Page 7 - 200704 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - April 2007

Morgellons ‘Cynics’ 7 7 Morgellons ‘Cynics’ Should One Reason Should One Reason with Morgellons’ with Morgellons’ Cynics? Cynics? & Sample Replies to & Sample Replies to Their Doubts Their Doubts James Schaller, MD, MAR James Schaller, MD, MAR One of the things I learned in my extended college and graduate school work is that most people, including scientists and physicians, have core Meta beliefs about what is possible. These are outside their insight and awareness. We see this in religion and psychology pretty clearly. For example, those with terrible parents often are the most passionate about the absence of God. My point is not whether God exists, but that many with an abusive or absent parenting experience core beliefs about useless parents and a useless God. Another example would be children who have been bullied. Some tend to see the world as more dangerous then others, often even after positions are much like the 1990’s politics of these patients so this means they are decades without abuse. Perhaps another analogy global warming—some feel it is nonsense and delusional. is politics. By the time one is 45 years old, it is some feel it is as obvious as basic math. Some rare to see a major party change if the original of these polar medical topics include Chronic It is sad that some health care workers affiliation was strong. Democrats rarely will Lyme disease, indoor mold exposure illness, are very simplistic thinkers and forget that all become strong Republicans and strong Babesia, long-term narcotic pain medications, medications have a vast number of “off-label” Democrats will rarely become strong long-term anti-anxiety medications, cash pay uses. Indeed, most medications in the USA are Republicans after 45 years of age. vs. insurance pay medicine, the value of prescribed for illnesses never approved by the In this setting of our core beliefs, the organized medicine vs. those who feel FDA. Physicians by experience or study have fact is many scientists and physicians are not traditional medical societies are useless. learned that most medications have other effects worth reasoning with about Morgellons. Why? So I would suggest that we take a lesson and benefits beyond the one use approved by Their presuppositions and ability to explore this from politics. Do not waste your time trying to the FDA. illness cluster is simply not open to this convert those with strong passions for the One common use of all anti-psychotics possibility. Some physicians have character opposing party. You will waste your time. is for the treatment of significant agitation. rigidity and obsessive personality traits that Instead, first make sure you have fully and Another common use is for calming require extreme amounts of data unavailable for clearly stated your position to your own party inflammation restlessness and infection many clinical situations. Obsessive personality and that they understand what is at stake and restlessness of the brain. I routinely use anti- traits have some benefits in medical science, have an understanding of the “platform.” In this psychotics for agitated people with infections or because they can help a practitioner attend to regard, patients with Morgellons, health care medical toxin exposure that makes them terribly important small details, but can cause workers with Morgellons, and physicians who restless and agitated. If a patient is exposed to a practitioners to fear what is not in their believe this is not simply a delusion and treat it, toxic chemical at a chemical plant, and requires “information box”—their finite brain. should be educated and included in all an anti-psychotic to be calmed, no one would Some are also worn, tired and have Morgellons organizations. think this was a cure. limited empathy that causes them to see Next, we should reach out to those who Again, just because a blood pressure individuals with obviously clear pathological do not know everything and are either open to medication lowers the blood pressure of extreme skin lesions as simply folks who “pick considering Morgellons as an illness, or are too Morgellons patients does not mean the at their skin.” We also know that some busy and indifferent to oppose Morgellons underlying trouble is gone. We do not hear from individuals working in the medical sciences or illness. Both of these groups, over a period of these anti-psychotic promoters that the skin of as health care providers have antisocial traits or time, might be open to the idea of Morgellons these patients becomes cured. are narcissistic, which makes accepting a illness, or at least they will refrain from It can be unwise to diagnose an illness patient’s history, over the doctor’s medical opposing its treatment if they are slightly purely based on the response to the drug used. world view unlikely. This requires listening educated. Phenobarbital given to a person who is vomiting very deeply, profound humility, and the belief will stop the vomiting. We would not say they that we have a great deal to discover about Replies to Common Anti-Morgellons Criticisms had a Phenobarbital deficiency. We would still human illness. look for a possible flu, food poisoning or other Further, the abuse of health care 1) Antibiotics can act as placebos and that is intestinal illness—the “real cause” for the practitioners by litigious patients, plaintiff what is happening with “cured” Morgellons vomiting. attorneys, state boards, insurance reviewers, patients. I do not believe that any physician in the insurance companies paying “reasonable and USA has seen a large number of clear customary rates” which are only customary for The problem with this argument is two Morgellons patients and that they were all cured 1940, makes it hard for practitioners to have the fold. First, these are hopeless people who have of their signs and symptoms and abnormal labs time or energy to learn new concepts and had some different treatments and they do not by a mere calming anti-psychotic drug. At best, explore new illnesses. Some mean well, but are generally expect treatments to work. Second, they were made to experience less discomfort simply keeping their head above water trying to the rate of eventual cure is higher then the by using the drug—one reason I use anti- get all the codes right, and manage their huge expected rate of placebo for antibiotic psychotics for Morgellons’ inflammation insurance processing staff. medications. agitation. Further, medical illnesses are becoming the source of polar physician positions. These 2) Anti-psychotic medications help many of (Continued on Page 8)