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Chronic Lyme Disease Summit – anxiety, pyroluria & more

By Trudy Scott 6 Comments

The Chronic Lyme Disease Summit runs from April 4th to 11th so I’m sharing some additional information for you.

chronic-lyme-disease-summit-y

The response to this summit, hosted by Dr. Jay Davidson, is out of this world already. Lyme disease is much more talked about than most realize and more people are affected by Lyme disease each year than breast cancer!

Many people with chronic Lyme disease have chronic anxiety too and the focus of my interview is how to use targeted individual amino acids GABA and tryptophan to top up low levels of GABA and serotonin while the Lyme is being addressed.

This gives Lyme sufferers resolution from much of the anxiety (if not all) right away and they don’t need to resort to meds like benzodiazepines or anti-depressants (like the women in the study below). There is also a big connection between Lyme disease and pyroluria and I cover this too.

Here is one study that shows that Lyme-anxiety is very real and that panic attacks may actually be trigged by the Lyme disease:

A paper published in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice in 2000: Panic attacks may reveal previously unsuspected chronic disseminated lyme disease

describes the histories of three patients with panic-like episodes that turned out to be related to underlying, previously unsuspected tick-borne diseases.

Each woman experienced symptoms that are not usual in panic disorder but are typical of neurological Lyme disease, including exquisite sensitivity to light, touch, and sounds, joint pain often in combination with cognitive changes including mental fogginess and loss of recent memory, and some degree of bizarre, shifting, and often excruciating neurological pain. Because these symptoms are atypical of primary panic disorder, they were very helpful in alerting the clinician to suspect an underlying physical illness.

In each case, the results of testing revealed positive hallmarks of disseminated Lyme and other tick-borne diseases [ including Lyme borreliosis caused by the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis.] Since beginning treatment with intensive doses of appropriate antimicrobial medications for their tick-borne infections, all three patients have become free of panic attacks.

Treatment of their infections by a specialist in Lyme disease allowed one of the women to discontinue anti-anxiety medication completely and another to reduce the dose of medication to occasional use only. The third patient is no longer anxious but her depression is resolving more slowly despite the ongoing use of an antidepressant. Two of the patients have also needed ongoing medication for pain and other symptoms of late-stage, neurological Lyme disease

lyme-trudy

One of my favorite presentations at the 2015 IMMH/Integrative Medicine for Mental Health conference was Dr. Suruchi Chandra’s Neuropsychiatric Lyme Disease talk. She shared that:

Lyme disease is one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the United States. It can remain dormant for years and then later mimic a number of psychiatric illnesses, including anxiety disorders, mood disturbances, psychosis, and autism-like behaviors. It can be further complicated by the presence of co-infections.

Tune in to the summit to hear more about Lyme and anxiety and the amino acids GABA and tryptophan (and the Lyme-pyroluria connection).

(Please note: I’m not a Lyme disease expert – people seek me out for help with their anxiety and many of them also happen to have Lyme disease. The information we covered in the interview is very powerful for anxiety whether or not Lyme disease is a factor.)

Here are a selection of the many excellent Lyme interviews you’ll hear:

  • Dr. Jay Davidson, DC, PScD: Heavy Metal Detox and Lyme Disease
  • Connie Strasheim: Lyme Disease and Cancer
  • Jack Tips, PhD, CCN: The Gut Microbiome and Lyme disease
  • Shayne Morris, PhD: Biofilm, Bugs and Bacteriophage
  • Bradley Bush, ND: A Lab Test that Actually Works for Detecting Lyme Disease

When you register you get access to 3 talks right away – mine is one of the 3 talks! You can register here:
https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/LYME16reg/trudyscottcn

The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements

By Trudy Scott 674 Comments

antianxiety food solution and amino acids

Here are my amino acid and pyroluria supplement recommendations. These are the products I use with my one-one clients and those doing my online group programs.

You can find most of these products in my online store at Fullscript – you’ll find details here on how to set up and account (you just need to do this once) and make your purchase.

Purchase products through our Fullscript virtual dispensary.

Questionnaires and information

My publisher would not allow me to make specific product recommendations in my book so this list is a courtesy to those of you who have purchased the book.

If you do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in to taking supplements: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings

There is a complete chapter on the amino acids and one for pyroluria, plus information on real whole food, sugar and blood sugar, gluten, digestion and much more.

Once you have read it you can use these blogs as summaries (they do contain some information that is not in my book).

Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

Please read and follow these Amino Acid Precautions

Here is the Pyroluria Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Pyroluria, social anxiety, introversion: a summary

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

Supplements for Low Blood Sugar (anxious, shaky between meals and intense sugar cravings)

Glutamine helps with low blood sugar, may help eliminate the strong desire for something sweet when opened on to the tongue, and is very healing for the digestive system

  • Pure Encapsulations L-Glutamine 500mg:  L-glutamine (free-form) 500 mg, vitamin C (as ascorbyl palmitate) 5 mg. The capsules can be swallowed or the capsule can be opened on to the tongue
  • Designs for Health Glutamine Powder: This is a powdered glutamine that you can use right on your tongue or even mixed in water. The taste is quite pleasant.

Supplements for low GABA (stiff and tense muscles, anxious, panic attacks, use sugar/wine to relax)

GABA helps to raise GABA levels.  I find GABA to be most effective when taken sublingually or opened on to the tongue. I find GABA to be more effective than pharmaGABA for most of my clients. I don’t ever use Phenibut (which the FDA recently removed from non-prescription use).  Here are some GABA products that I like and use with clients.

Source Naturals GABA Calm (lozenges): This is a pleasant-tasting sublingual product that is my most popular and the most effective form of GABA I use with my clients. It is a lozenge that contains 125mg GABA, 5mg magnesium, 50mg glycine, 25mg tyrosine and 20 mg taurine. [AS OF NOV 24, 2021 THIS PRODUCT IS IN SHORT SUPPLY AGAIN]

[Note: this product is a lozenge with 125mg GABA and is not to be confused with the Source Naturals, GABA Calm Mind, 750 mg tablets]

Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP: gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) 300 mg, l-Theanine 150 mg. This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used.  I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.

Thorne PharmaGABA-100:  the label says Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) 100 mg but it also states that the product uses Pharma Foods International’s Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (PharmaGABA®).  This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and is most effective when used this way. [AS OF NOV 24, 2021 THIS MAY BE UNAVAILABLE]

Thorne PharmaGABA-250: as above but contains 250mg of PharmaGABA®.  This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and is most effective when used this way. [AS OF NOV 24, 2021 THIS MAY BE UNAVAILABLE]

Designs for Health PharmaGABA Chewables: gamma-amino butyric acid (pharmaGABA) 200 mg in 2 chewable tablets.  It’s quick-acting and convenient like GABA-Calm because it’s chewable. This does contain xylitol, natural flavors, stevia and some other ingredients so taste may be a factor and xylitol can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea when too much is consumed.

Natural Factors PharmaGABA: gamma-amino butyric acid (pharmaGABA) 200 mg in 2 chewable tablets. It’s quick-acting and convenient like GABA-Calm because it’s chewable. However it also contains organic cane sugar and natural fruit flavors so it’s a little too candy-like for my preference, especially if you have low GABA-related sugar cravings. Also 2 chewable tablets – 4g of carbs which is almost 1 teaspoon of sugar!

[January 22, 2021/November 24, 2021: I’ve included this as a stand-by option for occasional use when Source Naturals GABA Calm is in short supply or if Designs for Health PharmaGABA Chewables are not available.]

 

Now Foods GABA Powder: 1/4 Level Teaspoon (500mg). This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and is most effective when used this way.  The only challenge with powder like this is making sure you don’t use too much by mistake. And it’s especially challenging when you only need 100mg.  A mini measuring spoon set like this one (my Amazon link) is so easy and convenient to use and allows for accurate dosing.

Quicksilver Scientific Liposomal GABA with L-Theanine: 2ml (4 Pumps) provides (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) 240mg, L-Theanine 100mg and Phosphatidylcholine 120mg (from purified sunflower seed lecithin). Spray and hold 30 seconds before swallowing. It does contain ethanol so would not be suitable for alcoholics or young children.

GABA-Pro Calming Effect Chewable: This is a chewable that contains 100 mg of pharmaGABA in 1 tablet. It is pharmaGABA even though the product says GABA-Pro on the front and the label states Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA). It does contain natural flavors and xylitol. [This product is a reasonable replacement for Source Naturals GABA Calm when it’s not available (Nov 24, 2021)]

GABA-Pro Calming Effect: This contains 100 mg of pharmaGABA in 1 tablet. It is pharmaGABA even though the product says GABA-Pro on the front and the label states Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA). This capsule can be opened onto the tongue.  It does contain rice flour which can be an issue if you have a rice allergy/sensitivity and/or SIBO.

Designs for Health Stress Arrest: Niacin (niacinamide) 100 mg, Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine HCL) 10 mg, Pantothenic acid (d-calcium pantothenate) 100 mg, GABA 300 mg, Glycine 200 mg

Supplements for low serotonin (worry, rumination, negativity, afternoon and evening cravings and insomnia)

Tryptophan and/or 5-HTP can help to raise low serotonin. I typically recommend starting with tryptophan and don’t recommend 5-HTP if you have high cortisol as it can raise cortisol. Some people do better on tryptophan and some do better on 5-HTP.

Lidtke l-tryptophan 500mg:  I only recommend the Lidtke brand for tryptophan as quality is a big consideration when it comes to this amino acid. This can be opened and/or chewed but doesn’t taste good. It can be mixed with inositol powder to make it more pleasant (see below) or with mashed banana. NOTE: This is not the same as the Lidtke Tryptophan Complete which has ingredients other than tryptophan making it more difficult to titrate up.

Lidtke l-Tryptophan Chewable: tablets contain 200mg L-Tryptophan per 2 tablets. This chewable form is both good and bad. It’s good because it’s a nice 100mg of tryptophan per tablet, is chewable, tastes good and is suitable for kids and “pixie dust” individuals (who need a very small amount). The bad aspect is that it does contain sugar and is quite sweet. Because you are continually consuming something sweet you may end up over-consuming them if sugar addiction is your issue.

Pure Encapsulations 5-HTP 50mg:  Some of my clients do better on 5-HTP and some find taking this during the day and tryptophan at night works well for them.

Designs for Health Inositol: is fabulous for obsessive thoughts/behaviors that the tryptophan isn’t quite enough for. It’s also been shown to be very helpful for OCD itself. The powder has a slightly sweet taste and I recommend taking it in the powdered form. You can take up to 18g a day but I suggest starting with 2g a day and building up as needed. I think it  makes a great addition for mixing into the nasty tasting tryptophan – I suggest starting with 2g inositol per 500mg tryptophan.

Douglas Labs 1mg melatonin sublingual: If the tryptophan isn’t enough for sleep issues, adding this often helps if you can’t fall asleep (and if it’s a low serotonin/low melatonin issue). Start with one and increase to 3 as needed

Douglas Labs 3mg melatonin prolonged release: If the tryptophan isn’t enough for sleep, adding this often helps if you wake in the night and if it’s a low serotonin/low melatonin issue. Start with one and increase to 2 as needed.

Supplement for low endorphins (comfort and reward eating, weepy, pain issues)

DPA or D-Phenylalanine is the amino acid that helps to raise endorphins and eliminates the comfort/reward eating and the feelings of “I deserve this” and LOVING certain foods

Lidtke Endorphigen 500mg: Riboflavin 5mg, Pyridoxal 5-phosphate 5mg (enzymatic form of vitamin B6), D-Phenylalanine 500mg. This is also one of my top products that I recommend. I used to recommend simply chewing the capsule to get the quickest and best effects and this worked well when it was produced in a gelatin capsule. Now it’s made with a cellulose capsule and chewing doesn’t work at all well so opening the capsule (or just biting off the top) and tipping the powder into your mouth works well. It does taste quite pleasant – some of my clients think it has a dark chocolate-like taste. A few people don’t like the taste at all but even then, it can be very effective when low endorphins are an issue.

Supplement for low catecholamines (tired, coffee-drinking, blahs, poor focus, low motivation)

Tyrosine is the amino acid that helps to raise low catecholamines and can often help you quit coffee if you “self-medicate” due to low catecholamines.

Progressive Labs tyrosine 500mg: 500mg l-tyrosine.  This is the last amino acid I trial with my anxious clients because it can make you more anxious (although with one client it reduced her anxiety because she was able to focus better at work).

Vitamin C for negating the effects of any amino acid

Vitamin C 1000mg is used to negate the effects of any amino acid. I used to use EmergenC but this still contains folic acid, so here are some good alternate vitamin C recommendations:

Designs for Health C + Biofizz: Vitamin C 2569 mg (as Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Ascorbate, Magnesium Ascorbate) Quercetin 20 mg Hesperidin 20 mg Rutin 10 mg. This one mixes nicely in water and can also be added to a smoothie but tastes quite sweet for many people. I personally prefer less of a sweet taste.

Designs for Health Buffered Vitamin C: Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 2000 mg, Calcium (as calcium ascorbate) 80 mg, Magnesium (as magnesium ascorbate) 160 mg, Potassium (as potassium bicarbonate) 200 mg. This one doesn’t mix very well in water and can also be added to a smoothie. The taste is not very pleasant.

The supplements for pyroluria

Zinc, vitamin B6, evening primrose oil and a good copper-free multivitamin are what I use for my clients with pyroluria or for those who score above 15 on the questionnaire:

Solaray OptiZinc 30mg. Zinc (as Zinc Monomethionine [OptiZinc®] 30 mg, Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl) 20 mg. The zinc in this form seems to be well absorbed by many of my clients and is available over the counter. This also does not contain copper. Be aware as there are other OptiZinc products on the market that do contain copper (Source Naturals is one example)

Douglas Labs Opti-Zinc: Zinc (from 150 mg Zinc Monomethionine) 30 mg. The zinc in this form seems to be well absorbed by many of my clients. This also does not contain copper.

Metagenics Zinc Drink:  Zinc sulphate monohydrate in a base of distilled water. Each 2 tsp provides Zinc sulfate monohydrate 8 mg. Use this for testing your zinc status as described here: Zinc deficiency is common: using liquid zinc status test as an assessment tool

Here are a selection of 100 mg Vitamin B6/pyridoxine products. Use dream recall as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus social anxiety and mood improvements. If this doesn’t work you may need to use the activated form in conjunction with or instead of this one (see below)

Progressive Labs 100mg Vitamin B6 (contains rice flour)

NOW 100mg Vitamin B6 (contains rice flour)

Vital Nutrients 100mg Vitamin B6  (Only B6 and glycine)

Klaire Labs 250mg Vitamin B6 (Use this one if you find you do better with more i.e. 250mg)

Pure Encapsulations P5P 50 (activated B-6): pyridoxal 5 phosphate (activated B6) 50 mg, vitamin C (as ascorbyl palmitate) 3 mg. This activated form of B6 may be needed if the 100-500 mg B6/pyridoxine doesn’t work or may be needed in addition to vitamin B6/pyridoxine. Use dream recall as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus social anxiety and mood improvements.

Designs For Health P5P 50mg: another good product with pyridoxal 5 phosphate (activated B6) 50 mg

Now Foods Super Primrose 1300mg: Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera blennis) (Seed) 1.3 g (1300 mg) – 120 count. GLA is often low in pyroluria and EPO helps with zinc absorption and PMS symptoms.

Designs for Health Twice Daily Multi: This is a good copper-free multi. It also contains Folates (NatureFolate™ blend) 400 mcg instead of folic acid (no DFH products contain folic acid).

Free form amino acids and magnesium

Pure Encapsulations Amino Replete: A free form amino acid powder blend that does contain tryptophan. It does contain fructose, flavors and luo han guo

Allergy Research Free Aminos: A free form amino acid blend in capsules. It contains 5-HTP and not tryptophan. I’d prefer it if it had tryptophan.

Designs for Health Amino Acid Supreme: A free form amino acid blend powder that does contain tryptophan. It is sweetened with stevia and contains natural flavors.

Designs for Health Magnesium Malate 360mg

Liquid and powder options for children

Here are some liquid and powder options for children (or for adults, if you have a hard time swallowing pills):

Carlson 100mg B6: Use dream recall (and no more nightmares) as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus improvements in social anxiety and mood.

Designs for Health 50mg P5P (with a little zinc and magnesium): This is the activated form of B6. Use dream recall (and no more nightmares) as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus improvements in social anxiety and mood.

Pure Encapsulations 15mg Zinc gluconate: A liquid zinc option.

Metagenics 15mg Zinc (as zinc sulfate): A liquid zinc option.

Designs for Health Zinc Challenge: Zinc sulphate monohydrate in a base of distilled water. Each 2 tsp provides Zinc sulfate monohydrate 8 mg. I use this for testing zinc status but it could be used as a supplement too.

BodyBio evening primrose oil: Gamma Linolenic Acid/GLA (omega-6) 473 mg. GLA is often low in pyroluria and EPO helps with zinc absorption, eczema and PMS symptoms.

Klaire Labs Vitaspectrum multivitamin/mineral: This is a great copper-free, iron-free powdered multi for kids. You can mix the powder directly into room temperature or cold foods or beverages just before serving.

Pure Encapsulations Amino Replete: A free form amino acid powder blend that does contain tryptophan. It does contain fructose, flavors and luo han guo.

Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Citrate 250mg powder

Designs for Health Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate 300 mg powder: This one does have stevia and natural flavors

Also see chewable tryptophan, GABA Calm and inositol powder, plus powdered Vitamin C (all listed above).

Purchase products through our Fullscript virtual dispensary.

 

What about international orders?

Unfortunately, Fullscript does not ship internationally.

So we suggest folks try an intermediary shipping service like www.shipito.com (we haven’t used them as of yet, so do your own research, and if they or someone else does work out please let us know in the comments below).

An alternative is to use iHerb to get similar products, as they ship worldwide and may even have a branch in your country for free shipping.

Here is the link for iHerb and to get 5% off, and if you are interested in iHerb’s exclusive brands to get 10% off here.

 

Can Social Anxiety Be Reversed with Nutrition?

By Trudy Scott 62 Comments

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, an 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.

 

Pyroluria prevalence and associated conditions

By Trudy Scott 104 Comments

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!

Update: August 23, 2024

Osteopenia/osteoporosis – I’m exploring a possible connection to pyroluria given the role of zinc and vitamin B6, oxidative stress, anxiety and homocysteine in both.

One example are B vitamins (folate, B6 and B12) which help to reduce homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine increases anxiety/panic attacks and it also increases the risk of fractures. Also, vitamin B6 and the B vitamins are key for pyroluria and for helping to ease anxiety in general.

Another factor may be low zinc leading to low stomach acid production, thereby contributing to poor protein digestion and reduced calcium absorption – both important for bone health.

Other possible links include: celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, MTHFR polymorphism, oxalate issues, collagen/joint issues, perimenopause/menopause and liver/gallbladder/bile issues.

I will be publishing an in depth blog with all the supporting research links and some case studies, so stay tuned.

If you’re new to pyroluria

If you’re new to pyroluria you can find the current Pyroluria Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution here.

There is an entire chapter on pyroluria in my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution, where I cover more of the back story, the exact protocol and nuances (for example using vitamin B6/pyridoxine vs P5P/pyridoxal-5-phosphate), testing and much more.

There are many blog posts on the site that address additional aspects of pyroluria – feel free to use the search feature when on any blog post or use this link to find the posts.

Wrapping up and your feedback

Now I’d love to hear from you – do you have pyroluria (or suspect you have pyroluria) and do you have any of the above conditions or do any of them run in your family?

Has addressing your pyroluria with the pyroluria helped you feel more social and helped any of the related conditions?

If you’re aware of any other conditions related to pyroluria please do share in the comments.

With the newest update on osteopenia/osteoporosis I’m particularly interested in your feedback on this aspect as I gather information for a more in-depth blog post.

If you’re a practitioner working with clients/patients with pyroluria I’d love to hear your insights too.

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

The Anxiety Summit – My Anxiety Story and the Message of Hope We Offer

By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

 

Dan Stradford, Safe Harbor President, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

My Anxiety Story and the Message of Hope We Offer

  • Safe Harbor /Alternative Mental Health: a message of hope and practitioner resources
  • His low zinc, histadelia and anxiety
  • Margot Kidder’s story with amino acids and bipolar disorder
  • Success with social anxiety/pyroluria
  • His greatest piece of wisdom from an elderly African priest

Safe Harbor is the world’s largest site on non-drug approaches for mental health.

Thousands of people around the world have recovered from mental disorders and now enjoy the simple pleasures of a drug-free life. Most were told this was impossible. Yet we hear from these individuals regularly. Many others have been able to significantly reduce their dependency on psychiatric medication. Commonly these people find that underlying their “mental” disorders are medical problems, allergies, toxic conditions, nutritional imbalances, poor diets, lack of exercise, or other treatable physical conditions.

Safe Harbor is a nonprofit corporation, founded in 1998 and based in Los Angeles, California.

In 1958, when Safe Harbor founder Dan Stradford was four years old, his father, William Stradford, vanished into a mental hospital with a “nervous breakdown.” After receiving a series of shock treatments and potent drugs, William Stradford returned home a broken man. His memory was gone, his personality had deteriorated, and he could scarcely hold a job.

William Stradford – a once-vibrant, personable man – never recovered. The family, with 4 children, plummeted into poverty and fell apart. All the children except for Dan ended up in children’s homes.               

From a very early age, Dan Stradford felt there had to be safer, more effective alternatives for treating the mentally disturbed. In 1998 he formed the groundwork for the Safe Harbor Project to help others avoid the tragedy he witnessed growing up.

Finding many like-minded people inside and outside the medical community, Dan requested their help as board members and advisors and the Safe Harbor Project was born.

Safe Harbor has a very active Integrative Psychiatry email listserv for professionals who wish to share information on alternative mental health treatments. You can find out more about this and sign up here

This is the ebook for health professionals: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments in Psychiatry

There is a practitioner directory  but I’m not sure how accurate it is right now. They just moved to a new website format and I don’t see my listing there. We’ll keep you posted as it gets fixed.

Here is a link to Margot Kidder’s story: The Role of Amino Acids in Bipolar Disorder and Mental Health

The big takeaways from this interview:

  • The human mind and body is very complex and many overlapping factors can contribute to your anxiety
  • The physical aspect is the most unknown cause of mental health and most practitioners don’t know about this aspect

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

By Trudy Scott 118 Comments

pyroluria social anxiety protocol

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 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 continue to grow.

  1. What form of zinc are you taking and is it free from copper? My favorite is Optizinc (zinc monomethionine) as it’s typically well-absorbed
  2. Have you made sure that there is no copper in your multivitamin or other supplements? (this completes with zinc)
  3. Have you been taking evening primrose oil and if yes, how much? (this enhances zinc absorption)
  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) and no need for omega-3s (pyrolurics typically don’t need to supplement with omega-3s like fish oil)
  5. What is your alkaline phosphatase (a 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? Did you switch to P5P and/or use a combination of both if needed?
  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 levels)
  17. Do you have a copper IUD, copper pipes, copper pots? (this may also affect your zinc levels, keeping them low)
  18. Have you done a hair analysis and found high copper or high hidden copper? (this may also affect your zinc levels, keeping them low)
  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? (this could be a clue that zinc and vitamin B6 are low since they are cofactors for making neurotransmitters such as serotonin, GABA, dopamine)
  21. Do you eat gluten and have a gluten sensitivity? If yes, have you healed your gut? If not, you may have malabsorption issues
  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. Digestive issues also impact absorption
  28. Do you have Lyme disease or another infection? These can be considered stresses and pyroluria symptoms are worse under stress. The immune system also uses up zinc.
  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. For some folks vitamin B6 helps with oxalate issues so the need may be higher.
  32. Have you been/are you exposed to mold and other toxins? These can be considered stresses and pyroluria symptoms are worse under stress. The immune system also uses up zinc.
  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 or have you suffered from a recent trauma (or have old unresolved trauma)? Stress and trauma 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
  37. Are you on the birth control pill or have used one in the past? Oral contraceptives cause low vitamin B6 and zinc, reduce serotonin levels and increase anxiety.
  38. Are you on any other prescription medications? Many medications deplete B vitamins and zinc.
  39. Do you have vagus nerve issues? Good vagus nerve function is key for digestion, immunity, inflammation, neurotransmitter production and so much more. Also, forcing yourself to socialize when you have pyroluria is stressful and impacts the vagus nerve
  40. Do you have inflammation and/or immunity issues? Vitamin B6 plays a role in reducing inflammation and immune modulation
[August 2021: the above list was updated extensively]

 

This list is NOT exhaustive and it’s NOT in my book The Antianxiety Food Solution because I gathered this information after the book was published. However, the pyroluria questionnaire, detailed protocol and testing information is in the book. There is an entire chapter on pyroluria.

Keep in mind that most folks do the pyroluria questionnaire, start on the recommended protocol of zinc, vitamin B6 and a copper-free multi and start to see improvements in a week. These can be dramatic improvements for many folks. And many folks see decent improvements in a few weeks and tweak things over the next few weeks before landing on the ideal doses.

This blog is for you if this doesn’t happen.

Did you miss this interview or want this and the other great interviews for your learning library? You can purchase the MP3s or MP3s + transcripts and listen/read when it suits you. You can find your purchasing options here: Anxiety Summit Season 1, Anxiety Summit Season 2, and Anxiety Summit Season 3.

Feel free to share your results in the blog comments and what you figured may be the issue/s for you.

If you tweak something and it helped do let us know too. That way we all help each other.

And feel free to ask questions in the comments too.