Porphyria, or Coproporphyria (Poor-feer-ee-ah or co-pro-poor-feer-ee-ya)

General: Imagine a person who can't eat garlic, they start to blister if they step into sunlight and their teeth may be blood red. They have pains in their abdomen. Perhaps they may act insane, attacking themselves or others. Vampire? No. There is a genetic disease called porphyria which causes these symptoms. There are two types of porphyria - Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP), also known as temporary porphyria, or coproporphyria, or permanent porphyria. Both of these seem to come from the same genetic problem. Occasionally, someone may develop non-inherited porphyria, but it's usually due to medications or environmental causes.

Chromosomal cause: This disease is dominant. If a parent has it, chances are that half of their children will have it. There are several different types of porphyria. The most common genetic porphyria on chromosome 3, but other possible sites are on chromosomes 10, 9, 1, 11 and 18. Rarely, this can be due to a recessive condition. It is most common in caucasians.

Characteristics: People with porphyria should stay our of direct sunlight for lengthy amounts of time. They should also avoid certain foods and substances with chemicals that can trigger attacks. Garlic would be one of these foods. If a person has porphyria and isn't having a severe attack, they may suffer the following: Abdominal pain or tenderness, nausea and any other digestive problems, and urinary problems. Most commonly, they will have sensitivity to sunlight. Direct sunlight may even cause them to blister and scar.

If an attack is acute (severe), the pulse and blood pressure may rise or fall, they may sweat, swell, grow extra hair, change skin coloring and their urine and teeth may turn red. Additionally, they may have nerve and mental symptoms from paralysis and loss of control to behavior change and insanity. Some porphyrias are present from birth, but some don't show up until later in life. In severe cases, porphyria can result in shock and be fatal. Other Information
Porphyria Foundation
Genetics and Porphyria
General Info
The Girl Who Mewed