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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lao Tzu on December 24, 2008, at 15:49:33
I think I might have what Pfeiffer calls Pyroluria because I seem to do pretty good with sufficient zinc and B6. In addition, I do better if I add benfotiamine (form of B1), vitamin C, borage oil, and a tiny bit of fish oil to the zinc and B6. Pyrolurics seem to do better with evening primrose oil or borage oil rather than fish oil, but I find just a small amount of fish oil makes a nice balance with the borage oil. Too much fish oil, and I get depressed and that is why I think I am pyroluric because other subsets of bipolars/schizophrenics, i.e. undermethylated and overmethylated types do not get depressed on fish oil. I still have to take medication for the worst of my depressive symptoms, but the supplements do actually help me. If you are on medication, you may not need real high dosages of supplements, as say someone who is just treating their depression naturally. For example, this is what I've been taking on any given day.
Morning medications
3 Ekimo-3 500mg fish capsules
1 Borage oil capsule 1,300mg
25mg zinc gluconate
150mg benfotiamine (B1)
75mg of B6 (Pyridoxal 5' phosphate form)
250-500mg of vitamin C
At bedtime I take:300IU of vitamin E
750mg Niacin sustained-release
50mg B6 (P5P form)
1/4 of a 3mg melatonin tablet
250mg of vitamin C
100mg of magnesium
optional--300mg of calcium
200IU of selenium
3 caplets of Country Life Max-AminoI find that I sleep pretty well, and I just wanted to comment that there are so many supplements that can help with sleep. What helps one person may not be right for another. I do think that the medication I'm on, Risperdal, does help a lot with sleep as well.
Some of the supplements I take, I tend to need higher dosages than others. It's a matter of trial and error. For instance, I need 750mg of Niacin at bedtime, but I can't tolerate anymore than this. For vitamin C, my optimum dosage is about 750mg in a 24hr. period. I'm careful with vitamin C because it has an effect on dopamine and norepinephrine, and I'm already on a high dosage of antipsychotic, so I'm careful with any substances that interfere with catecholamines, such as dopamine and norepinephrine. That's why Tyrosine doesn't do anything for me anymore. I tend to need a moderate dosage of B6, about 75mg during the day and 50mg at bedtime. Sources say that you should get at least 50mg of zinc per day if you have schizophrenia, but I tend to stay on the low side, about 25mg also because I'm already taking medication so I think a higher dosage of zinc may interfere what the medication is already doing. So if you're taking medication, learn about what supplements you're taking and how they might complicate your depression if you take very high dosages. Very high dosages of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are probably best for someone who is not taking any prescription medications, and also high dosages of vitamins probably should be taken under the supervision of a doctor or naturopath. Merry Christmas to all of you out there!!
Posted by nolvas on December 25, 2008, at 4:48:52
In reply to Pyroluria, posted by Lao Tzu on December 24, 2008, at 15:49:33
Merry Christmas first of all. I used to think I had Pyroluria, however after doing extensive research it appears to be a totally fake condition. There's little evidence that Pyroluria exists, the only research papers that I know of regarding Pyroluria are the following :
Am J Psychiatry. 1978 Oct;135(10):1239-40. "Pyroluria: a poor marker in chronic schizophrenia."
Med Hypotheses. 1986 Apr;19(4):333-8. "A new prostaglandin disturbance syndrome in schizophrenia: delta-6-pyroluria"
I wouldn't base any treatment approach solely on the fact that you might have Pyroluria. Also Histadelia and Histapenia are from what I gather also fake conditions. If you look at the symptoms of all three conditions then there's is much crossover. I consider these conditions as scientific as Astrology.
I'm all for alternative medicine as I'm stuyding a degree in Nutritional Medicince currently but there has to be at least some credible evidence for any treatment program and sadly I can find little for Pyroluria.
Posted by Lao Tzu on December 26, 2008, at 8:58:51
In reply to Re: Pyroluria, posted by nolvas on December 25, 2008, at 4:48:52
Thank you for your input. I guess pyroluria might be a well-intentioned theory, but not evidence or cause of schizophrenia. I believe you because you can look at depression, schizo, bipolar, etc. from so many different angles---not only a multitude of nutritional theories, but also changes in monoamine systems, synaptic differentiation, cellular signalling proteins, changes in cellular differentiation among the various layers of brain tissue, excitatory neurotransmitters and cellular apoptosis leading to loss of brain tissue, oxidative stress and phospholipid abnormalities. The list is quite comprehensive and confusing because at which point do you start to look for answers? Is schizophrenia a whole host of abnormalities that arose from mutated genes during fetal development? I doubt that genetics could account for all of these abnormalities at once. No, there has to be a primary cause for them that affects multiple systems downstream. It's only logical. Can nutrition and/or medicine correct this primary causative factor over time, even after there has been great stress and/or damage to the brain? That's the question we have to ask ourselves, as well as our delicate relationship to our natural environments which have become so toxic in both an emotional and physical sense.
This is the end of the thread.
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