Porphyria – Modern (Allopathic) Versus Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment

 Porphyrias are a group of inherited metabolic disorders, in which deficiency of enzymes causes a buildup of porphyrins, which are required for the synthesis of hemoglobin in red blood cells. This abnormal buildup affects the skin, nerves, brain, and internal organs, causing symptoms like severe abdominal pain, constipation, vomiting, muscular pain, convulsions, tingling, weakness, confusion, hallucinations, high blood pressure, tachycardia, itching and rash. Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is an acute manifestation of this condition.

The abnormal buildup of porphyrins causes urine to be typically red colored with the excretion of porphobilinogen, and this is diagnostic of the condition. Symptoms are precipitated by medications, fasting, smoking, infections, surgery, stress, alcohol, menstrual hormones, and exposure to sun. Treatment in the modern (allopathic) system of medicine is with intravenous glucose, simple pain killers, and oral or intravenous Hematin. While the acute condition can be treated adequately in a well equipped hospital, modern medicine cannot prevent further episodes, other than by recommending avoidance of the precipitating factors as well as all unnecessary medications.

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.

Porphyria patients can thus be comprehensively treated and managed on a long term basis with the help of Ayurvedic herbal medicines.

The writer, Dr A A Mundewadi, is available as an online consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com For Ayurvedic herbal treatment of recurrent porphyria episodes, click here For Ayurvedic herbal treatment of porphyria with neuropsychiatric involvement, kindly click here

Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment – Acute Intermittent Porphyria

Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP) is a medical condition which forms part of a rare group of hereditary conditions known as Porphyrias, which involve defects in heme metabolism, resulting in excessive secretion of porphyrins.  This causes intermittent episodes of acute abdominal pain, neuropathies, and constipation.  Heme is the iron part of hemoglobin in blood. Other porphyrias include skin and central nervous system involvement. Diagnosis is confirmed by elevated levels of urine porphobilinogen, and conservative treatment is with intravenous glucose infusion, which inhibits heme synthesis and helps reduce abdominal pain.  Patients having attacks of severe pain and those with neurological involvement usually require treatment with Hematin.

All individuals having this genetic defect have increased levels of porphyrins secretion, but all do not experience symptoms. It is stipulated that systemic inflammation brings about a reduction in kidney function as well as neurological damage, which in turn causes peripheral and autonomic neuropathies and psychiatric symptoms. AIP usually occurs in the age from 18 to 40, with women being more affected than men. Attacks of abdominal pain usually last from 3 to 7 days. Precipitating factors include unknown causes, fasting, alcohol, prolonged exposure to sun, stress, heavy exercises, and drugs like Phenobarbital, estrogens, and sulphonamides.

Individuals having AIP who have recurring attacks, severe incapacitating neuropathies, and those having severe neuropsychiatric manifestations are suitable candidates for Ayurvedic herbal treatment. Ayurvedic treatment not only provides good symptomatic relief, it also significantly reduces inflammation, which is the hallmark of severe symptoms and recurrence. Involvement of the skin and central nervous system has to be treated separately.

With the commencement of Ayurvedic treatment, most patients get relief from severe pain within 1 to 5 days. Further treatment is aimed at preventing a recurrence, and ensuring a good bowel movement. Patients need to be treated regularly for about 3 to 5 months in order to get lasting relief and freedom from recurrence of the symptoms. Treatment is then tapered off and stopped completely. For day to day medical issues, short courses of simple Ayurvedic medicines are given to treat symptoms. Ayurvedic medicines are tolerated quite well and have not been known to aggravate or precipitate AIP; however, patients should avoid self-medication, and take treatment from a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner. It is equally important to avoid all known precipitating factors.

Patients having skin involvement usually present with severe itching; this can be controlled very well with Ayurvedic herbs within a few weeks. Patients having neuropsychiatric symptoms or motor neuropathy need specialized treatment for longer periods – nearly 6 to 9 months. Along with oral medication, Ayurvedic Panchkarma procedures like full body massage, fomentations, medicated enemas and Shiro-bastis may be required. A few patients with severe involvement of the nervous system may even require medications for up to 2 years for a full remission of symptoms.

Ayurvedic herbal medicines can thus be judiciously utilized in the successful management and treatment of AIP as well as all porphyrias.

The writer, Dr A A Mundewadi is available as an Ayurvedic Consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com

Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment of Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP)

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  

Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment for Acute intermittent Porphyria (AIP)

Acute intermittent Porphyria (AIP) is an acute manifestation of a metabolic medical disorder which is part of a group of inherited disorders.  AIP results from accumulation of porphyrins in the body due to deficiency of certain enzymes which are responsible for conversion of porphyrins into heme.  Heme is usually present in all the body tissues, but is mostly found in red blood cells, bone marrow and the liver.  The acute presentation causes symptoms like severe pain in abdomen, constipation, vomiting, muscular pain, convulsions, tingling and weakness, confusion, hallucinations, high blood pressure, and tachycardia.  The skin can also be affected, causing symptoms like itching and rash.

The modern management of AIP consists of hospital admission, intravenous glucose, and hematin tablets, if available.  There is no medication in the modern system of medicine to prevent or cure this problem.  Simple Ayurvedic medicines can be used to control as well as reduce symptoms like abdominal pain and vomiting, and thereby prevent or reduce the need for hospital admission.  Regular use of Ayurvedic medicines based on the Ayurvedic interpretation of the disease can gradually control all symptoms and help the disease go into a complete remission.

After an initial phase of treatment for about six months, most patients affected with AIP can manage very well on their own without the need for multiple medications.  AIP can be precipitated by medications, fasting, smoking, infections, surgery, stress, menstrual hormones, excessive use of alcohol, and exposure to the sun.  It is therefore very important to avoid all aggravating factors and adopt suitable lifestyle modifications.

It is heartening to note that AIP can be very systematically treated and controlled with the help of Ayurvedic medicines, using Ayurvedic principles of treatment.

The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com