Gulf War Illnesses: Chemical, Biological and Radiological

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Exposures Resulting in Chronic Fatiguing Illnesses can be

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Identified and Treated

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Institute for Molecular Medicine

2003

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SUMMARY Gulf War Illnesses (GWI) involve multiple, complex chronic signs and symptoms that

loosely fit the clinical criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)

and/or Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS). Most GWI patients had multiple exposures: (a) complex

chemical mixtures, including organophosphate pesticides, anti-nerve agents, carbamates and

possibly nerve and blister agents, (b) radiological sources, subjecting patients to both heavy metal

and radiation effects, and (c) biological sources, including bacteria and toxins and the effects of

multiple vaccines. Chemically exposed patients may benefit by removing offending chemicals and

depleting toxic chemicals from the patient's system and other symptomatic treatments. Patients

with systemic infections, including mycoplasmal and other chronic bacterial infections, can be

treated with antibiotics and additional nutritional supplementation. Some patients may have their

illness linked to radiological exposures, and a

minority to battlefield stress. The vaccines are a prime suspect for immune dysfunction and

chronic infections. The multiple, complex exposures resulted in poorly defined chronic illnesses, but

subsets of GWI can be identified and effectively treated using appropriate procedures.