Morgellons Disease: What is it?

 

        Morgellons Disease or Morgellons syndrome is classified as a parasitic disease or a psychological condition. The symptoms are crawling sensations under the skin that feel like bugs working through the extracellular matrix to the epidermis. There are at times hair-like fibers or clusters of parasites pulled out through the process of itching and picking at the skin. Many sufferers are told by their healthcare provider that it is a phobia to bugs and are prescribed anti-psychotic or anti-depressant medications. The people suffering are desperate to find an answer. It is frustrating and frightening to know something is terribly wrong, but a correct diagnosis is illusive. It is no surprise that some start believing it is some kind of a plot; some are claiming it is a conspiracy that involves aliens. This is an example: Scientists suggest that Morgellons victims may suffer from a condition similar to “delusional infestation” in which people imagine bugs or other critters are invading their bodies. “No common underlying medical condition or infectious source was identified,” wrote Eberhard and his colleagues. Those who suffer from Morgellons said that was exactly the response they expected from a government agency trying to cover up a larger problem. “I’m pretty sure they’ll say we’re all delusional,” said Jan Smith, 62, a Concord, N.H. woman who runs the website, “Morgellons Exposed,” which details her 15-year battle with the perplexing disorder. Her theories include fears that Morgellons is caused by alien beings implanting nanotechnology in humans. “There’s so much more to this than a medical condition,” Smith said, “there’s something being hidden.” (Aleccia, 2012)

 

        If you go on Jan Smith’s web site, you will find that she claims she did not make that statement and it is just another attempt by the media to make Morgellons sufferers appear to live in a world of delirium (Smith, 2012). Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens to them. They are suffering from these creeping, crawling sensations under their skin, and every medical opinion they receive is telling them they are delusional or phobic. This is enough to drive people to extreme thoughts; even suicide.

 

        At the Dallas Wellness Center a very different scenario has come to light and I want to make it perfectly clear, that these findings were solely established from my experience with Morgellons clients. It is clear from conducting research on the internet that fibrin has been discovered as the culprit prior to my findings, but by comparing my clients Iridology results, it is apparent why they have these symptoms and have hypothetically determined why there are parasites involved in the equation.

        Iridology revealed these common physical disorders in my three Morgellons clients:

 

        1. Digestive issues

        2. Leaky gut syndrome

        3. Fatty or generally unhealthy livers

        4. Narrowing of arteries

        5. Severe itching with fibers present.

 

        Without the ability to see all these abnormalities in one appointment, as with Iridology, it is understandable why Morgellons disease is such a mystery. Normally, these physical disorders are determined through multiple tests span- ning over months. It is easy to see how information collected through multiple testing is not collaborated to achieve an accurate diagnosis.

 

        Victims of Morgellons disease suffer both physically and psychologically due to misdiagnosis and negative opinions from family and friends, who inevitably begin to believe that their loved ones’ minds have gone awry. They itch constantly with the sensations of bugs crawling under their skin; at times it is so intense that they dig deep holes in their skin trying to get the bugs out, leaving unsightly sores and scars. Nobody believes them except for the others that they find, usually on the internet, suffering from the same symptoms. Their sleep is constantly interrupted, their family life suffers, and they are too embarrassed to show their skin in public, so their social life suffers also.

 

        By presenting these findings, hopefully some light can be shed on these mystery patients for other professionals. These three Morgellons clients have had very promising results by simply changing their diets, supplementing with healing nutrients, cleansing the intestinal tract of candida and parasites, and detoxifying the liver and tissues. When I ask other clients who are complaining of poor digestion, fatigue, forgetfulness, constipation, etc, if they itch, they look at me in amazement and say, “YES!”…what a surprise!

 

The Big Five

 

       My Morgellons clients all have the big five: digestive issues, leaky gut syndrome, unhealthy livers, narrowing arteries, and severe bug-like itching; in that order.

 

1. DIGESTIVE ISSUES:

 

        What causes digestive issues?

        1. Poor diet

        2. Lack of digestive enzymes and/or hydrochloric acid (HCL)

        3. Candida

        4. Food intolerances

        5. Celiac disease

        6. Parasites

 

Of course there are more serious situations, such as gallbladder problems and pancreatic issues, but most of the time poor digestion is caused by these six issues.

        I refer to poor diet, I am not only referring to a diet of pizza, hamburgers, and macaroni and cheese, but also Nutrig- enomics, blood type science: depending on ones blood type determines the diet that they should adhere to (D’Adamo, 1996). Nutrigenomics is all about lectins. Lectins are agglutinating proteins that bind to and/or proliferates healthy cells and either is beneficial, neutral, or damaging to their function and structure. For instance, if a person with O blood type is a vegetarian eating organic whole foods, then they have a poor diet because those with type O do very well consuming a high protein diet including red meats due to their high HCL production (D’Adamo 1996). Whereas, if an A blood type person is a vegetarian eating whole organic foods, that is a proper diet for them as type A people lack the proper HCL for the breakdown of red meats (D’Adamo, 1996). The lectins in food that is not correct for certain blood types can bind to microvillus in the gut and contribute to leaky gut syndrome, the same as gluten can in a celiac (Freed, 1999). I have not treated a person who suffers from Morgellons and their only situation is a poor diet; these patients have severe digestive issues that have been prevalent for an extended period of time.

 

        Lack of HCL and/or digestive enzymes is a common cause of poor digestion. As mentioned above, people with type A blood, who constitutes a large percentage of the population, have this problem. Another very common cause of low HCL is antacids. These drugs are given to people with acid reflux to stop the secretion of HCL from the parietal cells; they are known as Proton Pump Inhibiters. It is common knowledge that much of acid refl ux is caused by poor diet and candi- da albican, so turning off these vital digestive pumps, which results in a complete breakdown of proper digestion, is not beneficial. It would be consistent with our biological functions to improve the diet and replace the bacteria eliminated by antibiotics. Nonetheless, low HCL and digestive enzymes allow the food to exit the stomach into the small intestines without being suffi ciently digested. From that point on, the large food molecules can not be broken down properly by the enzymes that exist in the small intes- tines for lack of HCL. Inevitably these large molecules will bind to the microvillus, and the Peyer’s Patches will send out the army of antibodies to eliminate the possibility of them entering the blood stream.

 

        Candida Albican is an essential diploid fungus that resides in the intestinal tract and enters the blood stream to control the amount of sugar that circulates in the blood (Graham, 2008). In a perfect world, candida albican and benefi cial bacteria balance each other as they compete for food. Un- fortunately, the use of antibiotics depletes the benefi cial bacteria in the intestines and leaves the fungus behind to grow. This causes an imbalance of the intestinal environment as the opportunistic fungus takes over due to the lack of competition for food. Newborns can contract candida from the mother in the birthing canal before the baby’s intestines has had the opportunity to produce the friendly bacteria that would normally occur soon after birth (Peristein, D, Sheil, WC, ND). From the start these newborns have acid reflux, thrush, colic, gas, poor digestion, and constipation. The common protocol is to put them on acid pump inhibitors (DuMond, 2010). A better choice would be to administer infant acidophilus. It would be highly beneficial and would solve the problem instead of creating new problems by inhibiting proper digestion in these babies.

 

        Food intolerance is another common cause of digestive issues. The most common food allergies are nuts, wheat, and dairy. How many children are you seeing with allergies to “everything they eat?” Are these true allergies or have their bodies produced antibodies to food particles that have leaked out the holes in their gut? That would explain why these kids are allergic to everything they eat! Real food allergies cause an anaphylactic reaction. All the rest are due to leaky gut syndrome or they are lectin sensitive, which we have come to know as intolerances. Most dairy is not right for the two most common blood types, A and O. Many of these people think they are lactose intolerant when, in all actuality, they are lectin intolerant. When the dairy lectin binds to the microvillus in the gut of A and O people, most will experience gas, bloating, and a general uneasiness. Whole wheat is another food that reacts in the gut of most blood types. Blood type AB people are the only ones that should indulge in whole wheat (D’Adamo, 1996). Iridology reveals intestinal issues and elevated blood sugar in blood type O people that eat any wheat, whole grain or white, on a regular basis. Whole wheat lectin will affect the intestines of blood type O, A, and B people.

 

        In my opinion, Celiac disease is no disease at all. It is the inability to digest gluten by all people that are non-secretors. This means that they do not possess a gene that turns Lewis A to Lewis B, which is genetic (D’Adamo, 2003). Everyone is born Lewis A. If you possess this specific gene that turns Lewis A to Lewis B, then you are a secretor, if not, then you are a non-secretor and most likely a celiac. To explain quickly what a secretor and non-secretor is: a secre- tor is 80% of the population that has blood type expressed on all cells throughout the body, except in the spinal fluid (D’Adamo, 1996). Non-secretors do not express blood type expression on any cells except the red blood cell, so their immune system does not respond to invaders until it is in the blood (D’Adamo, 1996). Through Iridology, I see this most prevalent in the darker skinned people; Italian, South American, Caribbean, Greek, African, etc., where gluten had not been ingested long enough to change the genetic code. When these people ingest products that contain gluten, the gluten binds to the microvillus, the immune system responds, and again, leaky gut is the inevitable outcome.

 

        Parasites also cause poor digestion for very obvious reasons. They are ingested through fruits and vegetables, meats that are not cooked thoroughly, and can be contracted from infected pets and people. Parasites multiply quickly and find nice squishy homes in the candida overgrowth in the gut. Once established in the intestinal tract, parasites can produce discomfort, gas, bloating, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and will eat the nutrients in the food intended for your body (The Innate Health Group, 2012). They burrow through the intestinal tract creating holes that give them access to the rest of the body: food, candid, and other products from the intestinal tract also exit through these holes. Parasites are very common.  

 

2. LEAKY GUT SYNDROME:

 

Leaky gut syndrome most commonly occurs in the jejunum and ileum of the small intestines where the Peyer’s patches reside; a result of any one or all of the elements of poor digestion. When undigested food particles, lectins, parasites, or gluten bind to the microvillus in the gut, antibodies released from the Peyer’s patches respond, attach, and eventually destroy the microvillus reducing the integrity of the intestinal wall. Other elements, such as oils and bacteria, can seep out of into the body resulting in an array of other health issues (Lipski, 1996).

 

3. FATTY OR GENERALLY UNHEALTHY LIVERS:

 

The food particles, oils, and other ele- ments that permeate through the holes in the gut eventually end up in the liver. Over years of this toxic waste leaking into the body and filtered through the liver, the liver becomes fatty and degradation of fibrin may be inhibited and can accumulate in the blood. What is fibrin? Sandi Busch (2011) has a perfect description that can be understood by anyone, “Fibrin is an insoluble protein that’s essential for blood clotting and wound healing. Fibrin molecules are shaped like long threads that interlace to form a mesh, which then traps platelets and red blood cells to create a clot” (Busch, 2011). The liver normally produces fi brinogen, which is a large sol- uble glycoprotein held together with calcium ions. Once acted upon by thrombin, fibrinogen is cleaved into an insoluble fibrin (Weisel, 2005). As the accumulating fibrin filaments are filtered through the liver, the liver would naturally want to eliminate them from the body through an elimination organ. The entangled conglomeration of fi brin fibers is not safe to pass through the kidneys; so much of it must accumulate in the extracellular spaces which would eventually be eliminated through the skin.

 

4. NARROWING OF THE ARTERIES:

 

Why is narrowing of the arteries relevant? All three of my Morgellons patients have narrowing of the arteries; specifi cally of the carotid arteries. This does not mean that clogged arteries is a symptom of Morgellons, but it is signifi cant in my quest to link fi brin to Morgellons. Fibrin has been linked to cardiovascular disease. If the degradation of fi brin is not occurring in the liver but is instead accumulating in the blood, then fi brin along with other elements, such as cholesterol, calcium, and other minerals, can collect on the artery walls resulting in arteriosclerosis.  

 

5. SEVERE ITCHING WITH FIBERS PRESENT:

 

These patients are victims. They came to Dallas Wellness Center desperate for answers. When the first Morgellons cli- ent made the appointment, having never heard of Morgellons disease, I did not have any answers. Researching “Morgel- lons Disease” on the internet was no help at all. Bug phobias and delusional behavior was all the information available. As others came to the Center and the similarities in their Iridology’s became prevalent, it all started to make sense. It seems that the fibrin filaments and the parasites were two different scenarios; simply caught up in each other. Once I came to the conclusion that the itching was caused by fi brin, then I could find information on the internet that confirmed this finding. Having this information available, a solution to their symptoms was in reach.

 

        People with Morgellons believe that the parasites are part of the Morgellons process. I believe that the parasites or mites actually get caught up in the fibers like a turtle trapped in a fishing net in the ocean. One of my Morgellons patients tells me that when she is having an outbreak, sparkles appear on her skin. I find it interesting that in every Ion Cleanse performed here at the Center, there are sparkles in the water that I always assumed were parasites. Again, I do not believe that the parasites are actually an intended symptom of Morgellons; I feel that the parasites are getting caught up in the fibrin filaments and carried to the surface of the skin.

 

Protocol for Morgellons Disease

 

        In light of the unquestionable similarities of the physical findings of my clients, structuring a protocol was relatively straight forward:

        1. Formulating a diet to meet their individual needs

        2. Providing the body with proper restorative supplements and homeopathic remedies

        3. Cleansing the body.

       

        Recovery can not be accomplished by eliminating any one of the elements listed in the protocol. All three of my Morgellons patients are celiac, so they must strictly adhere to a gluten free diet and their genetic blood type diet. By healing the gut and eliminating the leaky gut, the liver is able to heal and restore its proper function of breaking down fibrin to eliminate the accumulation in the blood. 

 

        Supplements that are beneficial for recovery are probiotics, digestive enzymes, and large and small intestines homeopathic remedy. The probiotics restores a healthy balance in the gut of fungus and bacteria, digestive enzymes ensure that the food ingested is properly digested, and the homeopathic remedy encourages the healing of the intestinal tract so food molecules, fats, bacteria, fungus and other particles cease to permeate through the intestinal tract into the body. The cleansing of the body tissues, lymph nodes, and liver is accomplished through Ion Cleansing. I recommend one cleanse per month, for 40 minutes. Relief from itching is experienced after the very first cleanse!

 

Conclusion

 

       The results of this protocol were very positive for these Morgellons clients. When followed correctly, all their symptoms com- pletely subsided. I would like to again state that I am not a Morgellons disease expert. Through observation combined with my education and Iridology experience, I was able to acknowledge a possible cause, verify my findings through others who have at- tempted to solve this mysterious disease, and comprise a protocol that demonstrated positive results.

 

 

References

 

Alecca, J., (Jan 25, 2012). MSNBC News. Mys- tery skin disease Morgellons has no clear cause, CDC study says. Retrieved April 30, 2012 from, http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_ news/2012/01/25/10236063-mystery-skin- disease-morgellons-has-no-clear-cause-cdc- study-says?lite

 

Busch, S. (Nov 2011). What is a fibrin protein? Retrieved April 30, 2012 from: http://www. livestrong.com/article/550910-what-is-a- fibrin-protein/

 

D’Adamo, P., (1996). Lectins: The diet connection (pg. 23-28).

 

Eat Right For Your Blood Type. New York: Putnam’s Sons. D’Adamo, P., (1996). Secretors and non-secretors (pg. 364-365). Eat Right For Your Blood Type. New York: Putnam’s Sons.

 

D’Adamo, P., (Feb 2003). Blood groups: aging and disease. A Century of Blood Type Science: The Blood Type Diet in Practice and in Life. Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Tempe AZ.

 

DuMond, S., (March, 2010). What are the treatments for baby reflux? LIVESTRONG. Retrieved on May 2, 2012 from: http://www. livestrong.com/article/87053-treatments- baby-reflux/

 

Freed, D., (April, 1999) Do dietary lectins cause disease? Pub Med 318(7190):1023- 1024. Retrieved on May 1, 2012 from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC1115436/

 

Graham, D.N., (2008). Causing our own can- dida (pg. 39-39). The 80/10/10 Diet. Georgia: FoodnSport Press

 

Lipski, E., (1996) Digestive Wellness. Connecticut: Keats Publishing.

 

Meyer, L.V., (Nov 2011) Title of article. Report of Significant Finding at MRG. Morgellons Research Group. Retreived on April 30, 2012 from: http://morgellonsresearchgroup.com/ significant-finding-update/

 

Peristein, D. & Shiel, W.C., (ND). Thrush and other yeast infections in children. Medicine Net. Retrieved on May 1, 2012 from http:// www.medicinenet.com/thrush_and_other_ yeast_infections_in_children/article.htm

 

​Pictures, http://morgellonsresearchgroup.com/significant-finding-update/

 

Smith, J., (Jan 2012). Morgellons exposed. http://www.morgellonsexposed.com/ The Innate Health Group, (2012). Parasites. The IBS Treatment Center. Retrieved May 2, 2012 from: http://ibstreatmentcenter.com/ ibs/intestinal-bacteria-yeast-candida-and-par- asites/parasites

 

Weisel, J.W., (2005). Fibrinogen and fibrin. Pub Med 70:247-99. Retrieved April 30, 2012 from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/15837518