Written by Sarah Bione-Dunn
Terrifying, painful, exhausting. When I have spoken with people who identify as having Morgellons disease, these are the words I hear. Most researchers and medical professionals consider Morgellons Disease to be synonymous with Delusory Parasitosis, a false, unshakable belief that insects are living in or on your skin or inside your body. Yet, several small, concerted groups work to express it as a distinct medical condition.
Morgellons Disease was first described in academic literature in 2005, when an unidentified number of patients described itching, crawling sensations, lesions, and the eruption of red and blue fibers and “granules” from their skin. Most had Lyme disease, and MD was thought to be significantly related to that (Savely & Leitao, 2005).
Recently, agrobacterium was indicted as the new culprit, when two self-identified Morgellons Disease patients with scleroderma were found to have increased amounts of cellulose-protein complex in their connective tissue (Savely & Stricker, 2007, Harvey et al, 2009). A multi-systemic medical framework for MD with immunodeficiency problems has been described (Harvey et al, 2009).
The majority of physicians and researchers consider Morgellons Disease to be synonymous with Delusory Parasitosis (Murase, Woo & Koo, 2006), with the difference that it is not believed to be parasites, but about the fibers and granules (Robles et al, 2008). In response, proponents of MD as a medical condition herald it as different from Delusory Parasitosis, citing a “lack of pre-existing psychopathology” (Savely & Stricker, 2007).
Yet, a study by Harvey et al (2009) found 25 self-diagnosed Morgellons Disease participants all had previous diagnoses of Delusory Parasitosis, and 23 had other previous diagnoses, including bipolar disorder, attention-deficit disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, the symptoms of which coincided with the onset of their Morgellons Disease symptoms. These psychological diagnoses have many somatic connections, and their medications commonly have side effects of itching, crawling, and tingling sensations (Hinkle, 2000), indicating that a psychological composition of Morgellons Disease is very likely.
Some will disagree with a psychological conceptualization of Morgellons Disease, and firmly believe that this is a distinct medical condition. In fact, a DP diagnosis is not always accurate, such as with cutaneous myiasis, where fly larvae inhabits the skin of a person (Barros et al, 2010). Medical and scientific knowledge, and identification of new pathogens, diseases, and treatments, continually occur.
The burden of proof is on the advocates for Morgellons Disease to be a distinct medical condition. In my opinion, mental health should be recognized as the possible, if not probable foundation of Morgellons Disease. Fibers and granules of dirt and debris are everywhere. Increased cellulose-protein complex in two patients who also have scleroderma is still distant from being definitive. Harvey’s study found many vague health anomalies, yet the autoimmune problems sound like what one would expect from intense stress (Khansari et al, 1990). What would be more stressful than the real or perceived experience of an infestation of the most personal and offensive kind, the body?
Dr. Harvey recommends that we be open and skeptical, and I agree. The CDC is in the data-analysis stage of an investigation of Morgellons Disease through Kaiser in Northern California. As a scientist and as a person who is aware of the suffering of people with these experiences, I look forward to the results.
References
- de Barros N, D’Avila MS, de Pace Bauab S, Issa FK, Freitas FJ, Kim SJ, Chala LF, & Cerri GG (2001). Cutaneous myiasis of the breast: mammographic and us features-report of five cases. Radiology, 218 (2), 517-20 PMID: 11161171
- Harvey WT, Bransfield RC, Mercer DE, Wright AJ, Ricchi RM, & Leitao MM (2009). Morgellons disease, illuminating an undefined illness: a case series. Journal of medical case reports, 3 PMID: 19830222
- Hinkle, N. (2000). Delusory Parasitosis. American Entomologist, 46 (1), 17-25
- Khansari, D., Murgo, A., & Faith, R. (1990). Effects of stress on the immune system Immunology Today, 11, 170-175 DOI: 10.1016/0167-5699(90)90069-L
- Murase JE, Wu JJ, & Koo J (2006). Morgellons disease: a rapport-enhancing term for delusions of parasitosis. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 55 (5), 913-4 PMID: 17052509
- Robles DT, Romm S, Combs H, Olson J, & Kirby P (2008). Delusional disorders in dermatology: a brief review. Dermatology online journal, 14 (6) PMID: 18713583
- Savely G, & Leitao MM (2005). Skin lesions and crawling sensations: disease or delusion? Advance for nurse practitioners, 13 (5), 16-7 PMID: 15898309
- Savely VR, Leitao MM, & Stricker RB (2006). The mystery of Morgellons disease: infection or delusion? American journal of clinical dermatology, 7 (1), 1-5 PMID: 16489838
- Savely, V., & Stricker, R. (2007). Morgellons disease: the mystery unfolds Expert Review of Dermatology, 2 (5), 585-591 DOI: 10.1586/17469872.2.5.585
Written by Guest Expert
Sarah Bione-Dunn is a psychologist who conducts both clinical work and research. At the time this was written, Sarah was a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Alliant International University.
Keep my account
In Seth Mnookin’s fabulous book about vaccination myths, there is a chapter on Morgellons. It leaves me with the strong impression that many Morgellons patients are also suffering from “The Panic Virus”, (the title of his book, covered in another post at this website).
https://biofortified.org/2011/04/the-panic-virus/
PS. I get severe itchiness in my lower legs, and when I scratch them, I get lesion like the photo in the post. I am properly diagnosed as having a food sensitivity to salicylic acid, a natural food chemical. It causes release of histamine from mast cells, causing skin itch or “urticaria”. It is manageable by avoiding foods rich in the natural food chemical and regular intake of anti-histamines. So that condition, common in males over 45, is another Morgellons candidate.
salicylic acid is Asprin, and is offered in a number of ointments used against acne and morgellons. Unfortunately I didn;t find it useful, though it may work for lots of others. The itching has, I think, possibly something to do with the detritus of this fungus (or whatever it is!) meets with heavy metals in our tissues. Accordingly i used L.L. clay soaks for the removal of heavy metals every other night for several months and then only when i had an itching attack. The continuous severe itching went away and i get it rarely now. The horrible lesions have mainly gone too but the black stuff, grey and white fibers and hard white or green balls are still here along with all the systemic problems,with which we are all so familiar. (Could these be caused by fungal toxins) ?. The hotter weather does not help. A fish based diet with leafy greens and only stevia (eg. No calorie oeach tea) for the sweet tooth has helped a bit. Well here we are plodding on. Let’s hope the team of medical researchers for the armed forces comes up with something for us. I’m tired. Love to all
correction That was” No calorie Peach tea” Snapples.
This web site is really a walk-through for all of the info you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask Glimpse here, and you’ll definitely discover it
Did any one get this reference to Glimpse? It seems to be a hobby site??????
Well people this is real very real scary real, i only hope somebody steps up to the plate and puts and end to this horrible tragic (thing) that has been unleashed on mankind. For the people who laugh or are unwilling to listen to our reality you will find out that you also will join the rest of us in this nightmare, so wake up while you still can and rid this thing that knows no borders,names,gender,religion only that it must have you and will, so call us crazy wackos whatever you like, sooner or later your gonna be under it’s relentless grip on your entire being. So open your eyes now find a cure while your still able…..morgellons is at your front door lock it you can but with it’s master key you don’t stand a chance………….
I have to say who are these people who write in telling us that we don’t have this problem,when they wouldn’t know it if it hit them over the head with a bucket. How delusional can you get to pontificate about something you don’t know anything about and haven’t seen or experienced. Do these people still think the earth is FLAT? They are DELUSIoNAL I did my rounds of shrinks hoping one would say this health issue was delusional so we could work it out. ( Of course I picked therapists who were somewhat sane themselves.) None of them could come up with a psychiatric cause. Psychiatric problems do not scare me and I am not prejudiced against people who have them. The people who are writing us off as mentally disordered are scared and i think they probably want to hurt. This used to happen to lepers, diabetics, epileptics and anyone “different”. Grow up naysayers and help find the cause, not add to the problem.
Something else. Ulcers, heart disease, obesity et al are often stress related. Are these clients delusional too? You can see all of these with testing. You can see morgellons without testing. Do we have a world communication network to pass on signs and symptoms and keep them all straight? The nay sayers don’t have the sense given to them at birth. I think its time we start clamoring for a cure. Isn’t it a civil right to get appropriate treatment for health issues in this part of the world, or have we become a third world country?
I don’t know what to do anymore; I’m 29 years old and my (clearly) self diagnosed morgellons has just really showed it’s ugly face. I can’t sleep anymore. I have the fibers, yeast, gnats out of nowhere etc. I’ve infected several people unknowingly, but thanks to sites like this I’m aware now and more careful. I’ve been thinking back as far as I can and I’m starting to think I may have gotten this when I was incarcerated (marysville/ohio) 10 years ago. I say that because I vividly remember a whole bunch of little fibers floating around in my cell, gnats biting me ,and my hair itching like crazy. No previous memories of symptoms b4 this, which leads me to believe that yeah it is some type of GOV. experiment gone horribly wrong. I’m not narrow minded a bit very intelligent and know that it could also be that these little fu*kers just evolved and have found a safer cleaner enviroment other than whatever they were doing before. I happen to think it was the GOV; call me crazy.
Speaking of crazy I started drinking heavy (an now that I’m not) I think that I was unaware of my affliction an having trouble sleeping so I hit the bottle just to pass out and actually get some rest. Which I rarely do now that I know bugs reside in and on me. I lost my job boyfriend house. When my lover threatened to leave over the drinking I stopped and that’s when they let me have it. I stayed awoke for 4 days straight I thought because I was heartbroken (silly me) an had sort of a mental break Hearing things ( I still do this high pitched sqeaking like a mouse) ((I think they make noises not sure but I know they love the ear so)) ended up in a mental hospital where I was diagnosed as bipolar an scitzoaffective. Started taking meds for this which helped me sleep not much more as of late I stopped taking them because I read a report that said when tested in monkeys it made their brain shrink (seroquel).
Now I live in a group home for people with mental health issues (sanest one here) and since I stopped taking my meds no sleep and I started itching more I guess cause they’re in season. I chalked it up as scabies and have been cleaning like crazy treated my hair body to no avail and kept researching mites started out as gnats biting me google search cause I seen them, then bed bugs, then on to scabies cause we got mattress covers no bed bugs after exterminator came out.
So now after treatment didn’t work I took to reading more on the whole seven year itch I saw someones post about morgellons. Light bulb popped on and I started thinkin about my jail experience how itchy it was (knowing I’ve heard of inmate guinea pigs) and I feel even more depressed because I don’t have the money to buy sulphur soap borax all these wonderful things that have brought you all peace. I don’t know what to do. Wish it wasn’t so embarrassing or classified medically where there was hope. Did anyone else have the stomach rumbling/talking like you were hungry during off season months I guess? Really very rhetorical of course you did along with the bad breath yeast causes. starting to think I gave it to my mom cause she has horrible breath an I thought I heard her stomach so yeah duh. This is crazy not us.
Why my face, ears, and hair though. I probably could have dealt with tingly feet but this really has me feeling like the only way to deal is to jump off the next bridge I see.
Hi V.Suicidal, I am very worried and concerned about you. You describe yourself as “very suicidal,” and have stated that you feel like you would jump off of a bridge. More, you are not sleeping, you sound very, very stressed out, uncomfortable to say the least, and feel like your resources are expended. This sounds very serious, and as one person to another, I am very concerned about your safety, as well as for your physical health and suffering. Have you thought about going to a hospital, or back to your physician, to at least address the physical issues or the stress your experience is incurring on your quality of life? Are those things open to you? If you are able, please respond, just to at least say if you’re still with us.
I’m still here thanks for the concern. It’s greatly appreciated. My morgellon/ morganell whatever it is flaredup on me really bad. It’s in my hair I see my hair follicles moving if I pluck one. Especially if I put anything with sulfur on it. When I do that I actually feel and see it throbing gross. The no sleep thing has kind of helped because I’ve been searching day and night for some kind of cheap way to fight it. Oh yeah this crap gets into your clothes phone carpet it’s everywhere. I came across a remedy I have yet to try it’s sun washing powder with bleach and alfalfa in bath water. I’m going to try it and let you all know if it worked. One more thing I haven’t heard but one person say that they hear this lil squeaking noise in their ear like I do. It comes mostly when I lay down, an I think it’s this god awful affliction call to arms. I start feeling this thumping thing in my mattress(covered now) phone carpet this thing is a superbug for real. I won’t go jumping of any bridges. I’m going to try the sun alfalfa an maybe tea tree oil make a spray for my things and hope it works. I went out an got bactrim I think it’s helping but definitely won’t kill it by itself. Probably have to eventually throw out my phone it’s in there, and charger.
thanks from previously suicidal 🙁
TEE, glad you are managing better. If the squeaking you mention is continuous, it is called –tinnitus, and you can google it. I had it long before morg. i think its just another symptom. When i get it on my scalp my hair progressively falls out and you can see pink scalp if i don’t brush it right!! Pathetic.I absolutely agree with finding inexpensive stuff to help with symptoms. The bath formula is one handful sun detergent with bleach, one handful each of kosher salt, epsom salts, baking soda and borax. (You can also stop buying expensive cleaning materials, because all these liquids and powder make up fantastic cleaning solutions). when i do this (3 times a week) a lot of black particles are drawn out, and you find them on the bottom of the bath, or floating. remember to have a warm shower after the bath when more of the black stuff surfaces. There is something else at horse.com!! for about $10 you can buy a ten pound jar of Ickthamol 20% drawing ointment. This is an old old remedy to draw out stones from hoofs, and splinters/stingers etc from humans. It also draws out the black stuff that is so uncomfortable when under the skin of morgellons patients. It has made me a lot more comfortable and give the lesions some chance to heal. The jar lasts for ever. All of this less expensive stuff has worked better for me than eg papaya slush and a host of pricy junk. also if u get an isolated “sting”feeling massage (with a light touch) a bit of ickthmol and black junk will come out and a lesion may not develop, then apply a bit of triple anti biotic (over the counter) ointment. I keep away from oral antibiotics. As you know there is yet no cure, but you u can get more comfortable. Good luck
Jonathan, there are no M.D’s to diagnose morgellons, because as far as they are concerned it does not exist. A few naturopaths will admit it does exist, but they are not M.d.s and cannot prescribe or get insurance to pay for treatment.
I have spent hours researching this tonight probably 5 hours here are the cures I found:
http://howicuredmorgellons.com/melsprotocol/
drink this daily to get them out eat garlic, ginger and alkaline water
Buy any grapefruit cream mix gse, tea tree oil rub into skin, scalp as often as needed.
1 huge gallon or just the biggest one they have has to be 100 percent grape juice have to pour over body and pour over head put your hair in water and scrub you will feel little tingles or pin pricks on legs thats them coming out
try tea tree oil on your head also this woman had a bath in this and tons of stuff came out yuck: oxyclean and alfalfa tabs
nutra siliver
Taking a foot bath with bentonite clay can take these toxins out of the system
info found but it seems that if people are letting it go down the drain we have an epidemic…
Morgellons is that it is linked to Agrobacterium, a type of bacteria that has an ability to transfer DNA between itself and plants, and for this reason it is used in plant genetic engineering, including pasture grasses,. However, researchers from Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, State University of New York have found that “agrobacterium can transport its T-DNA to human cells and integrate it into their genome.”
“Morgellons is that it is linked to Agrobacterium,”
No it hasnt. Provide your evidence.
morgellons is psychogenic
One person said that pure grape juice works in mouth and in your bathtub….
Ola,
la difficulté avec les traitements c’est qu’ils sont dans une large mesure très personnels.
Ce qui fonctionne avec l’un ne fonctionne pas avec un autre. Cependant certains remèdes portent des résultats dans quasiment tous les cas, sans toutefois guérir. Ainsi l’argent colloidal, les huiles (neem, curcumma, olives et autres) etc, etc…
Je ne crois pas que l’on peut guérir définitivement du morgellon , mais certainement annihiler la plupart des symptômes. Prenez bien soin de vous et veiler à une alimentation très saine et équilibrée.
Courage à tous
Bien à vous
As a young child, in the early 1960s, I had similar symptoms to those reported by Morgellons sufferers. My mother took me to a doctor who said I was allergic to my own fingernails. A few days later, my mother found me in the kitchen floor with a box of mouse poison that I had pulled out from under the kitchen stove. She said I was sitting there feeding it grain by grain to a mouse and alternately eating one myself. Although the symptoms may have been aggravated by an allegy, it is more likely that they were either a warfarin side effect or the result of something I caught from sharing food with a mouse. My mother liked to tell this story whenever she disagreed with a doctor’s diagnosis.
Morgellon’s is REAL people. Any doctor who says it is delusional should turn in their license. Now please listen, I have used Ivermectin which is from the feed store, a cattle dewormer, parasite killer. I put .01 ml. per lb. and mix it into a nice glass You would never believe they are a parasite but they are too since they had such a reaction to this stuff. Don’t worry it will not hurt you and doesn’t taste bad at all. Then do it a week later again. You will kill off alot of this nano stuff.
Also bentonite clay mask on your whole body, it pulled out piles of fibers, they hate it.
Garlic capsules, break them and spread the goo all over your body, I had things like bug wings actully fly out of my skin.
Also eat garlic by the ton, cook it up good and that is also repulsive to these parasites.
Prid from Wal Mart on the wounds helps pull things out too.
I also got liquid iodine from the pharmacy and painted my body with it and it broke the biofilm I had on my body and under there were bugs I didn’t even know I had. So cheap to do and highly effective.
Thanks and God Bless you all….
Editor’s note: this does not constitute medical advice. Please see a licensed medical practitioner before starting any treatment.
OOOPS Please note the above comment, put Ivermectin in a glass of red organic wine and drink it, the wine makes the parasites come alive and the Ivermectin, or Ivomec makes them go nuts and they run, or are killed off. You will see a difference. This product is given to pets safely as well.(without the wine of course!!) Once a week for 2 or 3 weeks…
You can redo in a few months if you so choose.
Thanks all, hope this helps you!!!
i also am struggling with morgies,.. had a few questions to ask. has anyone noticed your blood when you pick at these lesions… my blood seems thick or gooey and not normal… it doesn’t really run it just globulates and is thick and stretchy and darker than normal . ( best I can do to describe it) and the other thing I thought about was in all the years I have dealt with this 91′ . I have never gotten a secondary infection from messing with them. seems funny ..especially when you think about how many open wounds and pores i have dove into…and not a single infection. almost as if Morgies are killing off anything that might be infectious . also had thoughts about it being some form of a nematode. I notice my flare up is usually annually in sept – oct to start and goes till April.-may. then it stops it is reactive to stress I noticed. when I am stressed it is strong . it does not like me to exercises . but I do yoga daily and love it. I know nematodes are capable of the whole genetic sharing as well as being a symbiote. so it can live with a bacteria or a third …maybe fungus or slime mold…or Yeast( candida) so I think we need to fight all of the stuff. I believe it goes dormant at times when we attack it . and we think it works so we stop and then it becomes active again. I try to keep my body alkaline. seems to help. I do notice that if I mess with one …they all flare up and get mad. and sometimes I feel them throbbing under the skin as if boring into me deeper . some hurt so badly I have to stop and look at it to check it. I know it does not like sunlight or anaerobic activity, and is active at night or when I sleep in the dark. I keep my lights on when I sleep and seems they are not as active. ( anyone else notice that) .i do hear the ringing. and the debris everywhere ( I feel like pig pen at times) dust clouds all around me . I have noticed little winged things fly from me.. or around me .. and also noticed teeny tiny spider like bugs always around me or leaving me . ( might be crazy) I can also say that
when the weather is rainy it seems stronger or more active. and especially when I see all the chemtrails in the air ..it flares up . I do have photographs and samples of these Morgies . have taken to solving this myself and gave up on doctors to help. they seems useless. I can say . keep a strong faith and cheery attitude and don’t let this get us down. we are stronger than this. I do meditate and visualize them dying off and not taking over…… the mind is a powerful tool so keep the faith and Namasté my fellow Morginites,
Morgellons disease is a bacterial infection.
http://www.lyme-morgellons.com
Show me the bacterial culture. Give me the DNA sequence. Tell me what kind of staining you can do on a microscope slide. Until then, Morgellons is still an internet-based disease that the medical community diagnoses as delusional parisitism.
Regarding the photo at the top right of this website, I have those exact same photos of things that have come from me over the past several months since “something” has invaded by body. A skin biopsy from my scalp (top crown plus lower back side) says “infiltrates are present (suggests discoid lupus). But I know it is more than that. There are strange glowing clear, red, blue fiber like bundles, there are things that appear to have faces and resemble a fly or a spider (very tiny nearly microscopic and white). There are tiny wormlike things that can be brown, black, or dark blue or reddish brown–usually very very tiny and seen best under a microscope. sometimes on my pillowcase there will be things that resemble the photo above and are very shiny and glittery. There will be a sensation like a sting or bite that I feel and then immediately run a comb through and that is what I find. I have tried every product I can think of or what was referred by Morgellons people. Not sure if I really have lupus of the skin but morgellons (and reported “insects” also seems to fit.