Pyroluria

  Until last month, I had never heard of this before. I'm sure you haven't either. Most doctors haven't either. This is one reason why I LOVE my doctor's office. In the February e-mail newsletter from Sherwood Family Medicine, at the bottom was a little article titled,

 

Pyroluria: Is this the cause of your psychiatric symptoms?

 by: Carrie Jones, ND & Maggie Yu, MD

 

Do you experience depression, anxiety, OCD, bi-polar, ADD/ADHD, Autism spectrum, or sensory integration disorder symptoms or know someone who does?  Does it run in your family?  Keep reading because you may have elevated kryptopyrroles in your system causing low levels of zinc and vitamin B6.

 

Pyrroles are a chemical in your body created from hemoglobin synthesis.  It has no known function and is typically excreted in your urine.  If you are genetically programmed to have too many pyrroles in your body, they grab hold of vitamin B6 and zinc depleting their levels in your body.

  

This is a huge problem because low levels of those nutrients have been linked to a variety of emotional and psychiatric disorders.  In fact, 40% of psychiatric (depression, anxiety, bi-polar, schizophrenia) and 20% of Autism spectrum, ADD spectrum and sensory integration disorders have this condition - pyroluria.

  

Besides mood issues, other symptoms include but are not limited to: low tolerance for stress, poor dream recall, white flecks on nails, frequent infections, frequent joint pain, pale skin that is difficult to tan, sun sensitive skin, cluster headaches, cold hands and feet, poor appetite especially in the morning, nausea/motion sickness, allergies, fatigue, retracted gums, explosive temper, aversion to protein, and eczema.

  

Thankfully there is a simple urine test to determine the level of kryptopyrroles in your body and see if you have the condition, pyroluria.  If positive, we have an expansive plan to help get you on the road to recovery using vitamins and nutrients.  Be aware though, it may take 3-6 months until you really notice a difference (but many feel better within days to weeks). For the full article click this link: pyroluria full article

 

   I copied this from my e-mail because I couldn't find the exact same article on the website. Follow the "pyroluria full article link" to be directed to their website and see more. If this sounds like something you feel you need to look into, please print the article and take it to your doctor. PLEASE do not try to treat it yourself. As it states in the article, careful monitoring needs to be done. If you don 't have this disorder and treat yourself as if you do, you can cause great damage to your body.

  Keep yourself healthy, because you are a babe.