Posted by Lao Tzu on December 27, 2008, at 11:54:48
I agree there might be some degree of crossover between the three types of depression: histadelic (high histamine), histapenic (low histamine) and pyroluric. I seem to fit in both histadelia and pyroluria. I benefit from such supplements as B6, zinc, and omega-6 fatty acids (Evening Primrose Oil, Borage Oil), which a pyroluric person would take. However, I've also noticed benefit from other supplements including fish oil, Vitamin C and E, Niacin, Magnesium, and Calcium. A histadelic person (high histamine) would take these supplements. I absoulutely know that I fit into the histadelic category, not the histapenic category because I cannot tolerate any folic acid, even the little bit in multivitamins. Histapenic persons, on the other hand, are greatly helped by folic acid so I'm definitely not a low-histamine histapenic. You could determine this with a trial of folic acid, and see if your depression improves or gets worse. Then you'll have some idea if you're histapenic or histadelic. Pyroluric persons don't have problems with folic acid levels. I suppose they are probably normal in their folic acid levels. Instead, they have problems maintaining adequate levels of supplements like B6 and zinc and probably manganese. In addition, pyroluric persons seem to do better on omega-6 fatty acids rather than omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil. I'm probably not pyroluric, but I can say that high dose fish oil puts me in a depression, whereas borage oil is more helpful. However, I can tolerate only a tiny bit of fish oil IF I take the borage oil with it. So I'm not convinced that I have pyroluria. This condition may not exist in reality. I'm more apt to say I have a histadelic condition, which means low neurotransmitters and high histamine. However, I don't think I was low in dopamine because I had a psychotic episode a few years ago, which would mean a high dopamine state. So there again, that means a crossover between a histadelic and a histapenic condition because of the high dopamine. Now that I have been on an antidepressant and an antipsychotic for several years, I may have a touch of both histapenia and histadelia. I say this because antidepressants raise your neurotranmitters and antipsychotics work on modulating dopamine, serotonin, as well as histamine receptors. And also, I started a trial of vitamin B12, one of the vitamins a histapenic person should take, and I had great success with it. However, now after months of high dose B12 supplementation, my body no longer responds well to it. I can not explain this other than to say that my B12 stores are now adequate and balanced and I just don't need it anymore. What I am trying to say is that if you are on psychiatric medication, it may be more difficult to figure out what category you might fit into. You could have a touch of two or even all three of them. If you're not on psychiatric medication and just treating your depression naturally, you might get a better idea of your problems and which category you might best fit in. But like all other theories, take this one with a grain of salt. We don't know how accurate it is in diagnosing any particular person only because there are so many other causes for depression. You basically have to undergo numerous tests to rule out one cause or another until you have some idea whether or not it's simply caused by nutritional deficiencies. In other words, it doesn't paint the whole picture of depression, but in my experience, it does give you some idea where to start as far as supporting your depression with nutrients. Good luck.
poster:Lao Tzu
thread:871016
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20081006/msgs/871016.html