IIIA. Histapenia Vitamins

Doctors Pfeiffer, Hoffer, Walsh and other orthomolecular physicians have, in over ten thousand  schizophrenic patients with histapenia (and here), found the following nutrients and other approaches almost always beneficial, roughly grouped around the following symptoms:
Note: Some choices listed below can be detrimental in other biotypes, particularly histadelia (See Natural Healing for Schizophrenia.)

Voices and other psychotic symptoms

Vitamin B3 — Critical to brain circulation and metabolism, histamine production, metal metabolism, copper elimination. Antioxidant. Niacin increases reuptake of dopamine, suppressing dopamine activity. (Walsh) May create a flush.
Vitamin C — Promotes copper excretion, protects brain tissue from oxidation.
Vitamin B6 and/or P5P — May be even more important than B3 in children. Helps form GABA, serotonin, glutathione, CoQ10. Antioxidant. Supports B12 absorption, zinc metabolism. May help decrease available methyl.
Folic acid  — Counterbalances and traps methyl.  Folic acid enhances dopamine reuptake, decreasing availability in the synapse. (Walsh)
Vitamin B12   — As hydroxy- or cyano-cobalamin. Note: Methyl-cobalamine increases methylation so can be problematic for histapenics -- who are already overmethylated.
Zinc — Inhibits copper absorption and promotes its excretion. Facilitates histamine storage. Antioxidant. Helps maintain GABA levels and supports GABA function.
Restrict copper and support metal metabolism — See Metal Metabolism Notes, next post.

Paranoia

Especially: Vitamin C, B3, zinc. Other nutrients as relevant.
Usually critical to restrict copper and support metal metabolism.  See Metal Metabolism Notes, next post.

Overstimulation, grandiosity, anxiety, insomnia

Vitamins B3, C, B6, Zinc, etc. Also:
Magnesium — especially with irritability.
Pantothenic acid (B5) — Supports adrenals. Helps keep copper low. Helps counter overmethylation, and support dopamine reuptake. Helps form melatonin.
Choline or DMAE — Counters dopamine  and norepinephrine.
Manganese — Lowers dopamine. Supports metal metabolism and copper elimination. Makes choline available to form acetylcholine.
GABA — Counterbalances norepinephrine.
B complex — Generally supports neural function and helps prevent deficits due to high doses of  single B vitamin.  Not always helpful as some components can overstimulate.
Often critical to restrict copper and support metal metabolism.  See Metal Metabolism Notes, next post.

Depression  and/or fatigue

Vitamins B3, C, B6, B5, omega 3, folic acid, B12.

Antioxidants — To counter the oxidative stress. 
Omega 3 — Supports neural receptor function.

L-carnitine — Brings fuel (fats) to the mitochondria (cellular energy factories) and protects mitochondria from oxidative stress. Only if needed for fatigue. Stopped if voices or overstimulation worsen.
Iron — only if deficient.

Diet

Fresh whole foods (organic, if possible), omega 3 fish, abundant folic acid-rich vegetables. Avoid allergens, fried or hydrogenated fat, sugar, alcohol, refined carbs.
Meat requirements depend on individual reactions and chemistry.*

* Meat is rich in B3, B6, B12, zinc and carnitine, and benefits hypoglycemia. However, as Walsh points out, meat can markedly increase methionine and methylation.

Cautions

Supplements of methionine, SAMe, methyl-B12, and betaine increase methylation and are usually countraindicated for overmethylated individuals.
SSRI’s and St Johnswort often produce adverse reactions in this biotype.

Reminder: This information is presented for educational purposes only, and is not intended as diagnosis or treatment recommendations for the individual. Even within the histapenic subgroup, everyone's biochemical requirements are unique. So if you need treatment for schizophrenia, bipolar, or any other medical condition, please consult a knowledgeable physician.

To contact me, click here.
For more info on histapenia and schizophrenia, see
    http://boragebooks.com
To order my book, Natural Healing for Schizophrenia, please go to:
              http://boragebooks.com/orderBooks.html
Note: Ordering directly from Borage Books, gives you a free educational phone session with the author.

II. Histapenia chemistry and general approach

The focus in histapenia treatment is reducing brain overmethylation, increasing folate, and addressing high copper and metal metabolism problems.

Overmethylation increases activity of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, creating overstimulation and histapenia symptoms (e.g., anxiety, voices, hypomania, paranoia...). Methylation does this by decreasing expression of transporters that remove these neurotransmitters from the synapse. For example, methylation decreases the creation of dopamine transporters, leaving more dopamine in the synapse, thereby increasing dopamine messages.

Dr. Walsh suggests that the niacin therapy, developed by Dr Hoffer, turned out to be so important because it increases reuptake of dopamine from the synapse.

Similarly, folic acid helps the histapenic by increasing acetylation enzymes, and fostering creation of transporters to bring dopamine and norepinephrine out of the synapse, so stimulation can subside.

Metal Metabolism

Histapenia alone is generally associated with anxiety, panic and hyperactivity. Add metal metabolism dysfunction, and you can get voices, psychosis and paranoia.
Copper elevation is a good indicator of poor metal metabolism, and prevalent in schizophrenics with histapenia. Copper itself worsens voices, paranoia, overstimulation, insomnia and hypomania.
Reminder: This information is presented for educational purposes only, and is not intended as diagnosis or treatment recommendations for the individual. Even within the histapenic subgroup, everyone's biochemical requirements are unique. So if you need treatment for schizophrenia, bipolar, or any other medical condition, please consult a knowledgeable physician.

If you want to contact me, click here.
For more info on histapenia and schizophrenia, see  http://boragebooks.com
To order my book, Natural Healing for Schizophrenia, go to:
              http://boragebooks.com/orderBooks.html
When you order here, you get a free educational phone consult.

More on Histapenia nutrients next post.