NYT/IHT: Yuschenko's Illness Stumps Doctors (poison? compare photos)

[DeepModem Mom]

Ukraine Candidate's Illness Stumps Doctors
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
International Herald Tribune

Published: December 4, 2004


Servey Dolzhenko/European Pressphoto Agency, left; James Hill for The New York Times
What is afflicting Viktor A. Yushchenko, in July at left, and in November? Doctors are stumped.


VIENNA, Dec. 2 - When the once-robust, telegenic man was wheeled in through the sliding glass doors of the plush Rudolfinerhaus hospital in early September, he was severely ill, conscious but groggy and complaining of terrible abdominal pain. Multiple blood tests were abnormal, doctors here say; his skin was covered with odd-looking lesions; his digestive tract was dotted with ulcers from top to bottom.

Europe's most illustrious doctors were stumped; the patient's many symptoms defied a unifying diagnosis. Eight days later, Viktor A. Yushchenko, Ukraine's opposition leader, checked out against medical advice, determined to return to the business of winning the presidential election in Ukraine....

***

New details of Mr. Yushchenko's hospital admissions in Vienna raise disturbing questions: Was the candidate poisoned or infected with some biological agent, and, if so, with what? What is his current state of health, in the middle of a pivotal battle for power?

In September, Mr. Yushchenko immediately said he had been poisoned, but that charge was lost among the heated political debates and demonstrations in the final weeks of the campaign, which culminated in the disputed election....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/04/international/04opposition.html?oref=login

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. He needs a food taster right now

Pity the poor sould that gets the job....




http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13
Buttons for brainy people - educate your local freepers today!

[bullimiami]

2. I believe he was poisoned or infected with something

But in this 'great game' that the US and Russia are playing in the Baltic states I am forced to question everything.

It is possible that someone on the pro-Russia side tried to kill him

but

It is just as possible, since he is still alive but obviously disfigured, that the pro-US side or the CIA did it to engender sympathy.

I trust NOBODY until I have proof I can trust them. I know that Putin is corrupt and I know Bush is corrupt. I dont know anything about the parties running for the Ukraine election except from the propaganda campaign going on. I do know that there is a big US-Russia political game going on all over the former Soviet States.

[podnoi]

3. No Democracy either way

The next vote is compromised. Yushenko is keeping his supporters massed in Kiev (there are also huge numbers of Yanakovich supporters but they don't get coverage) and everyone in the country understands... even if Yanakovich wins in a completely free election there will be a revolution and the anti-Yushenko supporters will be vilified by the media. Funny how such incredible intimidation as keeping a force of people active and threatening revolution is considered not to compromise the election.

I have relatives and friends there.

Ukraine's situation is not as simple as portrayed by the heavy propaganda campaign. They don't have the organization of western countries. There were cases of irregularities for *both* candidates but of course our media did not cover both sides. It wasn't like our side where all irregularities seem to favor one candidate :)

Knowing many Ukrainians in the Eastern half of the country most really are only interested in not being marginalized. They voted for Yanokovich because he offered dual citizenship (not currently allowed) and because Yushenko represents the Nationalists and they are calling for banning all russian language library books and banning all Russian Language TV and are stoking dangerous ethnic fires. Russian speaking Ukrainians aren't "reds", they are simply looking for peace and the ability to look after their families.

[KT2000]

4. Poor guy

I would bet he was poisoned with chemicals of the industrial variety.

He is in the same situation as people with Gulf War Illness. Chemicals are studied individually. The premise behind toxicological research is that a person will be exposed to chemicals one at a time, which is absurd. We are always exposed to thousands of chemicals. My guess is that he was given a cocktail of chemicals, therefore no research exists to document his illness - just like the Gulf War vets.

[ReadTomPaine]

5. Those photos are striking. What a difference.

I guess they don't use plane crashes as much as the USA does to influence elections. In the typical Russian fashion, they go the cost effective, blunt route.

"The candidate is very sick" - shades of the Gorbachev coup plot, only why pretend when you can actually *make* him ill.

RTP

[JI7]

6. he was pretty attractive just a few months ago

it must really suck to go from that to how he is now in such a short time. i think he was poisoned.

[Reverend Smoothfield]

17. you think? i prefer him now.

got kind of a rugged, i-come-from-another-planet thing going on.

[DeepModem Mom]

22. LOL! Welcome to DU, Rev!

[Reverend Smoothfield]

25. at your service, ma'am.

it's great to be here.

[OETKB]

7. My Two Cents

I am a physician and have seen reports that this skin lesion could be rosacea, although I have never seen such an exuberant case. Further it was reported that he suffered from pancreatitis during this period. The two main causes of that problem are gall bladder disease and alcoholism(which is 70 to 80% of incidences). The latter is also a cause of rosacea. Since his gall bladder was not removed then alcoholism becomes the number one suspect. Of course behind this are a myriad number of far rarer causes none of which are due to toxins. To be sure I double checked this with my "UP TO DATE" medical reference before posting this. I have seen no discussion in the news bringing up these possibilities. Do we have another alcoholic vying for a top position? This is not a hard fact, but I have not seen it explored in the news.

On the political side, we should not pick a dog in this fight. Our nation will again be branded by the agenda of one of these two individuals in this presidential campaign in the Ukraine. On one side is Russia and the KGB and on the other is crony capitalism and alliance with the usual suspect western corporations. My advice, which no one is seeking, is to stay out of this debacle and let any mistakes or corrections be left up to the Ukrainian people.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. From the article, re. rosacea, and alcohol --

"Dermatologists at Rudolfinerhaus initially suggested that the facial lesions could represent a slightly unusual case of a well-known condition called rosacea, where the face becomes swollen and lumpy. But Dr. Zimpfer said Mr. Yushchenko's skin nodules no longer indicated that disease."

"Opponents dismissively suggested that the cause of Mr. Yushchenko's hospitalization was bad sushi or too much alcohol; doctors here said there was no evidence of either."

[Carl Brennan]

9. Welcome to DU. Could the symptoms he is having come about so

quickly?

[OETKB]

13. Yes

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden onset illness and precipitated by binge drinking. It will come and go depending on people's drinking habits. If drinking is not stopped, after repeated episodes, it takes on a life of its own and may occur without drinking alcohol. You can doom yourself to a life of pain which no one can reverse. The treatment is to put the gut at rest so the pancreas is put at rest. This is done by making the patient take nothing by mouth, iv fluids, and covering the pain with narcotic pain medication. This usually means a person is hospitalized for a few days until the inflamation subsides.

[Carl Brennan]

16. Thanks for that. Yushchenko looks very healthy though before this sudden

change. Have you ever seen, or heard of such a rapid change in appearance of a person who got this illness?

Also acute pancreatitis can be definitively diagnosed correct? If so it seems that it would have been diagnosed in Yushchenko and there should be a medical record of it. I'd like to see the "reports" of him having pancreatitis and the timing of those reports.

Thanks for the feedback. I am real interested in this.

[OETKB]

21. Yes and no

I have not seen such skin issues with acute pancreatitis, but acute pancreatitis does come on suddenly and a person can become critically ill. The bare bones descriptions in the news reports only make for guessing what really happened. However his abdominal complaints, back pain, need for narcotic pain medication, and the description of an inflammed pancreas with enzyme rises from that organ are more than consistant with acute pancreatitis. The diagnosis is made from having an appropriate history, physical exam, and laboratory findings. The only other thought I have is that one of the medications he was receiving caused his skin problem. One could go on forever trying to figure this out so we will just have to wait until we get some more accurate information backed up by evidence.

[Carl Brennan]

36. Thanks for the help. Let's see what happens.

:toast:

[baby_bear]

24. PCBs or dioxins

Prolonged exposure to these bioaccumulative, chlorinated toxins causes chloracne. Normally exposure is at low levels over time, but acute or subacute exposures can occur if it's done on purpose, e.g., via application of Agent Orange in Viet Nam which contained the worst dioxin congener. Electric transformer oils containing high levels of PCBs could have been slipped into his diet. It could happen if someone went about it methodically enough.

Personally, I don't believe it could possibly be alcohol, given his skin condition.

b_b

on edit, some substantiation for my suspicions:
http://pops.gpa.unep.org/19pcbs.htm#humans
<snip>
Acute effects of PCB exposure in humans were documented following ingestion of contaminated rice oil in Japan in 1968 and Taiwan in 1979. Long term studies of the more than 2,000 people who were exposed during these events revealed increased mortality due to PCB intake. A positive association was established between PCB dosing and acute liver damage, with liver disease being the cause of death in a significant number of exposed people. Acute exposure to PCBs ash also caused chloracne, a chemically induced acneform eruption.
</snip>

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/D/Dioxin.html
<snip>
(Dioxin) was present as a contaminant in the herbicide agent orange, which was so widely used during the Vietnam war. When ingested or injected, dioxin is extremely poisonous to laboratory animals. At sub-lethal concentrations, it causes cancer and birth defects in them. Exposure to high levels of dioxin causes a severe skin disease (chloracne) in humans as well as damage to the liver and nervous system.
</snip>

[DeepModem Mom]

28. The article, re. dioxin --

"Last week a British toxicologist, Dr. John Henry, suggested that Mr. Yushchenko's symptoms were consistent with dioxin poisoning, which causes a severe form of acne called chloracne. The condition occurs months to years after exposure, when the body seeks to eliminate residue of the chemical through the skin. But cases of dioxin poisoning are extremely rare. Scientists debate whether a huge one-time dose could be delivered as a poison.

Doctors at Rudolfinerhaus said they did not test Mr. Yushchenko for dioxin in part because his skin changes were much milder in September, not suggestive of dioxin. The candidate refused a biopsy of his face - which doctors suggested to try to narrow down the causes - because he did not want to campaign with stitches. But dioxin and related toxic chemicals are detectable in the body years after exposure. Ms. Gerashchenko said tests for such substances had still not been performed."

[baby_bear]

30. They should test his adipose tissue for dioxin

They could do a biopsy on his face to look for other things such as signs of virus (herpes?) or a drug reaction, but dioxins and PCBs would accumulate in the fatty tissue anywhere in the body, so he could have that tested without being noticeable. Anyway, it doesn't make sense that he didn't want to campaign with stitches, given how dreadful his condition has made him look, compared with a few months ago. I would be frantic to find out what was causing it. I am just not buying that he is not seeking an answer. There's got to be way more to this.

As a scientist and political junkie, I find this mystery fascinating as well as frustrating.

b_b

[papau]

26. I agree - also are shingles rulled out?

:-)

[OETKB]

31. Yes definitely

Shingles follows a nerve path and is one sided. It is not all over the body.

[zanana]

10. Time to put on my tinfoil hat....

They look like two different people. I mean that literally.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. UH-OH!

[Spider Jerusalem]

19. Except the ears and the hairline are identical in both pictures. (n/t)

[Zynx]

29. So are the hands.

It is the same guy. Look at the spacing of the facial features as well.

[vixengrl]

12. Organo-phosphate poisoning?

The skin lesions are the most obvious syptom, because they're visible, but might not be the most telling. Although pancreatitis is symptomatic i=of alcoholism, it also is common with organophisphate poisoning, which can also bring on the violent stomach pain duscribed, and also produces neuropathy. The mucosa can be affected--might account for the watery eye. Orgonophasphates are cheap and easy to acquire--think a little bugspray in the old morning coffee? Ingested orally it may even account for the lesions--a sensitasation response, like an allergy, that throws one off the track.

[OETKB]

14. I'm not sure

I looked up organo-phosphate poisoning and its manifestations are mostly on the nervous system, especially those that control breathing, salivating, and tearing. I saw no reference to skin manifestations or pancreatitis.

[LisaL]

15. I don't think it's alcoholism, the change was just too sudden.

On the other hand, if he was poisoned, he most likely would be dead.
What was the purpose of poisoning someone to disfigure them instead of killing them?

[Reverend Smoothfield]

18. remember castro

didn't the cia have some goofball scheme to make his beard fall out, thus somehow eroding his gravitas?

[LisaL]

23. I haven't heard about that one.

Plus, Castro still got his beard.

[Reverend Smoothfield]

27. here you go

from

www.parascope.com/mx/articles/castroplots.htm

Making the Beard Fall Out

Although some plots against Castro involved attempts on his life, several others were intended to make him discredit himself in public by influencing his behavior.

One of the first methods the CIA considered for "getting rid" of Castro involved contaminating the air of the radio station where Castro broadcast his speeches with "an aerosol spray of a chemical that produces reactions similar to those of lysergic acid (LSD)." The idea was that Castro would flip and trip on the air, making a fool of himself via hallucinogen-inspired ranting. A member of the CIA's Technical Services Department (TSD) discouraged the scheme because they couldn't count on the chemical's effectiveness (IG's Report, p. 10). One can only wonder why they didn't just use some of the LSD which Eli Lilly Company offered to covertly manufacture for the CIA "in tonnage quantities" for use in their MKULTRA program. (3)

Another member of the TSD cited in the Inspector General's report recalled experiments with "psychic energizers", although he could not link those experiments to plots against Castro (IG's Report, p. 11).

One plan that came a bit closer to fruition was the Contaminated Cigar scheme, although it was aimed more at discrediting Castro than killing him. The CIA prepared a box of cigars that had been treated with "some sort of chemical." The cigars were probably "intended to produce temporary personality disorientation," according to the report. "The thought was to somehow contrive to have Castro smoke one before making a speech and then to make a public spectacle of himself." (IG's Report, p. 11)

However, WH/4 Chief J. D. Esterline recalled that the contaminated cigars may have been associated with a scheme to make Castro's beard fall out. Esterline said the cigars were never used because "they could not figure out how to deliver them without danger of blowback on the Agency." Esterline destroyed the cigars in June 1961 (IG's Report, pp. 11-12).

Another CIA plot to discredit Castro involved dusting "thallium powder into Castro's shoes when they were put out at night to be shined" during a trip he made outside Cuba. This diabolical plot co-incided with a Castro appearance on the David Susskind Show. (4) Thallium salts have depilatory effects; the CIA's plan was to "destroy Castro's image as 'The Beard' by causing the beard to fall out." The plan went as far as testing on animals, but it fell through when Castro didn't make the trip (IG's Report, page 13).

[LisaL]

37. Well, I don't know about CIA, but if Russians wanted to poison

someone, I imagine they would go for the kill.

[NNguyenMD]

20. I say its autoimmune, maybe due to environmental insult or

genetic presdisposition. Because it sounds like he's having systemic inflammation of his mucosa. Could be a vasculitis, though he doesn't have any kidney disfunction, also doesn't mean he doesn't have it though. It suspiciously sounds like a Scleroderma. Maybe a course of methotrexate predinsone or cyclophposphamide is worth a try to knock down his leukocytosis, could even make his skin nodules go away. Just some thoughts.

[DeepModem Mom]

32. The article re. immune disease --

"Some doctors not involved with the Yushchenko case, consulted for their opinions, said he could be suffering from an unusual immune disease. Scleromyxedema, for instance, is an extremely rare progressive disorder that produces facial symptoms much like Mr. Yushchenko's. But it is not known to produce pain."

[NNguyenMD]

33. yeah I read that part. I still think its worth looking into though.

A simple serum analysis of his blood for Anti-nuclear anitbodies would be the smoking gun if it was a sclerodermal vasculitis.

[DeepModem Mom]

34. Thanks for your input, and that of other DU docs!

[happynewyear]

35. wow, the poor man

I hope and pray that this man will recover. It sounds horrible and I cannot imagine that drinking alcohol would cause a person to deteriorate so quickly.

Get well soon Mr. Yushchenko!

:kick:

[LisaL]

38. Yea, alcoholism is normally a gradual process, not a sudden

appearance change like this.