AFTER CHEMICAL ATTACK
News Wire article from: US Fed News Service, Including US State News ...single day. The attack on Halabja came in the last months of...Tehran. Many Kurds believe Halabja was a target because of that alliance. Halabja resident, Abdullah, says the day before the chemical attack people in the town were saying...

Halabja Watches Hussein's Trial and Waits for Its Day in Court; Residents of...
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post ...once again stalled, survivors of the Halabja chemical bombings -- one of the darkest...answering in court for the attacks in Halabja. "If he will be tried and executed just...26, who works as a tour guide at the Halabja Memorial Museum, a monument to the victims...

BUSH MARKS 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF HALABJA
News Wire article from: United Press International ...Bush Saturday marked the 15th anniversary of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's chemical attack against the Kurdish town of Halabja. The chemical attack on Halabja -- just one of 40 targeted at Iraq' s own people -- provided a glimpse of the...

Bush marks 15th anniversary of Halabja.
News Wire article from: United Press International ...Bush Saturday marked the 15th anniversary of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's chemical attack against the Kurdish town of Halabja. "The chemical attack on Halabja -- just one of 40 targeted at Iraq's own people -- provided a glimpse of the...

"Chemical Ali" sentenced to death by hanging over Halabja gas attack.
News Wire article from: Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) ...relation to the gas attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988. The sentence was announced in a public...Al-Douri was sentenced to 15 years as well. Halabja came under chemical attack by Saddam's forces March 16, 1988 and the attack...

BUSH SAYS MASSACRE AT HALABJA SHOWS EVIL OF HUSSEIN'S RULE
Transcript from: Regulatory Intelligence Data ...Bush today held up the March 16, 1988, chemical attack on the civilians of Halabja, Iraq, as a prime example of the evil...regime in his weekly radio address. The chemical attack on Halabja - just one of 40 targeted at Iraq's own...

Site of Iraqi Gas Attack Is Being Rebuilt; Kurds Returning to Halabja, Where...
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post ...until returning to Halabja a year ago. Five months after the chemical attack, Iraq accepted...destruction of Halabja. Thousands of...family in the 1988 chemical attack, including a...in a section of Halabja called Kaniashkan...

Blast from the Past – Increased brain cancer deaths in Khamisiyah-exposed Gulf War veterans.

A research paper published in the August 2005 issue of the American Journal of Public Health finds that Gulf War veterans who may have been exposed to nerve agents during the March 1991 weapons demolitions in Khamisiyah, Iraq, appear to have a higher risk for brain cancer death than veterans who were not exposed.

The paper, Mortality in US Army Gulf War Veterans Exposed to 1991 Khamisiyah Chemicals Munitions Destruction, was released: July 25, 2005 and has been repeatedly cited ever since.