Does anyone know how to treat delusional parasitosis?

Question

My mom is suffering from this, and it is very difficult to watch. Is there any treatment or way to convince her that this is not so?

I think that I should add that she is 84 years old and not a drug user.

Answer 1

I have to apologize. I thought the term, delusional parasitosis was a joke of some kind, until I looked it up. My mind automatically broke the word parasitosis into its proper origins. The word comes from parasite and tosis. Tosis in Greek means odor or smell. Looking it up has shown me that there is a psychiatric term, delusional parasitosis. I am including a link as part of my apology. The link carries definition, diagnosis and treatment.

Your question may just have helped me to understand a young lady, I know, a little better. For that I thank you.

Answer 2

Well, when I hear about delusional parasitosis I automatically think substance abuse (most often crank). Maybe mom should stop?

Antipsychotic drugs may be another avenue of treatment, as they have evidenced success in treating hallucinations and delusions. They often come with unpleasant side effects, though.

Trying to convince a delusional person that they are delusional serves only to reinforce the delusion. (Kind of like arguing with a fan of Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh.)

If all else fails, it may be time to try an imaginary lice-comb (Sorry, that was flippant of me.)



EDIT: 84, huh? Could be either a chronic psychosis (which you would have noticed before now), delirium, or a dementia process. When did this start? What are her doctors suggesting?

And are you *sure* she isn't using?

Answer 3

Delusional parasitosis is a form of psychosis in which sufferers hold a delusional belief they are infested with parasites. It is usually diagnosed as a subtype of delusional disorder. A related symptom involving a tactile hallucination of insects, snakes, or other vermin crawling over the skin is known as formication. The origin of this word is from the Latin formica, "ant."

Delusional parasitosis is also referred to as "Ekbom's Syndrome," named after a Swedish neurologist, Karl Axel Ekbom, who published seminal accounts of the disease in 1937 and 1938. It is not to be confused with Wittmaack-Ekbom syndrome (restless legs syndrome).
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Presentation
* 2 Treatment
* 3 Fictional accounts
* 4 See also
* 5 External links
* 6 References

[edit] Presentation

The sufferer typically reports parasites to exist under the skin, around or inside bodily openings, in the stomach or bowels and may include a belief that the parasites infest the sufferer's home, surroundings or clothing.

A person holding such a belief may approach doctors or dermatologists asking for treatment for the supposed infestation, and will often bring small particles, dust, skin flakes and other material for the doctor to inspect. Since the material may be carried in an envelope or matchbox, this presentation is known as the "matchbox sign."

Stimulant drug abuse (particularly amphetamine and cocaine) can lead to delusional parasitosis as part of a stimulant psychosis. For example, excessive cocaine use can lead to an effect nicknamed "cocaine bugs" where the affected person believes that they can feel parasites crawling under their skin. These conditions are also associated with high fevers and extreme alcohol withdrawal (delirium tremens), often associated with visual hallucinations of insects. Formication is also a side effect of labetalol, an anti-hypertensive.

People suffering from these conditions may scratch themselves to the extent of serious skin damage and bleeding, especially if they are delirious or intoxicated.

[edit] Treatment

If due to stimulant abuse, the primary treatment is to cease the use of stimulants. The chronic condition is treated much as other delusional disorders and schizophrenia. In the past, pimozide was the drug of choice when selecting from the typical antipsychotics. Currently, atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine or risperidone are used as first line treatment.