Morgellons Disease Treatment - A Complete Guide

Understanding Morgellons Disease: What It Is and How It’s Treated

Morgellons disease is a type of delusional parasitosis. If you are suffering from this disorder, you will feel the presence of a foreign material or parasite moving under or coming out of your skin. However, the treatment of Morgellons disease is subjective from patient to patient. Medication to treat psychosis or tics, such as olanzapine or pimozide, tends to be beneficial.

How to Diagnose Morgellons Disease?

Medical professionals will look into the diagnosis of Morgellons disease if your skin is healing slowly and you are experiencing a crawling sensation. If they find fibre-like material from skin lesions, they will send a sample to a lab for further insight.

Sending a sample and taking blood tests helps in diagnosing signs of bacterial infection due to open wounds. These conditions attract the growth of the B. burgdorferi bacterium, which may further lead to other diseases, such as Lyme disease.

In many cases, Morgellons disease can be delusional. Medical professionals refer such patients to a psychiatrist to evaluate if the person experiences symptoms of depression or anxiety.

What is the late stage of Morgellons disease?

Late-stage Morgellons disease is characterised by chronic skin lesions, intense itching, and the sensation of fibres or threads emerging from the skin. Patients may experience severe fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and joint pain.

At this stage, symptoms are often debilitating and persistent, significantly affecting daily functioning and mental health. The condition remains controversial, with debates over its cause and classification.

What are the treatments for Morgellons disease?

A holistic approach is recommended by experts, which includes:

1. Dermatological care: Wound care to prevent secondary infections, treating pruritus (itching) with antihistamines or topical agents.
2. Psychiatric support: To address the comorbid anxiety, depression, and distress that inevitably arise from a chronic, unexplained illness, not necessarily to treat a primary delusion.
3. Infectious disease workup: Ruling out conditions like Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, which some patients and clinicians believe may be a trigger.
4. Multidisciplinary approach: Involving primary care, dermatology, psychiatry, and sometimes rheumatology or infectious disease specialists. 

How Does Morgellons Affect the Brain?

If you are suffering from Morgellons disease, it has a significant impact on your mental health. There is a high probability that you will experience anxiety, depression, and a sense of isolation because of a lack of support from the medical community.

It leads to a wide range of neurological symptoms like neuropathy, cognitive impairment, and even dementia. You may also experience "brain fog" and a sudden shift in mood, which shows the direct link between the disease and the brain.

What are the complications of Morgellons disease?

You may also start to notice other symptoms such as chronic itching and skin lesions. These tend to become suitable environments for bacterial growth. Avoid scratching, as it may introduce other bacteria into the wound, causing an infection.

Since the feeling of crawling foreign material or parasites persists, morgellons symptoms greatly affect your daily life and quality of sleep. These conditions cause sleep deprivation that impacts both your mental and physical health.

How is life with Morgellons disease?

Life with morgellons disease makes you isolated due to the constant feeling of crawling sensations, skin lesions, and the belief of fibres. While the diagnosis and cause of this disease are largely unknown, managing Morgellons symptoms takes a toll on your mental health.

You need a supportive team to help you in this journey. The team will include medical professionals, therapists, family, and friends. Since not all medical professionals look at Morgellons disease as a medical condition, you have to consult a professional who has knowledge and practices empathy.

You must be patient throughout, as it might get frustrating due to the lack of clear medical evidence. You must anticipate that figuring out a way will take time and team effort. Be open to various Morgellons disease treatments and opt for dietary changes and adjustments to your current lifestyle.