- To Change Your Mind - Details Matter
Copper Levels, Mind, Anxiety and Estrogen
Biomedical Testing Additions At CorePsych
October 26, 2014Oppositional Defiant Insights
November 16, 2014Copper Levels: How and Why
Blood copper levels elevate brain copper. The results often start with decreased Executive Function or ADHD symptoms, and Anxiety.1 Copper matters. Measure copper to assess copper problems.
Measure Free Copper for Anxiety
How
Very briefly: copper facilitates the breakdown of dopamine into norepinephrine. [See the illustration just below.] Free copper levels, measured by using serum copper and ceruloplasmin calculations, will become important in treatment only if measured and identified. Calculations are in order.
See this recent relevant CorePsych copper post that details exactly how you can recognize the possibility of copper challenges, even in young children.
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Copper Facilitates Dopamine to Norepinephrine
The Ceruloplasmin Bus – % Free Copper
As Dr Judith Bowman of the Mensah Medical Clinic near Chicago explains: “Ceruloplasmin is the school bus that carries copper to the parts of the body that need it. Copper not carried on that school bus lingers on the corner and will get into trouble. Those that are left are the % Free Copper that create street neurotransmitter problems.” Brain copper matters.3
“Street problems” demonstrated in this illustration show how increased copper levels facilitate the metabolism of dopamine into norepinephrine. Norepinephrine in excess, as seen frequently in urinary neurotransmitter testing before becoming familiar with the Walsh Protocols, directly relates to anxiety – nervousness.
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Calculation Tool: % Free Copper Levels Using Ceruloplasmin From Merrill Ken Galera, MD
Find it here: http://instacalc.com/27599/
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Why: These Two Videos Further Discuss Copper Levels
Dr Bill Walsh On Copper Levels – 1:07 Min
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Dr Judith Bowman On Copper Levels and Estrogen – 2:03 Min
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Dr Kaslow Comments
Then see this page on Copper/Zinc Imbalance from Jeremy Kaslow, MD on these same issues:
Many high-copper patients (often labeled “depressives”) experience severe PMS, are intolerant to estrogen, and may have a family history of postpartum depression. This group also has a high incidence of acne, eczema, sensitive skin, sunburn, headaches, poor immune function, and white spots under their fingernails. Elevated copper/zinc ratios can be especially serious for persons with low blood histamine (overmethylation). This combination of imbalances has been associated with anxiety, panic disorders, paranoia, and (in severe cases) hallucinations.2
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Copper At CorePsych: Walsh Biotypes & Depression
Walsh Resources: Epigenetics And Walsh Research Videos
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Low Ceruloplasmin4 Creates Increased Copper
Article with multiple linked references at http://www.clinchem.org – 12 refs
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Copper In Neurotransmitter Pathways – Diagram
http://www.corepsych.com/nt-pathways
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Search CorePsych for previous reports on these various copper levels issues.
Details do matter,
cp
Dr Charles Parker
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Book: New ADHD Med Rules: http://amzn.to/1zeDMga
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References
1 Walsh WJ, Glab LB, Haakenson ML. (2004). Reduced violent behavior following biochemical therapy. Physiol Behav. 82: 835-839.
2 E.P. Heleniak, D.M. Frechen, Histamine methylation in Schizophrenia, Medical Hypothesis, 1989, 30:167-174
3 Science Daily: Copper on the brain at rest. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141126124411.htm
4 Clinical Chemistry: http://www.clinchem.org/content/51/8/1558.full
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13 Comments
I’ve been doing some research on copper recently and have found that there is also an abundance of literature on copper levels in persons with autoimmune conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have this condition myself, as well as a host of other secondary issues (mental health, sleep disorder, constant fatigue etc…) I tested positive for high copper / low zinc using 2 different testing methods, one which was on the panel recommended by Walsh. Rheumatologists do not seem to know anything about why persons with RA or other autoimmune conditions develop other secondary or co-morbid conditions, they just write more prescriptions out without giving any explanation. Well, I was quite astounded to find out that there are dozens of studies which have found elevated copper and low zinc in autoimmune patients, and curiously one of the second tier DMARD’s used to treat RA is in fact a copper chelation drug – D. Pennicillamine. One has to wonder about this, I certainly did! Here are the results of one meta-analysis http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25869414
I have one question for you Dr. Charles Parker: How often do you think people need to have their copper levels tested once they start a protocol, and which testing methods do you think are the most accurate? I’ve heard some doctors say that they think the urine challenge (with chelation agent) is best and accurately assesses other minerals/heavy metals as well, but other say only the blood tests (Walsh panel). I am just curious, because I have a concern that I could end up getting copper deficiency while taking more zinc, so I want to make sure I get accurately re-tested to avoid such complications.
In your practice, are you finding mostly positive results when people start these protocols? What would you estimate is the success rate for people with serious mental health challenges?
Vanessa,
Excellent question and good work on your research – I don’t treat RA, and didn’t know about that connection, but do see the copper issue with immunity challenges often. There is no ‘only’ in medicine due to the complexity of issues. My preference, to answer your specific question, would be to use the Walsh protocol and retest in 3 mos being very careful to start zinc slowly at the outset as you could get significantly worse emotionally if you go too fast. Walsh has done many of these tests and with many years of experience that is his protocol and it works for us in our offices. For more comments you can listen to my interview of Dr Walsh on these issues here: http://corebrainjournal.com/034
cp
[…] Copper/Zinc Relevant for PMS […]
My son’s Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis showed low copper (1.4 vs. 2.0). That was obviously not measured in the same way you suggest above. Does the finding we already have suggest anything? It sounds like increased copper can cause anxiety, which my son has some of, but what does low copper mean?
Penny Williams
Author of “Boy Without Instructions: Surviving the Learning Curve of Parenting a Child with ADHD” and “What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting ADHD”
http://BoyWithoutInstructions.com
Penny,
I use Trace Elements as on the second page of this pdf: http://corepsyc.com/tests14 – for links to that site. I like their reports because they also bring in ratios between important mixes such as Cu/Zn that often have adrenal consequences leading to energy issues and more profound drops in the PM as in these videos – see the Energy drop: http://corepsych.com/drop
Tissue Mineral Analysis, Hair, is a biomarker, provocative and useful, but does not provide the absolutely direct info that these measures of copper do provide in this posting – like free copper. I’ve seen the same phenomenon with Candida for example. Great Plains may show an mediocre level of Candida on IgG, while OATS Arabinose levels do tell the tale and make the + identification of the culprit [see the 7th heading down on this article]. Sometimes it takes more than one perspective to understand the lab details.
cp
Yes, we did the Trace Elements test after a phone consult with you a couple years ago. The Zn/Cu ratio was in the acceptable level on their graph. So, possibly copper is not a significant issue for my son.
Penny Williams
Author of “Boy Without Instructions: Surviving the Learning Curve of Parenting a Child with ADHD” and “What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting ADHD”
BoyWithoutInstructions.com
Penny,
Yes, might not be a problem if Trace Elements was negative. But the more I understand the more commonly I see the relevance of cross referenced testing [more than one angle]. That concept is closely tied up with: “If it’s not working, keep searching!”
Amazing to think our conversations were so long ago!
cp
Do you mean that high Arabinose levels on an OAT test show that the culprit is free copper? Sorry I couldn’t find the 7th heading in the article!
Thank you
Fruitbat,
No, looked carefully at this post, [in fact took time to try to reload that copper calculator, doesn’t look like it’s loading, so left the link to InstaCalc] – just could not find that reference, nor the 7th heading remark.
>>Arabinose shows the culprit is candida! See these videos to help you understand that one: http://corepsych.com/candida
Hope this helps,
cp
Thank you for this very interesting information, I am very interested in Copper levels and how they affect your body.
Thank you!
Thanks Tiffany,
Odd, but remarkably true: if these kinds of challenges interfere with neurophysiology they can’t be fully corrected using only limited psychopharmacology or cookie cutter supplement protocols.
cp
One would imagine that excessive exposure to EMF would play in role in
susceptibility to serious illness in people with abnormal methylation and electrohypersensitivity?
Fazia,
Interesting, will bring that up with Dr Walsh, the one person I know with copious experience with the combination of these matters. His original training in physics provides a foundation for a possible opinion in these combined matters.
cp