Jason’s parents brought him to my clinic because of violent behavior. (I am not using anyone’s real name.) Several suspensions from school alerted his parents there may be a problem. But it was his punching a hole in the wall of his bedroom that led to the call to me. Lisa’s anxiety became so debilitating that she didn’t want to leave her house. By the time she called to make an appointment, she had confined herself to only her room and the adjoining bathroom. Clark’s sudden mood swings correlated with depression and not knowing what he wanted to do with his life. Though very smart and done well in school, Clark was currently underemployed. His mom convinced him to see me. We sent pyroluria test kits to all three of these patients, and I knew the results would be positive.

While depression, anxiety, oppositional defiance disorder (ODD), and reactive attachment disorder (RAD) may arise from different causes, pyroluria should be ruled out as the cause of these and other mental health problems. Testing is easy to do at home. The lab sends a pyroluria test kit; the sample is collected and sent back to the lab. After Jason’s mom called, we had results within two weeks, and I developed a treatment plan of vitamins and minerals ready for Jason.

“He’s a different kid,” his mom reported to me after the first follow-up appointment. “Had I known that treatment was so simple, I would have called you much sooner!”

Jason is not unusual. I have treated hundreds of people with pyroluria over the last seven years with great success. A pyroluria test kit is inexpensive and easy to do. Pyrrole supplements cost little and are simple to take. If that is the only imbalance in the body, we see changes in the person within a month.

What is Pyroluria?

What exactly is pyroluria? Confusion abounds as to how to explain pyroluria or Pyrrole Disorder. Other names include Mauve Factor and Kryptopyroluria. Many doctors do not recognize the clinical significance of pyrrole disorder. Though I didn’t learn about it in medical school, I can assure you that pyroluria is real.

Kryptopyrroles seem to appear under conditions of oxidative stress in the body. The body produces an unusable form of the part of the red blood cell that holds the oxygen, called a heme-ring. This molecule, harmless in most people, will deplete the body of nutrients such as zinc, vitamin B6, and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in others. People who have pyroluria be in normal range for these nutrients in their blood tests but still have symptoms. What are some of the symptoms? The chart below shows the effects of pyrrole disorder. You only have to have two or three to be positive. Oddly, there isn’t always a correlation between symptoms and amount of pyrroles. I have seen patients with extremely high numbers but few signs and patients with lots of symptoms and a low kryptopyrrole result. Over the course of the next could of articles, I’ll explain why that is. Suffice to say, pyroluria can affect different parts of the body in different ways.

Why would oxidative stress lead to the creation of kryptopyrroles? The short answer is we don’t know. There are many different theories, but the one I like the best is trauma. Early childhood trauma seems to be a commonality of people with this condition. Pyrrole disorder and oxidative stress, in general, seems to be a physiologic response to emotional or physical trauma. Jason’s parents adopted him as a baby. Early childhood wounding contributed to his behavior. Pyroluria may be a clue to mind-body connections; the bridge between the trauma that one experiences when younger and the physical symptoms that occur later in life. A diagnosis doesn’t mean that psychotherapy is unnecessary, but it can make it more successful.

Pyrrole supplements make a huge difference in the patients who have pyroluria. Treatment plans are inexpensive and easy to follow. While the number of pills can be daunting, most people find it effortless to integrate the task into their day. And the results are extraordinary. Lisa’s anxiety abated so she could continue her life again. Jason finished high school and responded to the new counselor his parents arranged. Clark’s mood swings disappeared with pyrrole treatment, and his motivation returned. “I feel that I have my son back,” his mother said to me. “He’s calm, funny, and is starting to have direction in his life again. He’s doing great!”

You too can get help. If you or a loved one has some of the symptoms listed, call or email us today. We will be happy to send out a pyroluria test kit and consult about the results, which we can do via an online doctor consultation. Pyrrole supplements can be life-changing. We’d be happy to help facilitate moving you into a happier place.

Though the patients mentioned in this article had an easy time with treatment, not everyone does. The next article will discuss some of the pitfalls of self-treatment.

Online doctor consultations are becoming more popular. And why not? Patients don’t have to travel to the office, park the car, and wait for the doctor. You can stay in the comfort of your home and consult with the doctor through your computer or phone. But are online doctor appointments good for everyone? Not likely. But for many people, virtual medical visits provide a simple approach to medical care. Let’s explore what online doctor consultations look like with Dr. Gil and what sort of conditions are appropriate for treatment.

Online Doctor Consultations with Dr. Gil

Dr. Gil has been using telehealth services for mental health for many years. The process begins with either a phone call or email and determine if labs need ordering. If you have the correct labs run relatively recently, there’s no need to repeat them just yet. Sometimes Dr. Gil orders additional labs, especially if you attempted similar treatments that didn’t work or only had partial results. Labwork performed by other providers may be reviewed before your appointment.  Labs aren’t required for every patient before the first appointment but can expedite the treatment process. For most patients in the US, we can arrange for the lab collection to occur near your location. Outside the US, some results are challenging but not impossible to obtain. The office staff assists as best it can to help you get what is required.

Before the appointment, you will fill out an extensive questionnaire that combined with the lab results helps Dr. Gil uncover possible causes of the ailment.  The first appointment lasts up to an hour whereby Dr. Gil comes up with a treatment plan for your condition. You can merely order the vitamin and supplements from Dr. Gil’s medicinary or obtain through another source.

Conditions Treated During Online Doctor Consultations

It is difficult to say what conditions can or cannot be treated online. New technologies are making it possible to do medicine via telehealth services. Dermatology, for example, is moving to a model that allows doctors to diagnose skins conditions via online doctor consultations. Some situations require an in-person visit before telehealth services will be useful. The Walsh Protocol, a system that uncovers nutrient deficiencies causing mental health issues, can be productive using telehealth services for mental health.  Some of the conditions that Dr. Gil treats using online doctor consultations include:

• Oppositional Defiance Disorder
• Reactive Attachment Disorder
• Conduct Disorder
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Bipolar
• Schizoaffective Disorder
• Autism/Asperger’s
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
• Migraine Headaches

Insurance may or may not cover telemedicine visits but may reimburse the lab fees. Check with us first about whether coverage is possible. Neurofeedback services typically require appointments to be in-person.

Demand for online doctor visits has increased as patients discover its advantages.  Find out for yourself how easy it is to get help for you or your family member. Schedule today for a free pre-consultation.

Pyroluria is more common than previously though. Pyro-what? What is this disease? The word pyroluria is a combination of pyrrole and urine. It refers to a molecule that shows up in the urine in most people.  There are different things that can cause pyroluria. For many people, pyroluria treatment can be life changing.  And many kids with Reactive Attachment Disorder or RAD Disorder have pyroluria. Behavior problems can disappear with simple natural treatments. Pyrrole Disorder symptoms are diverse. Let’s explore what pyrrole disorder is and what the symptoms look like.

Pyroluria is a condition that leads to an incomplete breakdown of red blood cells. This causes the formation of small molecules called kryptopyrroles that bind to zinc and B6 in the body. As a result, the body registers a deficiency of both those nutrients. There are many theories about what causes pyroluria but the reality is that we don’t know.  It is definitely a sign of inflammation in the body. Some of the possible causes are as follows:

• Genetics. Pyroluria does seem to run in families. I have tested kids who are siblings where both have had it many times. But not all the time. If a relative suffered from depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, alcholism, or another mental health condition, get tested.
• Childhood Trauma. There may be an epigenetic component to the condition. Trauma may cause a rise in inflammation in the body and lead to this condition.
• Chronic infection. It is difficult to know if the problem exists because of the infection or if the lack of zinc leads to poor immunity.
• Alcoholism of the sufferer or parents.
• Environmental toxicity. Heavy metal poisoning in particular could play a factor in the cause of pyroluria.
• Processed foods. A standard American diet of processed foods and sugar can stress the body out and lead to absorption problems.

Stress may be a trigger to pyroluria or it could be a result of it. It is not clear at the moment.

What are Pyrrole Disorder Symptoms?

Pyroluria has some distinct symptoms. I have a questionnaire that helps people determine if they have the condition. Most of the symptoms that I see in my practice revolve around mental health problems. But many people experience problems with other areas of the body.  Let’s start with the mental health symptoms first though.

Mentally, people feel stressed. There is a high amount of severe inner tension or anxiety. Tolerance to stress is low. For example, someone who easily stresses out with minimal traffic may have pyroluria. Social withdrawal is common as is sensitivity to crowds.

But more severe mental health symptoms exist too. There can be periods of mild to severe depression followed by hyperactivity. Episodic anger outbursts or other mood swings are common. Panica attacks or severe anxiety. They may enjoy an argument but be upset by criticism. In severe cases, pyrolurics may hallucinate or have delusion disorder.

Physical symptoms also exist though. Here’s a partial list:

• Fatigue easily likely due to nervous exhaustion.
• Insomnia.
• Poor dream recall
• Ringing in the ears.
• Digestive disturbances including irritable bowel, abdominal pain, and frequent gas and bloating. (They may have tried avoiding meat as a way to deal but this actually makes the problems worse as we’ll see.)
• Gluten intolerance
• Blood sugar control. There may be hypoglycemia with blood sugar drops.
• Allergies to food or the environment
• Frequent illnesses
• Morning nausea and poor appetite in the morning. They may skip breakfast.

There are some people who have few of these symptoms but may still have pyroluria. You may have done blood work for zinc for example and shown that it is normal but still have symptoms of zinc deficiency. This is typically caused by pyrrole disorder. So what can you do? My article about pyroluria gives suggestions but the short answer is get tested! I can do pyroluria testing and help develop a custom treatment plan via telemedicine services. Call today to learn more.

I get many calls from people all over the world asking if I can help them. They or their loved ones have different problems. Anxiety, ADD, oppositional defiance, OCD, RAD, autism, and depression are some of those problems. They want to know if can I help them using a natural approach without their coming to see me in Portland, Oregon. Do I offer telemedicine services? The short answer is, sometimes, yes! Insurance may or may not cover it. And I have certain restrictions on how I can help, for sure. But telemedicine is the wave of the future, and may be a good approach for many people. What does this process look like?

Telemedicine services or telepsychiatry is like having an in-person appointment. We can have our appointment on the phone or via HIPAA-compliant video. For most of the diagnoses and/or symptoms I listed above, telemedicine works great. You schedule an appointment and fill out the paperwork. I review the paperwork before the appointment. I have you get labs based on the Walsh Protocol to find what the imbalance may be. Any imbalance found allows me to treat with supplements.

Telemedicine services are a great option for many patients.  Most of my patients don’t live in places that have access to alternative providers. And my approach is truly unique. I have seen amazing progress with patients using “just” nutrient therapy. It’s not just taking a bunch of random supplements. It’s a targeted approach to balancing out the body. The combination of the intake paperwork and labs helps me determine the right supplements. In general, we do follow-up appointments every 4-6 weeks, depending upon the case, to make sure you are progressing well.

There are many things, though, that I cannot treat using telemedicine without another doctor’s help. In these cases, I can act as a health consultant. Any time a physical exam is required, you will need to visit your local physician. For example, many digestive ailments need a physical exam and/or imaging for proper diagnosis. While I can assist with naturopathic treatments using telemedicine services, I likely couldn’t diagnose. Some patients may also need neurofeedback or other services. These require a trip to my office or seeing a local provider. In some cases, I can give a referral depending upon where you live.

Also, sometimes other natural therapies are required to treat the problem. In this case, I have other approaches such as biotherapeutic drainage and botanical medicine to assist you.

Find out more about telehealth services for mental health and whether they are right for you or your family member. Call my office today.