posted 04-24-2001 01:54 PM            

These would include illnesses like Gulf War Syndrome, Multiple chemical sensitivity, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Acquired Immune deficiency Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis. Many people with these illnesses already know to avoid chemicals because they induce a flare in their illnesses. They also try to detoxify to try and get rid of chemicals in their bodies. What is alarming is the similarities of symptoms of these illnesses. the fibromyalgia network realizes that these illnesses have overlapping symptoms.
http://www.fmnetnews.com/pages/overlaps.html

The Chronic Fatigue Sufferers also realize that many of these illnesses are related.
http://www.wecantogether.org/resource.htm

I wonder if exposure to some kinds of chemicals actually sets our bodies up to acquire these kinds of illnesses. The U.S. government was studying a biological weapon in the 1980"s that our immune system could not fight. Also under Operation MKNAOMI biological products were stockpiled and studied for use during war. The U.S. government has resisted the legitimizing of these illnesses. There are several books outlining the problems in getting medical help for these illnesses like:

And the Band Played On and The River - AIDS
Osler's Web - Chronic Fatigue
Gassed in the Gulf - Gulf War Syndrome

The chemical industry would like everyone to believe that all the people with multiple chemical sensitivity have an underlying mental disorder. Many of the people with these illnesses cannot get disability, work, or any help from the courts. Also main stream medical professionals often ridicule those suffering from CIND illnesses (Chemically Induced Neurological Diseases), and are taught little about these illnesses in medical school, so people exhibiting symptoms are not diagnosed properly.