Why Won't Doctors Recognize Morgellons Disease?

In 2006, the United States’ medical community became aware of a mysterious condition afflicting people across the country: patients complained of bizarre sensations, as if something unseen was crawling over their skin, and fibrous filaments were oozing through open wounds. Curiosity and an urge to better understand the condition peaked when a Texan teenager committed suicide as a result of his extreme discomfort.

Prior to this, no clinical studies had been performed to evaluate and treat the condition – known as Morgellons – but in 2008, the CDC launched an investigation, in partnership with Northern California’s Kaiser Permanente health plan, and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, with an aim to form a definitive study on the disease.

Symptoms of Morgellons

For any patients suffering from Morgellons, symptoms are extremely uncomfortable and frightening:

· A feeling of bugs crawling over the skin

· Burning/stinging underneath the skin

· Sudden skin sores which heal slower than others and leave hyperpigmented (extremely-red) scars

· Constant itching

· Possible feeling of thread-like fibers embedded in skin

However, outside of these core symptoms, patients may also complain of extreme fatigue, an inability to concentrate as they normally would, hair loss, tooth loss, and problems with the nervous system.

A Wall of Skepticism

As horrific as these symptoms sound, the medical community’s findings and approach have proven frustrating to those suffering: during the CDC’s study, experts found no firm evidence of credible biological causes. Instead, they suggested, patients would benefit from psychiatric evaluation to determine psychological influences.

From their 2012 findings: “This comprehensive study of an unexplained apparent dermopathy demonstrated no infectious cause and no evidence of an environmental link. There was no indication that it would be helpful to perform additional testing for infectious diseases as a potential cause. Further efforts should focus on helping patients reduce their symptoms through careful attention to treatment of co-existing medical, including psychiatric, conditions, that might be contributing to their symptoms.”

They also specified that “skin damage from the sun was the most common skin abnormality found”, and “most sores appeared to result from chronic scratching and picking, without an underlying cause.” Regarding the thread-like fibers patients report, those “obtained from skin-biopsy specimens were mostly cellulose, compatible with cotton fibers.”

It’s easy to see why such findings, particularly from the CDC itself, could leave patients angered – experts appear to be concluding that the disease is entirely psychosomatic, a figment of their imaginations. However, they also revealed that a “substantial” number of participants scored highly in the screening tests for co-existing conditions, such as depression, preoccupation with their health, and drug use. This suggests significant mental-health issues could contribute to Morgellons, which is why more research is essential.

The Future

Randy Wymore, an assistant professor of pharmacology and physiology at Oklahoma State University, and director of research at the Morgellon Research Foundation, contested the common skepticism in 2006. He claimed that “the fibers are not common textiles, nor are they black specks of pepper, as several dermatologists have proposed.”

He added: “This population is suffering greatly. A better question [than debating whether the disease is real or not] would be, ‘Is Morgellons Disease a purely psychiatric disorder?’ and the answer is ‘no’. Morgellons also has physical effects on a person. In addition to the skin lesions and the unusual fibers and other shed material, there are nervous system effects that include behavioral changes, cognitive changes, and peripheral neuropathy.”

Richard Kuhns, chemical engineer, Skin Parasite sufferer and author of “Get Your Life Back from Morgellons and Other Skin Parasites” added, “This can really be debilitating. And having doctors tell you you’re crazy simply makes it worse. After years of getting no help from doctors, I discovered a diet in the late 1990’s which immensely helped me get my life back from another skin condition caused by Collembola—another skin parasite which is unacknowledged by the medical profession as existing on man. This was long before the term, Morgellons, was coined. In fact, up until around 2006, we all assumed that we had Morgellons, but, while both skin parasites result in extreme itching, biting, non healing lesions, and so on, there are distinct differences in symptomology. With slight variations in the diet over the years, we have found it extremely-beneficial for Morgellons as well.

With the CDC denying the reality of Morgellons being of organic nature (a disease), sufferers of the disease often end up losing their jobs and homes, being discriminated against and no health insurance, all seemed hopeless until recent results of a study were released just last month titled, ‘Exploring the association between Morgellons disease and Lyme disease: identification of Borrelia burgdorferi in Morgellons disease patients” published by DMC Dermatology Feb 12, 2015. The study, a first glimmer of hope, points to the fact that Morgellons, like Lyme disease, is a spirochete based disease. I only hope others are now inspired and funded to duplicate the study and learn even more for presentation to the CDC.” The study can be found at http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-5945/15/1

Kuhns is the creator of the Kings diet and an advocate for a specialty debriding soap, which has helped him and countless other with their skin parasites.

Clearly, when even the experts are at odds with each other, greater research is vital to ensure patients receive the help they need, whether this is physical or mental treatment. The Morgellons Research Foundation is committed to reaching a better understanding of the disease, and ensuring those afflicted receive the respect and treatment they deserve. Until the medical community is willing to re-evaluate the evidence they’ve gathered and take a closer look at the disease, those with Morgellons will continue to struggle.

�^F7<�p�.k�