Morgellons: A hidden epidemic or mass hysteria?

Guardian.co.uk ^ | 7 May 2011 | Will Storr

[Windflier]

It's a mysterious condition that affects tens of thousands worldwide. But what is it?

Optical image of what sufferers are adamant are morgellons fibres in skin samples - ...

(Snip)

When Paul rubbed his fingertips over the pimples that dotted his skin, he felt spines. Weird, alien things, like splinters.

(Snip)

What were those curling, coloured fibres? He Googled the words: "Fibres. Itch. Sting. Skin." And there was his answer. It must be: all the symptoms fitted. He had a new disease called morgellons. The fibres were the product of mysterious creatures that burrow and breed in the body. As he read on, he had no idea that morgellons would turn out to be the worst kind of answer imaginable.

[bigheadfred]

Mine went away when I stopped doing meth. But that’s just me.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

I have a cousin that claims to have these on his male organ.

[StatenIsland]

Creepy weird. I almost wish I hadn’t read the article....

[meatloaf]

Does he think that’s going to make him more popular?

[blackdog]

Amphetamines cause users to discover this as the disease caused by their long time abuse of speed. The fibers are simply cotton, rayon, nylon, fibers from clothing, sheets & pillow cases, towels, and cotton balls, crusted into the lesions from their constant digging, scratching, and tweezering scabs on their sores. They will not accept the fact however because the nerves in their face are so damaged they feel things crawling, stinging, and itching under their skin.

There has not been a Morgellon's sufferer who's condition has not spontaneously cured itself once they have been fitted with mittens on their hands so they can't dig at their sores.

[Windflier]

Mine went away when I stopped doing meth. But that’s just me.

LOL

For those who have it, Morgellons is no joke. I first heard of this five or six years ago, and have seen tons of articles, and close-up photos of what these folks are complaining about.

[Windflier]

Your cousin must not be too popular with the ladies (ouch!)

[Windflier]

Amphetamines cause users to discover this as the disease caused by their long time abuse of speed.

Morgellons sufferers include children and people who've never abused drugs in their lives. How do you explain their conditions?

[iowamark]

Mental illnesses are not limited to drug addicts.

[blackdog]

I know a person who claimed to have it. Since I have many times injected myself accidentally with Ivermectin while handling livestock with no ill effects, I gave a person who was insane with the belief they had some bizarre form of subcutaneous worms under their skin a bottle with a syringe, and told them to have at it. Ivermectin will take care of any parasite. They claimed it cured them of the worms.

I just gave them mineral oil in an Ivermectin bottle. They had no clue.

[Bernard Marx]

I have a cousin that claims to have these on his male organ.

Is he French?

[blackdog]

Ritalin and adderal are amphetamines. There is an underlying psychological condition causing the OCD cutting and picking type behavior which becomes a self fulfilling prophecy with the internet.

Again, there has never been a documented case of Morgellons where the patient has not spontaneously recovered when the hands are covered or restrained from reaching the face or effected area.

Not one.

[bigheadfred]

Creepy weird. I almost wish I hadn’t read the article....

I have a cousin that claims to have these on his male organ.

Yeah, but now, any time someone catches you scratching...ummm...yourself, you can just tell them "Hey, I have this condition..."

[gov_bean_ counter]

What is your vocation?

[blackdog]

As an experiment I pulled a fuzzball of lint from my belly button and looked at it under a microscope. The image under the microscope is an exact match to what Morgellons sufferers claim to be the "fibers" from the parasites crawling under their skin.

Either I have an entire colony of well behaved Morellons worms in my navel, or what these people are observing is lint fibers in their crusty lesions, which makes perfect sense if you ever looked at the sticky debris which hardens ito a lesion.

[Windflier]

Again, there has never been a documented case of Morgellons where the patient has not spontaneously recovered when the hands are covered or restrained from reaching the face or effected area.

Good to know.

[BlueLancer]

Are they sure that they aren't really Langoliers ...?

[Windflier]

Are they sure that they aren't really Langoliers ...?

What the heck are those things? Microscopic critters of some sort?

[blackdog]

Why? Do you suffer from parasitic psychosis? Study it's causes and you will learn all you need to know.

The profile of a Morellons sufferer is universal right down to the "matchbox" phenomenon.