Agent Orange/Dioxin related illnesses

Posted by Tiffie @tiffie, Mar 19, 2012

I know this is a touchy subject for many, but I am still looking for answers. My trip to Jacksonville helped with some, but not all. I am suffering from a mystery illness and it seems to be related to my father's exposure to Agent Orange. Me and my sister both have the same symptoms, except she is more advanced. My niece is starting to show the symptoms. In my search online, I have found many other children of Vietnam Vets going through this. I guess I'm just wondering if there are any here, and if so, do you have a diagnosis yet? I have some such as fibromyalgia and connective tissue disease, but it doesn't cover all of the symptoms. The symptoms are very ms like. I am 35 years old and some days have to use a walker. I fall. I lose feeling in limbs. I can not even hold a job right now. I have met many other children who have had a wide range of illnesses and birth defects. I know a lot of us are suffering from mental illness including bipolar. I'm bipolar myself. But I have that answer. I want the answers for the pain and weakness and fatigue. I plan on revisiting the mayo clinic after I get better insurance since new symptoms have come on since my last visit. I know they did everything they could. I know my local doctors are. I'm just hoping to get more information to take to both there and my local doctors of people with similar symptoms and had a hard time getting diagnosed. My own research on dioxin is showing that these are very common symptoms of it. So just wondering who else is in the same boat.

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@tiffie

So I went to the rhuematologist today for a follow up. After witnessing some of my newer symptoms, such as electric shocks throughout the body, she wants me to come back to the mayo clinic and to call my local neurologist for a lp. Of course, she didn't offer to pay for either rofl.

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I get the whole electrical issues as well. Like pins coming out of all pores of my body.

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@tiffie

So I went to the rhuematologist today for a follow up. After witnessing some of my newer symptoms, such as electric shocks throughout the body, she wants me to come back to the mayo clinic and to call my local neurologist for a lp. Of course, she didn't offer to pay for either rofl.

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Will V.A. ever have to pay? My son suffers as well.

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I am an OR Nurse and have been suffering from what doctors are calling Dyshydrotic Eczema for 4 years. I have tried every steroid cream out there, been on high doses of steroids and nothing has really helped. My hands and arms break out in a severe blistering rah. At times, the skin just peels off. I wish I could find someone or something that could help me. My dad was in Vietnam and passed away in 1992 after complications from Agent Orange exposure.

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@1970vietnamvet

You are not alone. I am a Nam Vet, (1970) and have Type II Diabetes, pereipheral Neuropathy in all 4 extremities and a host of other problems. My 38 year old daughter has MS. She was diagnosed on her 21st Birthday. She started with occular, migrane headaches. She gets a infusion once a month for an hour and must sit still for another hour. My son has had allergies almost from birth and asthma from shortly there after. My two grandchildren also have asthmatic problems. There are over 12 cancers recognised by the Veterans Administration that are regarded as being presumtive for our exposure to Agent Orange, (actually it was the Diioxin created in cooking the Agent Orange). The latest conditions are Parkinsons Disease and isthemic heart disease. Go to Vietnam Veterans of America, click on The Faces of Agent Orange and be horrified by the stories of our children and grandchildren. They are stories of the ones that lived. I can't tell you how many still birtgs happened to veterans wives. Please check it out.

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My father was in Vietnam and Thailand in 1970 as well. I have been diagnosed with MS. One of his other army buddies daughter's been diagnosed with MS as well. I am trying to see if there is a link in this disease along with others.

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@1970vietnamvet

You are not alone. I am a Nam Vet, (1970) and have Type II Diabetes, pereipheral Neuropathy in all 4 extremities and a host of other problems. My 38 year old daughter has MS. She was diagnosed on her 21st Birthday. She started with occular, migrane headaches. She gets a infusion once a month for an hour and must sit still for another hour. My son has had allergies almost from birth and asthma from shortly there after. My two grandchildren also have asthmatic problems. There are over 12 cancers recognised by the Veterans Administration that are regarded as being presumtive for our exposure to Agent Orange, (actually it was the Diioxin created in cooking the Agent Orange). The latest conditions are Parkinsons Disease and isthemic heart disease. Go to Vietnam Veterans of America, click on The Faces of Agent Orange and be horrified by the stories of our children and grandchildren. They are stories of the ones that lived. I can't tell you how many still birtgs happened to veterans wives. Please check it out.

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Our organization, Birth Defect Research for Children, has been working on<br />
the issue of birth defects and other disabilities in the children of Vietnam<br />
veterans since 1986. We collect data on these conditions through our data<br />
research project The National Birth Defect Registry.<br />
http://birthdefects.org/national-birth-defect-registry/ We also have a<br />
section of our web site devoted to our research on veterans' reproductive<br />
issues. http://birthdefects.org/veterans-research/ There is legislation<br />
pending in the house and senate for a special center to study the effects of<br />
toxic exposures on the children and grandchildren of veterans.<br />
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1769/all-info Betty<br />
Mekdeci, Executive Director<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />

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I'm a 100% disabled Viet-Nam Vet, wresting with agent orange due to the war, it has effective my body organs like my kidneys which caused me to be put on dialysis three days a week which is pure hell, much joint pain and I could go on but, lest stop there, seeking information pertaining to artificial kidney's or human kidney cloning, do anyone know anything about this?

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@gregsr

I'm a 100% disabled Viet-Nam Vet, wresting with agent orange due to the war, it has effective my body organs like my kidneys which caused me to be put on dialysis three days a week which is pure hell, much joint pain and I could go on but, lest stop there, seeking information pertaining to artificial kidney's or human kidney cloning, do anyone know anything about this?

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Kidney

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Hi @gregsr. I see that my fellow moderators, and Connect community members, have replied to your previous queries about artificial kidney and provided some information. As noted, the bioartificial kidney is not yet available for standard use. Developments are still in the trial phase.

I’ve moved your post into this discussion thread where other Connect members are talking about the effects of Agent Orange. You might also appreciate connecting with @retairforceman and @Robert43DAP on this discussion thread https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/autoimmune-diseases-research-with-the-iom-agent-orange-committee-update-2012-june/

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@alysebrunella

Hi @gregsr. I see that my fellow moderators, and Connect community members, have replied to your previous queries about artificial kidney and provided some information. As noted, the bioartificial kidney is not yet available for standard use. Developments are still in the trial phase.

I’ve moved your post into this discussion thread where other Connect members are talking about the effects of Agent Orange. You might also appreciate connecting with @retairforceman and @Robert43DAP on this discussion thread https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/autoimmune-diseases-research-with-the-iom-agent-orange-committee-update-2012-june/

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Thank you

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Yes, I'm a 100% disabled Viet-Nam vet, suffering with the effects of agent orange, this chemical was used to kill vegetation in the jungles so that we could see the enemy, not knowing the effects this would have later in life, yes this agent orange has effected my eyes-liver-kidneys-joints, I'm on dialysis now, there is a compensation the va may pay the childen of viet-nam vets for they conditions-you will have to check with the va about how you would go about making this claim.

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