THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 19, 1994 TAG: 9410190440
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARIE JOYCE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Dr. Myra Shayevitz listed the ways that soldiers were exposed to high concentrations of chemicals in the Persian Gulf war:
Diesel-fueled heaters in sleeping areas; oil soaked into the ground to keep down dust; use of empty fuel cans to carry bathing water; human waste incinerated with diesel fuel; pesticides used to treat clothing and sprayed in sleeping areas and bathrooms; pyridostigmine bromide, an anti-nerve gas pill taken by troops.
Some men, she said, wore flea collars.
``No one told them not to,'' said Shayevitz, a Department of Veterans Affairs doctor who has spent much of the past three years trying to understand Gulf War Syndrome. She spoke Tuesday at the convention of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine.
Shayevitz said such intense, prolonged exposure to powerful chemicals, combined with the extreme stress of war, may have been what triggered Gulf War Syndrome, a constellation of flu-like symptoms that at first was dismissed by defense officials but which has been slowly gaining credence.
A sign of the government's increased attention: The VA may soon open its first ward dedicated to intensive treatment of syndrome patients.
Shayevitz, a doctor with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northampton, Mass., is developing a plan for the ward. If accepted, it would be the first such effort sponsored by the VA.
She spoke on a panel discussion about chemical sensitivity and Gulf War Syndrome. Panelists heaped criticism on the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, saying officials are refusing to acknowledge the extent of the problem.
``We're going to have to hammer them for a while,'' said Maj. Richard Haines, an Army reservist from Indiana who has become an activist on behalf of Gulf War Syndrome patients. ``They don't want to admit they made a mistake.''
The syndrome is very hard to diagnose, said Shayevitz, because problems don't show up in standard medical tests.
The tests that do detect problems - which look at chemical imbalances and food sensitivities - aren't available in standard medical centers, she said.
And the great variety of symptoms makes it hard to pinpoint. Symptoms include diarrhea and other digestive problems, sinus problems, coughing and wheezing, rashes, insomnia, severe fatigue, difficulty concentrating and muscle aches. By some estimates, the malady has affected 20,000 American troops.
According to Tuesday's panelists, patients also display intense sensitivity to common chemicals - newsprint, bath and cleaning products, auto exhaust, fumes from freshly paved asphalt.
The Department of Defense initially responded with skepticism. But panelists said increasing attention from the media, the public and Congress has swayed officials somewhat.
In Shayevitz' proposed ward, patients would learn to change their lifestyles to reduce exposure to chemicals that trigger symptoms. For a month, they would live in a ward designed with special air filters and other systems.
They would be taught how to reduce exposure in their houses, and receive nutritional counseling to eliminate processed food from their diets.
The staff would intervene with the patients' employers, hoping to persuade them to make any necessary changes to the workplace. There would also be counseling and stress reduction training.
After patients leave, they would be tracked for a year to see whether their new lifestyle has restored their health.
Shayevitz said the condition is chronic, not curable. That makes for a particular difficulty - persuading young men to drastically re-order their lives.
They don't want to hear that they can never drink Coke or alcohol, can never smoke or even spend time in places with smokers. They don't want to wear masks in movie theaters and change seats several times during the show.
``It's hard for them,'' she said. ``They're young men. They were so powerful three years ago.''
KEYWORDS: IRAQ GULF WAR SYNDROME
by CNB