Porphyria (thing)

Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP):

AIP is non-gender specific hereditary. People with AIP are at risk of developing an acute attack. With AIP, unlike other forms of porphyria, the skin will not be affected.

Variegate Porphyria (VP) and Hereditary Coproporphyria (HC):

Like AIP, VP and HC are hereditary and acute attacks are a possibility, unlike AIP patients tend to have skin problems.

Plumboporphyria (PP):

PP is an extremely rare version of an extremely rare condition. In the few known cases, it has been seen to be very similar to AIP.

Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT):

This form of porphyria can be inherited, but this is rare. It is a condition that may because of excessive alcohol ingestion. Other causes are the contraceptive pill and other non-natural oestrogen sources. PCT sufferers will have skin problems, but no acute attacks. Also, the unsafe drugs list is inapplicable, although patients should avoid alcohol.

Erthyropoeitic Protoporphyria (EPP):

Also rare, this form is hereditary. Skin problems may be an issue, but the unsafe drugs are not.

Congenital Porphyria (CP)

This is the rarest of the porphyria. It is primarily a skin condition. Both parents need to have porphyria.

The acute attack

When the levels of the porphyrin get too high an acute attack occurs. Symptoms include:

• abdominal pain
• cramps
• constipation
• nausea
• vomiting
• anxiety
• depression
• paralysis
• death
• hypertension
• increased photosensitivity
• Nerve damage (esp on the back causing excrutiating back pain requiring morphine)

Skin problems

Problems include ice-pick scabs and blisters. The skin is generally weak and so is easily scraped off. This problem is heightened with exposure to sunlight.

Unsafe Drugs

Bracketed drugs are those in which there is conflicting experimental evidence of porphyrinogenicity - some positive, - some negative

* Those marked with an asterisk have been associated with acute attacks of porphyria.

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