Morgellons---what fibers?

People who identify themselves as having "morgellons" syndrome claim to have fibers and parasites emerging from their skin. As my commenters have pointed out, it's a rather simple task to evaluate such samples in a laboratory. If "morgellons" "researchers" wish to illuminated this "novel" "disease" (I just wanted to see how many scare quotes I could squeeze in), then where are the case series or other published data?

A PubMed search reveals no published research on the topic---not even case studies. The Morgellons Research Foundation website, however, has a "research" section. Of what does it consist?

  • One non-sensical study of water sample to search for the purported cause of morgellons
  • One lab report purporting to investigate the causative organism (sic) of morgellons
  • A "position statement" written by Randy Wymore, a non-expert in any of the relevant disciplines
  • A paper entitled, "Contribution of Agrobacterium to Morgellons Disease" written by a noted fake expert
  • A quixotically written analysis of fibers from some random folks
  • A report from a crime lab in Tulsa, OK


    Is it any wonder that no one takes the "evidence" for morgellons seriously?

    How much trouble would it be to post a recruitment notice on a morgellons website and have samples from a few hundred patients sent to a couple of independent pathologists?

    Either there is a ubiquitous conspiracy to suppress this strange new knowledge, or the researchers involved are completely incompetent.

    Which do you think it is?

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    Yeah, I came up empty with Web of Science and Google Scholar, too. I would suggest incompetence in this area. But if anybody thinks they have these fibers, collect a bunch in a vial, send them out, and I'll look at them when I get some time.

    Going through a few Morgellons sites convinces me that the objects pictured are either normal excretions from human flesh or a collection of oils and dirts accumulating in impacted pores. Additionally, at one site the Morgellons issue waslinked with one of my favorite conspiracy theories "chemtrails", including ominously identified fibers on a yellow jacket (the insect not the clothing).

    The CDC's investigation, started in January 2008, seems to be moving along slowly and based upon the dearth of information as to its status, I would wager it's not looking good for a validation of Morgellons.

    Either there is a ubiquitous conspiracy to suppress this strange new knowledge, or the researchers involved are completely incompetent.

    False dichotomy.

    By D. C. Sessions (not verified) on 15 May 2009 #permalink

    He hasn't been very active lately. That may be because the whole morgellons thing is slowly fading away, or because he's been so thoroughly harassed by them.

    To be fair, that isn't a report from a crime lab, it's a statement by two people who work at a crime lab. I'm a little sensitive because I'm a forensic scientist. It woudl be interesting to see an actual report of their findings, as well as all the notes and documentation.

    I would also love to see some of these fibres analyzed by a number of analytical techniques like SEM-EDX, FTIR, Raman, LA-ICP-MS (overkill, sure, but we have one!)...

    By Dave Ruddell (not verified) on 15 May 2009 #permalink

    You can use all the fancy SCIENCE MUMBO-JUMBO you want to but they are there and we see them every day!!!! adn if you open your EYES you will see them TOO!!!! Is it really that funny to think their is a CONSPIRACY??? Imagine what would happen to the MEDICAL ESTABLI(SHMENT if we are listened to!!!

    #8:

    Is there a Poe's Law for this kind of situation?

    By D. C. Sessions (not verified) on 15 May 2009 #permalink

    "sufferer":

    If morgellons was determined to be a disease with a causative agent, the "medical establishment" (keeping in mind that we are not a monolith) would add it to our list of things that can go wrong with the human body and utilize the scientific method to find a cure.

    It wouldn't destroy medicine, or even shake it up significantly. Alleging that there's a cover-up because a new syndrome would have a humongously detrimental effect on the medical establishment is silly; new diseases and syndromes are discovered quite regularly without the destruction of Medicine As We Know It.

    There is no reason for there to be a conspiracy. None whatsoever, unless you are truly out with the woo-meisters who believe it is government mind control.

    #9

    If there is, I don't think Chantal's heard of it.

    By Jennifer B. Ph… (not verified) on 15 May 2009 #permalink

    In other words, YHBT or at least CHBT.

    By D. C. Sessions (not verified) on 15 May 2009 #permalink

    sufferer - if you have fibers collect them and send them to me...I've offered to look at them.

    Heh, it happens. ;)

    Truth in trolling, though. Can't count the number of times I've heard claims of a conspiracy when the actual "conspiracy" itself really wasn't that revelatory.

    The term Morgellons refers to a condition that was originally perceived to manifest primarily as an anomalous skin condition. The visible symptoms commonly include skin lesions that resist healing and the presence of unusual filaments that emanate from sores and the skin in general. Many individuals that demonstrate visible physical symptoms have been diagnosed as being delusional even though the physical effect upon the body is evident and the samples can be subjected to detailed examination.

    More recent research strongly indicates the underlying symptoms are much deeper and more broadly distributed than has been realized, and that blood borne vectors may be a common denominator amongst affected individuals. Any reference to supposed "delusional parasitosis" in light of the physical examinations and documentation available appears to be a gross miscarriage and misdirection of effort. The more advanced or severe cases may introduce some psychological complexities to the issue in addition to the physical manifestations, but the data is insufficient at this point.
    Erythrocyte (red blood cell) degradation and variation appears to occur in proportion to the severity of the condition. Furthermore, various erythrocyte modifications detected indicate that stem cell research should be incorporated within the investigation of the condition.

    A certain level of progress has been achieved in the culturing of biological samples and the early stages of inhibition study are in progress. Additional research indicates strong correlation and similarity of form between certain environmental and biological samples.

    The presence of skin anomalies as the primary criterion for determining the existence of the condition appears to be especially deficient, and it is recommended that blood borne conditions amongst the general population be investigated in addition to any skin manifestation in the minority of the population. The existence of the condition is now acknowledged by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic.

    Clifford E Carnicom, President
    Carnicom Institute
    PO Box 23721
    Santa Fe NM 87502
    http://www.carnicominstitute.org

    "1
    Yeah, I came up empty with Web of Science and Google Scholar, too. I would suggest incompetence in this area. But if anybody thinks they have these fibers, collect a bunch in a vial, send them out, and I'll look at them when I get some time.

    Posted by: Pete D | May 15, 2009 2:45 PM

    "13. sufferer - if you have fibers collect them and send them to me...I've offered to look at them.

    Posted by: Pete D | May 15, 2009 5:25 PM"

    Pete D. , as I posted on your other page, I accept your offer. Please contact me directly to make arrangements. Thank you so much!
    Gwen Simmons, RN
    sunnyand7777@yahoo.com

    By Gwen Simmons, RN (not verified) on 15 May 2009 #permalink

    Lorie,

    First, your institute is peddling unsupported claims. For one, I doubt the validity of any website that makes mention of chemtrails in seriousness; again, these have no scientific basis. Similarly with Mr. Meyer, on the "about us" page-- does he have real concrete peer-reviewed evidence that these "fibrils" he has found contaminating diamonds are identical to those with "Morgellons Disease"? If he does, why has he not published or made that information widely available? It is hard to find your claims credible, and to accept as authoritative the endorsement of your institute, when it contains such a vast amount of unscientific nonsense.

    Second, let's take a look at some of Mr. Carnicon's claims....

    1) "Many individuals that demonstrate visible physical symptoms have been diagnosed as being delusional even though the physical effect upon the body is evident and the samples can be subjected to detailed examination."

    The mere existence of physical symptoms-- most of which are exactly in line with neurotic excoriations (self-inflicted injuries, usually due to repetitive scratching or compulsive skin-picking)-- does not serve as evidence for a physical illness that is infectious in nature.

    2) "More recent research strongly indicates the underlying symptoms are much deeper and more broadly distributed than has been realized, and that blood borne vectors may be a common denominator amongst affected individuals."
    ...
    "Erythrocyte (red blood cell) degradation and variation appears to occur in proportion to the severity of the condition. Furthermore, various erythrocyte modifications detected indicate that stem cell research should be incorporated within the investigation of the condition."

    Which research? I cannot find anything backing up this assertion. There is no body of literature on morgellons that suggests anything close to Mr. Carnicon's claims.

    3) "The existence of the condition is now acknowledged by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic. "

    This claim is patently false.

    The Mayo Clinic only puts out something written by "Mayo Clinic Staff" that effectively says "if you think you have Morgellons, here is what the Morgellons Research Fund says!". That's hardly "acknowledgement of the condition" as anything more than "people think they have it".

    The NIH does not have an official listing for "Morgellons", and the articles it does cite describe Morgellons as "unexplained dermopathy".

    The CDC says something similar. it lists "Unexplained Dermopathy" as something they are investigating; it does not claim that Morgellons is a definite physical illness with an infectious cause.

    Saying "some people are calling their symptoms Morgellons Disease" does not an official seal of approval make.

    "The existence of the condition is now acknowledged by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic."
    Links please, otherwise empty statements.

    "Either there is a ubiquitous conspiracy to suppress this strange new knowledge, or the researchers involved are completely incompetent."

    I think that it is neither, but the psychiatric and neurological community has not been very helpful either in this regard.

    It is very sad indeed that people that have an illness, be it defined by physical or mental symptoms have to go to such great lengths to find treatment and relief for that illness. It is also sad no one is researching the condition in any case, be it from mental or physical causes--- it is still an illness and people need to find relief, whatever the cause might be.

    It is also unfortunate that the stigma of "mental" illness makes it so difficult for patients to believe that a brain dysfunction might be at the root of this illness. So much so, that these people will do anything to avoid the notion that this disorder might be in their head and therefore somehow "not real". Doctors do more harm than good in this vein by dismissing such cases as "mental" illness and by not offering treatment of this condition, no matter what the cause.

    If Morgellons is truly a psychiatric condition, then there should be papers and research published by the psychiatric and neurological community with some types of guidelines and research about how best to treat it. It is obviously "real" to the people who are clawing at their skin. The same way an OCD afflicted patient might wash constantly, Morgellons should be seen as a serious disorder of the brain.

    The current distinction between "mental" and "physical" illness creates a climate in medicine that is hurting people who through no fault of their own have come down with something unexplainable by physical means. Yet there is much that is not known in the area of psychiatric medicine, and doctors seem to feel free to discount anything that doesn't fit a "physical" picture, and then discount that disorder as somehow less of a disease. The lack of compassion for the suffering of the patient should be no different for causes that are explainable, or otherwise.

    Someday, perhaps science may be able to prove by PET scan or other technology that Morgellons is a disorder of certain brain chemicals or what-have-you, but until that time, it would be more humane to not mock people with unexplained disorders, but instead try to help them as best you can.

    I agree with you completely...this false dichotomy of mind vs body is troubling, and the stigma of brain illnesses is very problematic.

    There is, however, a decent amount of literature on this. If you pubmed morgellons, most of the hits are case studies and other similar pieces on this very topic, and since it resembles delusional parasitosis in all but name, that literature is frequently referenced.

    Lorie, not too be confrontational, but I will be...

    1. "presence of unusual filaments that emanate from sores and the skin in general" and "the samples can be subjected to detailed examination"
    -We've covered this so many times. Did you not even read his post? THE POINT IS THAT THE FIBERS HAVE NOT BEEN ANALYZED BY ANYONE CREDIBLE. It's easy, it's simple, it should be the number one priority of the Morgellon's movement. Send the fibers to pathologists and forensics labs. Publish the results, regardless of whether the findings support your hypothesis.

    2. "More recent research strongly indicates the underlying symptoms are much deeper and more broadly distributed than has been realized, and that blood borne vectors may be a common denominator amongst affected individuals."
    -That's a blatant lie. You should be ashamed of yourself.

    3. "Erythrocyte (red blood cell) degradation and variation appears to occur in proportion to the severity of the condition. Furthermore, various erythrocyte modifications detected indicate that stem cell research should be incorporated within the investigation of the condition."
    -You clearly just wrote that paragraph so you could drop the buzz-word "stem-cells" to impress everyone didn't you!? Also, where are the results of this study?

    4. You keep mentioning studies and results, but WHERE?! At this point, I'm really considering that fact that I've been poed. Could anyone be this outrightly ignorant of how science/medicine proceeds?

    The truth about all this is, -science is bogus everywhere you look. When some pharmaceutical company figures out some way to make money of Morgellons, -mark my words here- -they'll bring it mainstream and make it "legitimate" science.

    Science is dead, and good riddance to it too.

    Science is dead, and good riddance to it too.

    So what next, mysticism? Witch doctors? The Great Spaghetti Monster? Related to Pat Robertson? You would rather listen to superstition then live in the real world? Science is the real world. Trying to sell a book that is ranked 1 millionth on the best seller list?

    MORGELLONS: A CHLORACNE MANIFESTATION?
    I have to wonder if Morgellons are minor chloracne lesions caused by many chlorinated chemicals of the PCB and dioxin type that are still present in the environment very possibly in many municipal drinking water storage tanks. In 1993 the Oakland Tribune had a series of articles concerning PCBs(Polychlorinated biphenyls) in drinking water storage tank of the East Bay Municipal Utility District(EBMUD), which had gotten to its attention due to public complaints of an off flavor. EMBUD investigated and ended up with a major mess at the tank site as an interior sealant was found to contain large amounts of PCBs. Details reported indicated that levels of PCBs on land, onto which tank water with some goo in it was dumped, reached well over 100 times permissible levels. After a number of my letters to EPA, an EPA official admitted in late 2000 that measurements claimed to be showing no PCBs in drinking water were being made on treated water before it got to the storage tanks. EBMUD indicated in one Tribune article that out of 176 such storage tanks, its records showed possibly 116 had been treated with the sealant. EBMUD being a major water supply operation may have been following SOP used at many other water districts. Being at the end of the Clinton administration, EPA never did anything more, and I have no idea whether any checking was done across the country.
    Perhaps someone involved here could get some checking going about PCBs being involved with Morgellons as many other sources of PCBs still have not been eliminated.
    Dr. J. Singmaster, Environmental Toxicologist, Ret.

    By Dr. James Singmaster (not verified) on 16 May 2009 #permalink

    Don, how about you throw out the keyboard you type on? Stop drinking clean water. Don't pay your electrical bill. Have you completely lost your mind? Saying science is dead is like saying math is dead. Like math, it's a process, not a fad.

    And what's with all the dash marks in your messages? Did you write that entire book of yours during a manic episode? What a bunch of vacuous nonsense... the chapter titles don't even make sense.

    From the highly informative Amazon page where Don Robertson describes his work and himself thusly . . .

    What he has found is a secular, non-relative moral sense that is destined to finally deliver civilization and the knowledge required to make the world a place better than we have let it become.

    Thank you Don, for civilization at last! Those pesky scientists have only delivered clean water, low infant mortality, increasingly effective treatments for once fatal maladies, a greater understanding of the universe in which we live and the very internet where you peddle your anti-scientific, non-relative moral sense to the gullible.

    By Pareidolius (not verified) on 16 May 2009 #permalink

    Seems easy enough to test.

    If you feel that you have this condition, leave the fibers in, and go to a dermatologist. Have this biopsied. Perhaps a series of biopsies by dermatologists and dermatopathologists can be developed and published in academically, peer reviewed journals.

    But please, no special pleading if the results are negative.

    By The Blind Watchmaker (not verified) on 17 May 2009 #permalink

    That research section is just sad. In all of these years that's all they could come up with? I especially like the productivity of that morgellon, 3- 5 different fibers, all with different dimensions. Must have an interesting set of spinnerets on that bug.

    Let's stop the griping and get busy, agreed, testing fibers to determine their composistion no big whoop. Click on my name on this post, see offer extended to PalMD and this group. How about we try something constructive, we've already debated about the fibers longer than it would take to test them, would I accept the evidence, yes, I would.

    http://morgellonspgpr.wordpress.com/2009/05/17/to-palmd-and-gang/

    Read the post, think about it, want to do something great, interesting, and even fun, read this post and think consider it ... I am reaching to you guys with science and medical backgrounds, let's do something real ...

    Re post 29, "If you feel that you have this condition, leave the fibers in, and go to a dermatologist."

    Please try to understand from a sufferer's point of view. They have gone to numerous doctors, especially dermatologists b/c this condition is overwhelmingly a skin condition. Often times, when the patients show up with samples of specks and fibers, this raises an immediate flag to the doctors. Matchbox syndrome. Medical students are taught to lookout for the matchbox syndrome. I'd like to say that many doctors seem have a "matchbox syndrome-syndrome" (I'm coining this term similar to radar detector-detectors), meaning, without trying to understand fully, they have this tendency to write off samples as a matchbox syndrome. Throw in the fact that there are no visible bugs, doctors are hardly convinced of claims by the patients.

    Sufferers are labeled as DOP... Delusional. Imagine what the sufferers must feel when they get a diagnosis of DOP on their medical chart and that diagnosis sticks forever and other doctors you visit already think you're crazy before you even step into the clinic. One of the definitions that Webster defines for delusion is "a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary". It's really not a fair diagnosis. There is no "indisputable evidence to the contrary" and the very diagnosis of DOP, a PSYCHIATRIC diagnosis, is made by a skin doctor. Something is not right, wouldn't you think? And "phychotic"? That's quite a strong word... imagine youself being called phychotic and the social stigma that word represents.

    So many sufferers, fearing being mid-labeled, and mis-diagnosed, ofthen avoid going to doctors in the first place. They are gripped with fear and hopelessness. "Well how do you know that the doctors will do that if they've never even gone in the first place?" Many do. Infact most do. The accts of being labeled DOP or being given another diagnosis are what the sufferers experience every day.

    I went to a dermatologist. I told them about biting and crawling sensations. I told the nurse who did the pre-doctor screening that I had gotten this from a used car that I bought that was infested with something - perhaps bird mites or scabies mites (the canine type). I told them that I found out the previous owners rescued dogs... some 19 dogs in the last 2 years.

    I sat in the room waiting for the doctor. The doctor came in having read the chart that the nurse filled out and the first thing he said was, "you don't have scabies". I told him everytime I got in my car, I'd get biting and crawling sensations (at first, a shower took care of it, and then soon my body became infested and afflicted). He responded by telling me that my car is not infested with anything even when he has never sat in my car. He said that mites can not live off of the animal hosts for more than a few weeks (yes, textbook knowledge). He pressed my arm, pointed to the part of the skin turning pink where he pressed and told me that I have allergies instead. He told me that he sees patients like me all the time and they all have allergies. He prescribed me some prescription anti-histamines. Out of the office I went. I did not try to argue back or try to convince him. What's the point? He's already made up his mind.

    Now imagine what I went through and imagine thousands and thousands of other folks going to the doctors, going through something similar, often times worse, and being labeled DOP. Imagine a person going to doctor after doctor after doctor and going through the same experience. Imagine these patients getting a weird look from doctors and nurses in the office. The anti-allergy medicine I took did not help. Imagine his other previous patients that were given the diagnosis of having allergies and imagine how many patients he did NOT help.

    These are what the sufferers go through. All we ask for is a little benefit of doubt. Instead, the responses I see are often filled with mockery and patronizing remarks, as if the sufferers are crazy and stupid. Let me assure you that many of us are "normal" folks just like you and me. We are hard-working, tax-paying, law-abiding citizens just like you. Some sit in very high social places and are highly educated. Others not. The point is that who this affliction affects is not a special group of delusional ppl but normal folks like youself.

    I participate in a some online forums and have befriended fellow sufferers via personal emails outside of the forums and on myspace and facebook, which allowed me to see pictures of them for the first time. Instead of seeing this old, wrinkly, bitter, broken person who sits alone in a dark corner of the room hoping to die, what I saw are vibrant, energetic, "normal" moms struggling to do everything possible to make life as normal as possible for them and their families. I see pictures of a mom taking her kids to the aquarium. Or having a picnic with her husband on mothers day... trying to live life. Some are not so lucky and put their lives on hold b/c of this affliction. This means not being able to go to friend's places or ride in their cars. Not being able to enjoy a movie at a theater. Why? B/c the sufferers are very afraid of spreading this to others. Can you see the compassion from the sufferers point of view? If they only cared about themselves, they'd go everywhere and do whatever they want, regardless of where and to whom they might spread this debilitaing condition to. Instead, the common thought among sufferers is "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy." And these are the types of ppl I'd like for you to picture when you think of ppl that has morgellons. For many of us, we're waaaaaaaaay past the point of hating the world, being bitter with the doctors, and playing a victim role ("why me?"). We just want relief from whatever this is and want to resume a "normal" life.

    At least if you can accept the point that the *suffering is real* despite what the cause, I think it's a good start.

    Thanks for reading.

    -kixx

    And "phychotic"? That's quite a strong word... imagine youself being called phychotic and the social stigma that word represents.

    Having your feelings hurt, while perhaps understandable considering the stigma often attached to mental illness, does nothing to invalidate a delusional or psychotic diagnosis. Those aren't nasty epithets that the mean doctors toss around to insult and humiliate the patients they don't like, they are components of a diagnosis. That you don't like your diagnosis is not actually a valid argument in favour of some newly minted and more socially acceptable condition.

    At least if you can accept the point that the *suffering is real* despite what the cause, I think it's a good start.

    I'm not sure anyone sincerely doubts this. The problem is that all the evidence points to the suffering being a mental/neurological issue rather than a skin disease. Look, here's the thing. As a mental illness sufferer myself (long-term severe depression, ADHD) I understand the stigma of "crazy" and the idea that mental illness is somehow a lesser form of illness than an obvious organic cause. But just because it's "all in your head" does not mean it's not a real problem or that the suffering is not real; when people present with forms of delusional parasitosis (including Morgellons), to say that it's a delusion or a psychosis is not a denial that there's a problem; it's saying that the patient's suffering comes from an etiology entirely different from the perceived symptoms.

    When dermatologists and psychologists call Morgellons a delusion, they are pointing out a very important fact about the human brain: it is a powerful pattern-seeking machine, sometimes given to following false leads when patterns don't associate with the obvious. Seen from that perspective, a delusion is a persistent failure in pattern-seeking; in the case of Morgellons, perhaps an attempt to work out the origin of an itch or a crawling sensation has gotten stuck in a pool of bad data, and the patient starts noticing previously-ignored things like stray clothing fibers.

    No one is saying that the suffering does not exist, only that the etiology is in the nervous system and brain, not the skin.

    Let's examine how DOP is defined. Wiki says: "Delusional parasistosis is a form of psychosis or false belief, a "loss of contact with reality". In delusional parasitosis, sufferers have a strong delusional belief that they are infested with parasites, whereas in reality no such parasites are present.[2] Very often the imaginary parasites are reported as being "bugs" crawling on or under the skin; in these cases the experience of the sensation known as formication may be the basis for this belief."

    Morgellons has not been proven scientifically to exist as a "real" disease. There's not enough information to prove it as a viable disease. Yet those that venture and look up morgellons find that there's not enough proof that morgellons is real, and conclude that it's not a real. Thus since it's not real, the patients are imagining something that's not real. Thus the patients must have delusional parasitosis. Can you see the irony in basing this type of conclusion? The conclusion about morgs (that it doesn't exist or not real) is based on the fact there's really not enough information to base a conclusion on. A conclusion is based on lack of conclusion. Isn't this what we call a circular reference? Certainly doesn't work in Excel and it certainly shouldn't work in medically diagnosing patients. The problem is that doctors aren't aware that they're doing it.

    I think the one big problem I have with DOP is the way it's used and tossed around. A patient comes in complaining about biting and crawling sensations. Upon examination, the patient doesn't seem to have allergies, rosacea, or any other common attributes. So the diagnosis is that it's really nothing. But the patient still insists that they have something. Where are these bugs that they are complaining about? I certainly don't see them. What are these fibers they claim to have? They're just pieces of lint or fibers from their shirt. Ok, this person must be imagining things. This person fits the definition of delusional parasitosis. It's all in the head. It's almost as DOP was created just to handle these types of situations so there can be a label put on these types of ppl period. To me, DOP is nothing more than a last resort dumpage ground for unconventional, unproven, and unknown conditions, yet the diagnosis in itself is supposed to be medically sound as if it's proven the patient's real condition. DOP should rather be labeled as "unknown skin condition".

    There seems to be a belief that I've been censoring comments on the morgellons threads. This is not so. I welcome (almost) all comments. If you feel you're comments are missing, please email me so i can let them out of the spam filter.

    So Mr Common Sense gets caught in a spam filter, assumes he's been blocked and responds by closing the comments on his post? He then cites Conservapedia as if it should be trusted for anything!

    This is his idea of "reaching [out] to you guys with science and medical backgrounds"?

    treatment (?) options question.

    During my normal Monday procrastination at work I had question about this. When someone goes to the doctor, and he or she gives his or her symptoms and is told they have DOP, what are the treatment options?

    I see numerous people commenting on these threads in various states of agitation / unhappiness at this diagnosis, but have they tried the treatment?

    Or is this a case of being so confident in their self diagnosis, that any diagnosis that isn't what they want to hear is discarded?

    I call attention to my comment 26 concerning Morgellons as possibly being chloracne, a manifestation of exposure to various polychlorinated aromatic chemicals. Most of what is being said here offers no kind of testable condition. Testing of PCB and dioxin levels in humans was being done some years ago in a public health program for CDC and/or FDA. Perhaps, persons with Morgellons might want to find out just how that program was run to see if they can get some attention to reviving it for checking if Morgellons involves exposures to those chemicals. The blackish spots of chlorance involve hair follicles mainly. If it is chlorance verified by finding above trace levels of the chemicals in affected persons, Such a result would get some immediate recognition and action. Dr. J. Singmaster

    By Dr. James Singmaster (not verified) on 18 May 2009 #permalink

    JohnV, I think once the diagnosis of DOP is made, then the treatment goal becomes to relieve the symptoms. A major symptom is itching skin. A treatment that is of major benefit for itching skin in primary biliary cirrhosis is an SSRI. No one suggests that the itching of primary biliary cirrhosis is âall in the headâ. No one suggests that giving an SSRI to patients with itchy skin because of primary biliary cirrhosis is because such itching is a delusion.

    Primary biliary cirrhosis occurs in many individuals around the same time as does Morgellons (i.e. early post-menopause). Is the itchy skin of primary biliary cirrhosis, Morgellons and DOP related via a final common pathway? That is unknown.

    I would think (but I am not a doctor), that an empirical trial of an SSRI for Morgellons would make more sense than antibiotics or antihelminthics (absent a confirmed laboratory diagnosis for something they are known to be effective for). If a patient is unable to consider an empirical trial of an SSRI because they are usually given for âmentalâ disorders, and the patient is absolutely convinced they donât have a âmentalâ disorder that is unfortunate for the patient to abandon a reasonable treatment modality.

    Dr. James Singmaster I believe there is a connection betweem chloracne and morgellons and I think I can demonstrate that through my reasearch. I have no intention of debating the validity of morgellons, but I would be interested in corresponding with you privately. I cannot explain why the few professionals that are involved are not publishing anything the rest of you can use for validation but I appreciate the fact that they are putting their careers on the line when then come out in support of morgellons, why would they do that if they didnt believe wholeheartedly in the cause. Dr Singmaster you may contact me at safrey@wavecable.com

    Steve

    By Steve A. Frey (not verified) on 19 May 2009 #permalink

    Hello Chantal,

    Thanks for your input. I am not sure what âclaimsâ you say are made and âunsupportedâ on the website. To the best of my knowledge, nothing we have done in our stated work is unsupported. I would be happy to explore that if youâd like to be more specific.

    Regarding chemtrails (I donât particularly like that catch-all name myself), doubting the validity of the use of aerosols to facilitate governmental/military and industrial/scientific projects and agendas shows a lack of even cursory investigation on your part. My own early research shows an obvious and growing use and development of such technologies. I think they have come a long way since 1917. There is a lot of work on the subject. It is very easy to verify that for yourself, here I can help you. http://www.seektress.com/patlist.htm

    Also, Did you not hear about Obama talking about spraying the skies? This is not a new idea that he and his gang just thought up.
    http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97ECHLG1&show_article=1

    As far as Mr. Meyerâs work goes, he can address that himself, have you tried to contact him and ask him? His email address is on the website, along with my own. Any of us would be happy to discuss your concerns.

    So, you have invited me to look at âMr. Carnicomâs claimsâ. Letâs do it.
    1.) "Many individuals that demonstrate visible physical symptoms have been diagnosed as being delusional even though the physical effect upon the body is evident and the samples can be subjected to detailed examination."
    The mere existence of physical symptoms-- most of which are exactly in line with neurotic excoriations (self-inflicted injuries, usually due to repetitive scratching or compulsive skin-picking)-- does not serve as evidence for a physical illness that is infectious in nature.
    Reply â You missed the point of the statement. Said a different way, when people show up with these lesions and there are physical samples which can be taken from their bodies and examined; that, being a reality, is no delusion. Diagnosing someone as being delusional when there is readily available physical material involved to examine and study takes the diagnosis of DOP into the realm of delusion, in my opinion. The masses of fibers removed from Jan Smithâs knee joint were hardly a figment of her imagination, also showing that this is not just an unexplained âdermopathyâ, it is so much more than skin deep. As far as the âinfectiousâ nature of this goes, that has not been completely determined. Much more study needs to be done about that issue, and it needs to be done in a hurry.

    2) "More recent research strongly indicates the underlying symptoms are much deeper and more broadly distributed than has been realized, and that blood borne vectors may be a common denominator amongst affected individuals."
    ...
    "Erythrocyte (red blood cell) degradation and variation appears to occur in proportion to the severity of the condition. Furthermore, various erythrocyte modifications detected indicate that stem cell research should be incorporated within the investigation of the condition."
    Which research? I cannot find anything backing up this assertion. There is no body of literature on morgellons that suggests anything close to Mr. Carnicon's claims.
    Reply â Chantal, there is hardly a body of literature on Morgellons anywhere, and there needs to be. Thatâs one of the reasons we started the Institute. We are trying to help do what the CDC, and all the other âprofessionalsâ wonât. Carnicom talks about Carnicomâs work. The research Clifford is referring to is his most recent paper, Blood Issues Intensify. Of course his work up until this point would be included in that as well. You are welcome to read it here http://www.carnicom.com/culture4.htm You might also be interested in listening to Clifford discussing this during a recent appearance on the Jeff Rense program. Thereâs a link to that interview on this page http://www.carnicominstitute.org/carnhome.htm
    3) "The existence of the condition is now acknowledged by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic. "
    This claim is patently false.
    The Mayo Clinic only puts out something written by "Mayo Clinic Staff" that effectively says "if you think you have Morgellons, here is what the Morgellons Research Fund says!". That's hardly "acknowledgement of the condition" as anything more than "people think they have it".
    The NIH does not have an official listing for "Morgellons", and the articles it does cite describe Morgellons as "unexplained dermopathy".
    The CDC says something similar. it lists "Unexplained Dermopathy" as something they are investigating; it does not claim that Morgellons is a definite physical illness with an infectious cause.
    Saying "some people are calling their symptoms Morgellons Disease" does not an official seal of approval make.
    Reply â The main problem Chantal is that NONE of these âofficialâ agencies or bodies have done the work to answer the question you are asking me. THEY are the ones that should already have the answers, or at least seriously on their way to finding them. Not throwing down an insignificant $300,000 to âstudyâ it, thatâs not serious. The CDC has the so-called study running right now, granted it is lame, under funded, selective and secretive, but they have it. That seems to me to be an acknowledgement of the existence of the condition. The Mayo clinic lists signs and symptoms, has a short FAQ
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/morgellons-disease/SN00043
    that sure enough looks like it is acknowledging a condition to me. The NIH indeed lists Morgellons, calling it an unexplained illness look at Category C http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/nd08/nd08_medline_data_changes_200…
    Andâ¦. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2009/MB_cgi?mode=&term=MORGELLONS+DISEA…
    No one at the Carnicom Institute claims that Morgellons is a definite physical illness with an infectious cause, not sure where you got that. This is what we need to find out.
    So there you go. I hope I have addressed your concerns. Keep asking questions. Demand answers from the CDC, et all. You are welcome to write via email.

    Hello msIII,

    Since when is asking a question being confrontational? As long as mutual respect is in place, there need not be any confrontation.

    1. "presence of unusual filaments that emanate from sores and the skin in general" and "the samples can be subjected to detailed examination"
    -We've covered this so many times. Did you not even read his post? THE POINT IS THAT THE FIBERS HAVE NOT BEEN ANALYZED BY ANYONE CREDIBLE. It's easy, it's simple, it should be the number one priority of the Morgellon's movement. Send the fibers to pathologists and forensics labs. Publish the results, regardless of whether the findings support your hypothesis.

    Reply - First off, I did read the post, no need to shout. Secondly, I am not, nor is the Carnicom Institute, a part of any âmovement.â We are investigating this issue because it is of concern to us, not as part of any movement. The members of our group have been doing independent and collaborative work together for 10 years in under researched areas. One of the reasons the group formed is to do the work that the so called âcredibleâ agencies are not doing. I love it when people say send stuff to the labs and report it. First, that costs money, as all good research does. This is why we have pooled our resources and hope to gain support from others, to help make this work happen. If you had a sample of something you just pulled out of your arm, would you have the funds and resources to just pop that thing over to a lab and get the answer? It is not as easy as it sounds. Our goal is to be able to do the work. To date, Clifford has published a whole heck of a lot of material. It is all available to you at Carnicom.com I'd like to see as much from others who say they are researching this.

    2. "More recent research strongly indicates the underlying symptoms are much deeper and more broadly distributed than has been realized, and that blood borne vectors may be a common denominator amongst affected individuals."
    -That's a blatant lie. You should be ashamed of yourself.

    Reply â Gee, a liar? I guess you did mean to get a bit more confrontational. Ashamed? Hardly. Thatâs ok, no lying going on here. To me thatâs not a very strong problem solving tool. Cliffordâs most recent research indicates just what he says it does. His work with the dental samples resulting from the wine tests indicates this. Again, please feel free to read his paper Blood Issues Intensify http://www.carnicom.com/culture4.htm as well as the work leading up to it.

    3. "Erythrocyte (red blood cell) degradation and variation appears to occur in proportion to the severity of the condition. Furthermore, various erythrocyte modifications detected indicate that stem cell research should be incorporated within the investigation of the condition."
    -You clearly just wrote that paragraph so you could drop the buzz-word "stem-cells" to impress everyone didn't you!? Also, where are the results of this study?

    Reply â No, actually Clifford wrote that. He refers to it in the aforementioned paper, â Research previous to this recent announcement reports the sustenance and perpetuation of existing cells within a growth medium, but not the creation of new cells. Achievements of growth on any scale are clearly on the leading front of stem cell research, and comparative questions must be raised regarding the state of public disclosure on the subject vs. actual technological achievements that may already be in place. â

    4. You keep mentioning studies and results, but WHERE?! At this point, I'm really considering that fact that I've been poed. Could anyone be this outrightly ignorant of how science/medicine proceeds?

    Reply â The post referred to Carnicomâs work. Everything he does is posted on his site. Please take a look at Cliffordâs bio on this page.
    http://www.carnicominstitute.org/bio/htm
    I think he understands how science works, but thatâs just me. Thanks for asking your questions. Take care.

    I am 52 and suffer from Morgellons. It is very real and horrible.
    If anyone above or anyone out there wants Morgellon fibers, I got plenty for you. I will have to check on bio hazzard mailing issue, I sure do not want to get in trouble. I am unemployed because of it.
    They are real.

    You should be concerned that the arrogance with witch you dismiss these people who say they are afflicted with Morgellons affects more your credibility and that of your profession more than theirs.

    Whether it be Morgellons or whatever else old or new and up and coming, the lack of scientific rigor that you are applying to approach the problem is lamentable.

    The situation at hand is only valid or false until proven so and then only to a certain probability and never absolutely one or the other. The advantage of those who suffer is that they are "innocent until proven guilty" ...right until shown wrong. That they do not have the resources to prove their case and the validity of their suffering is regrettable, that YOU have the resources and choose to not carry out the proper procedure for validation or disqualification is unforgivable.

    By NotAmused (not verified) on 02 Aug 2009 #permalink

    Not even wrong, NotAmused. The "fibers" have been validated. It's household lint. There are no "mystery bugs". There is no "mystery rash". It's not for lack of trying, but for lack of there being anything to find.

    If you have new evidence, we'd love to see it. Otherwise, it's just blah, blah, blah.

    By LanceR, JSG (not verified) on 02 Aug 2009 #permalink

    Morgellons Sufferer Tells Her Story of Triumph

    Hi! My name is Connie and Iâm a victim, I believe, of a disease presently known as Morgellons. I have traced my symptoms back to as far as 10 years ago, based on the information Iâve receive from other people that have this infection. I am a 54 year old female. I was born and raised in Nevada. I live, presently live, in Reno. And I have all my family here, Iâm divorced and I have one adult daughter. And just to begin my explanation of my experience, Iâll tell you that thereâs no one in my network at this point in time that shown these symptoms visually or otherwise. About a year ago, at this time⦠it was in January, I noticed some little green fibers that were starting to show up on my hands and arms. And I attributed it to disassembling an artificial Christmas tree that I had. I thought maybe it was the remnants or remains of particles from the manufacturing of the tree. Well the symptoms didnât go away, and they actually got worse. I started noticing that I was more depressed. I have had a problem with what is known as âbrain foggingâ for many years, but it seemed to escalate at that point of my life. I was having a lot of joint pain... wondering if⦠why am I having arthritic pain in summer months. I was suffering confusion, frustration⦠I was tired all the time. I slept a great deal. I napped when I could. I just seemed like I couldnât get enough rest. About four months passed, maybe five and in May I was talking with a friend and I showed him my arms and said âLook at this!â

    In that four month period these lesions had began to surface where the fibers where⦠where, this fibrous material. Now granted, I could see these with the naked eye. I did not need a microscope. Some of them were curly. Some of them where short. Some of them were a little bit long, less than a quarter of an inch, but they were all green and they were all real. I, at that point collected some samples of them. Put them in a plastic vile. I took them to a dermatologist and she absolutely refused to acknowledge that my little âso to speakâ, âmatchbox sampleâ was real. What she told me when she saw these lesions, and at that point they were very bad and I had it up and down the tops of my arms, and I had them at the back of my hands⦠she keep kind of nagging me and saying âDonât pick at yourself anymore. Donât pick at your, your handsâ. Well I walked away angry from that particular encounter. A few months later while I was still fighting with this lesions, I went an saw an âEar, Nose and Throatâ doctor, because I was having a tremendous sinus problem where I was blowing a lot of blood and strange mucus out of my nasal area. And interestingly during the⦠after the x-rays, on the a pre-op visit, he looked at me and he said weâre gonna get in there and fix this deviated septum. And he said were gonna look at this other tissue in there or this other matter. Well this other matter, Iâm firmly convinced was Morgellons, and it was, you know, the disease building itself in areas in my body where it could breath and grow which were my sinuses, my throat. I had chronic sore throats. And then a friend of mine⦠well, this friend showed me⦠Introduced me to NutraSilver⦠and at that point I was desperate. I had no other way to turn. I had been to dentists. I had dentists look at my teeth and tell me there was something not right. Iâve had this derma⦠two dermatologists⦠I had gone to a dermatologist ten years ago, and I was treated with massive doses of antihistamines. Three different kinds⦠because I had this severe itching. When we discover when these symptoms probably began, at the onset I had these terrible attacks of itching on my arms and couldnât wear any heavy clothing. I couldnât wear any animal knits. Nothing⦠I mean I was miserable! I went to my family doctor and we thought maybe I was going through the âchange of lifeâ, which I wasnât. They did a test for that. My blood pressure was checked and it was determined that I had a high blood pressure. Iâm self diagnosed. Thereâs no doctor in this area that I can find that is willing to acknowledge that I have this disease. So I⦠this is all my diagnosis⦠my opinion. Itâs my body, I know whatâs going on with it. But anyway up until that point these symptoms just keep building and persisting. What brought them to the surfaced where the lesions were visual, I believe was stress.

    I was going through a very depressing, debilitating, personal part of my life. Last, a year ago this last May. And it was then that the lesions started to form, and they were coming out. They were started on the lower part of my arms... and they were slowly gravitating up in my arms. I had them on my hands. I was starting to see a little bit of tunneling, but not much.

    And I went to visit a friend one day, and he looked at my arms he says âWow! I have something I think you need to try.â he says, âJust take this and rub it on your arms.â and so we did⦠or actually it was, at that point it was just on my hands. And so I rubbed it on my hands, and âMy godâ⦠I could not believe it! I had skin and these little fibery things just coming out of my hands.

    Out of my palm⦠the back of my hands. We were both amazed! We were just sat there and watched this for about an hour and we couldnât believe it. And so we thought well, letâs try this. Letâs try putting it, you know everywhere that I have an open lesion or an area that looks likes its you know itâs been exacerbated by this affliction. So I did, and after several months of using this, and journaling about it and photographing it, I realized that the lesions that I was putting the NutraSilver on⦠Thatâs the name of the product that weâre talking about, were healing and I was actually having⦠I donât know⦠matter coming out. I donât know what you wanna call it. Maybe under a microscope... you might see a parasite or two. I donât know. Some of it looked like it was moving and live, and I was having many more fibers. I started getting red. I started getting blue. I started getting uh... I mean these things glowed⦠under a camera eye. Well what we realize is that the lesions I was putting the NutraSilver on were healing, but I was getting new breakouts, new sores in other areas around that. So we realized, or I realized that it was spreading. It wasnât getting better, it was getting worse! And so we stopped the NutraSilver. I went to a deep depression and thought you know, this was, âNow what am I gonna do?â and...

    Then I said to my friend⦠my colleague⦠I said âYou know? Something strikes me here if the NutraSilver has the effect of spreading or moving this parasite or whatever it is under the skin, what would happen if we tried it internally? Took it orally? If it moves on the skin, maybe it would move through the blood streams and the body and push it out?â And so that was our next motivation was to try that, and in a few words it worked! It was the most phenomenal difference for me in my whole well-being and visual observation of what is going on. We started me with ten drops twice a day⦠excuse me⦠three times a day, in water and I tried to you know make sure that I took it at the same time each day, morning noon and night. Within the first 24 hours I noticed a tremendous change in how I felt psychologically. My mind was clearing up. My vision was⦠I didnât realize before but it, this was affecting my vision. I was having a lot of blurred vision which I thought was just me because I am severely nearsighted. I started eating better. The lesions began to heal, slowly but they begin heal.

    The chronic fatigue disappeared within a week. It was like my whole new part of my life had erupted, and I still need a lot of rest because the symptoms of this disease actually keep me awake at night. There were times when my feet would tingle or Iâd get these, uh you know thereâs a syndrome out now that they talk about where your legs do funny things and the muscles twitch. Well my feet did that a lot⦠and my hands as well.

    That stopped with the use of the NutraSilver internally.

    The depression lifted. It didnât completely go away because my depression is hereditary. I have since started taking 40mg a day of Prozac and I doing really well with that, but initially I think the NutraSilver did have an effect of my depression. The brain fogging⦠gone! It was essentially gone. My memory was good. My short term memory was good. You know I was even starting to recall how this disease have progressed over the years when I started learning about how and what other people had. The healing was amazing, and again, I still, it took⦠the lesions healed quicker with the use of the NutraSilver...
    and it took a while because I had quite a few on my arms and I started having them show up on my legs and that started happening when I was using it topically and thatâs really when we got scared and realized that you know we better not do this topically anymore because whatever this thing is, its in my body and what the NutraSilver was doing topically was just moving it⦠and my thought was well if its moves by use of it topically⦠âWhat would happen if I took it internally and got it in my blood stream?â. Again we saw amazing results!

    The other thing I noticed right away too was my joint pain. I would get up in the morning and I had very little back pain, and now I have none. Oh lets seeâ¦in October, September-October of last year.

    We decided to do a purge. We came up with the formula with the NutraSilver and decided that, you know, my symptoms not quite all gone away and we wanted to try to possibly see how far we could push this whole thing since what I was doing was working very well on that regular basis. So we upped the dosage and began what I call the âthree day purgeâ, and at that point I started taking 7ml (approximately 150 drops), which is one small little container of the NutraSilver diluted in a glass of water. Very little water, 2 to 4 ounces actually, because we wanted it to get it into my blood stream quickly and absorb quickly. So I started doing that three times a day. On the first day I took my first dosage at about 11:30 in the morning, and twelve hours later⦠that night⦠about eleven oâclock⦠the purge began and it was horrific! It was absolutely horrific! I wanted somebody to be there, and then I didnât want somebody to be there, because I didnât want anybody to see me. But I had⦠Iâm gonna call them parasite, because I believe thatâs what they were.

    They were small. They looked like worms. Very small. Kind of beige-y color. Very wormy looking. They were soggy. I had, initially I had them coming out everywhere they could. Wherever my body had an orifice⦠my eyes⦠my mouth⦠my noseâ¦
    and they seemed to be predominant in my nasal, my sinus area. And I realized that they were gonna push out through my skin wherever they wanted to. That they may go to areas of my body where, that had not been exposed to the parasite yet. So I⦠after the first⦠What do I want to call it? Not phase? But after the first episode. I waited to see how long it would take this cycle to begin again, and I continue to take the NutraSilver in the 7ml amount, in 2-4 ounces of water, for three days straight. And what occurred is a cycle. These critters have a cycle to them. Theyâre just like any other parasite.

    I would get about a 45 minute break in between, and then they would flair up again and start coming out of my skin⦠my finger nails⦠my toe nails. They were coming out of my feet.

    So I decided I wanted push them out one or two areas only, and âvectorâ them as the scientist would say. Push them in a certain direction. So I used a combination of Vaseline and NutraSilver, and began to coat the parts of my body that I wanted to push, to keep the parasite or... creature from coming out of, and it worked! What I did was I pushed them out through my finger tips, my toes, the bottoms and the heels of my feet. My biggest concern was my face, because I could see them tunneling up my eyes. I could see them in the corner of my eyes. You know I was even able to pick them out of my eyes in some point. I could feel them in my ears, and that was another area. And that was a tough one because you can only get Vaseline in there so far. I had to keep my scalp extremely moist because they wanted to come out through my scalp and my⦠Of course, these little guys like the hair follicles and thatâs what they thrive on. For months I had these little curly hairs on my legs, caused by the parasite living off by the follicle. Iâm sure. Feeding off of it . But this purge was⦠It was incredible! I did get some video on it. It would have to be cleaned up in the laboratory to see, but I had them coming out my lips and in corners of my mouth⦠Flowing. They were spilling out during purge. My feces was loaded. I mean for three days after they purge I was, I could see them in the toilet bowls and I know that its not a very pleasant thing but you need to understand that the NutraSilver forced this thing out of my body and I tried to, I really did try to journal it but it was very difficult. It was very ugly. It was very depressing. It was very hard for me. Doing this video is difficult because I know thereâre going to be a lot of people⦠Maybe even scientist? Maybe even doctors? That will review this video and theyâll laugh at me and think Iâm nuts. Well you guys are the ones that are nuts because Iâve been there, I know what this thing did to me, and I know how much it affected my life and changed my life. It completely altered my life to the point that I considered suicide. I didnât want to have go on living that way. Afraid of going in public that I would break out or that one would come crawling out of my eyes. The fibers were the most phenomenal thing in this purged.

    I have the photographs to proved it; balls of fiber with a little body of some kind, a little round jelly like body in them. Almost that had a little eye on it, that almost looked like a camera. Ok? I mean it look like an eyeball with hair on it. And I had those poring out of my scalp. I was finding them on my carpet after the purge. But I did come up with a, you know a crude way of controlling their exit. I wish now I would have collected some sample, but I was in so much pain even as medicated as I was⦠and I was alone. It was difficult enough having to transform myself from this hideous monster... into the person I am right now. A I have⦠the before and after photographs... prove my story. This is a real. This disease is real.

    The symptoms are real. The NutraSilver, I feel, it gave me back my life! It gave me back my livelihood. It gave me back something that I thought I had lost! Either the disease was gonna kill me or I was gonna kill my self.

    Iâd like to make a closing comment. I have no need to sit down and make up a story like this. Itâs not a make up story. This is a reality. NutraSilver saved my life. It gave me back everything I ever wanted. Iâm not making any money by making this video. Iâve asked for the copyright to it, only because I wanted to control where it goes and who it goes to. But I want the world to know what NutraSilver did for me, and âcome hell or high waterâ so to speak, I want everyone out there that suffers from this disease to know that you have my support, you have my love and I will do everything I can to bring you my story, my experience and encourage you to try this product. At least buy one sample of it and try it because it saved my life. I wouldnât care, you know, how much it cost me or what. Like I said Iâm not getting paid to do this. Iâve not been coerced by anyone, Iâve not been asked or given any favors. I just want the world to know that I know there a lot of sufferers of Morgellons out there that have no hope, and hopefully this video will give you that hope.

    Take NutraSilver! It may turn you blue, it may kill you, but it will definitely get rid of those fibers that don't exist!

    Just... wow. Using vaseline in your hair, and you got little balls of "fibers" with a "round jelly like body in them"? Really? Shocking.

    Even more amazing, (Try this at home!!eleven!) put ordinary table salt into hot water. Let the water cool. IT TURNS INTO SALT WATER!!!!one! ZOMG!

    Classic DP. There are medications that can *really* help you. Stay away from the colloidal silver, though. That stuff is *not* good.

    By LanceR, JSG (not verified) on 11 Aug 2009 #permalink

    I've had this for over 20 years, went to 8 doctors between 91-98, and was diagnosed with scabies by 3 of them... and never had scabies. Then I would go to another one, whom ruled out scabies, and said they're just ingrown hairs. Yea, ingrown hairs with fibers inside the wounds.... And thanks to the doc who wants to analyze the fibers... if only I can find where to send them, been looking for like 20 minutes through the posts, I'm tired of wasting my time.

    One more thing, the fibers aren't the easiest thing to extract, they can barely be seen with the naked eye, and grabbing them with something is kind of hard to do.

    BTW, not one doctor has actually looked at my skin with a scope... it seems like an easy job they have, just misdiagnose n get paid...

    By William Pope (not verified) on 15 Aug 2009 #permalink

    I am grieved over the comments that doubt the reality of this condition. It is real and I have suffered a scalp condition from time to time, I believe after exposure to the pollution caused by the chem trails, which are just as real. No doctor has given any explanation, when looking at the lesions I was told there was no such thing. This is part of the deception going on.
    Truth is stranger than fiction, and people are readily to believe a lie than the truth. Keep up the good work you guys, who are trying their best to give answers and help to the sufferers.It is no secret that our planet is very polluted, some people may have a better immunity to certain things, it does not negate those who react. Think about it! Aware in Missouri

    By D Whitlock (not verified) on 25 Aug 2009 #permalink

    The crazy runs strong in this one

    By MonkeyPox (not verified) on 25 Aug 2009 #permalink

    I've had this disease or what evewr it is and got over it. Those of you who don't believe it exist, just shut the hell up. You don't know what your talking about. It is just the way most of these people say it is. God dam they even have video of it. That wasn't around when I had it in 2002. I studied it as much as I could to get rid of it for me and a friend that exposed me to it. I'm no doctor and no doctor would or could help. Don't tell me you want to see studies because you know dam well it's too soon for them. Look at cell phones. Can you look me in the eye and tell me you can't feel the heat in your skull after using it for a while? An high school drop out can tell you it's unhealthy. And if you do try to say cell phones are safe, for one: you are missing my point altogether, and second: you let yourself be decieved so stop reading this because you are not capable of understanding reasonable lodgic. I'm not dellusional now, nor was I then. Dellusions does'nt have any place here. Your just sticking your head in a hole. Ive lived with this disease and killed it. but don't you ever say it was all make believe.!! that just makes you look closed minded which is the same thing as ignorant. get out of your safe little roller chair and meet someone in real life with it. all you need is a childs microscope and tweezers. But by god you better wear protection. because it's highly contaigus. And I assure you, youll know it's not an illusion if you get infected. They burrow under your skin like a drill. they drive you crazy if your not stable. so don't be knocking people who show signs of instability. because it can be caused by the disease unless they were unstable before. In that case they really need your help. your mindless dribble sickens me. act now!!!! fucking help these people. /
    Its as real as the heart beats in your chest. Or do you have one? maybe that's a delusion Fuck proof reading this thing deal with it. yall fucking piss me off.
    that's all i have to say is do something, don't type.

    Months later and this thread keeps delivering.

    Chemtrails!!!!

    Why doesn't Carnicom list a phone number? For such an important illness what all of humanity is exposed to I shnould think a phone number would be listed. Not having phone number fuels a negative feed into Morgellons Disease. Only vehicle to reach Carnicom is by writing to PO Box? Please advise

    By Christine bloom (not verified) on 02 Apr 2010 #permalink

    NutraSilver does not work!!!! I have had this since '89. It is real, why is that so hard to believe in this day and age of biological technology? I'm near Fresno, CA, any researchers wanna come by and look at my skin? Or better yet, do an MRI and instead of writing it off as 'something that I (the doctor) don't recognize', maybe you can figure it out...
    I'm guessing an MRI will show it... I had a chest xray by a lung specialist in 1999 that showed specks in my lungs that he didn't recognize... antibiotics temporarily cleared my symptoms (broncitis, dermatitis, scabies (3 different doctors), and DOP are what I've been diagnosed with between 1990 and 1997, since then I have not and will not mention this disease to any doctor. Oh, the crawling feels like little tiny things moving around on your skin, eyes, head, nose, ears and other places.
    The fibers move, like little worms, but remain immobile most of the time.
    Check out my videos at youtube.com username: TheRealPhatgrower

    Anyways, I look forward to the day when real research is funded for this disease...

    PS What's the best way to sneak a biological agent into a population without being detected or leaving traceable evidence? (put it in the dope)

    By David Pope (not verified) on 07 Apr 2010 #permalink

    All I can say is...OMG...I am more confused now after reading all of these comments. My mother has "something" going on and if there is such a thing as Morgellons..then that is what I believe that she has...if not then I don't know what the heck it is. I am frustrated!! We have been to her PCP and a dermatologists so far, without much luck. She has the rash,itching,the fibers...She is also a very SANE person,so I don't want to think that she has dellusional parasitosis.I really don't know what to do for her at this point..another dermatologist,a entomologist,lymes test,dioxin levels?????????WHAT??This to me sounds like a never ending-failing process..I'm not even going to ask if anyone has any suggestions..because you are all as confused as I am whether you know it or not.............

    Elaine,

    Even the sanest of us are potentially prone to neurological weirdness. It's not a character flaw, and if that's what's happening in your mother's case, it doesn't mean she is dangerous or incompetent. It's a glitch in the brain.