What Is Pyroluria? (aka Pyrrole Disorder)
The little known genetic disorder that can lead to depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders
While drug companies make billions of dollars in profits from drugs given to patients to treat depression, anxiety, behavioral disorders, schizophrenia and other so called "mental" illnesses, a little known genetic disorder that has been known for decades to sometimes be the cause has been ignored and dismissed, because the only true treatment for it is nutrition.
Pyrrole disorder, also known as pyroluria, is estimated to affect up to 10 percent of the population, and although this disorder was first discovered over 50 years ago, it has been largely ignored, its existence contested, and it remains relatively unknown within the mainstream medical community and the general public.
What is pyrrole disorder?
Pyrrole disorder is a genetic abnormality that causes the over production of pyrroles (otherwise known as hydroxyhemoppyrrolin-2-one). Pyrroles are created during the synthesis of hemoglobin in the spleen and are a waste product of that process. They are excreted from the body via the kidneys in the urine.
When pyrroles are created, they bind to both zinc and vitamin B6, making the bound nutrients unavailable to the cells of the body and causing them to be excreted via the urine along with the pyrroles.
In those with pyrrole disorder where pyrrole levels are constantly elevated, deficiencies in zinc and B6 are common. Due to these deficiencies of essential nutrients and the symptoms that they cause, other deficiencies may also become a problem, and a wide variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms are created.
The wide variety of symptoms of pyrrole disorder
Pyrrole disorder affects the way the body handles stress (both physical and mental), often creating an exaggerated stress response and an inability in the sufferer to handle stress well. The symptoms are caused by the effects of worsening nutritional deficiencies created by the overproduction of pyrroles and commonly include not only zinc and vitamin B6 but also biotin, gamma-linolenic acid and magnesium.
The symptoms of pyrrole disorder may include both mental and physical symptoms such as:
Depression
Anxiety
Fear
Panic attacks
Poor stress tolerance
Anger or moodiness
Severe inner tension
Behavioral issues
Hypersensitivity to loud noise, bright light or smell
Tactile sensitivities
Poor dream recall
Hormonal issues
Thyroid problems
Obesity/unusual body fat distribution
Metabolic issues
Abdominal pain
Joint pain
Creaky joints
Alcoholism
Intolerance to drugs
Weak or brittle hair and nails
White spots on finger nails
White skin that burns easily
Anemia
Fluid retention
Leaky gut
Allergies and more
When stress is experienced, more pyrroles are created in the body, compounding the problem, creating greater deficiencies and yet more symptoms. This means that those who remain undiagnosed and untreated find themselves in a downward spiral that consists of more and more symptoms that are seemingly unrelated and impossible to resolve.
However, the good news is that pyrrole disorder can be confirmed via a history of symptoms and a simple, inexpensive urine test that measures pyrrole levels. Finding a medical practitioner that understands pyrrole disorder can be a challenge; however, once diagnosed, treatment consisting of (usually) compounded high-dose supplements is both simple and effective and can mark the beginning of a much brighter future for sufferers.