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Can Social Anxiety Be Reversed with Nutrition?

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underground-wellness-radio

Sean Croxton host of Underground Wellness Radio shares how:

  • he was once prescribed Paxil for social anxiety (and depression)
  • he doesn’t like big crowds
  • he can speak on stage in front of 100s of people with no problem
  • as soon as people come to talk to him afterwards he wants to go!

Can you relate to any of this?

He thinks he has pyroluria, a social anxiety condition where you have a higher need for some key nutrients: zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil.

We are often surprised when we hear that someone who appears to be outgoing and extroverted (like Sean) actually has social anxiety.

It’s more common than you think and is made worse under stressful situations: life stresses, gluten sensitivities etc.

I share how my social anxiety got really bad in my late thirties (when my PMS was so bad) and how

  • many of us with pyroluria push through and deal with it
  • we just want to stay home
  • we don’t really want to see people

Not everyone needs omega-3 supplements!

We discuss omega-3s and omega-6s and how pyrolurics often don’t need to supplement with omega-3s like fish oils but can extract the omega-3s from the foods they eat: grass-fed red meat, wild fish like salmon, leafy greens and walnuts.

Pyrolurics often do need to supplement with the GLA form of omega-6 that we find in evening primrose oil as GLA is often low, plus the GLA enhances zinc absorption.

(by the way: I said alpha linolenic acid (ALA) but should have said gamma linolenic acid (GLA)

A good copper-free multi is part of the protocol because low zinc often means high copper and this can make you more anxious.

Looking at other sources of copper is a helpful for many pyrolurics: eating too many nuts, baking with nut flours, the copper IUD.

You don’t want to miss this part…Sean asks if you can cure introversion with this pyroluria protocol. If you are an introvert and force yourself in social settings, feel very uncomfortable and anxious being around big groups of people then you’re going to have to watch the end of the video for my answer!

You can watch the whole snippet here  

This is part of my interview on the Depression Sessions, a FREE online event hosted by my friend Sean. I’ll also be sharing information about the amazing amino acids – inexpensive, over-the-counter supplements that can lift your mood and end anxiety in minutes!

Sean traveled the country to interview the best of the best experts — medical doctors, naturopaths, nutritionists, and bestselling authors — on what really causes depression and anxiety and what to do about it. 

Some of us (like me) flew to San Diego to be interviewed in his home. It was such a thrill to be interviewed by the legendary Sean Croxton and is an honor to be part of this group of experts!

Here are just a few of the amazing experts you’ll hear from:

  • Suzy Cohen, also known as America’s Pharmacist, uncovers specific prescription drugs that rob your body and brain of mood-friendly nutrients.
  • Datis Kharrazian will show you what insomnia, anxiety, and the symptoms that tag along with depression can tell you about what’s causing it.
  • Hyla Cass, a medical doctor and integrative psychiatrist (who has been featured on two prior Anxiety Summits), shares her best tips for transitioning OFF of psychiatric meds while avoiding or minimizing common withdrawal symptoms.
  • Ben Lynch (another Anxiety Summit favorite) reveals the incredibly common genetic mutation known to drive depression (and anxiety) … and the critical nutrients that make such a big difference.

This is not your ordinary online health summit. You can expect high-quality interviews, HD production and picture quality, and a life-changing experience!

Click HERE to sign up and to watch the trailer (I hear it’s gone viral on Facebook!) and catch me sharing some scary facts on medications and very young kids, and some excellent gems from other speakers on the Depression Sessions.

Of course you’ll also get access to my whole interview, when it airs in June, plus all the other great interviews.   Just be sure to sign up here to get access to all of them:  https://at105.isrefer.com/go/depreg/trudyscott/

 

Pyroluria prevalence and associated conditions

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pyroluria-prevalence

Pyroluria is a genetic condition that is frequently associated with a type of anxiety characterized by social anxiety, avoidance of crowds, a feeling of inner tension, and bouts of depression. People with this problem experience varying degrees of anxiety or fear, often starting in childhood, but they usually manage to cover it up and push through. They tend to build their life around one person, become more of a loner over time, have difficulty handling stress or change, and have heightened anxiety symptoms when under more stress.

Addressing low levels of the mineral zinc and vitamin B6, together with some other nutrients and stress management, are key to addressing these symptoms.

You can read more about pyroluria, sometimes called high mauve or pyrrole disorder here

Pyroluria is far more common that we realize and is not considered a real condition in conventional medicine or mainstream mental health.

I’d like to share the prevalence of pyroluria and the many related conditions/syndromes (other than those we have listed on the current Pyroluria Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution

I discussed some of this in my interview on the Anxiety Summit season 3: Pyroluria, Amino Acids and Anxiety: Troubleshooting when you are not getting results and in my Closing call 60+ Nutritional & Biochemical Causes of Anxiety and Recommended Supplements so here it is all in one place.

This is an excerpt from my book The Antianxiety Food Solution:

Joan Mathews-Larson is someone who I consider an expert on the subject of pyroluria. In her book Depression-Free Naturally, she reports the prevalence as follows: 11 percent of the healthy population, 40 percent of adults with psychiatric disorders, 25 percent of children with psychiatric disorders, 30 percent of people with schizophrenia, and 40 percent of alcoholics.

Abram Hoffer worked primarily with schizophrenic patients, but he found pyroluria was also present in 25 percent of his nonschizophrenic patients, including adults with anxiety, depression, and alcoholism, and children with learning disorders and behavioral disorders.

According to McGinnis, pyroluria is also present in about 46 percent of people with autism spectrum disorders and 71 percent of those with Down syndrome.

I work primarily with adult women who are anxious, depressed, or both and have found that at least 80 percent of my clients with moderate to severe anxiety have a large number of pyroluria symptoms.

I thought it would be useful to summarize the above percentages for some clarity. I used some educated guesses to get some ranges we may expect to see. Keep in mind that the differing percentages are because of the different populations each practitioner works with:

  • the healthy population : 11% (Joan Mathews Larson)
  • adults with psychiatric/mood disorders like anxiety and depression: 40% (Joan Mathews Larson)
  • children with psychiatric/mood disorders like anxiety and depression: 25% (Joan Mathews Larson)
  • children with learning disorders and behavioral disorders: 25% (Abram Hoffer)
  • schizophrenics: 30% (Joan Mathews Larson)
  • alcoholics: 25% (Woody McGinnis and Abram Hoffer) to 40% (Joan Mathews Larson)
  • autism spectrum disorders: 46% (Woody McGinnis)
  • Down Syndrome: 71% (Woody McGinnis)
  • adult women with anxiety and/or depression: up to 80% (Trudy Scott)

There are other related conditions where there have been reports of improvements in both conditions (when on the pyroluria protocol):

Other factors/conditions to consider:

  • Miscarriage – Carl Pfeiffer observed that pyroluria is more common in girls and that girls in the family often look alike. It seems that boy babies are more frequently miscarried
  • MTHFR defects – I have been hearing that many people with pyroluria also have one or both of the MTHFR polymorphisms. We know that methylation polymorphisms are a factor in miscarriages and it would be interesting to know if more boys are miscarried.
  • Low histamine (histapenia) or high histamine (histadela) – many pyrolurics also have one or the other. I’m not sure of the prevalence but I’m sure Dr. William Walsh has some numbers which I plan to find.
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome/CFS – the common issues with CFS and pyroluria seem to be low zinc and low iron, plus inflammation. You can read more here: Pyroluria and chronic fatigue syndrome: is there a link?
  • Low oxytocin and social anxiety and autism – the common factors seem to be oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) defects, low serotonin and low zinc

Other conditions that have a social anxiety aspect, a possible neurotransmitter imbalance with a likely pyroluria connection. These came up as questions during season 3 of the Anxiety Summit and I’ll report back as I find out more:

  • Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. I don’t know if there is there a connection between pyroluria and Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (where the person sees large or small objects/people and often has migraines). I had never heard of this condition but my quick search had me wondering about the word “hallucinations.” The original work by Carl Pfeiffer was with schizophrenics who had pyroluria so it’s possible that there is a connection.
  • Selective mutism I also don’t know if there is a connection between pyroluria and selective mutism. We do know that selective mutism often goes hand in hand with anxiety and social anxiety.

Both young girls with the above conditions did score high on the pyroluria questionnaire and it will be wonderful to hear if the pyroluria protocol helps them. I really do hope so!

I will be doing more digging to find the connections between pyroluria and Lyme disease, leaky gut and oxalate issues. I also plan to take a deeper dive into the joint problems we see in pyrolurics so stay tuned for future blogs on these topics.

If you’re aware of any other conditions related to pyroluria or if have pyroluria and have seen other health conditions improve, please do share in the comments.

Pyroluria/social anxiety protocol: why aren’t I getting results? (trouble-shooting checklist)

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How do you trouble-shoot when you score high on the Pyroluria Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution  or even have a positive pyroluria urine test but you don’t seem to be getting the results you expect?

You still have social anxiety, that inner tension that you push through and deal with, and likely still feel uncomfortable when in large groups. You force yourself to put on the confident brave face. You may wish you could be more like your extrovert friends and actual enjoy socializing and speaking in public/on stage – without the fear and anxiety. You may still not be a big breakfast eater and have morning nausea. You may not yet be having pleasant dreams that you always remember.

(If pyroluria is new to you here is the Pyroluria Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and here is a nice summary – Pyroluria, social anxiety, introversion: a summary )

This checklist is a starting point to try and figure out what may be the issue. These are the questions I’d work through with someone who is working with me one-on-one.

I discussed 21 of these in my interview on season 3 of the Anxiety Summit: Pyroluria, Amino Acids and Anxiety: Troubleshooting when you are not getting results

As you heard during the interview, I added MTHFR and I’ve even added a few more since then. I expect this list to grow.

  1. What form of zinc are you taking and is it free from copper? My favorite is Optizinc (zinc monomethionine)
  2. Have you made sure that there is no copper in your multivitamin or other supplements?
  3. Have you been taking evening primrose oil and if yes, how much?
  4. Did you test your fatty acid levels? What are the results? Did it show a need for GLA (I like evening primrose oil rather than borage oil)
  5. What is your alkaline phosphatase (blood test) – less than 70 may indicate a need for zinc
  6. Have you done the zinc tally/challenge with zinc sulfate and does it taste like water or does it taste really bad? If you zinc levels are good it should taste really bad
  7. Did you test copper and ceruloplasmin, and if yes, what were the results?
  8. Did you do the pyroluria urine test? What are the results?
  9. What’s your score on the pyroluria questionnaire ? And which symptoms do you have?
  10. What is your score on the introversion questionnaire?
  11. What were your dreams like before starting the protocol and now? How high did you go on the vitamin B6?
  12. On a scale of 1-10, what was your social anxiety before and now (10 is worst)
  13. What is your stomach acid like? And have you trialed Hcl supplements? Tested total protein (in blood)
  14. Do you eat grass-fed red meat (a good source of zinc, iron and omega-3s?
  15. Do you eat sugar? Refined sugar and processed foods? Or even “healthy” sweeteners such as honey in large quantities? (sugar depletes zinc)
  16. Do you eat large quantities of nuts or bake with nut flours? (the copper in the nuts may be affecting your zinc)
  17. Do you have a copper IUD, copper pipes, copper pots?
  18. Have you done a hair analysis and found high copper or high hidden copper?
  19. How much and how often do you exercise? What about bikram/hot yoga? Sweating depletes us of zinc
  20. Have you used any of the amino acids? And seen good results?
  21. Do you eat gluten and have a gluten sensitivity? If yes, have you healed your gut? If not, you may have malabsorption
  22. Are you completely grain-free? This may be impacting your vitamin B6 levels)
  23. Do you have amalgams/silver fillings? Did you have them removed and did a mercury detox? Were you tested for heavy metals? Zinc absorption can be blocked by heavy metals (we talked about this in season 2)
  24. Do you have the MTHFR polymorphism? It’s common with pyroluria and this may mean you need higher amounts of the supplements
  25. Do you have high histamine/hisadelia or low histamine/histapenia? Pyrolurics often have one or the other
  26. Are you taking benzodiazapines or have recently quit benzodiazapines? Your unresolved anxiety may be due to this fact (we talked about this in season 1)
  27. Do you have parasites, candida, dysbiosis, SIBO or other digestive issues? These can be considered stresses and pyroluria symptoms are worse under stress
  28. Do you have Lyme disease or another infection? These can be considered stresses and pyroluria symptoms are worse under stress
  29. Do you have food sensitivities?  This may contribute to malabsorption.  This can also be considered a stress and pyroluria symptoms are worse under stress
  30. Do you have problems with histamine-containing foods? This can be considered a stress and pyroluria symptoms are worse under stress.  Also, vitamin B6 is a co-factor needed for the DAO enzyme, which is responsible for the degradation of histamine.
  31. Do you have issues with oxalates? This can be considered a stress and pyroluria symptoms are worse under stress. Oxalates can also bind to minerals and lower the levels
  32. Have you been/are you exposed to mold and other toxins? These can be considered stresses and pyroluria symptoms are worse under stress
  33. Do you have low oxytocin levels?  Do you have a genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). Oxytocin has been implicated in anxiety, depression and related stress phenotypes
  34. Is your life super-stressful? Stress makes pyroluria worse
  35. Do you have adrenal issues? We need good adrenal function for optimal digestion, being able to handle stress and being able to fight off infections/avoid getting parasites and dysbiosis
  36. Do you have hormonal issues – PMS, perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms?  The pyroluria protocol helps and this could be a clue that something is off

This list is NOT in my book The Antianxiety Food Solution but the pyroluria questionnaire, protocol and testing information is (my book has a whole chapter on pyroluria).

If you are not already registered for the Anxiety Summit you can get live access to the speakers of the day here: www.theAnxietySummit.com

Missed this interview or can’t listen live? Or want this and the other great interviews for your learning library? Purchase the MP3s or MP3s + transcripts and listen when it suits you.

You can find your purchasing options here: Anxiety Summit Season 1, Anxiety Summit Season 2, and Anxiety Summit Season 3.

Please share your results and ask questions in the comments.

The Anxiety Summit – Pyroluria, Amino Acids and Anxiety: Troubleshooting when you are not getting results

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Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution. presents during the Anxiety Summit Season 3.

Pyroluria, Amino Acids and Anxiety: Troubleshooting when you are not getting results

  • Pyroluria and the effects of leaky gut, oxalates and low oxytocin levels
  • CFS, ADHD, autism, alcoholism, Lyme disease: the pyroluria connection
  • Introversion and musician’s dystonia: an update on the pyroluria connection
  • Troubleshooting the pyroluria protocol and mistakes I see
  • Testing for pyroluria, zinc, vitamin B6 and fatty acids
  • The 8 factors that make the targeted individual amino acids more effective
  • What to do when the amino acids are not working
  • Concerns about quinolinic acid and tryptophan?

Pyroluria/social anxiety/introversion protocol: trouble-shooting

This is the blog I mentioned that summarizes a number of prior blog posts on the topic: Pyroluria, social anxiety, introversion: a summary

We discussed factors to consider when you are not getting results on the pyroluria protocol. Here is the blog with the 21 we talked about during the interview plus additional factors that I’ve added.

Pyroluria protocol: why aren’t I getting results – trouble-shooting checklist

Here are the oxytocin blogs that discuss social anxiety, testing, the oxytocin receptor gene and connections to autism and depression:

Oxytocin, social anxiety, pyroluria and autism

Dr. Woeller shares how helpful oxytocin is for social anxiety, facial recognition and voice recognition in individuals with autism and Asperger’s syndrome

Oxytocin and social anxiety, pyroluria and depression?

Genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) has been implicated in anxiety, depression and related stress phenotypes

I mentioned my aminos and pyroluria interview with Sean Croxton on the upcoming Depression Sessions (an online video series) in June. He is an introvert and is fascinated with pyroluria-introversion connection. I said I’d share a link to the Depression Sessions but the site isn’t quite ready so please stay tuned. I’ll share it in a few days. This one is not to be missed.

 

Targeted individual amino acid supplements for anxiety: trouble-shooting

This is the blog I mentioned that summarizes a number of prior blog posts on the topic: Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

Here are the categories I discussed, together with the associated amino acid/s

  • low blood sugar: glutamine
  • low GABA: GABA (I prefer GABA to Phenibut or pharmaGABA)
  • low serotonin: tryptophan or 5-HTP
  • low endorphins: DPA (d-phenylalanine)
  • low catecholamines: tyrosine

Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution. I encourage you to do and see which sections may be an issue for you (or see how much you’ve improved if you’ve been using amino acids)

I discussed why Urinary neurotransmitter testing falls short and why I use the above questionnaire instead

There are some precautions to be aware of when taking supplemental amino acids. Here are the Amino Acid Precautions

The 8 factors that make the amino acids more effective:

  1. addressing blood sugar issues and eating real whole food
  2. the brand and quality
  3. timing i.e. between meals and away from protein
  4. your unique amount for your own need
  5. addressing bipolar or bipolar-type symptoms
  6. using the pyroluria protocol at the same time (if needed)
  7. addressing thyroid health and hormonal health
  8. taking the amino acids opened up

Thanks to Dr. Josh Friedman, Integrative Psychotherapist, for the interview. As I mentioned, I interviewed him on season 1 of the Anxiety summit on: “Integrative Psychotherapy: My Journey from Psychoanalysis to Whole Person Mental Health.” If you missed it, I highly recommend it. Dr. Friedman is dear friend, colleague and integrative psychotherapist who uses amino acids and other nutritional approaches in his practice. During our season 1 interview I asked him if he uses GABA with his patients and I love his answer:

it is definitely something I use. I am not a biochemist, so I actually don’t really know whether it crosses the blood/brain barrier, nor do I care actually. the first question should be, is it harmful? Are any of these things going to cause harm? And the answer with all the amino acids are no, they’re not going to cause harm, especially when compared to psychiatric medicines. The second question is, does it work? Is it helpful for our patients that we see in our practice?

Here is a link to my book: The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings

As we mentioned, it has the amino acid questionnaire, pyroluria questionnaire and all the protocols BUT does not contain the 21+ pyroluria touble-shooting checklist (see the separate blog post for this)

trudy scott the antianxiety food solution

If you are not already registered for the Anxiety Summit you can get live access to the speakers of the day here: www.theAnxietySummit.com

Missed this interview or can’t listen live? Or want this and the other great interviews for your learning library? Purchase the MP3s or MP3s + transcripts and listen when it suits you.

You can find your purchasing options here: Anxiety Summit Season 1, Anxiety Summit Season 2, and Anxiety Summit Season 3.

Pyroluria, social anxiety, introversion: a summary

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 reading-on-beach

Pyroluria is a social anxiety condition that is not well recognized in the medical community. It responds really well to a few key nutrients. I cover this in this blog post: Pyroluria, high mauve, pyrrole disorder, malvaria, elevated kryptopyrroles and social anxiety

Low levels of the mineral zinc and vitamin B6 are frequently associated with a type of anxiety characterized by social anxiety, avoidance of crowds, a feeling of inner tension, and bouts of depression. People with this problem experience varying degrees of anxiety or fear, often starting in childhood, but they usually manage to cover it up and push through. They tend to build their life around one person, become more of a loner over time, have difficulty handling stress or change, and have heightened anxiety symptoms when under more stress.

This constellation of symptoms is often the result of a genetic condition called pyroluria, also known as high mauve, pyrrole disorder, pyrroluria, pyrolleuria, malvaria, and elevated kryptopyrroles.

If this sounds like you, here is a link to the Pyroluria Questionnaire from my book The Antianxiety Food Solution. I created this using the work of Carl Pfeiffer and Joan Mathews-Larson, modifying it based on feedback I received from my clients.

I encourage you to do this questionnaire and see how you score (before starting on the supplements and once you are on them).

This is a collection of past blog posts on the topic of pyroluria in preparation for my season 3 interview on the Anxiety Summit: “Pyroluria, Amino Acids and Anxiety: Troubleshooting when you are not getting results”

During the Anxiety Summit season 2 Dr Corey Schuler interviewed me on the topic: How zinc and vitamin B6 prevent pyroluria and social anxiety

I review the questionnaire, the protocol and discuss how I’ve discovered a pyroluria-introversion connection. Here is the blog post I wrote in response to the Huffington Post article, written by Carolyn Gregoire and called “23 Signs You’re Secretly An Introvert”: Am I an anxious introvert because of low zinc and vitamin B6? My response to Huffington Post blog

I encourage you to also do this questionnaire and see how you score and see if a high score correlates with a high score on the pyroluria questionnaire. Do this before starting on the supplements and then once you are on them. Many anxious introverts no longer feel anxious in social settings once they get on the pyroluria protocol. Many say they no longer see themselves as introverted!

In that season 2 interview I also share about the connection between Pyroluria and focal musician’s dystonia or musician’s cramp

Here are some more recent blogs on pyroluria and related conditions:

For most of my clients getting on the pyroluria protocol is life-changing! It certainly has been for me!

Unfortunately not everyone responds as expected. Some people:

  • Cannot get their zinc levels to increase
  • Feel too nauseas when taking any zinc
  • Never seem to remember their dreams
  • Continue to have social anxiety despite everything they do

My troubleshooting interview will be addressing the above scenarios and other related pyroluria questions that come up. PLEASE ASK YOUR QUESTIONS in the comments section below.

PS. If you’d like me to try and troubleshoot for you, please answer the questions I posed to Nancy below

If you’re not already signed up do join us here: season 3 of The Anxiety Summit