Mention Of Gwi Still Makes Doctors Eyes Roll....

[sleeper692]

I had a visit with a neurologist to go over my migraines and "probably fibroymyalgia but I'm not sure" symptoms and treatments today. It was my first time visiting with this particular doctor. He was quite nice and helpful, willing to go the distance with me to try to find something that will help reduce, if not eliminate, the debilitating headaches 3 to 4 times a week. He was thorough in answering my questions and seemed to understand that I had a grip on my headaches and body pains after dealing with them for 20 years in increasing increments.

Then I asked him if he was familiar with Gulf War Illness. Oh boy, I might as well have asked if he believed in voodoo. I got the eye roll, the "I can only treat symptoms" speech and then I was reasonably dismissed after some other minor discussion.

Why is it that, today, even after the VA has admitted there is something wrong and researchers are finding more and more evidence of neural and mitochondrial damage, that VA doctors just don't want to hear the words "Gulf War Illness?"

Of course, it didn't help that every blood test I've had in the last month (lets say 30 tubes of blood, easily) have all been negative for any indication that there is anything other than having a little high cholesterol wrong with me.

I think that until someone comes up with a definitive cause and definitive treatment(s) for whatever is eating away at our bodies and minds, Gulf War Vets will be treated as a bag of symptoms instead of people with something believably wrong with us. I understand the VA's official take on GWI, but I don't understand why these doctors aren't more curious to look for underlying problems. The answer today was to double my meds and throw in a few new ones. Better living through chemicals, I suppose.

Other GWV's seeing this same sort of disdain for your "imaginary" illness??? I know I can't be the only one.

Pete

Desert Storm

B Troop, 2/17th Air Cavalry, 101st Abn Div.

[Chuck75]

If I thought I had GWS, and was a GW veteran, one of the things I'd do would be to consult with an allergist. As a Vietnam veteran, one of my mistakes was not doing so right after separation.

[Chuck75]

A comparison with "GWS" ad Vietnam veteran's problems.

There is something referred to as metabolic disorder, and it can be applied to, and connects DMII, Heart Disease, PAD, CAD, and several other conditions.

The last I heard, the VA ignores it, the compensation people don't admit it exists, and doctors treat as if the related conditions are stand alone conditions that are concurrent.

As far as I know, there is not a very good definition for metabolic disorder to go by.

[sleeper692]

Yesterday I was seen by two VA rheumatologists. After two exams and review of blood work recently done to rule out arthritis at a C&P exam, both doctors were stymied to come up with a diagnosis for the pain and swelling in my hands and feet. Once again, at the mention of GWI, I got an immediate "we don't even know if that exists" response and was sent on my not-so-merry way.

In the past year they have ruled out everything from fibromyalgia to syphilis and can still find no quantitative lab or examination results that explain any of the symptoms that plague me on a daily basis. It is so very frustrating that, even after scrambling for a year trying everything they can think of to relieve my pain, they cannot or will not admit that I have GWI. I try to urge them in the right direction with the results of studies that show GWI is likely caused by multiple chemical exposures but they show little interest in the underlying causes and seem content to simply treat the symptoms by throwing bottle after bottle of medication at me. The medications are actually making me worse instead of better but they just keep upping the dose until I'm zombied out most of the time. My day basically consists of waking up in pain, taking meds, sleeping; repeat 4 times in 24 hours.

I've filed for SSDI and TDIU and I am still waiting on results from both of those. My IU claim was just kicked back to the development phase from the decision phase *after* my C&P exams and I can't get any answers as to why. I swear, if they deny my IU claim, the first thing I'm doing is going down to the VA regional office and applying for a job. Let's see how that works out.

[docforvets]

Sleeper 692,

Sounds like your issues would fit in the VA/DoD category of "Medically Unexplained Symptoms: Chronic Pain and Fatigue". There are published clinical practice guidelines your VA doctor should be following. Take a look at these links for more information, and print them out and take them along to your next appointment:

http://www.healthqua...us_fulltext.pdf

http://www.healthquality.va.gov/mus/mus_poc_combined.pdf

http://www.healthqua...mus/mus_sum.pdf

Doc W

docforvets.com

[JT24usn]

DOC

Would blood disorder of unknown etiology be considered? I can't find any Literature for gulf war illness and blood disorders. Hematologist has run every genetic blood disorder for iron overload and all have been negative. He now says it is probably environmental. In the meantime phlebotomies continue.

Sleeper 692,

Sounds like your issues would fit in the VA/DoD category of "Medically Unexplained Symptoms: Chronic Pain and Fatigue". There are published clinical practice guidelines your VA doctor should be following. Take a look at these links for more information, and print them out and take them along to your next appointment:

http://www.healthqua...us_fulltext.pdf

http://www.healthquality.va.gov/mus/mus_poc_combined.pdf

http://www.healthqua...mus/mus_sum.pdf

Doc W

docforvets.com

[1st Sgt]

I feel your pain...For the past 22 years I have been getting the speech from the military docs.

I was Dxd in Feb with Multiple Sclerosis. I got tired of all of the gallons of body fluids that were taken only to be returned with "your levels are absolutely perfect". Here is some motrin, come back if it gets worse. I got fed up and requested to see a neuro. Started off with a test for Carpel Tunnel Syndrone, which I was Dxd for long ago by mil-docs. I don't have CTS. Went to get an MRI which showed all of the scarring in my mellon. I asked the neuro anout GWS and I got the same eye roll.

I went for my initial C&P exam and mentioned GWS after I gave the list of issues I was having, no eye roll...first time. He actually agreed with me that it should be looked into more than it is.

WOW indeed.