Biting Mites or WHAT????
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Please note: Below I incorporated the input of many sufferers -- not all of whom are professionals with educated knowledge on this topic. Some of the treatment protocols they are following carry extensives risks to their health and well-being and should not be followed, as they are resorting to the use of toxic and volatile chemicals. I listed them as a matter of completeness. Any treatment protocol should be discussed with a medical professional.
Paw paw, paw-paw, or papaw, locally referred to as prairie banana, Indiana (Hoosier) banana, Kentucky banana, Michigan banana, and Ozark banana. The twigs of this fruit tree are the source of annonaceous acetogenins which are being used in the development of anti-cancer drugs and botanical pesticides (including headl ice). A naturopath recommended PawPaw capsules to a patient with a parasitic infection on her skin. One can purchase it in capsule form at larger health food / nutrition source. Alternatively, Nature's Sunshine (1-800-223-8225.). (Always discuss applicability and doses with your own naturopath). The naturopath recommended that the capsules be emptied into a natural shampoo and mixed up; secondly spread it all over the body, from head to toe; thirdly, leave it in for about 10 minutes and shower it off. The biting mite sufferer reported that this stopped the crawling feeling, but a lot of black specks started emerging from her skin and she got lesions. The naturopath stated that patients can expect things to get worse before they get better while the parasites are being expelled. However, patients report that after this treatment the parasites appear to be gone. Re-infection does occur until the environment is cleared of these parasites. So it's important to treat both the body as well as the environment in combination (please refer to the below for strategies).
Hydrogen Peroxide: Patients report that hyrdrogen peroxide is effective in healing lesions caused by biting mites.
Diet: Sufferers report that a strict diet has been of enormous help in relieving the sypmtoms. The foods to avoid are dairy products, sugar (includng alcohol) and white flour. Dairy products cause your body to produce mucus which is responsible for producing mucus that creates a damp internal environment that these parasites thrive in. It is recommended to eat more alkalizing foods and exercise daily to enhance your immunesystem.
No more bugs, but the itching doesn't stop? The following may be the reason: Dr. Nicolau Maués - a professor at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro, who is a veterinarian and a holder of a PhD in entomology (specifically mites) - was able to help one desperate couple who continued to suffer from "crawling sensations" even after they had taken extreme measures to eradicate any bugs. He explained to the couple that, in reality, they were no longer colonized by bird mites. According to him, the problem was that their immune systems had developed an allergic reaction to any kind of mites or other micro-pests. There are always plenty of little creatures in our environment and on us, and we normally never feel them. But having been exposed to a mite infestation in the past, the couple became super-sensitized to all mites and micro-ants, producing welts and rashes on contact with any of these entities that normally don't affect healthy individuals. The professor referred the couple to an allergy specialist, Dr Oscarina Ezequiel, in Juiz de Fora, MG, who ordered some exams to check their allergy levels. She advised thatm that this condition was not contagious.The solution was to desensitize themselves and to get their immune systems off of hyperdrive.This was accomplished with two anti-allergy medicines: Allegra every morning and Hydroxizine at bedtime for 2 months.
Epsom Salt: Can something so cheap be that effective? Many people seem to think so. Click on link for additional info.
"I Beat the Bug!" Alexander Ray shares his success story about how he beat this horrible bug. Please click here for info.
Mites that Attack Humans - Information about mites that attack humans and products available to fight them
Fluorescent Lights: Patients report that fluorescent light increase the "crawling" and "biting" attacks. Dr. Hildegarde Staninger, RIET-1 Industrial Toxicologist/IH and Doctor of Integrative Medicine, stated to a patient that 60 watt light bulbs provides the best frequency in which to produce disease. Therefore, she strongly recommended against the use of 60 watt lights in your environment for any reason. Bird owners already know the benefits of full-spectrum lighting - which also offers immense health benefits for us. (Click on link for more information.)
CedarCide works great as a body repellant (do not use around small animals or pet birds).
Soak Your Clothes & Linens! Rita also recommends: "[O]ne other thing that seems to make a great difference in the 'things' getting on our skin and that is soaking everything article of clothing that touches the skin, even sheets and blankets at least over night before washing them. It doesn't seem to matter if you use salt or anything else ...just plan water seems to work just fine. Just make sure that the clothing and bedding is completely submerged under the water for at least over night and then wash if possible in 2 cups of Clorox. I use empty Clorox bottles filled with water to weigh the clothing down. Seems these 'things' don't have snorkels." Rita
Vasoline: One long-term sufferer provides the following input / advice: "We have sort of noticed something about this weird mite. Where ever we have large hair follicles, eye lashes, eye brows, hair on the scalp and between the legs there seems to be hundreds just laying down in to the hair follicles just waiting. The way we are having to deal with this is putting one layer of Vaseline over the area. Come back in about an hour and wipe the area clean and reapply Vaseline again. It has taken days to get our eye lashes clear of the things. We are still fighting the ones on our scalp. They seem to hate the Vaseline and they come out of the hair follicle, out onto the hair shaft and we can wipe them off. This has to be done 6 to 7 times a day. Our skin is completely clear. No bites and no rashes. What we are dealing with is what ever stage is down in the hair follicles. It's horrible. They [sufferers] will need to have very little around them and while they are home just keep working with their skin until they go to bed. I just don't see any other way. Until something is found that will completely kill the things they will be stuck with them because they seem to have different stages. I have my doubts about ever completely getting rid of the things but at least its in a livable condition right now."
Heat: The following works for another sufferer, which works well for families, especially with pets: "[W]e are having good success with heating our home once a week. This was the second heating, our house reached temperatures ranging from 145-160F for over 7 hours. It cost us $150 to hire two propane heaters which were 150 btu's each, this also included the cost of hiring the 170 pound tanks and propane. We rented them at Tates. There is a significant decline in biting, and crawling. Also the red lines beneath the skin are only occurring every few days instead of multiple lines on all of us daily. Also no one has developed new rashes, and the animals are scratching less. Ray's windex and listerine protocol has really really helped us as well. I started using windex in my car at first, and realized that constantly spraying it every time we excited the vehicle completely stopped the biting in there. Also one night after I made the bed with fresh sheets and had cleaned off the viynal, I still was horribly bitten, so I got out of bed and sprayed down the outside of my PJ's and my sheets with windex - I felt nothing for the rest of the night so I definately know Windex kills these. It is completely amazing. My family also bathes and showers twice a day with listerine, we are also using the ivermectin and the other things that Ray has suggested. So I am really thankful that his story has been included on your site, as these common grocery store products have helped so very much - where very expensive enzyme products, and other mite products have failed us completely. There is only one other product that I believe is helping, it is called Paraclear, and is produced by a company called health walk. These pills are also bringing us one step closer to riding our home, bodies, and lives of these awful things. We have only been suffering with this plague for 4 months, but I am confident it will have an end." Paraclear is made by HealthWalk and contains: Black Walnut Hull Extract, Wormwood Absinthum Wormwood Annua, Pomegranate Seed, Garlic Oil, Ginger Root and Rhisome Clove Oil - Manufactured For: Hema Tek, Inc. 877-255-4703
Steam Cleaning: Another sufferer recommends steam cleaning everything at at least 240-260 degrees. Hospitals are using these type of steam cleaners to sterilize hospitals, elderly care facilities, etc. You can get a good deal on one of these steamers at a medical supply house.
Entomologists at N.C. State came up with a treatment plan that finally worked. Professionals doused all the floors of the house with a different kind of pesticide, used a chemical bomb on the entire second floor and attic, then sprayed an enzyme cleaner over everything. People and animals need to be removed for at least two weeks. These mites need blood to reproduce. Adult mites are only a half-millimeter long. They are white until they feed on blood, then appear red. They commonly infest bedrooms and bathrooms and are most active at night.
Bill (doe1769@yahoo.com) suggests the following:
Dawn soap 1 cup in 4 to 5 cups of water stops them dead. I use a leave blower pointed at the mist from a Chapin® garden pump sprayer, I blow the mist on everything and they all stop. Probably stuck in the muck. I know it suffocates ants, termites, spiders from testing it on them. I blow it in the heat vents under fridge, crawl spaces, ceilings in the car. They stop. It works well and is cheap. I wet vac it up after a few hrs.
For my skin, sulfur 1 teaspoon & 10 teaspoon of hand creme for 15 days, I take breaks 3 days on 3 day no creme 3 on 3 off 3 on ,3 off, 3 on and the mite was gone. Sulfur kills mites & heals skin. It dries out the skin. So I then pour on the baby oil and leave it on and take 1 hr baths to rehydrate
MSM CAPSULES (15) 1000mg mixed with 15 teasp of hand creme:it is a type of sulfur. It invigorates the skin and helps so much
And the one of the biggest helps I found was cowboy boots I never got bit again after wearing them, I put Tanctin foot powder in them.
The following message is from Trisha R. Springstead RN:
Please be very careful with using Pyrethines and Sevin Dust. It is toxic. The plan is to use NO PESTICIDES. Please clean with Steam, Organic Cleaners.- look at the back of your shampoo and Skin Care bottles - if it has mineral oils or propyls - these are petroleum based. Please stay away from petroleum based products, Bleach and Ammonia. Use Borax* to Clean Carpets. Get you and your pets on www.nutrasilver.com. NEVER, NEVER USE any fragrance oils, they attract mites and organisms. (Be VERY cautious when using Borax [boric acid], which can also cause serious health problems, including death.)
Here is another vector borne site - it is coming from Iraq: www.iraqinfections.org. Also get on the miraclemineral in order to PH your body. The toxins in everyday products are making them come back worse. Any warm blooded animal can get this. Dr Kolb and I believe that it is carried by Warm Blooded Animals.
Boost your immune system with EpiCor 500 mgs every day.
Do Not WASTE YOUR monies on Dermatologists - they won\'t believe you and will put you through sheer horror. Susan Kolb in Atlanta has been seeing this now and extracting fibers and organisms from patients. She is working the closest with the CDC on this of anyone I know. She had a 5 person task force in her office 6 weeks ago and gave a very lengthly presentation.
Greg Vigil - MorgellonsUSA - suggests the following:
I've probably spent about that much in my lifetime dealing with this disease. I don't have any symptoms anymore, but I have permanent neurological and endocrine damage.
This is what got rid of this for me. Yes, you need drugs:
- Septra DS for long term, 1-2 years, followed with occasional sporadic short term 10 day treatments afterwards. (2-3 per day consistent)
- Albendazole, 28 day treatments, 14 days off. Repeat, (followed up to 7 times.) Occasional sporadic monthly short term afterwards. (400 mgs. x 2 perDay)
- Diflucan during days and times when not taking Albendazole. Up to 800mgs. per day for first 14 days, then as needed.
- Large amounts of Silver, 8 oz. bottles of 22ppm or greater, Nutra Silver is too weak, 6 Tablespoons per day for 3 months. Followed with 1 bottle in 2 days, per month.
- Artemesinin 100% Pure, 100 mg. Caps is good for Babesia, but not Morgellons. 1,000 to 11,000 mgs. per day for 3 months. (If you only want to rub some on your skin then just give it up)
- NOTE: Rubbing lotion and soaking in a bath ONLY is not going to make you well. Morgellons and Lyme often mixed, with other co-infections will survive your whole lifetime if you want to play games with it. Morgellons calls for heavy hitters, not tooth picks.
- http://www.morgellonsusa.com/morgellonsusa.html
Ears & Nose: If mites are hiding in your ears, Rita suggests wiping your ears with a Qtip dipped into betadine solution, which she says keeps them out of your ears. The cedar side put into the ears and nose seems to work also.
Randy Yaskal provides the following input:
- This is my second remission. I used antifungals, antiparasitics and antibiotics in the first stage and Equimax for the final stages on open wounds.
One of the few doctors who are working with such patients described that these bugs appear to have a preference for vascular (veiny) people, which makes sense as veins close to the surface provide easy access to their food source. He warned that scented shampoos and soaps actually contain scent pheromones that attract these bugs. He recommends only to use "fragrance-free" soaps and shampoos. He said that not only do fragrance-free products stop them from being attracted to us, but they also help to wash away the scent trails that these things leave on our bodies.
Another web visitor suggested:
"Mycodex House Spray is the only spray that worked in my house for Mites & fleas, I got mine from my vet but you can find it online. If you must use chemicals please don\'t waste your time with other things I tried it all even commercial brands and an exterminator & nothing else worked only the Micodex. I also spray windex inside my windows and around the doors on the outside. Works well. We also had springtails @ the only thing that kept them away was cleaning the floors with windex until we finally found and fixed the leak that was attracting them."
Treatment of Infected Squirrels / Wildlife:
Many people have infected wildlife near their homes and feel helpless as they watch them suffer. Some have been proactive and treated wildlife successfully using Ivermectin. One web visitor described that after this treatment regiment, the sores healed and hair was growing back.
The following recommendation is made a veterinarian: "The target dosage for squirrels would be: 0.2 mg/kg ivermectin, assuming the average squirrel weighs 0.5 kg. I would be very wary of horse ivermectin, as the concentration is probably quite high. Best to treat once every 7 days over 3 weeks and then stop. The ivermectin has some residual effect, and then you'll avoid toxicity. If it recurs in a few weeks' time, start the once weekly regime for 3 weeks again."
NOTE: It is important to discuss any treatment protocol with a qualified veterinarian. Your County Vet may be able to help free of charge.
The following are protocols sufferers have been following. Some of these are TOXIC and even though they may provide temporary relief may carry long-term health consequences.
NOTE: The Avianweb cannot and will not guarentee the safety or effectiveness of the recommendations or products. These have been recommended by web visitors.
Environmental Controls: Environmental control is perhaps even more essential than bodily control: Carpets, bedding, clothing, even shoes, can serve as resting, breeding, feeding, and staging areas for these organisms.
- Clean out the house, bleach (TOXIC) everything you can and remove items you can't (upholstered furniture, carpets, etc.). In cases where the infestation has established itself in the walls of the house, cleaning the house won't help and termite tenting and / or fumigating the house may be needed.
- Daily and thorough vacuuming of all surfaces, including ceilings, walls, window frames, baseboards, cracks and crevices, and floors. Also sprinkle 5% Sevin Dust (TOXIC) (available at drug stores, Targets, Walmarts, etc.) on the floor and vacuum it up to kill mites inside the vacuum cleaner. 5% Sevin Dust is a must-have when faced with such a problem. It's inexpensive. Follow the directions carefully ...
- Wiping down ceilings, walls, and floors with damp sponge mop and/or Swiffer Sweeper damped with any disinfectant cleaning product, or diluted Clorax (TOXIC), or diluted Neem Oil or diluted D-Limonene such as Citra-Solv.
- Direct application of steam (i.e., Shark's Super Steamer) to all crevices and cracks, including seams between floor tiles, and under the stove, refrigerator, and sinks
- Ensure that no wild animals have access to the house, including removing any bird nests on or near the house. I feel ill at ease about even suggesting that -- as I love birds and so many of them are nearing extinction that they need our support; and after all -- they are victims in this as well. But we cannot dismiss the suffering of those infected by this organism and nobody should expose themselves and their families to such a horrible existence. A good compromise would be to continue to provide food and water in areas with harsh winters. These mites remain dormant during the cold season and there is little risk of infections (nonetheless wear gloves!!!!).
- Direct application of: 91% isopropyl alcohol, enzyme cleaners, Listerine, white vinegar, Steri-Fab, silica aerogel and Lysol.
- Infested Bedding / Mattress: Spring mattresses offer ideal breeding grounds for mites and, therefore, their use is strongly discouraged. If you can't change your mattress, wrapping the mattress 3 times in heavy plastic has also helped. I sleep on a NATURAL (not synthetic) latex mattress (from the natural Rubber Tree) and have never slept better. Natural latex is inherently hypo-allergenic, anti-microbial, dust mite, mold and mildew resistant, making it perfect for allergy sufferers or anyone concerned with multiple chemical sensitivities. Highly Recommended! Please check out the following
- Kerosene (TOXIC) seems to kill them also. Suffers literally use this highly toxic pesticide on their skin. Kerosene has been used to treat pools of standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. It can also be used to remove lice from hair, but this practice is painful and potentially very dangerous.
- Kerosene Toxicity: Summary toxicity to humans, including carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and acute toxicity. (Ref.: PesticideInfo)
- Toxicity occurs if kerosene is inhaled while being ingested (aspiration) • Irritating to eyes and skin• Aspiration may cause respiratory irritation • Acute and chronic exposure to kerosene may result in CNS effects including irritability, restlessness, ataxia, drowsiness, convulsions, coma and death• The most common health effect associated with chronic kerosene exposure is dermatitis (Ref.:http://w ww.hpa.org.uk/chemicals)
- Morgellon’s Disease - Treatment Protocol - by Dr. Susan Kolb
- Safe, non-toxic products that will help you protect youself, your family and pets from biting mites
- Pet owners -- you may also want to check out this website for helpful information.
Corporeal Control:
- To heal sores / clear up bumps,
- Smother medicinal strength Lavender Oil or Oil of Oregano on your infected skin.
- One patient recommends the following: "When I get a bite, I make it bleed out, then I apply tea tree oil and within two days it's gone." She recommends pharmaceutical strength tea tree oil - available at K-Mart, right on the shelf, or the health food store.
- Put some diaper cream on the bumps. Diaper cream contains zinc oxide and boric acid which kills mites. The bumps should clear up after a few applications.
- Ways to kill the mites:
- Ponds Cold Cream applied to your skin suffocates the mite
- Tannic acid (1 tablespoon of tannic acid in about 1 cup of water) applied to the affected skin will kill the eggs as tannic acid attacks the protein of the eggs.
- Apply orange oil 30% in alcohol solution. Both alcohol and orange oil are insecticidal.
- Neutralize the boric acid with baking soda until the pH paper indicates alkalinity of the color blue. Mix this to a 1% hydrogen peroxide solution and apply to the skin area. The key is the hydrogen peroxide, which attacks the eggs by blowing them up, while the borax* acts as a insect stomach poison. (*Be VERY cautious when using Borax [boric acid], which can also cause serious health problems, including death.)
- Orange cleaner spray: Spray it onto your hand and rub it on your affected area. Leave on for about five minutes and then wipe it off. The itching should stop.
- Randy (434-974-7128,
434-980-2757,
cisfl2004@netzero.com) suggests the following:
- Equimax: The way to stop the procreation is EQUIMAX for horses (used ONLY topically) on the lesions every day. Then once a week take a shower and rub in a circular motion , with vaseline. above the lesions and get out all the dead creatures. There will be hundreds of them. This exfoliating process should be repeated until the leisons are flat and for three motnhs following to secure that the parasites that are internal do not create another cacoon. This is a contest of wills. Ivemectrin is a poison and Equimax is Ivemectrin with Biltricide. A single dose should kill most parasites but these are genetically engineered parasites and made for survuval of the most fit. They know how to reproduce in the worst of conditions and against the worse poisons.
- A regiment of anti-parasitic meds internally for three months, antibiotics for three months and antifungals for three months, one after the other is suggested to clear out the internal parasites and weaken it."
- Ted from "Earthclinic.com" (excellent website to visit!) suggests the following:
- Most plant essential oils which contain sesquiterpenes and orange oil are quite powerful insecticide, yet has hardly any negative effects on humans (they ARE use in flavorings of food) and this would seem a way to go.
- I remember one of my friend mentioned a solution of sodium phosphate and borax* can be used for condition of Morgellon and those can also reduce the fiber producing Morgellon's by removing it from the body. (*Be VERY cautious when using Borax [boric acid], which can also cause serious health problems, including death.)
- Chromium supplements and B6 seems to worsen them those Morgellon.
- Please visit this website "Earthclinic.com" for cures that work and don't work as experienced by other sufferers.
- Morgellon’s Disease - Treatment Protocol - by Dr. Susan Kolb
- Safe, non-toxic products that will help you protect youself, your family and pets from biting mites
- Pet owners -- you may also want to check out this website for helpful information
- Elimite skin cream / lotion: Elimite is produced from the permethrin 5% extract of various plants. Some say that the chrysanthemum flower that is grown in the deserts of Egypt, South Africa, and elsewhere for this purpose, is the best source. Still, many others find that these two geographical areas do not supply as rich a botanical source of natural insecticides, harmless to man but lethal to insects, as several plants in more densely forested areas. Plant hormones are the age old nemesis of crawling parasites on humans. Yet today, toxic and poisonous synthetic and polymerized substitutes are often prescribed (and rapidly becoming ineffective) because the vermin have become more and more resistant to the man-made laboratory preparations (Lindane, Kwell, Eurax, etc.) (Available at Sun Drug Store or Pharmacy247.us (the latter also sells a generic brand - which is worth checking out)
- Enzyme Sprays help, but don't eradicate them
- Arrid Extra Dry Deodorant with the 24 % aluminum chlorohydrate (ingredients: Aluminum Chlorohydrate 24.6% propellant - blend of butane, hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isopropyl Myristate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Fragrance) (Arrid has some questionable ingredients that I would avoid - refer to to EWG.org (http://www.ewg.org website - Body Burden))
- Daily showers using Denorex 2.5% Coal Tar Shampoo and loofah sponge
- Tea Tree Oil - apply to sores and areas of infection. This essential oil is said to keep bugs off. It actually may also be effective in environmental treatment - if added to a nebulizer, or alternatively, or in addition to the nebulizer, you can use an essential oil-warming candle, available at good health stores. I have been using Tea Tree Oil around my birds without any problems - although we do have a well-ventilated house with air filtration system. I mix it up with essential lemon oil and love the fresh smell. It makes a great home deodorizer. I personally believe in its safety and effectiveness. Consult with your vet first, if you are concerned about your pets.
There are lots of options to disperse the scents of the essential oils. Please visit this website for options.
- Vitamin C - taken orally - helps minimize bruising. (Ester-C is the preferred source of Vitamin C
- Keeping those mites off your hair: According to one sufferer, the following helps keep these mites off her hair: "Wash your hair in sulphy dex shampoo - then apply tea tree oil to your head" (Please refer above for information on Tea Tree Oil). If you can't get sulphy des shampoo, click here for an alternative.
- Applying either Gold Bond's Extra Strength Medicated Powder, or Vaseline, Tiger Balm, or Mineral Oil to skin
- Permenthrin, Motor Oil and Clorox (toxic - not recommended): One sufferer started using Mobil, one fully synthetic motor oil, and he cured himself of "some strange type of itchy skin rash" ( http://www.eytonsearth.org/healing-clay-skin-parasites.php) ... Other sufferers began rubbing Mobil oil all over themselves and for about 1 month it worked fine. Then, according to the sufferers, ' the "thing" found a way to overcome the oil.' However, they are still using the Mobil oil as it makes "the things" come to the surface of their skin. (Note again: this is toxic stuff - not recommended).
Helpful Websites & Mailing Lists:
- http://birdmites.org/ - Great info and forum for sufferers to share information and experiences
- Online discussion group, http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/birdmitesorg/
- http://www.topix.com/forum/science/biology/TVEDMP8RAN2INDN4T
- Diary of a Parasite Sufferer
- National Unidentified Skin Parasite Association
- http://www.dstressdoc.com/skin-problems.htm
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