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Information about Porphyria

Porphyria is a disorder in which the body produces too much of the chemical
porphyrin. Porphyrin is used to make heme, the part of blood that carries
oxygen. Heme also gives blood its color. Any circulating porphyrin the body
does not use is excreted in urine and stool. When the body produces and
excretes too much porphyrin, as happens with porphyria, not enough heme
remains to keep a person healthy.

Porphyria affects either the nervous system or the skin. When porphyria
affects the nervous system, it can cause chest pain, abdominal pain, muscle
cramps, weakness, hallucinations, seizures, purple-red-colored urine, or
mental disorders like depression, anxiety, and paranoia. When porphyria
affects the skin, blisters, itching, swelling, and sensitivity to the sun can result.

Porphyria is an inherited condition. Attacks of the disease can be triggered
by drugs (barbiturates, tranquilizers, birth control pills, sedatives),
chemicals, certain foods, and exposure to the sun.

Porphyria is diagnosed through tests on blood, urine, and stool. It can be
treated with medicines to relieve symptoms, a drug called hemin (which is
like heme), or a high-carbohydrate diet.

Porphyria has been speculatively linked with the vampirism myth, based on a
number of superficial resemblances between the symptoms of porphyria and
attributes of mythical vampires. However, these claims are based on a
misunderstanding of the nature of porphyria as well as faulty understanding
of vampire folklore. Before this, porphyria was suggested as a possible
explanation for werewolf beliefs but is inadequate there as well for similar reasons.

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