REPRINTED FROM The Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry Volume 10

Pubtication Office: 2229 Broad Strcet, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, 54P I Y7. Published Quarterly. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

qe2
Number
1

Letters to the Editor

To The Editor: The following is a submission I made in delevels (especially bicarbonate, calcium, (and) blood sugars, and so on). What can be cor-

fence of Orthomolecular Medicine/Psychiatry to a Medical Benefjts Revision Committee whose plan it was to make food allergies, vitamin/mineral assays "screening tests" and

rected is corrected and the patient is followed up regularly."

Such a definition was not challenged by Professors of Psychiatry, the College of Psychiatry, the Fund Directors or the Commonwealth Health Department and is accepted into the world literature and well accepted

not eligible for government subsidy/health fund payments. I was given 15 minutes to
present mV case:

Orthomolecular Psychiatry (as defined by me in The Australian Medical Journal, July a'14, 1979, p.40, and noted in lndex Medicus,
March, 1980) "is the study of genetic, metab-

by orthomolecular

psychiatrists here and

overseas. lt clearly states any organic factors that could be causing the psychiatric symp-

olic, endocrine, immunological and toxic disturbances that are contributing to, perpetuating, exacerbating or even causing the psychiatric sym ptomatology''.

toms become the concern of the orthomolecular psychiatrist including vitamin and mineral deficiencies and food allergies.

The other half of the definition which is often left out when people criticize orthomolecular psychiatry, and to distinguish it from biological psychiatry where usually vitamins, minerals, food allergies are not

The medical literature is full of organic conditions presenting as psychiatric symptoms and I refer to "Medical Screening of Psychiatric Patients" by Earl Cardner and chiatry, Volume
Richard Hall, Journal of Orthomolecular Psy-

9, No. 3, pp. 2O7-215,

"lt is the investigation of vitamin (coenzyme) levels, mineral (cofactor) levels (or toxic levels of lead, copper and so on), hormone levels (we can't measure endorphin
levels, exorphin levels, or prostaglandin levels at the moment), immunoglobulin levels (especially lgA and lgM), electrolyte

measured, is as follows:

where they look at the incidence of medical disease in psychiatric patients and state the "following conclusions seem justified for the
study:

1. Approximately B0 percent of state psychiatric hospital inpatients have some medical illness requiring treatment. 2. lt is difficult to distinguish physical disorders from functional psychiatric disorders
29

oRTHOMOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY, VOLUME 10, NUMBER 1 , 1981 , Pp.29-34

on the basis of psychiatric symptoms alone. 3. A large percentage of patients admitted to a state psychiatric hospital have previousThe cases listed include 56 schizophrenics where such things as folic acid deficiency,

ly undiagnosed medical illnesses which cause or exacerbate their psychiatric symptoms. 4. The endocrine and central nervous sys-

malnutrition, hypoglycemia, iron deficiency anaemia, thyroid, liver, and adrenal disorder, infections, toxic metal poisoning and
renal disorder caused or exacerbated symtoms. The same applied to other disorders

tems are the physiological systems of the body most often associated with medical illnesses which cause or exacerbate psychiat-

such as depression, manic depression,

personality disorders and organic brain syn-

5. Patients with medically determined major psychiatric symptoms are most often diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia
or depressive disorders.

ric symptoms.

6. The vast majority of medical

illnesses

dromes and such autoimmune diseases as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, parathyroid disorder, and adrenal disease. Thus not surprisingly when I looked at chronic long term patients in Ward 5, North R-yde Psychiatric Centre, 1973, using some of the tests, I increased by 10 fold the discharge rate from
BO

which cause or exacerbate psychiatric symptoms respond rapidly to treatment with medication. 7. A combination of complete psychiatric history, indepth physical and neurological examinations, SMA-34 blood chemistry, electrocardiogram, routine urinalysis, and

12 per year to 120 per year at a time when

patients in hospital a year cost the state a

million dollars
dollars in 1973.

thus saving 1.5 million

The vitamin profiles provided free at the time by Roche Laboratory showed that of 1B schizophrenics looked at (1) 17118 (94-5ok)

sleep deprived electroencephalogram

should be considered the minimum standards for the medical evaluation of all patients being admitted to an inpatient psychiatric facility." Also in the Archives of Psychiatry, Volume 37, September 1980, pp. 989-995, Hall et al. state: "One hundred patients of lower socioeconomic class were intensively evaluated medically on a research ward for the presence of unrecognized medical illnesses that

were low in Vitamin C; (2) 15118 (83.2%\ were low in Vitamin 81; (3) 13118 (72-2%) rvere low in 86; (a) i3ll} (72.2%) were low in Vitamin A; (5) 11/18 (62%) were low in folic acid and 6i1B (33.3',6) were low in Vitamin 812 - of these none were anaemic, hence article on Latent Pernicious Anaemia, original article, Australian Medical Journal, January 25, 1975. Note 33 percent had five
vitamin deficiencies; 50 percent had four; 16 percent had three and only one percent had
one. -Patient
(S1

might have affected their hospitalization.

Forty-six percent were thought to have med-

2) came to the ward on 120

ical illnesses that directly caused or greatly exacerbated their symptoms and were consequently responsible for their admission,

mg/day of Stelazine and exfoliative dermatitis and left a few months later mainly on

lMl812.
Patient (56) left hospital after twelve years in hospital and did well on lMl 812 for six months and vitamins, was working, and then the community psychiatrist ceased her injections because he thought she was so well,

while an additional 34 percent of patients were found to be suffering from a medical illness requiring treatment. A diagnostic battery of physical, psychiatric, and neurologic examinations, coupled with a 34-panel automated blood analysis, complete blood cell count, urinalysis, ECC, and sleep deprived EEC established the presence and nature of
more than 90 perceht of the illnesses deients facing involuntary commitment
mental hospital."
30

sending her back into hospital where she

has remained since 1973. She was also developing anterior lens changes from largactil and had severe iron deficiency anaemia several months before discharge and hypogammaglobulinaemia. At one stage her main

tected, and is therefore recommended as an initial evaluation battery, particularly for pat-

to a

treatment was ECTx3/week. Patient (S2) left hospital after three years

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

on high doses of fluphenazine enanthate weekly and tofranil daily, only needing 81, folate, Vitamin C and remained out of hospital for a year travelling overseas but relapsed after returning and going off her
vitamins.

10
7.5

pork
green beans apples
fish peas

7.5
7.5

7.5
7.5 7.5 7.5

peanuts
soya bean Srapes

Those patients tested before treatment with TAT, WAIS, Rorschach and Craham Kendall memory scale all showed improve-

ment .on the vitamin treatment after six months. Tony Diment (Sydney University
School of Psychology - unpublished). It was several years later that the true malabsorption was learned. See table of food allergies in 20 male and 20 female schizophrenics tested by cytotoxic testing. Note in

7.5 7.5
5 5

tea barley hops chicken

2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5

safflower
bananas

dates
rice

the females 70 percent were allergic to

cow's milk, and 70 percent allergic to gluten

Hence my letter

in ARAFMI newsletter

containing foods especially wheat, malt,

oats, rye (this is exactly what Dohan found). Fifty-five percent of males were allergic to

cow's milk and gluten containing foods.

Thus of the 40 schizophrenics:

August 1980 and conclusion. "Thus I can say schizophrenia is a treatable/reversible organic illness that results from a genetic tendency to have gluten/ agliaden/ acasein (and toxic components of yeast, eggs, curry

Percentage Allergic to 62 cor,r/s milk and gluten

containing foods
35
25 25

and many other foods) intolerance/hypersensitivity resulting in malabsorption for vitamins/minerals/amino acids/tendency to
hypoglycemia, and acidosis and defective immune system associated with abnormal

yeast

22.4 22.5 22.5 20 20 20 17.5 17.5

15 15 15

mushrooms wheat curry malt

oranges

lgM, lgA levels in particular and autoantibodies (especially reticulin and bile duct
antibodies) and complement defects.

coffee
aoo - trl,

rye

chocolate
ginger garlic oats

tomatoes
lamb prawn

15 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 10 10 10 10

ill patients neurasthenia/depression/arthritis/migrain/early hair loss and host of other problems I picked up seven 5LE's confirmed by biopsy and another 2S still to have biopsy

The treatment involves total avoidance of the food allergies, correction of the low vitamins/minerals/hypoglycemia/acidosis and the patient will need less and less tranquilizers until within six to 1B months they are usually not required at all."

with

Similarly, looking at severely

because immunologically/clinically they

have SLE (i.e. high ANF titres, elevated ds DNA, immune complex abs, anti lymphocyte abs, otherautoantibodies and low complements). Unfortunately one patient had been ill for 29 years; another for 10 years

skimmed milk
cane suSar beef bran

pineapple onions
corn

potatoes sunf lower

and was deeply depressed, had not responded to tryptanol for the last three years and was on 12 Tolvon/day, two Noctec and three Altorvite and about to have myelo31

ORTHOMOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY, VOLUME 10, NUMBER

, 1981 , Pp' 29'34

cord tumour stre didn't trave gram Tor a-sprnal^and advised b have fsychosurgery which she didn't want. She not only had SLE but also low vitamins, minerals and food allergies and is now off all
osvchiatric medications.

rest

12 patients admitted to hospitalization for psychiatric reasons since treatment commenced. Of these 1 still has continuous treatment 2 commented that they each had one visit a total of 41 weeks for the others

'

They are doing well on a milldgluten free diet and correctlon of their vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Most not needing cortisone.

The prevalence of SLE is two to three per 100,000. Most recent estimates indicate that 77 percent of patients with SLE survive five years and thus 23 percent or more than one fifth die before five years. (Harrison textbook

23 patients admitted to hospitalization for physical reasons in 5 years prior to treatment, Nil since commencement of orthomolecular treatment.
General Physical Health 272 are less prone to infections

of

medicine 9th edition.) Thus

to

see

as

SLE patients as I have seen, you would normally have to see half a million people. ln July 1980, to assess the efficacy of ortho-

many

234 show fewer white dots in nails (correlates with malabsorption for 86 and zinc) 195 have less acne, better skin/hair/nails 125 have less sinusitis 110 have less indigestion 106 have less diarrhoea 105 have fewer mouth ulcers 102 have less constipation 98 are less underweight/have been able to put on weight 97 had fewer cramps 89 have fewer palpitations (heart racing) 89 have fewer migraines 75 have less rash/dermatitis 75 are less obese/overweight

molecular treatment and the effect on reducing not only psychiatric symptorns^ but
also somatic/physical problems such as arth-

ritis, proneness to infections, etc. and evaluate cost effectiveness, I sent out a questionnaire to my patients and 558 persons returned it by '1 .10.80. See table.

(35.87o)showed between 90 and 95 percent improvement and 21139 (54%) between B0 and 85 percent improvemeht and only 4/39 (10%) improvement rate of 74toBO percent. Thus 90 percent of 39 symptoms listed

Note: oi 39 conditions treated 1439

showed an improvement rate of between BO and 95 percent. Also note the following
findings:

72have fewer cold sores (herpes)

67 have less premenstrual tension 62 have less arthritis 48 have less asthma 14 have fewer epileptic turns
The orthomolecular approach has helped

163 patients admitted to psychiatric medication at commencement of orthomolecular treatment .6170 1 now takes more 12.880/0 21 take the same amount
42 take less 29 take much less 65 take none at all

293 in their general physical/mental health

so they have fewer complaints

28.83%
17.8o/o

39.88o/o

87 patients admitted to hospitalization for psychiatric reasons in 5 years prior to treatment. Of these 4 had almost continuous treatment for 5 yr t had almost continuous treatment f or 2 yr t had daily treatment for B months

202 to make new f riends 201 in their ability to exercise 201 to take new interests 'l 85 in their school situation 135 in their work situation 126 ro renew old interests not previously possible

had weekly treatment for 5 years a total of 38 visits for others

Conclusion The above strongly supports the literature

a total of 3,521 weeks treatment for the

32

in the relevant tests done for the correct diagnosis and correct treatment and thus

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

management of the patient is essential and

even life saving form of therapy and helping

a wide variety of conditions.

mandatory and orthomolecular psychiatry

as defined by me is an effective cost saving,

Dr. Chris M. Reading

B.Sc., M.8., 8.S., M.R.A.N.Z.C.P.

Pacific Medical Center 8 Pacific Parade Dee Why 2099 Australia

TABLE

THE FoLLOWING FIGURES WERE DERIVED FRoM A oUESTIONNAIRE SENT OUT ON THURSDAY 17th JULY 1980 To ALL PAST AND PRESENT PATIENTS (TOIAI 1230). THE PATIENT GAVE DETAILS OF CONDITION TREATED AND PERSONAL OPINION OF PROGRESS, Condition Treated

No of Patients Extremely Good who Commented Good Progress Proqress

407
331

Fair Progress

No Progress 33 23 20 16
17

ls

Problem Worse
2 2 5
1

% Showing lmprovement 91.4 92.44 94.5 93.7 88.32

94.31

Concentration Less angry/irritable Tense/anxious Chronic lack of energy Depression Memory lncreased f rustration tolerance Change to more pleasant personality
N4otivation Learning difficulties Less shy/self conscious

321 309

302
291 241

266 260
220

Confused Co ordination Less indecision

Headaches

220
211

216
195

lnsomnia Tendency to make mistakes

Fearful

182
183
181

Eehavioural problems Hyperactive problems Sleep disorders Lose things Panic attacks lrational fears Suicidal ideas/attempts Libido/sex drive
Obsessional lrational ideas

154

152
141 133 113 105 100 100
81

Phobic Odd behaviour Depersonalisation Violence Derealisation 8ed wetting Seeing imaginary things Hearing imaginary voices Autistic problems Alcohol abuse
Druq abuse

90 80 74 112 111 57 56 7A 80 56 50 61 57 61 84 61 38 49 42 41 53 2a 45 37 56 24 33 21 29 27 26 23 21 24 19 14 13 t6

169

146 144
118

125
115
131

115 86
91 101

80 90 84
71

76 15 75 80 12 58 50

47
43 24 29 20 33 26 27 23
13

80
7-7

65 54

45 42 40
31

I
10
11

29 24

t
5

113 80 84 62 47 85 78 5'418 12 66 55 4A 599 56 37 33 46 40 44 31 23 43 26 20 14 21 26 15 11 19 13 67 '15 10 34 53 64 62

2

2
2 2
1

32 14 20 23
14

2 3
1

92.86 9't.54 89.1 2 93.36

85.91

30 15 19 22

94.93 93.05
89.3

20
16 12

8 87.36
87.1

89.62
91 .71

93.51

15
19

88.16
85.82 48.72

15
11

88.5
49.52 74 79 44.24 88.89 88.75 87.01 84.61 94.44

23
11

I I
5 5

88.89
88.1

87.5 83.87
89.66 95.83

A total of 558 persons returned the questionnaire bV 1 .1 0.80. Of that number. 353 had seen General Practitioners about the above problem before beinq referred here. 1 1 0 had seen Paediatricians about the above problems before being referred here. 1 89 had seen Psvchiatrists about the above problems before being refered here. 1 63 had seen other specialists/counsellors about the above problems before beinq referred here

33