[DinoNC]

Gulf War veterans with multiple myeloma

by DinoNC on Thu May 07, 2015 10:04 pm

Hello everyone.

I'm simply trying to find all the pieces to this puzzle. Apparently, there's a connection between multiple myeloma and the vaccines we were given during the early years of the Gulf War, so I thought I would start this thread for people to share information and experiences.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

[Brent M]

Re: Gulf War veterans with multiple myeloma

by Brent M on Tue May 12, 2015 1:17 pm

Thanks DinoNC.

Recently medically retired from the USAF in 2014 after 21 years. Diagnosed with multiple mye­loma in September 2012. I certainly wonder if my deployments, vaccinations, and overall ser­vice were a cause of this disease.

What is the nature of the connection between multiple myeloma and vaccinations?

Thank you for kicking off this topic.

[jono]

Re: Gulf War veterans with multiple myeloma

by jono on Mon May 18, 2015 6:23 am

I am a UK Gulf War vet. I don't know of any other multiple myeloma cases with anyone I served with, but it would be good to keep tabs on the number of us vets entering the multiple myeloma ranks.

[Mark K]

Re: Gulf War veterans with multiple myeloma

by Mark K on Mon May 18, 2015 7:55 pm

Gulf war vet here also diagnosed in 2012 at the age of 44. I was stationed in England for two years during the first gulf, I was never deployed to the middle eastern regions though.

[Jill]

Re: Gulf War veterans with multiple myeloma

by Jill on Tue Jun 30, 2015 2:20 pm

My ex-husband has just been diagnosed with muliple myeloma. He too was stationed in England during the gulf war but he never saw active service, came back a couple of weeks before it started, but he had all the vaccines

[Kecachapman]

Re: Gulf War veterans with multiple myeloma

by Kecachapman on Mon Dec 07, 2015 7:00 pm

I am a Gulf War vet and have been diagnosed with smoldering myeloma as of November of 2015.

I too am looking for answers to this and my serving in the Gulf.

Thank you.

[Carrie B]

Re: Gulf War veterans with multiple myeloma

by Carrie B on Mon Jan 04, 2016 3:35 am

My husband was diagnosed 2014 with multiple myeloma at age 43. Gulf War vet, Marine. How would one know if his multiple myeloma is service connected?

[Ian]

Re: Gulf War veterans with multiple myeloma

by Ian on Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:33 am

Which country are you and your husband in, Carrie?

[coop223]

Re: Gulf War veterans with multiple myeloma

by coop223 on Mon Jan 04, 2016 10:39 pm

Not a vet but worked counter CIED program in 2006-2007. Was exposed to high power vehicle jammers up close. Configured jammers before being sent out for testing. Was fine in 2005, was diagnosed with stage 2 (60%) multiple myeloma in 2010. Still wonder if the high power RF was what caused my multiple myeloma.

[Gyrene]

Re: Gulf War veterans with multiple myeloma

by Gyrene on Wed Jan 20, 2016 9:55 am

I am a Gulf War Veteran. I am 46 years old. I was diagnosed with MGUS back in 2008 and in 2011 the MGUS progressed to multiple myeloma. I have gone through treatment protocols and recently, 31 days ago, I went through a stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant).

Just yesterday I ran into this 2006 report by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health; IOM (Institute of Medicine):

M Brown, "Toxicological assessments of Gulf War veterans," Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, April 2006 (abstract at Pubmed, full text of article at journal website and at Pubmed Central)

Take a look at table 4, Summary of IOM ‘Gulf War & Health’ committee findings on health effects from environmental hazards associated with the 1991 Gulf War, by category of evidence. Multiple myeloma in association to our service in the Gulf War is considered Evidence Category 3: limited / suggestive evidence of an association.

What does this mean? Well in my eyes it means we still need to fight to get it to move up in evidence category.