Research Examining Gulf War Illness in Our Nations Service Members
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2019-08-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
At least 1 in 4 of the 700,000 U.S. Veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War suffer from
Gulf War Illness (GWI). Despite considerable research, effective treatments remain elusive.
GWI refers to a complex of symptoms that typically include widespread chronic pain,
persistent headache, memory and concentration problems, gastrointestinal difficulties, sleep
disturbances and unexplained fatigue. These symptoms are similar to that of fibromyalgia
syndrome (FMS), another multi-symptom condition. Whereas, effective treatments for GWI have
yet to be found, the FDA has approved duloxetine and pregabalin for the treatment of FMS. The
lack of progress in finding effective treatments for GWI, and the similarities between GWI
and FMS, provides a rationale for determining if these medications can provide relief to
Veterans who suffer from GWI. This randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy of
Duloxetine and Pregabalin for treating Gulf War Veterans who suffer from GWI.