Have questions? Here are the answers.

A positive result means elevated levels of pyrrole molecules were detected in your urine — your body is losing zinc and vitamin B6 through the urine. The next step is a 45-minute consultation (€75), where we explain your result and the individual values; dosing and nutritional support are handled in the Consultation with a Doctor / Therapist (€149).

In the starting phase, it is recommended to begin with a small dose and increase it gradually based on how the body responds. Some people are initially sensitive to B6 and zinc — careful dosing is key in that case.

Some people in published cases describe gradual improvement over weeks to months — individual results vary and no fixed timeframe can be guaranteed.

Pyroluria has a genetically determined component — some people have an inborn tendency to produce more pyrrole molecules. However, it typically only becomes active after a trigger: prolonged stress, burnout, an infection (Lyme, EBV), a cervical spine injury, or toxin exposure.

According to the orthomolecular model, the condition can be supported by replenishing the missing nutrients (zinc, vitamin B6 in its active P5P form, manganese) — effectiveness is individual and not clinically guaranteed.

Many clients reduce their doses after stabilizing, and some are able to stop supplementation altogether with a healthy lifestyle. Others need lifelong support, but at a lower maintenance dose.

Pyroluria is not part of standard medical education in Europe. Its diagnosis and treatment developed within orthomolecular medicine — a parallel line of work established in the 1960s–1980s by Linus Pauling, Carl Pfeiffer, Abram Hoffer and others.

A routine blood count will not detect pyroluria. Serum zinc and B6 levels are often "within range" even though massive losses are occurring at the tissue level. Detection requires a specific urine test for pyrrole molecules, which standard laboratories do not perform.

In Europe, pyroluria is diagnosed through a network of specialized laboratories and orthomolecular practices. PsyLab arranges this test for clients in Slovakia.

Stress Support contains the active form of vitamin B6 (P5P) and zinc — nutrients the body loses in excess with certain biotypes. Dosing and nutritional support are handled in the Consultation with a Doctor / Therapist (€149).

The active form of B6 (P5P, pyridoxal-5-phosphate) matters — the common pyridoxine form does not work as well for people with pyroluria, because their bodies often struggle to activate it.

Dosing is set individually based on cortisol and histamine profile, client sensitivity and any accompanying biotypes. That is why we recommend starting with a 45-minute consultation, where we explain your result and the individual values; dosing and nutritional support are handled in the Consultation with a Doctor / Therapist (€149).

Most clients notice the first improvement (better stress resilience, better sleep quality, dreams returning) within 4–8 weeks.

Some people in published cases describe gradual improvement over months — individual results vary and no fixed timeframe can be guaranteed.

In more severe cases or with accompanying biotypes (for example pyroluria + copper overload), full recovery can take 12–18 months. Patience pays off, though — the results are long-lasting.

Yes. Vitamin B6, zinc and manganese should be stopped at least 5–7 days before the test — otherwise they can lower the level of pyrrole molecules in the urine and produce a false-negative result.

It is also advisable to avoid excessive B-complex intake, energy drinks, high doses of vitamin C (>1000 mg/day) and intense exercise on the day of collection.

Coffee and alcohol are not advisable on the day of collection — they can affect the values. Follow a light diet and normal fluid intake for the 24 hours beforehand.

An acute illness or infection can temporarily raise pyrrole molecule levels — the result may come back falsely positive. We recommend postponing the test by 2–4 weeks after recovery.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding are not a contraindication for the test itself (urine collection is non-invasive). However, nutritional support for pyroluria during pregnancy and breastfeeding always requires a consultation with a doctor — some dosing needs to be adjusted.

If you currently have hormonal fluctuations (postpartum, menopause), the picture can be "unsettled" — in that case it is often more appropriate to also examine cortisol and copper first, not just pyroluria.

For pyroluria during pregnancy and breastfeeding, lower doses and a gradual approach are recommended. Active vitamin B6 (P5P) and zinc are needed during pregnancy, but excessive doses can be risky.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding, we always recommend starting with a consultation (€75) — we will go through your results and general information with you; dosing is handled in the Consultation with a Doctor / Therapist (€149). No high doses should ever be started on your own.

With copper overload during pregnancy, particular caution is needed — copper physiologically rises during pregnancy, and some protocols are contraindicated at that time.

In the practice of several European orthomolecular clinicians, it is recommended to start with low doses of taurine a few days before introducing vitamin B6 for pyroluria. Taurine helps stabilize the nervous system and reduces the likelihood of a "sharp" start, which sometimes occurs in people with pyroluria who are sensitive to P5P.

Especially with severe anxiety or histamine intolerance, a gradual introduction can be more comfortable. Always set the exact approach in the Consultation with a Doctor / Therapist (€149) or with your own doctor.

For clients without notable sensitivity, taurine may be entirely optional — Stress Support (B6/zinc) can be started directly.

With pyroluria, zinc is lost through urine at such a rate that supplementation may not show up in the blood for weeks. Serum levels reflect the immediate state, not tissue reserves (especially in the brain).

The three most common reasons zinc "isn't rising":

1. Active pyroluria is not yet under control — pyrrole molecules are still binding zinc, which is then excreted. It is necessary to continue with B6 (P5P) and manganese as well.

2. Accompanying copper overload — high free copper antagonistically lowers zinc. In this case, a serum copper test also helps.

3. The form of zinc — some forms (oxide) are poorly absorbed; picolinate, glycinate or bisglycinate are significantly better.

Pyroluria can also present in childhood — the typical picture: high sensitivity to stress, poor dream recall, sensitivity to noise and light, white spots on the nails, morning nausea, sometimes combined with ADHD-like features or dyspraxia.

The urine pyroluria test is non-invasive and can be performed in children too — it is collected from the first morning urine, with no collection needed during the day.

Supplementation in children always involves lower doses and a gradual start — always under the supervision of a doctor (ideally one trained in orthomolecular medicine). Any supplement for a child must be approved by a parent, and ideally also by the treating pediatrician.

Unfortunately, no. Neither the pyroluria test nor the vitamins used in orthomolecular nutritional support are covered by public health insurance in Slovakia or in neighboring EU countries.

This is because orthomolecular medicine and the orthomolecular approach are not part of mainstream clinical guidelines. The test is only available as a private examination through specialized European laboratories.

PsyLab acts as an intermediary — you pay us directly for the test and we arrange the entire process (sending the collection kit, collection instructions, and evaluation from the laboratory).

The pyroluria test measures pyrrole molecules in a morning urine sample. The result, together with the clinical picture, helps assess the likelihood of pyroluria (biotype 1) — the final assessment belongs to a doctor.

The histamine test measures histamine levels in whole blood. It distinguishes two opposite biotypes: histadelia (high histamine = undermethylation, biotype 2) and histapenia (low histamine = overmethylation, biotype 3). These two states require opposite nutritional approaches — which is why the test is key.

If you have symptoms such as anxiety, depression, burnout and stress sensitivity — it is most likely best to start with pyroluria. If obsessive thoughts, perfectionism and seasonal allergies dominate (histadelia), or panic, paranoia and heightened sensitivity (histapenia) — the histamine test is more appropriate.

If you are unsure, we recommend filling out the free orientation screening or booking a 45-minute consultation (€75).

You will receive the results of all tests electronically within 2–4 weeks of the sample arriving at the laboratory.

Processing time depends on the type of test — pyroluria (urine) and histamine (blood) are processed faster, while the hair tissue mineral analysis (heavy metal test) takes somewhat longer due to the more complex analysis.

Once we receive the results, we will send you an overview and a recommended next step. If the result is positive, most clients move on to a 45-minute consultation, where we explain your result and the individual values; dosing and nutritional support are handled in the Consultation with a Doctor / Therapist (€149).

Pyroluria test (urine) — you collect the sample yourself at home, right after waking. We send you a tube with a pipette, a measuring scoop, and instructions. You send the first morning urine sample by post.

Histamine test (blood) — the blood draw takes place at a local laboratory of your choice. We send you a lab order form and contact details for our partner laboratories in Slovakia. You then send the tube by post at your own expense directly to our partner European laboratory.

Cortisol test (saliva) — you collect the sample yourself at home. We send you color-coded tubes, into which you collect saliva samples at specific times of day (morning on waking, late morning, afternoon, evening before bed).

Heavy metal test (hair) — you collect the sample yourself at home. You cut about 1 gram of hair close to the scalp from the back of the head. The sample is sent by post.

Before the T3/T4 24-hour urine test, you should stop iodine-containing supplements 2–4 weeks in advance (multivitamins with iodine, algae, kelp) — they can affect the result.

If you are taking prescribed thyroid medication (levothyroxine, liothyronine, etc.), never stop it on your own. The test is performed while on treatment, and the result is interpreted with that in mind — always in cooperation with your treating doctor.

Collection procedure: On the morning of day 1, urinate into the toilet after waking (this urine is NOT collected). From that moment on, collect all urine into the provided container for 24 hours. On the morning of day 2, urinate directly into the container again — this closes the 24-hour window. Send the sample by post to the partner laboratory.

The test is suitable for classic hypothyroidism symptoms (chronic fatigue, difficulty getting up, weight gain despite dieting, cold sensitivity, depression), if your standard blood TSH/T4 came back "within range".

Beyond the specialized orthomolecular tests, your Slovak or Czech doctor can order these common markers, which provide useful context:

Thyroid: TSH, fT4, fT3, anti-TPO, anti-TG, reverse T3 (rT3) if available.

Iron and ferritin: serum iron, transferrin, % saturation, ferritin. Low ferritin (<50 ng/ml) can cause symptoms similar to pyroluria.

B-group vitamins: serum B12, plus ideally methylmalonic acid (MMA — a more sensitive marker of functional B12 deficiency), and homocysteine (a methylation indicator).

Vitamin D: 25-OH-D3, ideally 30–50 ng/ml.

Complete blood count, fasting glucose, HbA1c, lipid panel — a baseline for the overall picture.

Your general practitioner can order these; PsyLab does not arrange these tests.

In most cases, yes, but caution and gradual introduction under supervision are required. The vitamins used in the orthomolecular approach are not pharmacologically active at drug-like doses — they are nutritional replenishment of missing nutrients.

Histapenia (biotype 3) is an exception — combining folate (Histamin Plus) with SSRI antidepressants requires careful caution, because folate can affect serotonin levels. With SAMe the situation is reversed — it helps with histadelia but worsens histapenia.

The goal of the orthomolecular approach is not to stop medication, but to stabilize biochemistry. Many clients gradually reduce their medication doses after stabilizing (always in cooperation with their treating psychiatrist). Never stop medication on your own.

Toxic metal overload (biotype 5) presents in a way similar to pyroluria — losses of zinc, B6 and manganese. The body depletes these nutrients so that metallothionein and glutathione can carry metals out of the body.

Stress Support contains B6 (P5P) and zinc — nutrients the body loses in excess with certain biotypes. Dosing and nutritional support are handled in the Consultation with a Doctor / Therapist (€149).

In toxic overload, however, Stress Support is combined with additional supportive substances (selenium, glutathione, vitamin C, NAC) — the exact protocol is handled in the Consultation with a Doctor / Therapist (€149), based on the hair tissue mineral analysis result.

Liquid magnesium chloride has significantly higher absorption than tablet forms (oxide, citrate). The body uses it faster and without the stomach discomfort that some tablet forms cause (typically in people with pyroluria who have a sensitive GI tract).

The liquid form can be used orally (drops in water or under the tongue) or transdermally (on the skin) — the second option bypasses the stomach entirely, if you are sensitive to it.

Magnesium is a cofactor for more than 600 enzymes, including those that activate vitamin B6 and are involved in producing serotonin, GABA and stable sleep architecture. With pyroluria, burnout and prolonged stress, magnesium is depleted faster than it can be replenished from the diet.

Exact dosage and frequency are handled in the Consultation with a Doctor / Therapist (€149) — the right amount depends on biotype, sensitivity, and lifestyle.

In practice, this depends on the individual case. With pyroluria there is a genetically determined predisposition — most clients need at least a maintenance dose for life, especially during periods of stress.

Typical course: higher doses for 6–12 months while stabilizing biochemistry, then a gradual reduction to a maintenance dose (often half or a third of the original).

Some clients, with a healthy lifestyle, low stress and an optimal diet, are able to stop the vitamin entirely. Others (especially with accompanying toxic burden, hormonal changes or chronic stressors) need long-term support. It is recommended to monitor the situation with regular check-ups.

Clinical hypothyroidism = clearly reduced thyroid function with abnormal blood tests (high TSH, low fT4). It is diagnosed and treated by an endocrinologist.

Subclinical hypothyroidism = a state in which the person has classic hypothyroidism symptoms (chronic fatigue, weight gain despite dieting, cold sensitivity, dry skin, hair loss, depression, poor concentration), but blood TSH is still within the reference range or only mildly elevated. Mainstream medicine often does not intervene in this state.

A growing body of recent research shows that subclinical hypothyroidism is significantly more common than previously thought. The T3/T4 24-hour urine test has an advantage here — it captures a 24-hour average (not a single blood value) and also shows the T4/T3 ratio, which reveals conversion problems.

For subclinical hypothyroidism, nutritional support can help (selenium, moderate-dose iodine, tyrosine, bovine thyroid complex) — always in cooperation with a doctor, so that a similar-looking but clinical condition is not overlooked.

The test makes sense in these situations:

1. Classic hypothyroidism symptoms, but TSH within range. Fatigue, weight gain, cold sensitivity, depression, dry skin, hair loss, poor concentration — but your endocrinologist told you everything is fine.

2. Symptoms don't fit any of the 5 biotypes. You filled out the questionnaire but don't see yourself clearly in one category — it may be a separate thyroid issue.

3. Suspected T4-to-T3 conversion problem. With chronic stress, fasting/dieting, liver conditions or inflammation, the conversion of inactive T4 to active T3 can be disrupted — blood tests won't catch this, but the ratio in a 24-hour urine sample will.

4. After burnout or prolonged stress. These states can suppress thyroid function. The test helps reveal whether this is a lasting finding or a temporary one.

The test is a useful addition to the basic package of biotype tests (pyroluria, histamine, cortisol) when the overall picture is complex.

Dr. William J. Walsh is an American scientist and clinician, founder of the Walsh Research Institute in Illinois. He originally worked as a chemist at Argonne National Laboratory, where he met Dr. Carl Pfeiffer — the founder of orthomolecular psychiatry. After Pfeiffer's death, he continued developing his method.

Over more than 40 years of clinical practice, Walsh analyzed the biochemical profiles of more than 30,000 patients with depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, schizophrenia and behavioral disorders. He identified 5 main biotypes that explain most of these conditions.

His work is summarized in the book Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain (2012). The orthomolecular approach is used today by a network of certified physicians in the USA, Australia, Europe and Asia.

Walsh's research is based on more than 40 years of clinical data and 3 million biochemical parameters. It has been published in professional journals (Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Physiology & Behavior, Psychiatry Research and others) and in the book Nutrient Power.

At the same time, it should be stated openly: the orthomolecular approach is not part of the mainstream clinical guidelines of classical psychiatry. Some conclusions (in particular the typology of 5 biotypes) are not accepted by all researchers and remain a subject of debate.

For the client, this means: the protocol functions as a parallel line alongside pharmacological treatment. Many clients who did not benefit from standard antidepressants have seen significant improvement with the Walsh approach. But it is individualized work — not every client responds the same way.

The term orthomolecular psychiatry was introduced in 1968 in the journal Science by Linus Pauling (two-time Nobel laureate). Definition: treating mental illness by optimizing the amounts of substances that are naturally present in the body (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids).

The key difference from mainstream psychiatry: mainstream psychiatry introduces molecules into the body that don't normally belong there (SSRIs, benzodiazepines, atypical antipsychotics) — they modify neurotransmitter systems. The orthomolecular approach, by contrast, identifies what the body is missing or has in excess (zinc, B6, copper, heavy metals) and replenishes what is needed.

Neither approach is universal. For acute psychiatric conditions, medication is often essential and lifesaving. For chronic and treatment-resistant cases, where medication is not helping, orthomolecular diagnostics can reveal a measurable biochemical cause.

PsyLab functions as an intermediary for orthomolecular tests — not as a medical practice. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your medication.

The consultation takes place online (Zoom or Google Meet) or by phone — according to your preference. We will arrange a time by email after you order and pay.

During the 45 minutes, we will go through: your main symptoms, any results from previous tests, your history of medications and supplements, and your lifestyle. At the end, you will better understand your results and the options for next steps. Dosing and nutritional support are handled in the Consultation with a Doctor / Therapist (€149).

If you want to discuss the results of a test you have already had done, please bring them to the consultation (send them by email beforehand). The consultation is the added value on top of the test — without it, the result is just a number on paper.

After filling out the order form, we will send you payment details (bank transfer or card payment). Once payment is received, for urine, saliva or hair tests we arrange for the collection kit to be sent from the laboratory abroad; for blood tests, you'll get a referral to a collection site or your own doctor. You send the sample back — whether collected at home or at a collection site — at your own expense (courier service) directly to our partner laboratory. You will receive the results electronically within 2–4 weeks from the day the sample is received by the laboratory.

The price of the test includes the collection kit and the evaluation. Courier postage for sending the sample back to the laboratory is not included in the price. For vitamins, the price includes ordering and delivery from the partner.

The consultation is paid for in advance. If you are unable to attend, we will reschedule at no charge (with at least 24 hours' notice).

Yes. We can deliver both tests and vitamins throughout the EU. For delivery outside Slovakia, additional postage may apply depending on the country — this will be stated in the first email after your order.

The consultation is online, so it is not geographically limited — available in Slovak or Czech.