Columbia City Paper – Science Friction

911 says:

Wymore will be on the x-zone radio show tonight at 7pm-10pm pacific.

http://www.xzone-radio.com/

Michael says:

I listened to some of it. Nothing really new, although this image was interesting.

http://www.xzone-radio.com/news/images/morgellons_wymore_476.jpg

I think it’s what Wymore used at his presentation. If anyone know where there is a higher resolution version, I’d like to see it. I recognize the photos, but I’d like to know what’s he’s claiming regarding each photo.

Michael says:

2. no extrusion patterns
3. no sheer or cut marks

Sadly he continues with the straw man:

Morgellons disease is NOT a purely psychiatric condition.

Doctor Wymore, Delusions of Parasitosis is NOT a purely psychiatric condition.

I think you need to read about it.

Nancy Hinkle – Delusory Parasitosis, American Entomologist, Spring 2000

Physiological Causes
Delusory parasitosis may result from physiological causes such as allergies, nutritional deficiencies, drug reactions, and other medical conditions. Allergies can include inhalant allergies, ingestant reactions, and contact dermatitis. Nutritional deficiencies or overdoses may produce both systemic and dermal reactions (Eliason et al. 1997). Drug reactions include responses to single drugs as well as multiple drug interactions.

Medical Conditions. Medical literature from the past 5 years shows more than 100 different causes of itching including infection with bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes, and various other pathogens and parasites (Phillips 1992). Pruritus, paresthesia, and urticaria are common side effects
of many infectious and noninfectious diseases, as well as numerous other medical conditions (Blum and Katz 1990). Those listed in Table 3 are not to be taken as explanations for all delusory parasitosis cases, merely as an indication of the range of medical conditions with manifestations that reflect typical delusory parasitosis symptoms.
Age-related neurological degenerative changes can produce phantom limblike sensations, including pruritus and urticaria, in some elderly patients (Bernhard 1992). This phenomenon may explain the disproportionate number of delusory parasitosis cases among the elderly (Trabert 1995).
Allergies are one common cause of pruritus, erythema, and urticaria. Food and skin allergies may produce these symptoms. Some common food allergies include those to milk, egg white, soybean, peanut, chocolate, wheat, food additives, mangoes, oranges, nuts, and pineapple (Kabir et al. 1993, McGowan and Gibney 1993, Levy et al. 1994).
Atopic dermatitis can be caused by skin allergies to such materials as latex, textiles, soap, detergent, fabric softeners, shampoo, lotions, insect repellents, deodorants, and any other substance that contacts the skin (Simion et al. 1995). Most contain fragrances, colorants, stabilizers, emulsifiers, preservatives, and other components that may sensitize susceptible individuals (Phillips 1992).
Numerous medical conditions have itching or other skin irritations as symptoms, emphasizing the importance of not dismissing such symptoms as “just delusory parasitosis.” Prodromal sensations should be investigated medically as indicators of potentially life-threatening conditions (Pariser and Pariser 1987). Nutritional deficiencies can produce itching as can high doses of many minerals and fat-soluble vitamins (Phillips 1992, Zanol et al. 1998).

Medications. Paresthesia, erythema, urticaria, pruritus, and hives are listed as potential side effects of most prescription and over-the-counter medications (Table 4). Incidence of these symptoms may be increased by interaction of two or more of these drugs, as is particularly common in the elderly (Doucet et al. 1996). Drug-induced delusory parasitosis has been demonstrated definitively in only a few cases (Aizenberg et al. 1991). Recreational drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine particularly are prone to produce the sensation of insects crawling on or burrowing in the skin (Siegel 1978, Elpern 1988).
The 50 most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States list at least one symptom commonly attributed to delusory parasitosis (Table 4). These include erythema (56%), paresthesia (56%), pruritus (64%), urticaria (66%), and rash (92%). Although these side effects may be rare, the fact that these data are based on more than 2 billion prescriptions indicates that these drugs are being used extensively and that an increasing proportion of patients will experience these ancillary reactions and possibly attribute them to unseen “bugs” (Fig. 3).

It goes on, (and, by the way, Fig. 3 is very large).

But of course, it’s the fibers, stupid.

George says:

Dr Wymore seems to be discrediting his real science by involving himself with “alternative” websites.

Smileykins says:

But, that was a statement, TC’d made, Steven. I’ll offer some advice to anyone who is concerned about fibers, and has it together enough to keep from being scammed by the likes of “the morgellons disease professionals”. Discuss your concerns (truthfully, I mean, without reservations), with a mental health professional, because anyone who is obsessing over having fibers in their skin, in their orifices, in their bodily fluids, their bath water, their food, their home, their car, and/or everywhere they go, and theorizing about their meaning, needs serious mental help. Patients with the type of psychosis associated with bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia may never get over those delusional thoughts, though, but coping techniques and medications can make life more bearable.