Pyroluria

Pyroluria Protocol

Testing and Treatment for Pyroluria

This is a relatively unusual condition in the general population [11 percent], but is more common in some groups that tend to have the most stubborn mood problems. For example, approximately 40 percent of alcoholics have pyroluria. If you answer yes to fifteen or more of the following questions, test the level of pyrroles in your urine with a kit ordered from Vitamin Diagnostics, 732−583−7773. Excess pyrroles deplete levels of zinc, vitamin B6, niacin, pantothenic acid, and manganese. Measure your zinc level using Zinc Tally or Zinc Status. If this diluted zinc-containing liquid is held in your mouth for ten seconds and has no particular taste, your zinc levels are probably quite low. Our clinic always uses “tally” with incoming patients and this is how we discovered pyroluria. Some clients, even after they had been taking zinc supplements [50 mg.] could not taste the tally. The questionnaire and urine testing confirmed pyroluria. One pyroluric had had her first vivid dreams in twenty years the first night he raised her B6 and zinc doses. Also consider a hair analysis that will show manganese levels, and a blood test for zinc. I am just getting familiar with this condition, but I can see that it is an important one for certain people, affecting stress levels and mood generally and preventing full response to nutrient therapy until it is addressed. For a more through explanation of causes and remedies, I refer you to the information and nutrient protocol designed by the clinician who alerted me to pyroluria, Joan Matthews−Larson, Ph.D. It is contained in her excellent book Depression Free Naturally [New York, Ballantine, 2001], as is the following questionnaire.

·       When you were young did you sunburn easily? Do you have fair or pale skin?

·       Do you have a reduced amount of head hair, eyebrows, or eyelashes, or do you have permanently gray hair?

·       Do you have poor dream recall or nightmares?

·       Are you becoming more of a loner as you age? Do you avoid outside stress because it upsets your emotional balance?

·       Have you been anxious, fearful, or felt a lot of inner tension since childhood, but mostly hide these feelings from others?

·       Is it hard to recall past events or people in your life?

·       Do you have bouts of depression and/or nervous exhaustion?

·       Do you have cluster headaches?

·       Are your eyes sensitive to sunlight?

·       Do you belong to an all-girl family or have look-alike sisters?

·       Do you get frequent colds or infections or unexplained chills or fevers?

·       Do you dislike eating protein? Have you ever been a vegetarian?

·       Did you reach puberty later than normal?

·       Are there white spots on your fingernails, or do you have opaquely white or paper thin-nails?

·       Are you prone to acne, eczema, or psoriasis?

·       Do you prefer the company of one or two close friends rather than a gathering of friends?

·       Do you have stretch marks on your skin?

·       Have you noticed a sweet smell [fruity odor] to your breath or sweat when ill or stressed?

·       Do you have−or did you have before braces−crowded upper teeth?

·       Do you prefer to not eat breakfast or even experience light nausea in the morning?

·       Does your face look swollen while under a lot of stress?

·       Do you have poor appetite or a poor sense of smell or taste?

·       Do you have any upper abdominal, splenic pain? As a child, did you get a “stitch” in your side when you ran?

·       Do you tend to focus internally [on yourself] rather than on the external world?

·       Are you anemic?

·       Do you frequently experience fatigue?

·       Do you feel uncomfortable with strangers?

·       Do your knees crack or ache?

·       Do you overreact to tranquilizers, barbiturates, alcohol, or other drugs−that is do they produce a powerful response?

·       Does it bother you to be seated in a restaurant in the middle of the room?

·       Are you anemic?

·       Do you have cold hands and/or feet?

·       Are you easily upset [internally] by criticism?

·       Do you have a tendency toward morning constipation?

·       Do you have tingling sensations or muscle spasms in your legs or arms?

·       Do changes in your routine [traveling, new situations] provoke stress?

·       Do you tend to become dependent on one person whom you build your life around?

·       Are there severe mood problems, mental illness, or alcoholism in your family?

This questionnaire was originally developed by the author, researcher, and clinician Carl Pfeiffer, Ph.D., an inspiring pioneer in the field of biochemistry, mood, and nutrition.

All the above from the book The Mood Cure, Julia Moss, M.A., Penguin, 2002, pages 303-305

Just a few comments: Happily the only thing I needed to add was more manganese as I have, over the years, been taking most of the other supplements noted. Make sure you check the distinction between P−5−P and vitamin B6. Generally you want to take P−5−P. For manganese I take a multi-mineral product ZMK by Millennium Sport Technologies.