since this has kind of turned into the resident T-Nation hormone thread, have any of you guys heard of pyroluria? i saw it on chris kesserâs website and decided to do some googling.
What are the symptoms?
In general, the symptoms of pyroluria have a mysteriously intractable quality to them and may lead to lifelong issues with severe inner tension, ongoing anxiety, poor stress tolerance (with added stress of any kind making the symptoms worse), digestive issues and difficulty digesting protein, frequent colds and infections, joint pain or stiffness, acne, eczema or psoriasis, mood swings and reactivity, poor short term memory, and a tendency in many to lean towards being a loner?among many other potential symptoms.
During the synthesis of hemoglobin in the body there are waste products generated called kryptopyrroles. Kryptopyrroles don?t really serve any useful biological purpose and are normally excreted by most of us uneventfully. In someone with pyroluria, however, these kryptopyrroles don?t get excreted and will tend to build up?even more so under stress of any kind. It turns out that kryptopyrroles have a tendency to bind very strongly with things like zinc and vitamin B6, making them largely unavailable to the body?which is a very big problem. Zinc and B6, of course, are nutrients critical for the functioning of your entire body and mind?including your digestion, immune system, cognitive functioning and emotions. Over time deficiencies can really take their toll on the way you feel and function and have serious consequences. Often people will go for years suffering the effects of pyroluria regardless of what therapies they try or how well they eat.
Pyrolurics also have a greater than normal need for omega-6 fatty acids, particularly dietary arachidonic acid (AA?found readily in eggs, butter, red meat and liver) and the essential fatty acid GLA (gamma linolenic acid? found in supplements like black currant seed oil and evening primrose oil).
The really good news is that once diagnosed, pyroluria is very manageable with the use of disciplined supplementation?typically requiring large doses of zinc and B6 (liquid ionic zinc and a co-enzymated form of B6 known as ?P-5-P? tend to work best). Also typically some supplementation with GLA is also needed, along with a diet somewhat higher in sources of arachidonic acid. Sufficiency for zinc can be determined using a ?zinc tally? test and B6 sufficiency can be subjectively determined by the return of regular (remembered) dreaming. The ?bad news? is that some ongoing supplementation is needed indefinitely in order for symptoms to remain manageable long term?a small price to pay for real relief. Without appropriate supplementation symptoms ten to return again in a week or two.
With appropriate supplementation and stress management mild cases of pyroluria tend to respond quickly. More severe cases tend to experience gradual and incremental improvement over a period of several months.
Additional considerations for the pyroluric include the need for improving digestion and hydrochloric acid status (see chapter on digestion in my book, Primal Body-Primal Mind), avoidance of phytate-containing foods such as grains, legumes and soy, and the susceptibility to heavy metal toxicity from mercury, cadmium and copper. Where the restoration of zinc sufficiency is highly resistant one may need to pursue further testing to see if heavy metal toxicity is an issue.
PYROLURIA QUESTIONNAIRE
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Little or no dream recall
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White spots on finger nails
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Poor morning appetite +/- tendency to skip breakfast
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Morning nausea
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Pale skin +/- poor tanning +/- burn easy in sun
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Sensitivity to bright light
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Hypersensitive to loud noises
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Reading difficulties (e.g. dyslexia)
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Poor ability to cope with stress
10.Mood swings or temper outbursts
11.Histrionic (dramatic) tendency
12.Argumentative/enjoy argument
13.New situations or changes in routine (i.e., traveling) particularly stressful
14.Much higher capability and alertness in the evening, compared to mornings
15.Poor short term memory
16.Abnormal body fat distribution
17.Belong to an all-girl family with look-alike sisters
18.Dry skin
19.Anxiousness
20.Reaching puberty later than normal
21.Difficulty digesting, a dislike of protein or a history ofvegetarianism
22.Tendency toward being a loner and/or avoiding larger groups of people
23.Stretch marks on skin
24.Poor sense of smell or taste
25.Feel very uncomfortable with strangers
26.Frequently experience fatigue
27.A tendency to overreact to tranquilizers, barbiturates, alcohol or other drugs (in other words, a little produces a powerful response)
28.A tendency toward anemia
29.History of mental illness or alcoholism in family
30.Easily upset by criticism
31.Sweet smell (fruity odor) to breath or sweat when ill or stressed
32.Prone to acne, eczema or psoriasis
33.A tendency toward feeling anxious, fearful and carrying lifelong inner tension
34.Difficulty recalling past events or people
35.Bouts of depression or nervous exhaustion
36.Prone to frequent colds or infections
http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/?p=398
Most Common Signs and Symptoms
Being anxious, shy, or fearful or experiencing inner tension since childhood, but hiding these feelings from others
Having bouts of depression or nervous exhaustion
Poor dream recall, stressful or bizarre dreams, or nightmares (low vitamin B6)
Excessive reactions to tranquilizers, barbiturates, alcohol, or other drugs, in which a little produces a powerful response (low vitamin B6)
Preferring not to eat breakfast, experiencing light nausea in the morning, or being prone to motion sickness (low vitamin B6)
White spots or flecks on the fingernails or opaquely white or paper-thin nails (low zinc)
Liquid zinc sulfate having a mild taste or tasting like water (low zinc)
Poor appetite or having a poor sense of smell or taste (low zinc)
Joints popping, cracking, or aching; pain or discomfort between the shoulder blades; or cartilage problems (low zinc)
Pale or fair skin or being the palest in the family, or sunburning easily, now or when younger
Disliking protein or having ever been a vegetarian or vegan
Being sensitive to bright sunlight or noise
Upper abdominal pain on your left side under the ribs or, as a child, having a stitch in your side as you ran
Frequent fatigue
Being prone to iron anemia or low ferritin levels
Tending to have cold hands or feet
Having frequent colds or infections, or unexplained chills or fever
Reaching puberty later than normal or having irregular menstruation or PMS
Having allergies, adrenal issues, or problems with sugar metabolism
Having gluten sensitivity
Neurotransmitter imbalances, especially low serotonin
For women, belonging to an all-girl family or having look-alike sisters
For men, having a mother from an all-girl family or a mother with look-alike sisters, or all the females in the motherâ??s family bearing a strong resemblance to each other
Avoiding stress because it upsets your emotional balance
Tending to become dependent on one person whom you build your life around
Preferring the company of one or two close friends rather than a gathering of friends; becoming more of a loner as you age
Feeling uncomfortable with strangers
Being bothered by being seated in the middle of the room in a restaurant
Being easily upset by criticism
Less Common Signs and Symptoms
Stretch marks or poor wound healing (low zinc)
Crowded upper front teeth, many cavities, or inflamed gums or wearing braces (low zinc)
Bad breath and body odor (or a sweet, fruity odor), especially when ill or stressed (low zinc)
Being prone to acne, eczema, herpes, or psoriasis
Reduced amount of hair on your head, eyebrows, or eyelashes, or prematurely gray hair
Difficultly recalling past events and people in your life
Focusing internally, on yourself, rather than on the external world
Tending to have morning constipation
Tingling sensations or muscle spasms in your legs or arms
Feeling stressed by changes in your routine, such as traveling or being in new situations
Your face looking swollen when youâ??re under a lot of stress
Cluster headaches or blinding headaches
One or more of the following: a psychiatric disorder, schizophrenia, high or low histamine, alcoholism, learning and behavioral disorders, autism, or Down syndrome
If you check off 15 or more items, especially the more common ones, itâ??s highly probable that you have pyroluria and will benefit from taking zinc and vitamin B6 supplements. I encourage you to be tested, but if this isnâ??t possible, or even if you donâ??t have pyroluria, supplementing with zinc and vitamin B6 may be worthwhile if you have a large number of these symptoms.