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The Museum of Hoaxes is dedicated to promoting knowledge about hoaxes. (Click here for opening hours, etc.) On our blog we post about dubious- sounding claims, and whatever else strikes our fancy. The site is also home to the Hoax Photo Database, the Hoax Forum, and the Hoaxipedia.

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Morgellons Disease: Is It Real?
image 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: 570
Category: Health/Medicine, Psychology
Comments
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
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There are people of all educational levels with this disease, including professionals such as doctors, chemists, scientists and engineers. There are babies, children, parents and grandparents with this disease. Your neighbor, co-worker, or family member could have this disease, which has a variety of manifestations, including internal, and neurological - not just skin lesions, rashes, fibers, or scalp itching and crawling and hair movement sensations.

Some people who have this disease reduce symptoms by an anti-candida diet and may have a systemic fungal infection, and perhaps more, including co-infections and weakened immune systems. (Some parasites are attracted to fungus. ) Doctors have prescribed antifungals, antibiotics and antiparasitics for this disease. Tests for Lyme disease are positive for some sufferers.

Some sufferers recall being bit by ticks or bed bugs or having had lice or scabies. Others have speculated that they have been bit by some unknown mite or bug, or wondered about mosquitoes, spiders, fleas, etc. Some believe they caught this from traveling. Others believe they caught this from someone they knew or by using blankets or clothing someone else had used. Others have no idea how they caught this. Some families have more than one member of the family who has these symptoms. Some are husband and wife and not genetically related. Some families have one parent and some or all of the children with this.

Whether this is genetic or environmental or both is unknown. How contagious it is, or at what stages it is contagious is unknown too.

One of the patients on Lymebusters / Morgellons message board reported that her doctor examined her without gloves and caught the disease and is treating himself with Ketaconazole for the fibers coming out of his hands. (This is not the same doctor as mentioned in the Oregon TV news clip)


News clips & articles on Morgellons:
http://www.morgellons.org/video00.html

From the scientist researching Morgellons:
http://www.morgellons.org/rwupdate.html

Click and listen to "Dr Wymore Speaks" - an mp3 file which is a brief interview where the scientist researching Morgellons discusses the fibers, patients and doctors.

QH
Posted by QH  in  California  on  Wed May 24, 2006  at  12:49 PM
I feel sorry for the people who believe they have this disease. They are clearly suffering from a delusion. I am a psychologist and the definition of a delusion is a belief that people think is real. You all are having symptoms that are real, but I believe the symptoms you are having serve some psychological purpose. What would your life be like without this disease to use as a focus? Perhaps feeling passionate about the disease allows you to ignore real depression or feelings of unmet needs. You need the attention of having a disease that no one believes in. You need an excuse for not having a productive life. What are your relationships like? Do you have friends? Do you have a life outside of your disease? The passion with which you hang on despeartely to this belief is a reflcetion of how threatening it must feel to look inward beyond it. Instead of dedicating your lives to pushing people to ackknowledge that your sickness is real, how about getting into therapy and examining what this diagnosis could be doing for you in your life. What's the secondary gain behind having this "disease?" Does it make you feel important? Whole? Victimized? A martyr? The cure lies within yourself. Are you ready to take up the challenge to really look at your lives?
Posted by Mike  in  NY  on  Sat May 27, 2006  at  04:46 PM
http://www.familymedgaithersburg.com/

Please see the bottom line of this website - note the statistics - "94% of Patients with Morgellons have Lyme disease."

I will be tested for Lyme Disease soon myself. Some of the others cannot afford to do so.

The many professionals who have this disease have busy and productive lives (or had.) Your line of questioning shows your lack of research into Morgellons.

The danger in automatically diagnosing this as a mental illness - either long distance by internet, or in person in a doctor's office - without bloodtests, skin or hair samples, or examination with a magnifying glass, is delayed treatment for a systemic disease.

Many Morgellons patients have been diagnosed DOP without examination or any labwork. A proper diagnosis of DOP is a diagnosis of exclusion.

The process of exclusion to diagnose is being ignored and the DOP diagnosis is quickly made by the doctors Morgellons patients have sought medical help and relief from.

That is verifiable if you do some research, expecially by reading the individual stories of many Morgellons sufferers. Once any mention is made of the unusual symptoms, the DOP diagnosis is made and the appointment is over.

Here's some information on the questionable history of Ekbom's / DOP:

http://www.dpref.com/science.html

QH
Posted by QH  in  California  on  Sat May 27, 2006  at  07:19 PM
http://www.headlice.org/report/research/index.html
Posted by cerulean  on  Sat May 27, 2006  at  08:45 PM
http://collembolareferences.blogspot.com/
Posted by cerulean  on  Sat May 27, 2006  at  08:49 PM
From: http://nurse-practitioners.advanceweb.com/
common/EditorialSearch/AViewer.aspx?AN=NP_05may1_npp16.
html&AD=05-01-2005

OR, http://tinyurl.com/mm7jg

Ginger Savely:

” . . . I now have 31 patients who fit the criteria for Morgellons disease. . . I continue to be impressed with the consistency of their stories. All but one of these patients have tested positive for Lyme borreliosis, so I am currently treating them with antibiotics and seeing some remission in Morgellons symptoms. . . .”

and,

“Rather than being quick to pigeonhole these patients into a psychiatric diagnosis, we owe it to them to thoroughly investigate the cause of their symptoms.”

and,

” . . . The two main occupational groups reporting symptoms of Morgellons disease are nurses and teachers. Nurses outnumber teachers 3 to 1, but both occupational groups represent a significant percentage of patients with this disease. It is unclear what the risk factors might be, but researchers are exploring the possibility of casual transmission. . .”


SYMPTOMS
from:
http://www.geocities.com/playpub/LD-Symptoms.htm#_Toc119818341
Borrelia
(Borreliosis, neuroborreliosis; also known as Lyme Disease)

Spread primarily though the bite of infected ticks that live on a wide range of mammalian species; secondary human-to-human transmission through semen, breast milk, and possibly in utero

Bladder dysfunction, Burning or stabbing sensations, Cardiac impairment, Change in bowel function, Chest pain, Confusion, Depression, Difficulty thinking, Difficulty with concentration and reading, Difficulty with speech, writing, Difficulty finding words; name blocking, Disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places, Disturbed sleep: too much, too little, fractionated, early awakening, Ears/Hearing: buzzing, ringing, ear pain, sound sensitivity, Exaggerated symptoms or worse hangover from alcohol, Eyes/Vision: double, blurry, increased floaters, light sensitivity, Facial paralysis (Bell’s palsy), Fatigue, tiredness, poor stamina, Forgetfulness, Headache, Heart block, Heart murmur, Heart palpitations, Heart valve prolapse, Increased motion sickness, Irritability, Irritable bladder, Joint pain or swelling, Lightheadedness, Mood swings, Muscle pain or cramps, Neck creaks & cracks, Neck stiffness, pain, Numbness, Pelvic pain, Poor attention, Poor balance, Poor short-term memory, Problem absorbing new information, Pulse skips, Rib soreness, Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido, Shooting pains, Shortness of breath; cough, Skin hypersensitivity, Sore throat, Stiffness of the joints or back, Swollen glands, Testicular pain, Tingling , Tremor, Twitching of the face or other muscles, Unavoidable need to sit or lay down, Unexplained breast pain, Unexplained fevers, sweats, chills or flushing, Unexplained hair loss, Unexplained menstrual irregularity’, Unexplained milk production, Unexplained weight loss or gain, Upset Stomach or abdominal pain, Vertigo, Wooziness
Posted by QH  in  California  on  Mon May 29, 2006  at  05:35 AM
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

(404) 639-3311

June 1, 2006

Dan Rutz of the CDC on the phone.

The CDC has chosen a head researcher to lead a group, currently in the process of assemblage, to investigate Morgellon's.



Here's a very lucid person with a dry sense of humor, an Intel microscope, and continuing to keep an open mind about possibilities:

http://www.dpref.com/index.html


Exactly What Morgellon's IS...

whether natural or unnatural mutation, whether something very old awakened in the environment or something very new released, whether a unique complex of the known come together naturally or unnaturally, whether something that has been going on under the radar and is just now coming to light or something that really is a recent novel addition to the scene

...the, "kind," with the physical evidences that has prompted formation of a CDC group dedicated to finding out, hopefully will be known sooner rather than later.
Posted by oldtimeybioman  on  Fri Jun 02, 2006  at  11:23 PM
LOL LOL LOL

You all are EXPERTS at this hoax business!!!
Posted by The Best I've Seen  on  Sun Jun 04, 2006  at  11:48 PM
Despite the fact that someone can say, "X person is a healthcare professional," or "X person is qualified to make an assessment", using such flimsy claims of evidence or credibility is no way to go about forming a 'belief'.

Having spent several weeks watching this build up, there are still some questions that haven't been answered well enough, or even asked by so many 'believers'.

1.) Why are morgellons.com and morgellonsusa.com registered anonymously? Why would anyone need to obfuscate who they are or what they are doing?

2.) Out of scores and scores of digital photographs, why do so few have things such as SCALE listed? Why are there no size references in said photographs?

3.) Fibres that emerge from these lesions are so varied in their shape, color, and apparent composition as to be ridiculous. Black specks? Thready pinks, reds, blues, whites?

To be honest, it looks to me like clothing fiber...synthetic clothing fiber, carpet fiber, or some other form of benign fuzz. Until someone posts CREDIBLE chemical analysis of the 'fiber', you would be a complete fool to believe this nonsense.

Really...some yahoo sees a few fuzzy specks in a scab and throws a fit? A few other yahoos see it and throw an equally spectacular fit, then whip out the digital camera and take photographs of starfish, black specks, pink threads, and then everyone goes hysterical?

Does that seem right to you?

Jesus, critical thinking is in short supply lately.
Posted by Soror  in  San Antonio, Texas  on  Tue Jun 06, 2006  at  01:26 AM
http://lymerick.ulmarweb.dk/York2003/Bb-intracellular.htm

http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic4.htm
Posted by QH  on  Tue Jun 06, 2006  at  04:57 PM
From http://www.ilads.org/cdc_paper.html

" . . . Data extrapolated from vaccine studies and CDC lectures suggest that the number of patients with Lyme Disease may be ten-fold higher than what is being currently reported. In spite of this, the CDC seems to be more concerned with diagnostic criteria that prevent false positives, with little concern for false negatives. A system with better balance in regard to this issue is urgently needed for accurate statistics concerning the magnitude of the number of patients with Lyme disease . . . "



http://www.morgellons.org/PracStat.pdf


Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences

From Randy S. Wymore Ph.D. Department of Pharmacology and Physiology

Rhonda Casey, D.O., Department of Pediatrics

Letter to Practioner
Posted by QH  on  Tue Jun 06, 2006  at  09:49 PM
I feel so bad for those people suffering with his disease..I pray that a cure will be found. This is not dillusional. There's been too many people with the same complaints. Has anyone suffering from had flu shots? I read that there was a high percentage of nurses and teachers with Morgellons...Just a thought.
Posted by Marlene  in  California  on  Thu Jun 08, 2006  at  01:29 PM
This "Morgellons disease" is a total hoax. How come there is NO mention of it on AMA's website? Or the American Academy of Dermatology's website? Or ANY medical dictionary? Or the CDC's website? And how come the *only* article about it on PubMed is co-authored by the creator of http://www.morgellons.com? Why? Because it is MADE UP. There are some sick people out there -- the ones who are making up disease just to scare people. Shame on them.
Posted by Sassy  on  Thu Jun 15, 2006  at  12:43 PM
OMG! Posts like the one above just make me so durn mad. This disease is NOT made up!!!!!!!!!!!! Man MADE - perhaps! But others (myself included) who suffer from this disease could think of a million other things to occupy our lives with - other than MAKING UP SOME DISEASE to draw attention. Whoever you are - Sassy- you KNOW NOT of what you SPEAK! God forbid you develop the same "fictional disease."
May God speed!
Posted by Victoreah  on  Mon Jun 19, 2006  at  02:49 PM
I have a desease what they call it like this!
I have proof and I have seen it!
I never was on drugs, I be on no medication and when i heard Dr. Sheinfeld telling, it comes from gardening.... I think he is ready to see and phisiatric. The whole world would be infected, as every one is doing work in the garden ..
What about farmers...
We are in the 20. century and the sientists wqnt believe that are more things in the world, as that what they build in there mind and are frightend to change...
I can help the people with Morgella desease, not cure, as I am still with this Critters, as I call them...
I have seen them in my house and I have proof collected... If only someone would put there mind on it they can learn something...
Anyone would like some advise, I am willing to give it and I also would like someone to believe me and give me some help...
I have written all the experiances down and can proof it...
Greetings Charlotte
Posted by Charlotte  in  Australia  on  Wed Jun 28, 2006  at  12:09 AM
for anyone who actually wants an answer: (if not then stay with morgellons, they're going nowhere fast...just how they want it.)

http://collembolareferences.blogspot.com/
Posted by cerulean  on  Wed Jun 28, 2006  at  09:23 PM
I'm itchie now...thanks!!
Posted by You're All Crazy  in  Hollywood, CA  on  Thu Jun 29, 2006  at  03:24 AM
Hi, I have the same trouble, but my critters what I call them are outside myself..
I spit out a sticky substance and it has insects in it... By now I learned a lot about it and there are no more insects in the saliva.
You all can laugh about me, but I saw that critter hopping down from my bed when I did put the new sheet on... I talk to it and it did not harm me in any way till now.. I can write a lot about it and can give advice from my experiance.
So anyone is welcome...
Regards Charlotte
Posted by Charlotte  in  Australia  on  Sat Jul 01, 2006  at  05:44 AM
I have been writing to you but can not see my articel... Is it, becouse I have written that I saw my intruder...???? It is the truth and I wish anybody can give me an advice how to get rid of it!!!!!
Charlotte
Posted by Charlotte  in  Australia  on  Sun Jul 02, 2006  at  03:41 AM
Jane, you said "Cheese, Sugar, sweets, refined carbohydrates make it worse." I believe this is a mutant yeast gone fungia, some form of Canida Ablicanas, see my post @ http://lymebusters.proboards39.com/index.cgi?board=rash&action=display&thread=1151721872

Start a seroius anti-candida diet and see what happens, you'll be suprised
Posted by Optimistic  on  Thu Jul 06, 2006  at  07:28 AM
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