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Mysterious Skin Disease
Dear Dr. Rockoff:
Please check images at our website to see if you have any idea what might be causing the unknown skin disease we are researching.
The Morgellons Foundation
http://www.morgellons.org/
We are hoping to get detailed microscopy done to look for important clues to this organism. Thousands of people in the US have reported the unusual symptoms of this disease. California seems to be the state with the highest number of reports.
The symptoms of this skin disease include stinging, pruritic (itchy), non-healing skin lesions. FIBERS of unknown origin are found deep within skin lesions, and are NOT the result of clothing or environmental fibers. Oils or lotions rubbed into the skin can cause many of these fibers to surface on clean skin.
To study this, we have cleaned skin lesions and determined them to be fiber-free, by using a handheld microscope (30x Radio Shack). We then covered the lesions with a non fibrous dressing. When the dressings were removed, the fibers were once again observed to be embedded in the lesions.
We do not believe this is fungal based infection, as antifungals do not clear the lesions, nor the fibers. Antibiotics do not clear the lesions either. Topical steroids and immune-modulating medication, such as Protopic, relieves skin inflammation to a degree, but the condition appears to be chronic.
Please let me know if you have any insight into what is going on here.
Thank you!
Mary
Please check images at our website to see if you have any idea what might be causing the unknown skin disease we are researching.
The Morgellons Foundation
http://www.morgellons.org/
We are hoping to get detailed microscopy done to look for important clues to this organism. Thousands of people in the US have reported the unusual symptoms of this disease. California seems to be the state with the highest number of reports.
The symptoms of this skin disease include stinging, pruritic (itchy), non-healing skin lesions. FIBERS of unknown origin are found deep within skin lesions, and are NOT the result of clothing or environmental fibers. Oils or lotions rubbed into the skin can cause many of these fibers to surface on clean skin.
To study this, we have cleaned skin lesions and determined them to be fiber-free, by using a handheld microscope (30x Radio Shack). We then covered the lesions with a non fibrous dressing. When the dressings were removed, the fibers were once again observed to be embedded in the lesions.
We do not believe this is fungal based infection, as antifungals do not clear the lesions, nor the fibers. Antibiotics do not clear the lesions either. Topical steroids and immune-modulating medication, such as Protopic, relieves skin inflammation to a degree, but the condition appears to be chronic.
Please let me know if you have any insight into what is going on here.
Thank you!
Mary
Strange skin problems began around 1996 and stopped around 2000.
I have determined along with another person who also had the exact skin probem at the exact same time, it was caused by EMF.
EMF is non-ionizing Radiation. Doctors specialized in EMF also agree rashes and dry skin are becoming more common. This is often from computer monitors (especially if you have your hands near the monitor for great lengths of time) and also from cell phones and cell phone tower transmitters. This at first sounds unreal, but it its true. Our bodies are not built for the amount of additional radiation that has been introduced in recent years and the rash and dryness are just some of the symptoms that the body shows us as a form of early warning. EMF does not always heat the skin, but it does penitrates the skin. The skin becomes very dry and itchy. The toes and nuckles are key locations but also the face, feet, arms, butt and even eyes are secondary spots. EMF Sensitivity is talked about worldwide, but is only known to people who have really researched to find what researchers are really finding. Skin creams will temporarily calm down the inflamation but if you are in a high EMF area, the skin will likely begin again. The hands especially are dry and often crack the skin to the point where the skin bleeds. Again i have found others with this strange health reaction. research under EMF and EMS (electromagnetic sensitivity) Hope this helps. Keep skin moist when inflamed, protective wrap in band-aid and try to avoid scratching.
I have determined along with another person who also had the exact skin probem at the exact same time, it was caused by EMF.
EMF is non-ionizing Radiation. Doctors specialized in EMF also agree rashes and dry skin are becoming more common. This is often from computer monitors (especially if you have your hands near the monitor for great lengths of time) and also from cell phones and cell phone tower transmitters. This at first sounds unreal, but it its true. Our bodies are not built for the amount of additional radiation that has been introduced in recent years and the rash and dryness are just some of the symptoms that the body shows us as a form of early warning. EMF does not always heat the skin, but it does penitrates the skin. The skin becomes very dry and itchy. The toes and nuckles are key locations but also the face, feet, arms, butt and even eyes are secondary spots. EMF Sensitivity is talked about worldwide, but is only known to people who have really researched to find what researchers are really finding. Skin creams will temporarily calm down the inflamation but if you are in a high EMF area, the skin will likely begin again. The hands especially are dry and often crack the skin to the point where the skin bleeds. Again i have found others with this strange health reaction. research under EMF and EMS (electromagnetic sensitivity) Hope this helps. Keep skin moist when inflamed, protective wrap in band-aid and try to avoid scratching.
Hi Frosted,
Elidel is a topical immune-modifying agent. This means it turns off the immune response in the skin.
http://www.elidel.com/default.jsp
It is similar to Tacrolimus, which is the topical form of an antirejection drug used to stop rejection in organ transplant patients. The original drug was called FK506 by researchers.
The information I have is that the drug molecule is too large to be absorbed through the skin into the person's system (systemic absorption).
http://www.transweb.org/reference/articles/drugs/fkindex.html
Elidel worked at first for my son's skin condition, but seems to not be as effective now. Topical steroids help his skin inflammation, but we fear their long-term side effects.
Best wishes!
SR
Elidel is a topical immune-modifying agent. This means it turns off the immune response in the skin.
http://www.elidel.com/default.jsp
It is similar to Tacrolimus, which is the topical form of an antirejection drug used to stop rejection in organ transplant patients. The original drug was called FK506 by researchers.
The information I have is that the drug molecule is too large to be absorbed through the skin into the person's system (systemic absorption).
http://www.transweb.org/reference/articles/drugs/fkindex.html
Elidel worked at first for my son's skin condition, but seems to not be as effective now. Topical steroids help his skin inflammation, but we fear their long-term side effects.
Best wishes!
SR
Can you tell me what ELIDEL(pimecrolimus)cream is used for?The doctor gave it to me for a round rash on my arms and leggs.
Dear Frosted,
I wish it were that easy for the rest of us. I was a patient of a doctor whose credentials were quite impressive in the area of psorias and eczema. If I had that I'm certain he would have picked up on that. He's been around for a very long long long,(did I mention long?)time. I'm very happy that your health issue was handled in a timely manner. It's rather odd that your general physician wasn't able to diagnose eczema. But nothing really should strike me as odd anymore. I too was just seen by a dermatologist 8~1~02. He is a rather young doctor, said that this was out of his expertise and advised me (and my general practioner) to go to a university here in my state. This particular university has an extensive derm dept. It's taken quite awhile to get to this place, but I think that it is a step in the right direction. If this young doctor is any indication of how our health system is going to be handled in the future, I will breathe easier for the lot of us. It's going to put a crunch on labs that manufactor "stress meds" but I'd much rather be skin afflicted and know that I am, than stupified and denied by doctors and their mood enhancers.
Again, glad to know you are well. Take care,
Fondly,
dkaz
I wish it were that easy for the rest of us. I was a patient of a doctor whose credentials were quite impressive in the area of psorias and eczema. If I had that I'm certain he would have picked up on that. He's been around for a very long long long,(did I mention long?)time. I'm very happy that your health issue was handled in a timely manner. It's rather odd that your general physician wasn't able to diagnose eczema. But nothing really should strike me as odd anymore. I too was just seen by a dermatologist 8~1~02. He is a rather young doctor, said that this was out of his expertise and advised me (and my general practioner) to go to a university here in my state. This particular university has an extensive derm dept. It's taken quite awhile to get to this place, but I think that it is a step in the right direction. If this young doctor is any indication of how our health system is going to be handled in the future, I will breathe easier for the lot of us. It's going to put a crunch on labs that manufactor "stress meds" but I'd much rather be skin afflicted and know that I am, than stupified and denied by doctors and their mood enhancers.
Again, glad to know you are well. Take care,
Fondly,
dkaz
I went to the doc and found out that the rash is eczema Atopic (an inflammatory condition of the skin that includes redness,itching,oozing vesicular lesions which become scaly ,crusted,or hardened.causes include hypersensitivity to chemicals,metals,plaints( poison ivy),or chronic irrition detergent or soaps.Anxiety,stress,and depression may play a role in the exacerbation of eczema.Hope this is of help to someone as alot of people have the same small water blisters.treatment included antibiotics and flucinonide 0.05% oint.White cotton gloves at night .The itching has alread become more barrable and new skin is coming back under where the blisters where.Ask your doc if this might be the problem your having.Sinerely,Frosted
Three months ago I started getting little blusters on my hands small bumps with clear fluid.The itching is unreal my doctor gave me a hurpis test and it was negative I don't understand why he gave me that test as the bumps where on my hands.
He gave me staroids by mouth for a week also.Hydrocortisone cream help some.Now three months later it feels like it's in my joint in my fingers it's very hard to touch anything.There are masses of small blusters .
The skin is pealing of.Raw skin in some spots.Jionts are swollen and I am in much pain.My doctors is sending me to a dermatologist on the 8/19.I don't think I can wait that long.
I am disabled and have many other health problem. I talk with a sicologist and he thinks it's nerv related.(post tramic stress,degenerate disc des,spinal stinosis,ex..)any help in the right derection would help so much.The rash is now speading to neck and chest arm leggs.But for it doesn't itch anywhere else but the hands.
I do live in the wood 30 mile from town.Also Any thing hot on my hands is Very painfull.
Help.
He gave me staroids by mouth for a week also.Hydrocortisone cream help some.Now three months later it feels like it's in my joint in my fingers it's very hard to touch anything.There are masses of small blusters .
The skin is pealing of.Raw skin in some spots.Jionts are swollen and I am in much pain.My doctors is sending me to a dermatologist on the 8/19.I don't think I can wait that long.
I am disabled and have many other health problem. I talk with a sicologist and he thinks it's nerv related.(post tramic stress,degenerate disc des,spinal stinosis,ex..)any help in the right derection would help so much.The rash is now speading to neck and chest arm leggs.But for it doesn't itch anywhere else but the hands.
I do live in the wood 30 mile from town.Also Any thing hot on my hands is Very painfull.
Help.
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