I recently heard about a controversial skin disease called Morgellons. People who claim to have it say they have sores on their skin that never heal that “sprout” colored fibers. The CDC says this disease doesn’t exist and that it’s a mental disorder.
Does anyone here have any experience with this? Know anyone who claims to have it?
The most famous person to be associated with Morgellons is Joni Mitchell.
The best scientific evidence at present indicates it doesn’t exist as a discrete disease.
CDC summary
The latest research review
Thanks for the links. I was familiar with the CDC summary and the recent study in California. Have you ever come across any patients claiming to have this?
Thank you. I should have searched first.
I’ve had patients with “Morgellon’s”.
A few in particular constantly brought in samples of the stuff they found on and in their skin. Repeated evaluation by the lab turned up clothing fibers or nothing at all. They could not be convinced they were not infested with something, and were not amenable to psychotherapy, insisting on course after course of anti-vermin treatments, skin biopsies, systemic antibiotics and steroids, etc.
I did more than a few biopsies and empiric treatments to delouse people and reduce symptoms, along with many other investigatory tests on these folks, before concluding to my own satisfaction that there was nothing there.
They became very upset with me when I would not give them what they wanted, which was generally more testing, more treatment, and more specialist referrals.
I was glad when they were no longer my patients.
“Morgellon’s” sufferer louses up this thread in five… four… three…
Here are some more links on the subject that make interesting reading a trainwreck kind of way, just to show everyone what we’re up against here:
Some evidence Morgellon’s is delusional parasitosis.
More evidence Morgellon’s is delusional parasitosis.
Here’s what happens when a Morgellon’s quack gets upset.
Nitpick (sorry, couldn’t help myself!!): It’s “Morgellons”, not “Morgellon’s”.
I once knew someone who claimed to have this. They told me how terribly disabled they were, how they had ‘fibers’ everywhere including their internal organs, and they could barely move to get out of bed.
However, they also spent a notable amount of time travelling internationally for care, going to see specialists, attending conventions, etc etc etc and I realized how big of a disconnect there was between what they said they could and couldn’t do due to their health and what they were actually doing. (I was also amazed there were apparently conventions for folks about the disorder. I shouldn’t have been, I guess.)
I lost track of this person a while back, which is probably a good thing as they were so obsessive about the issue and it got very old very quickly.
Wow
We had a pretty creepy thread about it a few years back. There was a poster convinced he was infested with parasites.
I remember that thread.
Now that I have neurological issues in my feet [not diabetic neuropathy, related to my pseudogout] I can see where if you are having issues with oversensitive nerves somewhere in your body, the minute random signals might be seen as the crawling tichy twitchy sensations they claim. Combine that with perhaps a slight skin condition where tiny cracks in the skin suppurate and collect dust and fibers you could seem to have something going on.
It took like two and a half years!
i’m itching to report this.
I work with several psychiatrists. Would you like some contact information?
There are already real answers. Morgellon’s doesn’t exist except in the mind of the patient.