Pyrrole Disorder: Is It Driving Your Anxiety + Inner Tension?
Pyrrole Disorder (or Pyroluria) can be a root-cause for social anxiety, bouts of depression, high inner tension, low immunity and fatigue. Thankfully, correcting this imbalance isn’t very complicated, and can allow you to start feeling better within just a few weeks.
Understanding this common but often over-looked condition has been an absolute game-changer for myself and my client’s wellness.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Pyrrole Disorder, and remember to take the Pyrrole Disorder quiz at the end of this post!
What Is Pyrrole Disorder (Pyroluria)?
“All cells in your body produce waste or by-products. The by-product of hemoglobin is called hydroxyhemopyrrolin-2-one (HPL) also known as Pyrrole. People who have Pyrrole Disorder, produce excessive amounts of these Pyrroles which then bind to or stop use of Zinc, Vitamin B6 and Omega-6 fat GLA. Thus, these nutrients cannot be used by the body.” -Dr. Carrie Rigoni
A depletion of zinc and B6 is the main problem with having Pyrrole Disorder. These nutrients are needed to make serotonin, GABA and dopamine, so low levels greatly increase the chances of a neurotransmitter imbalance.
This leads to poor stress tolerance, high sensitivity, inner tension, and anxiety or depression. Pyrrole Disorder can be caused by a genetic abnormality (common among those with Irish or Scandinavian heritage) or it can be brought on by any type of stress, as stress will deplete zinc and B6 further. The bottom line is, elevated levels of these pyrroles in the body can negatively affect our mood, immune health and over-all wellbeing.
This condition was discovered in 1958 by Dr. Abram Hoffer, a psychiatrist and biochemist. He continuously found elevated levels of HPL in his patients suffering from mental symptoms.
Dr. Walsh (who founded the Walsh Institute) then began testing thousands of his patients and had consistent findings linking it to things like anxiety and depression. In fact, he found 15% of his depressed patients had Pyrrole Disorder. When he gave those patients zinc and B6, their symptoms started improving! He tested and treated thousands of patients with success, and now trains health practitioners around the world on treating Pyrrole Disorder.
Today, it’s a widely recognized condition in the holistic and functional medicine world, where we’re seeing incredible symptom relief by correcting this imbalance. It can be identified by a symptom assessment and simple home-testing.
Symptoms and Characteristics of Pyrrole Disorder:
You don’t have to have each of these symptoms or characteristics, but this is what we often see with low levels of zinc and B6:
Anxious, shy, fearful and experiencing inner tension (often since childhood) but being good at hiding these feelings from others (1)
Poor stress tolerance
Depression and low moods
Hard to control temper, rage
Rapid cycling moods/ extreme mood swings
Abnormal menstrual cycle
Social anxiety and feeling uncomfortable with strangers
Feel stressed with changes in routine, like traveling
Poor dream recall or stressful, bizarre dreams or nightmares (low B6) (2)
Tendency to stay up late
Poor emotional regulation - episodic anger, or depression, might seem manic at times (4)
ADHD or ODD in children
Elevated kyrrptopyrroles in urine (above 10 mcg/dL)
Gastrointestinal issues and food allergies
Commonly seen in autism and schizophrenia
Fatigue
Feeling uncomfortable being seated in the middle of a restaurant (5)
Anemia or or low ferritin levels
Frequently getting sick or other immune challenges
Being of Irish or Scandinavian heritage (often genetically prone to this disorder)
OCD or negative thoughts
Common Physical Attributes of People with Pyrrole Disorder:
Premature greying hair
Pale, fair skin or being the palest in the family; sun-burning easily
White flecks or spots on fingernails or paper-thin nails (low zinc)
Red-headed people seem to often have Pyrrole Disorder
Having a swollen face when under a lot of stress (3)
Stretch marks and poor wound healing (low zinc)
Prone to acne or skin issues/ dry skin
Testing + Assessing
These are the different ways I assess my clients for Pyrrole Disorder:
1) Symptom Assessment: This is my favorite way to assess my clients, because urine test results have a tendency to show false negatives, (meaning the pyrroles are actually elevated but are being reported in normal range.)
2) Urine Test: A test measuring the level of kryptopyrroles in the urine can help identify the condition. I use DHA Laboratory and ship my clients a simple home-test. We’re looking for elevated kryptopyrroles, which is anything above 10 mcg/dL.
3) Blood Work: Checking plasma zinc levels is important. Below 90 ug/dL is functionally low, with 90-135 being optimal.
Correcting Pyrrole Disorder Symptoms
Treatment for pyrrole disorder focuses on addressing nutrient deficiencies and managing symptoms. It’s actually a relatively simple fix, with relief from symptoms usually noticed within 1-2 weeks.
People who have a genetic Pyrrole Disorder will usually want to stay on maintenance doses of zinc and B6, and/or take these nutrients during times of higher stress.
Nutrient support includes:
Zinc picolinate: If someone has elevated pyrroles and low zinc on testing, I’d start them on a lower dose of zinc (around 15mg) for several weeks and then very slowly titrate dose up for 2-3 months before retesting plasma zinc. Zinc can cause uncomfortable symptoms if taken in high doses and too quickly. This is because it can detox copper out of the body into the bloodstream. That’s why I always monitor zinc levels and go slowly.
Vitamin B6: I often use the active form of B6 which is P-5-P, usually in doses around 50mg-100mg. This vitamin plays a key role in neurotransmitter production and can improve mood and cognitive function.
Borage Oil or Evening Primrose Oil - Borage oil itself is used as a nourishing tonic for the nervous system. The omega-6 fatty acid GLA is found in borage, evening primrose and black current seed oil, and is often very depleted in people with Pyrrole Disorder.
Magnesium- This calming mineral can become depleted when taking B6, so it’s a good extra support. It’s also important for mitochondrial health and brain inflammation.
Vitamin E, B5, vitamin C and B3 are all supportive as well.
Conclusion
Knowing that you may have Pyrrole Disorder can be first amazing step to finally feeling better! Take the Pyrrole Questionnaire below to see if you score high or moderately high. If you do, please reach out and schedule an Initial Session with me, I’d be so happy to support you with simple next steps.
Being able to identify Pyrrole Disorder and knowing that it’s totally correctable with nutrient therapy has been SO empowering for me and my clients.
As research continues and more individuals become aware of Pyrrole Disorder, I hope to see greater recognition and understanding of this condition in the broader medical community. And remember, you’re not alone—support and simple solutions are here for you!
References:
1,2,3 “The Anti-Anxiety Food Solution” by Trudy Scott, chapter 7 page 128 +130
4 https://www.drcarrierigoni.com.au/blog/pyrroles-disorder
5 “Depression Free Naturally” by Joan Matthews Larson, PH.D.
Dr. Courtney Snyder’s podcast “Pyrrole Disorder and Stress-Induced Personality Changes” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS2r_i66bg4&list=PLD6PYc9Pn-NLSpu4pQuIGxPzLooP_ISMC
Disclaimer: This document is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner.
Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please go to https://www.nourishedbynature.co/disclaimer