Sex: M
Vaccine: ANTH, ANTH
Symptoms: Nasal congestion, Optic neuritis, Penis disorder, Pneumonia, Pyrexia
Clinical narrative: Submitted to Docket No. 1980N-0208; 69 FR 78281, December 29, 2004 - Bacterial Vaccines & Toxoids Efficacy Review Proposal. I had 5 of 6 Anthrax shots during 199-2000. Shots 1-4 were from lot FAV038 and shot 5 was from lot FAV047. I had a host of new medical problems start within a year of the Anthrax shots. I was diagnosed in April 2003 with State IIIA Multiple Myeloma. I was medically retired on 3/1/04 because of severe spinal degeneration (fractures and disc compression) as a result of Multiple Myeloma and because I have an extremely aggressive and unresponsive Multiple Myeloma. In January of 2004, doctors told me that I would likely be dead by June 2004. I am still alive and on a clinical trial drug called Revlimid. The drug is barely holding the disease at bay. My doctor suggested getting an evaluation out of state. I will be there next week. During 1999-2000, I received 5 shots of a 6 shot series of the Anthrax vaccine while stationed aboard a ship. I did not get the sixth shot because the ship apparently ran out of the vaccine. When originally diagnosed in April 2003, the oncologist estimated that I had the disease for about 2 years. My wife recently took a cursory look at my medical record and made a connection that I had not made. I had a host of medical problems that begun soon after getting the shots. Besides the Multiple Myeloma, other illness and symptoms popped up that were no logical explanation for a healthy person that ran 3 miles at a time three times per week, lifted weights, used the treadmill and other exercise equipment. A temporary illness that seemed like food poisoning even though I was the only one that got sick for eating the food that I ate. I had the symptoms of food poisoning but the food did not test positive for high levels of bacteria. Symptoms were vomiting, migraine, diarrhea, extreme fatigue, abdominal cramps, and dehydration. A diagnosis of asthma for wheezing even though I had never had asthma symptoms before. And although in my mid forties, I could out perform most 20-30 year olds on the PRT including the 1.5 mile run. It also appears that my asthma is getting worse. I have frequent pneumonia, which is most likely disease related usually with a fever prior to chest complications - which is the reverse of what I would expect. It took 10 days of Prednisone, Sudafed, Mucinex, and additional Flovent on top of Advair and Zyrtec to get the problem under control before it turned into pneumonia. My Advair has just been increased to a twice daily dose of 500/50. Sore bone joints, especially the knees with no explanation. They said it must be PFS which has no known cause and no treatment options other than cortisone shots in the knees. The rest of the sore bones they said must be psychological from stress. I disagreed. Extreme pain in the optic nerve of the left eye that several medical eye doctors could not explain. They blame it on stress even though I did not agree with that diagnosis. Medications like Tylenol did not help. Treated for Erectile Dysfunction issues even though Urology, Neurology, Hematology, and Psychology had been ruled out that I had a medical problem. At this going, my hemoglobin level was in the normal range (just barely above being classified as low). In effect, I was treated for a problem that could not be supported by medical data and the treatment was effective.