morgellons disease can mimic MS

[Ruthless67]

This is truly scary folks,

I first noticed the tiny black specks all over my forehead last fall. I took my best magnifying mirror and tweezers and when trying to pull the black antennae, which I thought were new hairs, they fell apart, they were extremely brittle, not "hairs" at all!! I then took the point of my tweezers and by lightly digging at the black specks I could pick the speck out and it had a short white "root" that came out with it.

I picked off all of the ones I found and just started washing my face more vigorously and sort of forgot about it. But when I read Ann Boroch’s news letter regarding Genetically Modified Foods and morgellons disease this morning I went and looked and I have more on my forehead, not as many as before, but they are there!! I have damage to my left eye left over from a bout of optic neuritis, so I don't see as well as I'd like anymore. But I can see those little buggers when I'm looking for them.

I don’t want to fill this post with links, so just Google search for morgellons disease and you’ll find lots more info on it. Some of it’s symptoms parallel MS. I find this VERY interesting. I’ll be looking further into Morgellons disease as the thought of a parasite in my body multiplying and doing additional damage it just more than I can take.

I am absolutely blown away this morning. By the way, none of the pictures I've seen so far on-line look like what I have. I only have the black specks whick look like tiny black heads and the black antennae that are described in the articles. So maybe I'm in the early stages of infection.


The CDC is studying Morgellons in conjunction with Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California Division of Research because although the illness is reported in all 50 states, the highest concentration is in California.

morgellons disease

Presents in the form of self-assembling, self-replicating, visible colored fibers, wires-like items, tiny black specks and ‘antennae’.

Morgellons victims may also suffer rapid spikes in body heat levels, severe malaise, and chronic fatigue.

The skin lesions can be painful or itchy and can progress to open wounds that heal poorly. There can be very strange sensations of movement either on or beneath the skin that are variously described as moving, stinging or biting. Systemic symptoms include fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, headaches, cognitive dysfunction (problems with thinking, memory and attention), and a variety of unusual emotional changes. Other less common symptoms relate to visual, neuralgic, GI, skin and joint problems.

Respectfully,

Lora

[Ruthless67]

Hi Tims,

You all probably think I'm off my rocker, lol, but read this story by an RN.

http://www.morgellonsexposed.com/Person ... nnys_Story

The MRI he ordered in May 2002, was not done until July 2002. It was shockingly positive for a few scattered unidentified lesions in the white matter of all areas of the brain. This was explained as possibly "normal aging process" However; the CT scan from Jan '02 & previous MRI from 1997 were completely normal.

Some of her symptoms:

--April, 2002 --Acutely worsened with development of breathing difficulties, chest - pleuratic pain
-- Vision & neuro changes including decreased sensation with numbness L arm -L leg, slurred speech, severe headaches; urinary incont

-- 10-2002 sudden onset of loss of vision L eye.

Sound familiar to anyone?

Here's a link to an upcoming conference on Morgellons Disease. Any of our more medically background members willing to research a connection to CCSVI or MS here? Sure makes me wonder. The CDC has yet to publish the answers from their 2008-09 study.

http://www.thenmo.org/

Respectfully,
Lora

[Ruthless67]

This is a link to a letter written by Dr. Greg Smith to other doctors regarding morgellons disease.

http://www.thenmo.org/gregs.htm

Tragically, it seems the systemic symptoms are not being considered in these patients. This appears to be a multi-system disorder, as a large proportion of patients report neurological, psychiatric, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Almost all experience significant and disabling fatigue, problems with concentration and short term memory as well as other cognitive difficulties. Many experience periods of what is called “brain fog”. Some have been diagnosed with ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, or other psychiatric diagnoses. A significant number have neurologic impairments, including Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, and other neuropathies. Among children with this disease, about half have the diagnosis of ADHD. 10% carry the diagnosis of autism.

The personal medical history of most patients IS bizarre. The symptoms they describe, as well as their observations, seem totally beyond belief. When they occur on one’s own body, it can cause one to question his sanity. I know. I have had this disease since May, 2004. I have seen things happening to my own body which have stretched the limits of belief. I also developed neurologic symptoms early this year which became severe enough I have been unable to work since May, 2005.

I have been shocked at the official position of the CDC---the government agency tasked to protecting this nation from infectious agents. I have thought many times of the scenario concerning AIDS described in the book and TV mini-series titled “And the Band Played On”. Both my father and my wife received blood transfusions in the early 1980’s. At that time the CDC was aware of AIDS and knew the virus was transmitted by blood. My loved ones were lucky and did not receive contaminated blood. Many patients were not so lucky. Their lives were profoundly affected and shortened due to a lack of CDC action. Will you and your family be lucky?

Sincerely and appreciatively,
Gregory V. Smith, MD, FAAP
http://www.thenmo.org/gregs.htm

[prairiegirl]

This is certainly another affirmation that many disease processes mimic MS. The more we know, the more we don't know...
A neurologist in Canada (previously worked in US) recently said that some patients in the US are so anxious to meet "diagnostic criteria" of MS in order to qualify for expensive drug treatments, that many who actually do not have MS are on these drugs for no reason. Interesting...

[mose]

Thank you for posting this information. I am always interested in potential ways the various garbage can diagnoses, like MS, autism, specific learning disability - can be tightened up and have other diagnoses spun off. It'll make research much, much easier.

[Ruthless67]

Thanks for posting prairiegirl and mose.

I think this is important because like I said in the first post, I do indeed have these weird parasites.

I have been diagnosed with MS since 1997, I've seen the MRV showing my white matter lesions as well as my deformed valves, now this!

When I first noticed them this past fall, I thought, look at all these blackhead looking things on my forehead. Then I took noticed I couldn't pop them out like a blackhead. Then looking closer I hound if I tried to tweeze the black looking hairs, they were extremely brittle. But the blackheads I was able to pick and then drag out and expose a white root. Again, I thought it was weird, but.......what do you do when you find something like this? Who do you ask? So I just forgot about it because it didn't seem to spread and I thought I'd got all of them.

Now because I know what it is and it can mimic MS I thought it was important to bring it up here in case there is even one other person here with simular symptoms. Because in ALL my MS research, which is how I stumbled upon CCSVI, this is the First I've heard of Morgellons Disease.

Lora

Lora

[Ruthless67]

Hi All,

Well, here’s the most current thing I’ve come up with dated 1/11/2010 not very enlightening or hopeful at all.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/morgellons-cure.html
Quote from article:

Following the doctor's recommendations which may include a long-term mental health therapy, among others, should also be considered by the patient.
Morgellons may well be regarded as a dark disease; unrevealed and still a mystery almost with all medical professionals. In such a situation wherein, the prospect of coming up with Morgellons cure or treatment is seen as a weak expectation, the affected person is left with not many options. So, what best can be done is to manage the symptoms and find help and support from doctors, and of course, family and friends.

What I did find helpful though are the discussions here on Tims back in 2006 and later in 2008 by Joan, Lobbie, Mormiles & Chris55. So this topic has indeed been discussed somewhat before on Tims.

[shye]

I have seen a few articles about morgellons' but never any that connected the dots from that to MS.
Thanks for posting Lora.
But it still leaves you in limbo, since no cure for this either.

[lilsis]

oh my god.

[Ruthless67]

OMG is right lilsis, I keep coming to dead ends in my on-line research. The Center for Disease Control and their "study" it was supposedly completed in November 2009 but they haven't posted the results and lots of other places I go, the links don't work anymore.

But thank goodness, so far I only have the little buggers on my forehead and don't have any sign other places on my body. Maybe if I truly can find more info I can nip it in the bud..........maybe.

But tomorrow is a New Day, lol.

Lora

[shye]

Lora,
I've not read thru all of the info you posted, but can you contact anyone on the sites you've found, (appears some are MD's) and find out the current treatments and where you can get them? Even if via email, phone etc. would be worth a try.
Also, maybe check our Orgegano Oil--kills bacteria, fungi and virus. Really works--I used it for c. difficile (along wtih Boulardii and other strong probiotics).

[Ruthless67]

Shye,

Thanks for the informaion about Orgegano Oil--kills bacteria, fungi and virus.

A couple of years back my journey for answers took me to Candida albicans research and I guess I've now gone full circle, with Morgellons. Because it seems to all tie in.

I remember when I first went through my Candida detox, I read you need to stay dilogent, because if you allow Candida to come back, it will come back with a vengence. Maybe Morgellons is just that, a stronger relative of Candida.

I have been lax on my candida diet and protocol for over a year now, so.........maybe I better get back to basics and stick to the plan!

Kicking my self in the A _ _.

Lora

[NHE]

Also, maybe check our Oregano Oil--kills bacteria, fungi and virus. Really works--

Here's my experience with oregano oil. I had a suspicious mole removed from in between the 2nd and 3rd toe on one foot. A couple of weeks later I developed an infection from the procedure. I took a week long regimen of oregano oil under the advice of a family member who relies upon naturopathic treatments. The regimen consisted of the following dosages with 150 mg capsules...

2 days, 6/day, 1 every 2 hours
1 day, 5/day, 1 every 3 hours
2 days, 4/day, 1 every 3 hours
2 days, 3/day, 1 every 4 hours

This regimen initially appeared to clear up the infection in my foot. It was no longer red and the pain was much reduced. However, and it's a big however, the infection came back after a couple of weeks and was much worse than before. I had to go on antibiotics, Bactrim for 10 days. My foot started feeling better after just the first couple of days of Bactrim. It's been about a month since I finished the antibiotics and my foot is doing much better. There's no sign of the infection and the skin around the incision site is almost back to normal (it's been 3 months since the mole was removed).

Now, I don't know why the oregano oil regimen appeared to help at first but ultimately failed to work. I was told that many naturopathic treatments like oregano oil are "antimicrobial" and not "antibiotic." That is, they inhibit the growth of the bacteria but don't actually kill them. I suspect that this is why the infection came back worse than before the oregano oil treatment (the little buggers may have even developed a little resistance increasing their virulence). One possible alternative to oregano oil is tea tree oil but that's not something that I would take internally.

NHE

[Loobie]

Lora,
I don't have the specific time frame, but at one time, there was a poster on here, I think it was one of our old 'regulars', dealing with this. You might use the search feature on here, but I know for a fact we spent a couple weeks looking at Morgellons.

[whyRwehere]

Lora,
I am curious as to whether or not you put your fibers under the microscope, and if they looked the same as on the sites. I looked at the links the night you posted...it was a pretty horrible story...so bad, I would rather think it untrue, but am not saying it is. Maybe one of the worst things, is how rude a lot of the doctors get...that was quite surprising. I'm not sure if they thought the patients were mentally ill, or if they didn't want to catch anything!