People in Brazil with acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) have a high prevalence of chronic symptoms and a poor quality of life, a retrospective registry study has found. This new work also reported a higher proportion of patients with recurrent attacks compared with previous studies. “Our study fortifies the knowledge…

People with acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) having recurrent attacks are burdened with chronic symptoms between those attacks, according to data from the natural history EXPLORE study. High disease burden was also observed in patients having fewer porphyria attacks — less than three in the absence of preventive treatment for…

The day of my diagnosis was the first glimpse into my resiliency and willpower. That morning, my doctor called with test results indicating acute hepatic porphyria (AHP). Anger, sadness, fear, and wonder all came crashing into me, knocking me sideways and then completely out of my body. Suspended…

When it comes to chronic illness, I’ve often wondered if living by limited boundaries and conserving energy would prevent my lowest lows. I appreciate how the spoon theory, a popular analogy in the chronic illness community about conserving mental and physical energy, simplifies energetic deficits for people who don’t…

My acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) diagnosis was a whirlwind that transformed my life and the lives of my loved ones. It took a series of dramatic attacks for doctors to take me seriously. Sadly, this is not uncommon for people with AHP. After nearly two decades searching for answers, I…

A young woman with acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) experienced neuropathic pain — a type of pain caused by nerve damage — after receiving a liver transplant, according to a report from investigators in Brazil. For the first five months following the procedure, the woman experienced no symptoms, but then…

People with symptomatic acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) should be monitored regularly, as this disorder can affect their quality of life even if their attacks are infrequent. A recent study with that finding revealed evidence of significant chronic symptoms and long-term medical conditions among patients with sporadic AIP, as compared to…

Most acute intermittent porphyria patients spoke in a small study of experiencing chronic symptoms in addition to acute attacks, and felt they significantly affected their ability to go about many activities that make up daily life. The study, “Patient Perspective on Acute Intermittent Porphyria with Frequent Attacks: A Disease…