BIOCHEMICAL TREATMENT: MEDICINES FOR THE NEXT CENTURY

By William J. Walsh, PhD, president of the Health Research Institute, which operates the Carl Pfeiffer Treatment Center.

During the past 20 years, research aimed at development of advanced drugs has intensified. This has been especially true for psychiatry and the behavioral sciences, which have experienced a radical revolution. Recent research has shown that innate chemical imbalances, rather than, as previously believed, distorted environments or disturbing life experiences, are responsible for most mental disorders. Many doctors trained in psychotherapy and counseling in medical schools have had to adjust to the realization that these techniques have limited effectiveness for biochemical disorders. The net result has been a massive shift to drug therapies, often applied on a trial-and-error basis.

An alternative to drug therapy is biochemical treatment, which uses natural body chemicals rather than "foreign" drug molecules. This approach is based on the pioneering work of Roger J. Williams, Abram Hoffer, Carl C. Pfeiffer, and many others. Williams originated the concept of "biochemical individuality," focusing on the enormous complexity and variability of molecular biology in human beings. This model leads to the belief that many diseases result from disordered body chemistry, whether genetic or acquired, and that healing is best achieved through correction of these chemical imbalances. Hoffer pioneered the treatment of schizophrenia and other illnesses with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. His impressive successes demonstrated the therapeutic effectiveness of these natural chemicals, previously regarded as relatively unimportant in clinical practice.

An alternative to drug therapy is biochemical treatment, which uses natural body chemicals rather than "foreign" drug molecules. This approach is based on the pioneering work of Roger J. Williams, Abram Hoffer, Carl C. Pfeiffer, and many others. Williams originated the concept of "biochemical individuality," focusing on the enormous complexity and variability of molecular biology in human beings.

Pfeiffer established clinical procedures for the identification and treatment of nutrient deficiencies, toxic overloads, and other aberrant biochemistry. His system involves the subdivision of schizophrenia, depression, behavior disorders, learning disabilities, and other conditions into well-defined chemical categories. Once a patient’s chemical anomalies are established through laboratory analysis, his or her body chemistry may be balanced using biochemical treatment. To the extent possible, natural medicines are used instead of drugs.

Biochemical Treatment of Schizophrenia
Pfeiffer found that 90 percent of schizophrenics have either histapenia, meaning low histamine (histamine is an essential protein metabolite); histadelia, meaning high histamine; or pyroluria (disordered vitamin B6 metabolism) as their principal disorder, with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) often a complicating factor. In addition, many histapenics and histadelics are also pyroluric. The remaining 10 percent of the schizophrenic population are afflicted by a variety of "splinter" disorders, including cerebral allergies, wheat gluten intolerance, homocystineuria (an inborn error of sulfer amino acid metabolism), celiac disease, polydypsia (excessive thirst), prolactin (a hormone that stimulates and sustains lactation) overabundance, and thyroid deficiency.

Nearly 50 percent of schizophrenics have histapenia as their major chemical imbalance. Symptoms commonly include paranoia, suicidal depression, auditory or visual hallucinations, religiosity, and sleep disorder. The classic biochemical signature of histapenia involves depressed blood histamine and basophils (a class of white blood cells) and elevated serum copper. Treatment usually revolves around vitamin B3 as either niacin or niacinamide; folic acid; cobalamine (part of the vitamin B12 group); vitamins B6 and C; zinc; and manganese. Most histapenics experience major improvement within six weeks, but a year of treatment is commonly required before the last symptom (usually paranoia) can be overcome.

Biological treatment of schizophrenia is far less expensive than traditional treatment and often results in a complete recovery. Biochemical testing and treatment costs about as much as one day of hospitalization. Most schizophrenics, over the course of their lives, spend several months in mental hospitals, with numerous episodes of recurring mental illness.

Histadelia represents the chemical antithesis of histapenia in that it involves elevated blood histamine. This condition (involving about 20 percent of schizophrenics) is characterized by delusions, severe depression, obsessive/compulsive behavior, and blank-mindedness, and often results in a diagnosis of schizo-affective disorder. Treatment revolves around anti-folates such as calcium, methionine, and the prescription drug Dilantin® along with augmenting nutrients. Histadelia treatment requires great patience, because six to ten weeks are often needed before the beginning of significant improvement. The treatment usually takes twelve months to complete.

Approximately 20 percent of all schizophrenics have pyroluria as their primary imbalance. Pyrolurics typically have light skin, poor wound healing, absence of dream recall, high internal tension, photosensitivity, severe depression, assaultive behavior, delusions, and hallucinations. This condition is caused by an overproduction during hemoglobin synthesis of kryptopyrrole, which chemically combines with vitamin B6 and zinc, resulting in their excretion and a severe deficiency of both of these essential nutrients. Most pyroluric individuals never develop schizophrenia symptoms.

Biological treatment of schizophrenia is far less expensive than traditional treatment and often results in a complete recovery. Biochemical testing and treatment costs about as much as one day of hospitalization. Most schizophrenics, over the course of their lives, spend several months in mental hospitals, with numerous episodes of recurring mental illness. Moreover, drug treatment usually offers little hope for a real recovery.

Biochemical Treatment of Depression
Most depressed persons were born with a biochemical predisposition for depression, which renders them particularly vulnerable to traumatic events and difficult life circumstances. Contribution to their depression are a wide variety of biological imbalances, including elevated histamine, zinc deficiency, copper overload, thyroid deficiency, low histamine, pyroluria, and many others.

Effective biochemical treatment requires identification of specific chemical imbalances through specialized clinical testing. Treatment varies widely, depending entirely on which imbalances are present. Biochemical treatment appears to be about 85 percent effective in combating depression.

Symptoms and medical history are often helpful in identification of specific chemical imbalances. Depressed persons with elevated histamine commonly exhibit frequent headaches, allergies, and obsessive/compulsive/addictive tendencies. Those with zinc deficiency may report poor wound healing, impaired taste acuity, amenorrhea, stress dyscontrol, delayed growth, and/or premenstrual syndrome. Persons with elevated copper are prone to tinnitus and post-partum depression. Low-histamine depressives often report anxiety/panic attacks, upper body pain, and paranoia. Pyroluric depressives usually suffer from rage attacks and severe inner tension.

Effective biochemical treatment requires identification of specific chemical imbalances through specialized clinical testing. Treatment varies widely, depending entirely on which imbalances are present. Biochemical treatment appears to be about 85 percent effective in combating depression.

Biochemical Treatment of Behavior Disorders
A 12-year collaboration between Carl Pfeiffer and myself resulted in classification of behavior disorders into four chemical categories, based on trace metal patterns. Pfeiffer developed drug-free treatments for each of these conditions, and more than a thousand patients have been treated under this system.

Type A individuals are characterized by a high copper/zinc ratio, depressed hair sodium and potassium, and a sensitivity to lead, cadmium, and other toxics. Type A boys commonly exhibit Jekyll-Hyde behavior with episodes of fighting or severe tantrums interspersed with periods of excellent behavior. Type A girls are prone to oppositional behavior, mood swings, promiscuity, and non-violent delinquency. Biochemical treatment benefits 85 percent of Type A persons, with 25 days usually required for significant improvement. Examples of persons afflicted with severe Type A chemistry are mass-murders Richard Speck and Patrick Sherrill. About 40 percent of all behavior-disordered children exhibit mild or moderate Type A chemistry.

Type B chemistry involves depressed hair copper, pyroluria, elevated histamine, depressed blood spermine (a protein found in almost all tissues, but first found in sperm), and elevated toxic metals. The principal symptoms include frequent assaultive behavior, absence of remorse, pathological lying, fascination with fire, and cruelty to animals. This condition is relatively rare (estimated at 0.3 percent of the population), but Type B individuals are very prone to criminality. It appears that most career criminals and serial killers have this disorder. Examples of Type B individuals are Charles Manson, serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, and mass-murderer James Huberty (McDonald’s massacre). Type B persons usually respond to biochemical treatment within seven days. Treatment is most effective for younger Type B persons without a history of drug or alcohol abuse. [Editor’s note: Dr. Walsh did hair analysis of all five mass-murders.]

Type A boys commonly exhibit Jekyll-Hyde behavior with episodes of fighting or severe tantrums interspersed with periods of excellent behavior. . . . Biochemical treatment benefits 85 percent of Type A persons, with 25 days usually required for significant improvement. Examples of persons afflicted with severe Type A chemistry are mass-murders Richard Speck and Patrick Sherrill. About 40 percent of all behavior-disordered children exhibit mild or moderate Type A chemistry.

Type C and D persons usually exhibit nonviolent delinquent behavior. Eighty percent of Type C persons are slender, and clinical studies reveal most to be mal-absorbers. Usually impulsive and oppositional, they are seldom able to maintain a valid driver’s license. They underachieve in school and have great difficulty keeping jobs. Type D persons have depressed manganese and chromium levels, and clinical studies reveal hypoglycemia as the principal imbalance. Biochemical treatment of Type C and D persons is usually effective, but it often requires one to three months for significant improvements.

Biochemical Treatment of Learning Disabilities
Biochemical treatment has been shown to be an effective alternative to the prescription drugs Ritalin®, Cylert®, Dexadrine®, and Norpramin®, which are frequently administered to underachievers. The Carl Pfeiffer Treatment Center has measured a success rate of over 70 percent, based on treatment of 500 children with learning disabilities, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder (ADD), and dyslexia. In contrast, development disabilities, autism, and Down’s syndrome are seldom improved following biochemical treatment. The Carl Pfeiffer Treatment Center is organizing a controlled, double-blind study to measure treatment effectiveness for ADD and learning-disabled children.

Effective biochemical treatment of learning disorders involves correction of the specific chemical imbalances afflicting each child. Indiscriminate supplementation with multiple vitamins, minerals, and amino acids usually results in worsening of hyperactivity, ADD, and learning disabilities.

A wide variety of chemical imbalances are present throughout the population of children with academic dysfunctions. Many underachievers exhibit disordered metal metabolism, resulting in copper intoxication, zinc and/or manganese deficiency, and/or overload of lead, cadmium, mercury, or other toxic metals. In addition, learning dysfunctions often involve pyroluria, histamine disorders, cerebral allergies, amino-acid anomalies, or malabsorption.

Effective biochemical treatment of learning disorders involves correction of the specific chemical imbalances afflicting each child. Indiscriminate supplementation with multiple vitamins, minerals, and amino acids usually results in worsening of hyperactivity, ADD, and learning disabilities. Nutrients which can adversely impact learning disorders include calcium, folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid, methionine, histadine, iron, and copper. These same nutrients can be beneficial to children with different body chemistry.

Biochemical treatment of children who are taking Ritalin®, Cylert®, or Dexadrine® requires continuation of these medications until body chemistry is balanced. In most cases, the amphetamine drugs can be withdrawn after two to three months of treatment without adverse effects. Biochemical treatment appears to be about 85 percent, 70 percent, and 60 percent effective for children with learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and ADD, respectively.

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The principal clinics specializing in biochemical balancing are all in the United States: the Princeton Bio Center (Skillman, New Jersey), the Edna Garvey Center (Wichita, Kansas), and our Carl Pfeiffer Treatment Center (Wheaton, Illinois). The Princeton Bio Center is best known for treatment of schizophrenia, depression, and allergies, whereas the Garvey Center specializes in environmental illness. The Carl Pfeiffer Treatment Center concentrates on the treatment of behavior disorders, learning problems, depression, and schizophrenia.

The present medical focus on drug therapy may not last the test of time. It is entirely possible that future progress in molecular biology may elucidate the basic mechanisms and causes of most diseases. It seems likely that the next century’s treatments will implement natural body chemicals that restore the patient to a normal condition, rather than drugs that result in an abnormal condition. The world may eventually learn the wisdom of Pfeiffer’s Law: For every drug that benefits a patient, there is a natural substance that can achieve the same effect.

Article from NOHA NEWS, Vol. XVI, No. 3, Summer 1991, pages 2-4.