The Haiku version of Retinoid Toxicity - plan for a new webpage (thinking cap on).

Retinoid Toxicity - Why is it important?

• A very large number of people are likely affected by Retinoid Toxicity.

• In the short term, flu-like inflammation and body aches are possible. Fibromyalgia pain may involve excess active retinoids (vitamin A, retinol, and carotenoids as activated Retinoic Acid or other activated forms).

• In the long term, it can lead to worsening mental health, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and later the accumulated brain damage may be diagnosed as Alzheimer’s dementia. The chronic inflammation also may be causing liver and/or kidney damage.

• As a primary underlying cause, it is likely to be missed as a treatable cause.

• If preventing or improving schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s dementia is desired - and excess active retinoids are causal - then the problem will need to be identified and vitamin A and possibly carotenoids need to be greatly restricted. That is both an easy solution and a difficult one as many popular foods are good sources of vitamin A or carotenoids.

1. A vast number of people may be affected, but not be aware, not be screened or told, that excess active Retinoic Acid is the cause of their chronic inflammation.

   1. The medical community is aware of the risk of Retinoid Toxicity symptoms with use of Retinoid medications for acne, other skin treatments, or for some types of cancer. Similar symptoms in other conditions would not be connected to dietary vitamin A or carotenoids in the inactive form.

2. Ongoing excess active vitamin A leaves the body feeling inflamed and flu-like because it is activated in order to fight infection - the body thinks there is an infection to fight anytime there is excessive active Retinoic Acid present.

   1. The ongoing active Retinoic Acid causes inflammatory cytokines and triggers mast cell degranulation which can lead to histamine excess (especially if there is also a genetic problem with either of the two enzymes that deactivate histamine or a lack of methyl folate.

3. Chronic inflammation and elevated histamine lead to damage of the hippocampus and symptoms of mental illness that may eventually be severe enough to be diagnosed as ‘Alzheimer’s dementia’. Kidney and liver damage is also likely to be occurring.

4. Screening for excess active Retinoic Acid or other active metabolites is unlikely to be performed. Retinoid Toxicity is only expected when retinoid medications are used.

5. Lack of screening is not only leaving people with symptoms of mental illness untreated - it is also leaving people with early stages of kidney or liver damage that has a treatable cause, without the knowledge they need to stop the ongoing damage - by changing their diet.

The vast number of people who may actually have an underlying condition that leads to excessive active Retinoic Acid or other active forms of vitamin A include:

• ME/CFS cohorts, particularly with a history of Epstein-Barr viral infection or mononucleosis; and potentially SARS-CoV-2 survivors or those with LongCovid. CoV injection injured. *A gene change in the liver may be causing lifelong over-activation of retinoids after the infection.

• Traditional vaccine injured.

• People with liver injury.

• People who had a reaction to a psych or other medication, from use or withdrawal, which might be called akathisia or be diagnosed as some other mental condition.

• Alcoholism - in the drinker; or potentially congenital changes from alcohol use by the father (sperm DNA changes leading to ADHD like symptoms) or by the mother (ongoing teratogen risk in the pregnancy leading to FAS like symptoms - most physical deformity is seen with first trimester drinking but the risk continues throughout the pregnancy).

Not easy but easy solution: stop eating vitamin A and carotenoids (and don’t use retinoid medications or supplements).

1. Stop eating vitamin A and carotenoid foods, quite strictly, for the rest of your life. And avoid retinoid medications or vitamin A or carotenoids in mixed or single supplements.

Haiku

Puffy, pale, painful;
Retinoid Toxicity,
Liver enzyme change?

Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

Sun sensitivity can be a symptom of excess active vitamin A and too little of the inactive form. The lack of inactive vitamin A can cause negative symptoms that are similar to excess active retinoids - further confusing the question of who has this problem? Me, you? Lots of people?

If you need to avoid sunshine because you burn to a crisp easily, (sunburn), then your body may be over-converting vitamin A to the active Retinoic Acid and other metabolites. My archives have a variety of posts on Retinoid Toxicity including a symptom questionnaire.

Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use and is not intended to provide individual health care guidance.