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Morgellons Disease: Is It Real?
Sufferers of Morgellons disease complain of invisible parasites biting their skin. And they get skin lesions from which sprout strange fibers. And mysterious black spore-like specks appear on their skin. Cases of this strange disease seem to be spreading, especially in the Bay area. One theory is that it has something to do with Lyme disease. Or it may be a case of mass delusion. The medical community seems to think it's mass delusion. Most people who show up complaining of these symptoms get diagnosed with 'delusional parasitosis', which is a psychological problem in which people imagine that they're infested by parasites. Not having any medical qualifications at all, I won't weigh in on whether this is a real disease or mass delusion, but some of the behavior of the patients does sound suspiciously bizarre. Take the case of Theresa Blodgett:She gathers up the black specks, the mysterious fibers and the small, fuzzy 'cocoons' she finds on her skin and around her home. She tapes the macabre samples to typing paper, but she said no doctor will analyze the collection. Physicians who glance at the specimens dismiss the lot as stray hairs, clothing fibers, scabs and other common household debris, she said.
So either she really is suffering from something and is desperately but unsuccessfully trying to get doctors to pay attention to her, or she's obsessively collecting house dust and stray flecks of dirt and convincing herself that these things are parasites attacking her. (Thanks to 'K' for the links)
Posted By: Alex | Date: Thu Feb 10, 2005 | Permalink |
Total Comments: 597
Category: Health/Medicine, Psychology
Category: Health/Medicine, Psychology
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
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My husband is an entomologist (not in the Bay area - in the South), and his lab gets contacted several times a year by people with delusional parasitosis (same story...they've gone to every doctor/specialist they can find but nobody will believe them). They send in all types of crazy crap - scabs, dirt, etc. Of course, being the great person that he is he actually takes the trouble to look at this stuff under the microscope just to be sure that there isn't anything there. In all of the stuff he's been sent, he hasn't even found any insect parts!
Posted by Nymph on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 03:19 AM
You never know; every so often there will be one real case in the midst of the mental patients. I recall hearing of a woman convinced she had some kind of insect in her throat, and it turned out, that she did; some bizarre throat worm thingy.
And then there was my brother in law, who had peculiar symptoms that his local (Georgia) doctor couldn't figure out, wasn't sure they weren't psychosomatic. He went to a specialist. "Gee, I'd swear you had malaria, but no one gets malaria around here!"
He'd just come back from his Peace Corps stint.
Posted by cvirtue on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 05:26 AM
And then there was my brother in law, who had peculiar symptoms that his local (Georgia) doctor couldn't figure out, wasn't sure they weren't psychosomatic. He went to a specialist. "Gee, I'd swear you had malaria, but no one gets malaria around here!"
He'd just come back from his Peace Corps stint.
Looking at the photos on their website, I have to say, I'm stumped. Most of those photos look like nothing more than dead skin, dander, and carpet fibers, but not all of them. I once lived with an hypochondriac, and I'm inclined to believe that's what most of this is, butI also think it warrants some looking in to. It must be distressing to someone who suffers from this to be blown off by their doctor.
The person who made this site doesn't seem to have much science training beyond a freshman bio class.
Posted by JoeSixpack on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 05:54 AM
The person who made this site doesn't seem to have much science training beyond a freshman bio class.
I have had the song "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies running repeatedly in my mind since I sustained a serious head injury in 1989. There's no insects involved, but it's kinda the same thing. You are my candy, Girl.
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 07:21 AM
Houdini, that's called "endomusia", and now I have that song stuck in my head. Thankyouverymuch
Posted by JoeSixpack on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 08:18 AM
Don't you guys know that swapping music mind files is illegal. And Hairy should be paying royalties for use since 1989. But I wouldn't worry too much, Archie Andrews probably isn't smart enough to sue you. He's been in high school since the 60's.
Posted by Captain Al in Alberta, Canada on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 08:39 AM
If Archie Andrews has been in high school since the 60s, by now, he must be one of the smartest people around! And how does he keep that jalopy running all these years?
Have fun,
-barefoot ken bob
Posted by Ken Bob Saxton in Huntington Beach, Ca on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 09:21 AM
Have fun,
-barefoot ken bob
Archie lives in Riverdale, where you stay in High School forever, like a bad dream. Unless Betty and Veronica show up. Pour a litte sugar on it, honey.
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 09:39 AM
sorry. I left out the L. (And you got me wantin' you)
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 09:41 AM
I went thru a few weeks over the summer where the song "I just wanna be your everything" by Andy Gibb ran thru my head, like a chain-smoking monkey locked in a radio staion, playing it over and over.
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 09:44 AM
"If you give a little more than you're asking for your love will turn the key"... it drove me mad, I tell you. Complete with violins and the three other BGs doing 3 part back-up harmony. Diabolical.
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 09:47 AM
Ever since the superbowl 'Baby you can drive my car' has been looping nonstop through my head. It's 'driving me' crazy.
Posted by Alex in San Diego on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 10:19 AM
Can't...
Stop...
Scratching!
(and humming!)
Posted by Chadds Ford Prefect on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 10:19 AM
Stop...
Scratching!
(and humming!)
When I had teeth, my fillings picked up the local FM station. I'd hear a song in my head, turn on the radio, and that song would be on. It didn't play out of my mouth ike Gilligan, though. Just in my head. Barely drowning out all those voices, telling me what to do, and laughing at my really small... oh- hey... no hah hah no you're not gonna trick me... although I know that's what you're all planning... Step Off. It's little but it's sharp, and I know how to use it
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Fri Feb 11, 2005 at 06:51 PM
Had an older friend who had a heart attack and who got addicted on Demerol. He figured out that he had a problem when he saw small white worms crawling under his skin. Having been through the Normandy Invasion, Army buddies with post-war problems and having a little more smarts than most, he diagnosed it as drug addiction induced hallucinations and turned himself into the local drug rehab center. As he said, it was the most embarassing time in his life as he had always despised drug addicts and the hardest drugs he had ever done up to that point were Jim Beam and Camels.
Posted by martinelli on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 08:11 AM
Who told you about Normandy? Was it The Council? Was it..."Raoul"? Tell me. I must know.
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 10:07 AM
There seems to be an epidemic of delusions of parasitosis with crystal meth. As someone who is currently treating several of these patients, one only needs to do a tox screen to figure this out. The Morgellons patients are nothing more than delusions patients, and I wonder how many of them have positive toxicology tests for crystal meth.
Posted by Skin doc on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 09:00 PM
Papa John Philips (of the Mamas and Papas) went through that when he was addicted to heroin. He'd use tweezers, clippers, etc, to snip the worm out of his flesh, and put them in jars and take them to the doctor. Of course, they never found any worms,and I'm sure he had hideous gouges all over his flesh.
Posted by catlady on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 04:50 AM
so... it Was "Raoul", eh?
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 11:55 AM
If Morgellons Disease is just delusional, some form of parasitosis, then are the doctors, etc. that are researching it delusional also?
The Morgellons Research Foundation is looking into this mysterious malady, which has now been reported in all 50 states and a number of other countries:
http://www.morgellons.org/
Posted by Sarcastikus in Rochester MN on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 08:35 AM
The Morgellons Research Foundation is looking into this mysterious malady, which has now been reported in all 50 states and a number of other countries:
http://www.morgellons.org/
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