Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP) is an acute manifestation
pf porphyria, which is an inherited metabolic disorder. Deficiency of enzymes
leads to deficient conversion into heme and thereby accumulation in the body of
porphyrins. This causes neurological, visceral, psychiatric, or cutaneous
manifestations of symptoms including severe abdominal pain, constipation,
vomiting, muscular pain, convulsions, tingling, weakness, confusion, hallucinations,
high blood pressure, tachycardia, itching and rash.
Urine in the acute presentation is typically red colored,
and contains high amounts of porphobilinogen, which is diagnostic of this
condition. Treatment is with intravenous glucose, simple pain killers, and oral
or intravenous hematin. Medications, fasting, smoking, infections, surgery,
stress, alcohol use, menstrual hormones, and exposure to sun are known to
precipitate symptoms of this condition.
The pathology suggests disturbed metabolism and creation of
unhealthy blood tissue and vitiated pitta. Features are indicative of
Raktapitta disease moving in the downward direction. Depending upon the exact
pathophysiology, skin, brain and kidneys are also liable to be affected.
Treatment involves correction of faulty pitta and normalization
of blood tissue, correction of metabolism, along with control of a disturbed
vata. Other symptoms can be concurrently treated with Ayurvedic medicines. Most
patients can be well controlled with Ayurvedic therapy of a few weeks to a few
months. Recurrent attacks of pain can be well controlled, provided the patient meticulously
avoids all known aggravating causes. Patients having severe neuropsychiatric
symptoms may require prolonged treatment of about 6-10 months.
After the initial treatment, once all symptoms have gone in
complete remission, it is usually sufficient to just observe the patient for
any signs of recurrence or relapse. Most day to day medical issues can be
easily handled with Ayurvedic medication, and the patients as well as
caretakers quickly learn to manage the situation on their own. It is fortunate
that most Ayurvedic medications are well tolerated by patients suffering from
porphyria, and so affected individuals need not get intimidated by the long
list of Allopathic medications which they cannot take.
The writer, Dr A A Mundewadi, is available as an
online consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and www.ayurvedaphysician.com For Ayurvedic herbal treatment of AIP, kindly click on this link https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com/product-page/porphyria-aip For Ayurvedic herbal treatment of porphyria with nervous system involvement or with motor neuron disease, kindly click on this link https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com/product-page/porphyria-cns-mnd 
