A list of symptoms follows. This list derives from my own direct experience with this illness and my (potentially erroneous) understanding of Dr. Nicolson's published research [For the actual description of signs and symptoms from Dr. Nicolson's own Web page go to: Symptoms of Gulf War Illness I am solely responsible for the information presented here. Once again, be advised, I am not a doctor, and not qualified to recommend or imply diagnoses or medical treatments. If you suspect you may have Gulf War Illness, print out Dr. Nicolson's research and consult a physician. You should also contact Dr. Nicolson's office by phone: (714) 903-2900. Ask for the information package which includes blood test request forms. There is no charge. Take this info to your doctor, or several doctors if necessary until you find one who is open minded enough to try the antibiotics. Time is important. You may wish to consult Dr. Baumzweiger who works out of Tarzana, CA and is known to be having success treating GWI patients: (818) 995-3484, E-mail WB1321@aol.comSpecial blood tests can be done to identify the presence of the mycoplasma organism responsible for this illness, but only by certain facilities. The only ones I am aware of who can do this properly at the moment are Dr. Garth & Dr. Nancy Nicolson's Institute for Molecular Medicine and the other laboratories mentioned at Mycoplasma Resources (SHASTA CFIDS).
My understanding and experience with this illness indicates that only a few of the symptoms may be present to a troublesome degree at any given time during the progression of the disease over several years from initial exposure to the acute phase. By acute phase I mean being pretty much disabled by fatigue, muscle & joint problems, short term memory loss and generalized cognitive (thinking) difficulties. Once the acute phase has begun, many more of the symptoms should be evident - not necessarily all.
The things I noticed in the first three years (before I knew I had an illness) were headaches, joint and muscle pains, numbness in the hands at night, occasional severe diarrhea, severe allergies, loss of strength and endurance, irritability, unusual bumps or growths on the skin, and less tolerance for stress (and all of these things were intermittent, i.e., they would come and go). These are common ailments which many "normal" people experience frequently, and therefore can not lead to a proper diagnosis. Late in the third year (1994) I started noticing occasional memory problems and anxiety attacks. The fatigue became evident during the fourth and fifth years. The acute attack occurred April 1998 with arthritis so bad in both hands that they were basically useless, and a fatigue that kept me on my back all day except for the briefest of meal preparations for my daughter.
All told I have experienced over 60 of the symptoms listed below. There seems to be no part of the body where this organism can't go and do damage; thus, the wide range of symptoms and the trouble doctors may have in diagnosing it. Apparently, different people will exhibit somewhat different sets of these symptoms. I do not know if any of the symptoms always occur without exception. Certainly, lack of any one or more of these symptoms should not be taken to indicate the absence of the illness.According to Dr. Baumzweiger immune system abnormalities can and do cause the same or similar wide variety of symptoms, even in the absence of a mycoplasma infection. Although my gut feeling is that people having exactly the same symptoms most likely have the same illness, it is worth noting that the mycoplasma does invade white blood cells thus compromising the immune system, which, perhaps may then produce the exact same abnormalities experienced by those whose immune systems were compromised by other toxic exposures or experimental vaccines. Or perhaps we all have an underlying problem with the immune system that is not going away any time soon; and approximately 45% of us have the mycoplasma (and perhaps a few other germs) on top of it.
The contagious aspect of this really complicates the immune system theory. Dr. Baumzweiger made a comment I found really "spooky" or disturbing. Actually he made two spooky comments. One had to do with our immune system not being able to recognize that we are us, so to speak, and thus producing auto immune symptoms. The other had to do with the contagion aspect. He said that - and he was speculating, not stating a known fact - the white blood cells may be genetically altered in some way. It could be that by transmitting our white blood cells to others, for example in saliva, the white cells of the recipient become altered in the same way through contact with ours. This would indicate a substantial genetic component to this disease, the possible effects of which could go well beyond a (not so) simple infection.
Gulf War Illness Symptoms
Those symptoms I have noticed which I am not sure have also been documented elsewhere by competent scientific/medical personnel are at the end of the list and marked with an asterisk '*'.Difficulty sleeping and waking up Nightmares Fatigue Loss of strength or physical endurance Joint pain/aches Muscle pain - aching or burning muscles, pinpoint pains that move around to different spots, pulled-muscle-like sensations which occur upon minor physical exertions that would not normally cause any injury Stiffness and reduced mobility in the joints Short term memory problems - similar to Alzheimer's' but probably less severe: forgetting where you were going; driving past your intended destination (including your own house); forgetting what you were going to say, common names and words you have been familiar with for years etc.; forgetting to log checks in your check book; frequently losing things (keys, hats...), forgetting where you are in the middle of a job, what you have just done etc. (Note: memory problems this serious probably won't occur until late in the course of the illness during or after the acute phase - so be on the alert for early warning signs of more minor memory problems early on.) Problems thinking and concentrating, difficulty performing multiple step mental tasks Difficulty finding the right word; saying the wrong word (frequently) and not being aware of it Stuttering or stammering (more often, or for the first time) Headaches Exercise makes you feel worse instead of better - instead of feeling invigorated by mild to moderate exercise, you actually feel ill for several days following Neck pain - typically at the base of the neck near the bony spot at the center of the shoulders Back pain - lower back in the middle & upper back just inside the shoulder blades Numbness & tingling - numbness and tingling in hands and wrists at night, tendency for legs or buttocks to "go to sleep" while sitting for fairly brief periods which should not normally cause a problem Frequent colds, flu or infections Diarrhea (not constant, but occasional - at least in my case) Stomach cramps Stomach pain Nausea Vomiting Regurgitating food Excessive gas/flatulence Bloating Muscle spasms or cramps Trembling, shaking or twitching Blood in stools Blood in urine Visual problems Loss of sense of smell Smelling odors that are not actually present (olfactory hallucination) Ringing in the ears Hearing loss Emotional problems (irritable, cranky, mood swings, fits of anger or rage over issues that later seem unimportant) Depression Suicidal thoughts Loss of interest in normal pursuits/lessened enthusiasm Episodes of panic and anxiety Chest pain Chest pressure Racing pulse Heart palpitations Coughing frequently Shortness of breath Swollen glands Frequent clearing of the throat Coughing up thick saliva of phlegm Wheezing Skipped or extra heart beats Lightheaded Dizziness Poor balance, periods of being unsteady on your feet Frequent sinus problems and and tenderness at given points around facial area associated with sinuses New allergies or increased severity of existing allergies Chemical sensitivities - household cleaners, vehicle exhaust, gasoline fumes, pesticides, cigarette smoke, campfire smoke etc. make you feel bad/cause headaches Excessive sneezing Nasal congestion or stuffiness Sore throat Thick saliva Increased salivation Drooling at night Abnormal changes in hair color (anywhere on body) Hair loss (anywhere on body) Reddening or flushing of the skin Yellowing color of skin Cuts and wounds slow to heal Unusual itching sensation in the skin suggesting small insects crawling and occasional small stinging sensations Skin problems - excessively dry and unusual looking skin ("elephant skin"); loose skin, e.g. on your hand which you can pinch and stretch upwards and does not fall back into place normally (loss of elasticity); rapidly proliferating liver spots, warty bumps, bright red moles, or raised brown spots on the skin. Unusual skin rashes - including several individual red bumps the size of a large pimple which take several weeks to "heal" and leave visible red patches under the skin for many months afterwards; many small (no color) bumps on cheeks (mine were on the fingers and side of the foot) Itchy scalp/genital Itch Sore patches of skin which feel similar to sunburn where there is no sunburn Night sweats Sensitivity to cold Swollen abdomen Difficulty swallowing - food and drink "going down the wrong way" more often than usual, getting choked on your own saliva Blurred, double or wavy vision Eyeglasses no longer work as well Sensitive to light Lessened night vision Eye twitching Black spots in the eyes - "floaters" Constant (or nearly so) dark circles around the eyes with some yellowing Unusual watering, itching, or dryness of the eyes More frequent urination Occasional minor loss of bladder control Toenail or foot fungus Swelling of ankles Swelling of body Black and blue bruising more easily Dental pain, discomfort, sensitivity to cold without apparent cause Loose teeth Dental abscesses Blisters on the gums (very sore to the touch) Bleeding gums Sores on the lips Numbness of lips White coated tongue Having the wrong taste sensation for what is being eaten, or having a taste sensation while not eating Cotton mouth Handwriting has gotten worse Weak voice Drinking alcohol causes unusual type or degree of mental impairment Excessive thirst Periods of extreme hunger at times, and at other times no appetite or loss of interest in food Loss of sexual libido Males - impotence, aching or swollen testicles Females - worse PMS, irregular menstrual periods, worse menstrual cramps, cervical pain, endometriosis, frequent yeast infections Change in scent (body odor smells different after sweating than it used to)* Skin around the cheekbone area of the face feels thick and rubbery* Abnormal amount of pain, swelling and bruising following relatively minor joint injury - slower than normal recovery. Intense burning sensation in the skin around the injured area with loss of sensation in some areas of the skin around the injury. (Auto immune response?)* Sleepwalking - waking up walking around and holding conversations then going back to sleep and not remembering the conversation took place* Easily startled by sounds or someone approaching* Low/0 tolerance for stress* Low tolerance for noise, i.e., noise bothers you & can cause you to be upset or angry* Clumsiness* More frequent household accidents: burning yourself in the kitchen, knocking over glasses, turning around and bumping into things, falling etc.* Uncharacteristically doing unsafe maneuvers while driving - such as pulling out in front of an approaching vehicle when turning onto a road (short term memory/peripheral vision problem)* Being more aggressive and easily angered in dealings with other people - having a short fuse* Inflammations in and around the eyes* Small bumps under the eyelid, or other things which irritate the eye intermittently for days/weeks at a time (feels like you have something in your eye)*