We received a long, detailed, and disconcerting email from a reader about a week ago. We aren’t sure how to address it, and internal deliberations took place about possible approaches we could take to this reader’s email and question. Actually, the reader didn’t ask a question, but instead listed several extreme medical problems she has experienced over the last six years following an intestinal worm diagnosis.

The worm that infected her intestines has been one of only many concerns, as she has experienced several disturbing problems. It’s not clear if all of these problems are truly physical, or if some of them may be emotional, or whether they are related to the intestinal worm infection, and in any case we can’t comment on any of this because we aren’t medical professionals. Nothing we say should be construed as medical advice, and in fact we won’t say much at all. Rather, we will let our reader’s email speak for itself. Perhaps readers have had worm problems, or at least what are experienced as worm problems, that compare to our reader’s issues over the last six years.

Here is the message we were sent, edited only with respect to formatting:

“Six years ago I was diagnosed with intestinal worms. Though I’ve been on every anti parasite medication, antibiotic (I believe makes it worse) herbal remedy, and cleanse, no thing works! In fact they’ve spread to my skin, hair, and blue larvea which emerges from my scalp. Medical providers refer me to other Dr’s, who refer me to OTHER Dr’s. The ER’s have actually proclaimed, “parasite infectious do not exist in the US, ” (I’m in FL!!!) They Dx my skin “legions” as self inflicted, a side effect from amphetamine abuse (which I’ve NEVER used) or delusional. I’ve been handcuffed & committed to psychiatric wards a dozen times, where I’m always released in 72 wasted & defeated hours with out any psychiatric illnesses! This has made me too fearful to further seek a Dx. I’ve been hospitalized w/ symptoms I’m positive are related to parasite, ie: irrtatic heart,extreme chest pain, staph infection, extremely high blood pressure, dangerously low potassium,seizures,pneumonia,Bemmnmmnnn intestinal volvulous (twisted which is an emergency situation) Lymphoma (Admitted with 5-6 different worms emerging from my THROAT that they put a bandaid over and Dr’s REFUSED to treat, remove or biopsy! Eventually. Nurse handed me a warm washcloth and I removed them MYSELF as though its a daily occurrence – In fact a Case Worker woke me at 4:30 Am interrogating me to admit I was suicidal and delusional!!!!

“After 90 minutes drilling me, she asked me to sign a form and as I read what I was signing, she became irritated and insisted that I “just sign it”, It was permission to transfer me to a psychiatric hospital and SHE checked a box that read “Im suicidal,” Here I was with a plastic specimen jar with black, red, and white worm alive, a large hole in my neck, today an ugly scar, pictures and a video of them in my neck, as well as other pictures/video of worms emerging and moving on my arms, legs AND still refused to take to , Brown Recluse Spider bited, skin infection, anxiety attacks, and swelling and red joints with extreme pain.”

Clearly, our reader is experiencing severe medical problems, and that is really all we can say. (It is important to emphasize the word “experiencing,” as we did above, because the problems, whatever their physical or mental causes may be, are in fact experienced.) The initial intestinal infection is certainly common enough. Many millions of people are treated each year for worm infections that afflict their intestines, and we actually just wrote about a few of the more common infections (like tapeworm) in response to a reader complaining of “a worm in her belly button.” However, the rest of what our reader reports is, to put it lightly, more unusual.

We wish our reader the best of luck and hope that she can find the appropriate medical care for her conditions.

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