Pyrrole disorder, also known as mauve factor, kryptopyrroluria and pyrroluria, is not commonly heard about but is now presenting more often in clinic.
Possible symptoms of pyrrole disorder include:
- General anxiety
- Depression
- White spots on finger nails
- Joint pain
- Light sensitivity
- Delayed puberty
- Allergies / Food sensitivities
- Tend to have one or two close friends
- Bad breath
- Psychiatric disorders
- Poor dream recall
- Excess reactions to drugs and alcohol
- Poor morning appetite
- Dry skin /pale skin
- Fatigue
- Frequent colds or infections
- Live a loner type lifestyle
- Poor wound healing
- Memory issues
- Social anxiety
Pyrrole disorder can be diagnosed through a simple urine test at specialist laboratories.
If you suffer from pyrrole disorder, you are more likely to suffer from associated mood disorders and poor immunity. There is evidence that pyrrole disorder is found in 10-20% of the general population and as high as 35-45% in people with mood disorders, autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Pyrrole disorder has a genetic predisposition and can be brought on when stress, emotional or environmental, causes an imbalance in your body’s biochemistry. It is a marker of oxidative stress and leaky gut often is a contributing factor.
The condition causes excess production of a metabolite called hydroxyhemopyrrolin-2-one (HPL), a waste by product from haemoglobin. Elevated levels of HPL bind to vitamin B6 and zinc causing deficiencies of these nutrients in your body. You might also be deficient in the nutrients biotin and gamma linoleic acid (omega 6).
Vitamin B6 is essential for neurotransmitter production, metabolising fats and over 100 other enzyme-catalysed reactions in your body. Zinc is needed for strong immunity, skin and hair growth, stomach acid production and around 200 other enzymatic processes. A low zinc level also creates an environment that encourages accumulation of opportunistic heavy metals. An imbalance in the zinc to copper ratio is also common, causing many health issues.
As vitamin B6 and zinc are involved in so many bodily processes, deficiencies can wreak havoc on your health causing a range of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
Supplementation of these nutrients is needed to reduce HPL levels and balance your body’s chemistry. Often, many times the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) may be needed to achieve this. Depending on other conditions you might have, improvements can often appear within a week.
Treatment sounds simple, but it is essential to tailor specific doses for you and to start low and work up. If supplementation is started too swiftly, side effects such as copper dumping, tinnitus and a worsening of anxiety may result.
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