Ep 6 Bug Juice and The Fuzzy Navel

2025-02-10

In this episode we cover: The movie “Bug” and The documentary Skin Deep: The Battle Over Morgellons Sources: Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3920274/plotsummary/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bug_(2006_film) Delusional Parasi...

In this episode we cover:

The movie “Bug” and The documentary Skin Deep: The Battle Over Morgellons

Sources:

Movie:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3920274/plotsummary/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bug_(2006_film)

Delusional Parasitosis:

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1121818-overview

Scabies:

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1109204-overview

Lice:

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/225013-overview

Bedbugs:

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1088931-overview

Myiasis:

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1491170-treatment

Cutaneous larva migrans:

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1108784-overview?_gl=1*kyvssb*_gcl_au*MTYwMjM5MTE3OS4xNzI5MDEzODQ5

Bug Punch Mocktail:

https://brooklynactivemama.com/bug-punch-halloween-mocktail-drink/

Midori Bug punch

https://www.acouplecooks.com/midori-sour/

Cocktail: Fuzzy Navel https://www.liquor.com/recipes/fuzzy-navel/

Skin Deep: The Battle Over Morgellons - Amazon Prime October 2019 Documentary

https://www.morgellonsmovie.org/

https://www.today.com/health/joni-mitchell-health-morgellons-rcna136955

https://www.mayoclinic.org/delusional-parasitosis/art-20044996

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgellons

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5811176/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3047951/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/illness-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20373782

Delusions of parasitosis vs. hypochondriasis/illness anxiety disorder
- https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/pests/dp.html
Reported symptoms: low grade flu symptoms, swelling, headaches, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, painful sores/lesions, “pop rocks under the skin,” colored fibers/filaments embedded under the skin’s surface, sensory sensitivity on/under the skin, itching
Dr. Felman - derm w/6mos psychiatry - non-believer; talk about how to be a better patient, attends conference and sees research, still believes it to be psychosis
- Orap - medication for delusions - https://www.drugs.com/mtm/orap.html
Cindy Casey Holman, RN & husband Charles - patient and advocates
Harry Quinn Schone, PhD, medical historian, author of Contested Illnesses in Context
- Disease responsibility/agency over illness, met with suspicion, distrust, derision
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/denying-the-grave/201906/how-should-we-treat-contested-illnesses
Timothy Berger, MS dermatologist and John Koo, MD psychiatrist and dermatologist
- Internet-associated disorder, “group organized itself,” compared to Agent Orange and Bosnian War nuclear bullets https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/07/world/radiation-from-balkan-bombing-alarms-europe.html

“Matchbox” evidence, folie a deux, folie a famille https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2919794/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2824986/
Edward Hu, former federal attorney, patient and brother Brian Hu, MD - family conflict over symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
- Nerve pain, word finding difficulty, tremors, gross motor issues, gastrointestinal issues, electrical interference, wash with a scraping stone, improved with antibiotic treatment
Ginger Savely, DNP, Lyme specialist, recommends antibiotic treatment
- Burning hairs off face with a lighter
- Patient using DDT for treatment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT
Mary Leitao - coined term Morgellons in 2002 after son had symptoms and she was accused of Munchausen by Proxy; research from Sir Thomas Browne (1690)
Connection to Lyme - spirochetes
Raphael B. Stricker, MD internist and Melissa McEltroy Fesler, NP and Marianne Middleveen, MDES - long term doxycycline for Lyme is safe?
- Theory: Fibers are made of collagen and keratin, overproduced in mass quantities
- Similar to Bovine Digital Dermatitis
CDC Task Force, $600,000, Kaiser Permanente, and 4 years; research flawed due to definition of research? Large local population with morgellons
Mental health impact - isolation, distress, abandonment, disbelief, desperation, 800x more likely to commit suicide?
- Somatoform disorder, psychosomatic disorder vs. somatopsychic disorder
- Spirochetal infection can cause psychiatric symptoms
- Bipolar, anxiety, depression comorbid
  - Syphilis was considered psychosomatic until research
  - Guy with 60 billion worms in his groin
  - Confirmation bias or exclusionary bias; fact vs. emotion/belief in psychology
  - The way of treating certain pain syndromes in psychology (AMPS/fibromyalgia)