Agent Orange and Neurological Disorders

I just read a post from a veteran who discussed the effects of Agent Orange and Parkinson's Disease. It made me wonder if there are others who have had similar experiences? If so, is there anything you have learned from your medical team and/or the VA regarding this? Please feel free to share your story.

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No problem with treatments. I keep having skin cancers and tge VA,stated has nothing to do with Agent Orange. Then I received information about Agent Blue and it caused skin cancers. I knew nothing about Agent Blue and there is not much written about it. Researching this now. Looking for information.

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@jimmyray

No problem with treatments. I keep having skin cancers and tge VA,stated has nothing to do with Agent Orange. Then I received information about Agent Blue and it caused skin cancers. I knew nothing about Agent Blue and there is not much written about it. Researching this now. Looking for information.

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@jimmyray, I'm not sure if you have used Google Scholar before for doing medical research but it's a great search tool. What I like is that you can sort the results by year at the left. Here's a search on "agent blue vietnam" which found quite a bit of information -- https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2023&q=agent+blue+vietnam&hl=en&as_sdt=0,24

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@margaretob

I made signs and sat on the WHITE HOUSE LAWN, rode buses, put letters in the papers etc. He left this earth with two sons,the baby was seven months. HE is now 43. and lives with ME....the oldest s 52 and lives in MAINE.....we all have DIABETES...

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i am a vietnam vet and have had prostrate cancer, bladder cancer,twice high blood pressure, and lots of little things. i also have hydrosephalus and now a shunt. has anyone heard if hydrosephalus was related to agent orange. i was in guam in 1963 and vietnam in 1965. a double whammy. thanks forr the ingo. john steeber

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@macbeth

@colleenyoung
@hopeful33250
All I know is that it has been recognized as related to a host of diseases in Vietnam vets, including Parkinson's, diabetes, some cancers, and ischemic heart disease, among other conditions. The vet who helped us file a claim, at a nearby VA regional office, (and a comp doctor there) also believe it may also be connected to dementia/early onset dementia, which makes sense, due to the relationship to Parkinson's and ischemic heart disease (the higher rate of ischemic build-up around the heart is bound to be happening elsewhere in the body - such as in the brain), but, that not enough veterans or their families are making the connection and filing claims. More claims filed = more attention from the government. Also, I am being told that it will take many more years of research before the connection is officially recognized between AO and dementias, in general. I realize that not everyone who gets a disease has a family history of that disease, but my husband's family has no history of dementia, and I began to notice symptoms or wonder about him, as early as in his early - to - mid sixties, and maybe before that, looking back. But I was in denial. He also has the AO related ischemic heart disease. One of my brothers (Vietnam vet) had an AO related carcinoma, and had to have his leg amputated. It can wreak havoc decades after exposure. I know that many children of Vietnam vets have had problems that are being traced back to the AO exposure of a parent.

All you have to do, is begin to research this stuff on the net. There are a lot of very sad, very frustrating experiences related there.

I know that there is strength in numbers, and that being civil is very important, but that being tooooo polite does not get a job like this done. Vietnam veterans and their families need to be heard about these facts and overwhelming coincidences. They need to file claims. They need to write letters. They need to get louder. They need to push. They need to extend the support to Vietnam veterans that they rarely or never received for their service.

O. K. Now I'll dust off my hands and get off my high horse. Can you tell I'm a little passionate about this?

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I'm with you on this one, Brother.
Vets, get those claims filed. And if possible, get a good veteran Service Officer to write it for you. (They know the proper wording on the claim forms.)
And to all of my Nam brothers, welcome home.

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@johns92118

i am a vietnam vet and have had prostrate cancer, bladder cancer,twice high blood pressure, and lots of little things. i also have hydrosephalus and now a shunt. has anyone heard if hydrosephalus was related to agent orange. i was in guam in 1963 and vietnam in 1965. a double whammy. thanks forr the ingo. john steeber

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Welcome home, Brother.

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