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Newsletter

March 2008

Volume 2, No 3

                    Use The Person That Physicians Rely On - A RN -    

 
What is Morgellons disease?

Morgellons disease is a mysterious skin disorder characterized by disfiguring sores and crawling sensations on and under the skin. Although Morgellons disease isn't widely recognized as a medical diagnosis, experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating reports of the condition.
 

What are the signs and symptoms?

1.  Skin lesions, often accompanied by pain or intense itching.
2.  Fibers — which may be white, blue, red or black — in and on the lesions.
3.  Crawling sensations on and under the skin, often compared to insects moving, stinging or biting.
4.  Joint and muscle pain.5.  Fatigue significant enough to interfere with daily activity.
6.  Inability to concentrate and difficulty with short-term memory.
7.  Behavioral changes.
8.  Changes in vision.
9.  Stomach pain or other gastrointestinal symptoms.
10. Changes in skin texture and color.

Morgellons disease shares characteristics with various recognized conditions, including attention-deficit disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, Lyme disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder and a mental illness involving false beliefs about infestation by parasites (delusional parasitosis).

How Long Has Morgellons
Been around?

In 1674, English physician and writer Sir Thomas Browne used the term "Morgellons disease" to describe "black hairs" emerging from childhood skin lesions. Today, the Morgellons Research Foundation doesn't claim that the disorder described by Browne is the same as Morgellons disease. Rather, the foundation adopted the term as a convenient label for a set of signs and symptoms.

How Widespread is This Disease?

Reports of Morgellons disease have been made in every state in the United States and various countries around the world. Most reported cases are clustered in California, Texas and Florida.

What Do Researchers Know About Morgellons?

Beyond anecdotal reports, researchers know little about Morgellons disease. The Morgellons Research Foundation reports no known causes of Morgellons disease and no successful treatment for the condition. Whether Morgellons disease is contagious remains a mystery.

 

 

 

 

 

How Can Patients Cope?

1.  Establish a caring health care team. Find a doctor who acknowledges your concerns and does a thorough examination. Since Morgellons disease often requires frequent follow-up visits, a local health care team may be most convenient.
2.  Be patient. Your doctor will likely look for known conditions that point to evidence-based treatments before considering a diagnosis of Morgellons disease.
3.  Keep an open mind. Consider various causes for your signs and symptoms, and follow your doctor's recommendations for treatment — which may include long-term mental health therapy.
4.  Seek treatment for other conditions. Get treatment for anxiety, depression or any other condition that affects your thinking, moods or behavior.
5.  Keep track of the latest news about Morgellons disease. Supplement the information you find online with articles published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Remember that some sources are more reputable than are others.

Source:  Mayo Clinic


Unexplained Dermopathy
(aka "Morgellons")
 

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received an increased number of inquiries regarding an unexplained skin condition which some refer to as “Morgellons.” Persons who suffer from this unexplained skin condition report a range of cutaneous (skin) symptoms including crawling, biting and stinging sensations; granules, threads, fibers, or black speck-like materials on or beneath the skin; and/or skin lesions (e.g., rashes or sores). In addition to skin manifestations, some sufferers also report fatigue, mental confusion, short term memory loss, joint pain, and changes in vision.
 
The cause of this condition is unknown, and the medical community has insufficient information to determine whether persons who identify themselves as having this condition have a common cause for their symptoms or share common risk factors.

To assist in learning more about this condition, CDC is conducting an epidemiologic investigation. To learn more about the investigation, please refer to the following link: CDC's Unexplained Dermopathy Investigation.

Source:  Centers for Disease Control - the CDC

Adverse Effects with Tamiflu
Roche and FDA informed healthcare professionals of neuropsychiatric events associated with the use of Tamiflu, in patients with influenza. These symptoms, as described in post marketing reports mostly from Japan, include delirium and abnormal behavior leading to injury, and in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes.
These events were reported primarily among pediatric patients and often had an abrupt onset and rapid resolution. Patients with influenza should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behavior. If neuropsychiatric symptoms occur, the risks and benefits of continuing treatment should be evaluated.

Source:  The FDA

Severe Pain with Osteoporosis Drugs

"FDA is alerting healthcare professionals that severe bone, joint, or muscle pain can occur in patients taking bisphosphonate drugs such as Fosamax (alendronate sodium), Actonel (risedronate sodium), Reclast (zoledronic acid) and Boniva (ibandronate sodium). These drugs are used to treat osteoporosis and certain other diseases.

This severe, sometimes incapacitating musculoskeletal pain has occurred within days, months, or even years after starting bisphosphonates. In the most serious cases, the pain was so severe that patients could not continue their normal activities. Some patients have complete relief of symptoms after they stop taking the drug, while others have reported slow or incomplete resolution.

Note that these events are different from the acute phase response some patients experience after the first treatment with IV bisphosphonates, and occasionally after the first dose of oral bisphosphonates.

Although severe musculoskeletal pain is described in the labeling for all bisphosphonates, this association may be overlooked by practitioners because they may assume that the patient's pain can be attributed to osteoporosis itself.

Practitioners should consider whether musculoskeletal pain in patients on bisphosphonates might be caused by the drug, and consider discontinuing it either temporarily or permanently."

Source:  The FDA

Modest Exercise Helps Chronic Pain Patients

"February 15, 2008 (Kissimmee, FL) — Physical conditioning in chronic pain patients can have immediate and long-term benefits, according to a new study presented at the American Academy of Pain Medicine 24th Annual Meeting.

A frequent comorbid condition of chronic pain is profound physical deconditioning, which results from inactivity. "People with chronic pain don't want to exercise — the main reason is that they are so much pain."

Decreases in pain, depression, and anxiety following treatment in a pain rehabilitation program have been well documented, they add, but to date, no study has determined the immediate effects of brief exercise on these factors.

The review also suggests that brief exercise is a safe, cost-free, nonpharmacologic strategy for immediately reducing depression and anxiety.

Source: American Academy of Pain Medicine 24th Annual Meeting. Abstract 105