Mycoplasmas bury deep inside cells making them difficult to detect. Dr. Nicholson's research with almost two hundred Gulf War veterans who suffer from aching joints, unrelenting fatigue, headaches and concentration problems showed that Mycoplasma Fermentans is inside the cells of almost half of all cases he studied. Even more compelling, most patients recovered and then tested negative for the microbe after taking the antibiotic doxycycline. However, Nicholson's work was mired in controversy. Admitting that the illness existed would mean conceding that something had gone awry during the Gulf War, opening a Pandora's box of scrutiny.
Money is also an issue.
If vets were sick because of their service, the military would have to dole out millions of dollars in compensation and benefits. However, the implications of Mycoplasma extend beyond being just a causative micro-organism in Gulf War Illness. As a result, the Veterans Affairs Administration has agreed to fund a large-scale clinical trial involving between five hundred and one thousand veterans across several institutions to test Nicholson's theories. If doxycycline works as a therapy for GWI, the one hundred thousand veterans that experience ailments that are described as GWI have hope. An important part of the treatment involving doxycycline involves diet and vitamins.