What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body...Posted on December 5th, 2006 |
Categories: Mercury Toxicity | Fatigue | Detox | Dementia | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Brain
Are you heavy?
It could be making you sick and tired and age prematurely.
And I don't mean heavy with fat.
I mean heavy with heavy metals -- like mercury!
Unfortunately, toxic mercury problems are common.
Along with polar bears, beluga whales, ducks, otters, panthers, and all river fish as well as most large ocean fish, we humans are poisoning ourselves with mercury at ever increasing rates.
There's no doubt about it.
Mercury is the most alarming, disease-causing source of environmental toxicity that I see daily in my practice.
So many of patients have toxic levels of mercury -- and they're not alone.
I personally suffered from mercury toxicity and chronic fatigue (of which I cured myself in part by getting rid of the mercury in my body).
So I know about this first hand.
How did I get toxic?
I polluted myself by growing up on tuna fish sandwiches, eating sushi, living in Beijing, which heats all its homes with coal -- the major source of environmental mercury load -- and having a mouthful of amalgam, a.k.a. mercury fillings.
All of these exposures, combined with genes that prevent me from effectively detoxifying metals in my body, led to a slow and significant poisoning of my cells and mitochondria.
And the effects were obvious.
I felt weak, tired, and couldn't think, I had muscle pain and twitches, insomnia, digestive problems, food allergies, depression, and anxiety.
But it was only by discovering high levels of mercury in my hair and urine -- and slowly detoxifying myself -- that I was able to get better.
I have seen this over and over in my patients, too.
From chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, to depression, anxiety, obesity, dementia, Parkinson's disease, cancer, heart failure, and heart disease, the message is clear.
We are being poisoned!
This is such an important public health and personal issue for so many people that I'm going to use this blog and the next one to fully explain the extent of mercury issues.
I'll show you the science behind mercury, share some stories about my patients who have suffered, and talk about the way we need to deal with it.
First, I'd like to share with you what I learned two years ago at one of the most important international conferences on mercury yet to be held.
It was called "The Impact of Mercury on Human Health and the Environment" and was presented at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans.
There, a unique international group of policymakers, environmental scientists, toxicologists, biochemists, journalists, academic physicians, practicing pediatricians, neurologists, and dentists gathered.
We were there to make sense of the environmental impact, toxicology, basic science, public policy and health implications of one the least studied and perhaps greatest potential threats to our long-term health -- mercury.
I'll be using this week's blog to discuss some of what I learned at the conference.
==> Mercury Levels Are on the Rise.
Barry Kohl, Ph.D. is an adjunct professor in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University.
He provided a unique overview of the impact of industrialization on environmental mercury levels through a description of the levels of mercury in the ice core extracted from the pristine Freemont Glacier in Wyoming.
There were small peaks in mercury concentration in the ice core from the 1815 Tambora volcanic eruption in Indonesia, the 1850-84 gold rush in California where mercury was used for smelting, the eruption in 1883 of the Sumatran volcano Krakatau 10,000 miles away, and the more recent Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980.
But overall, the changes have been dramatic.
Over the past 100 years, there has been a 30-fold increase in mercury deposition, 70 percent of which is from human sources.
In fact, there was an exponential peak in mercury occurring in the last 40 years due to major industrialization.
One note of hope was the reduction in industrial mercury emissions from 220 million pounds to 120 million pounds a year over the last 10 years.
But that's small consolation when we're talking about a substance that is toxic in parts per million, not in millions of pounds.
So where does all of this mercury come from?
Much of it comes from coal-fired industrial plants and from chlor-alkali plants that use mercury in the process of making chlorine used in plastics, pesticides, PVC pipes, and more.
==> Risk Increases with Dose
Harvey Clewell from the ENVIRON Health Sciences Institute, Ruston, Louisiana, reviewed the epidemiologic studies from the Seychelles and Faroe islands.
He showed that your risk of toxicity increases with higher doses of mercury.
There are different types of mercury.
Nearly all human exposures to one type, methylmercury, come from fish.
In the Seychelle Islands, there seemed be little effect on kids from mercury; however their fish consumption was predominately from low-risk small reef fish that don't contain much mercury.
In the Faroe Islands people eat whale blubber, which contains high levels of mercury -- over 3 parts per million.
There, high levels of mercury were found in umbilical cord blood and correlated with reductions performance in neurologic testing in 917 mother-infant pairs.
The health effects from methyl mercury upon infants and children depend on the dose.
Severe symptoms start with exposure to doses of 100 mcg/kg/day, mild symptoms with more than 10 mcg/kg/day, and sub-clinical symptoms with less than 1 mcg/kg/day.
Symptoms include late development in walking and talking and decreased performance on neurological tests.
Dr. Clewell also reviewed the limitations of various forms of testing for mercury.
Methylmercury (also called organic mercury) is found predominately in red blood cells, which is what doctors check when they do a blood test for mercury.
But unless you have been eating fish with mercury recently, you won't see your total body level of mercury.
Plus, mercury is lipophilic, meaning that it concentrates in fatty tissues, especially in the brain, which is made mostly of fat.
That means that blood levels aren't an accurate measurement of total body burden of mercury.
Inorganic mercury from dental fillings (amalgams) is found in plasma but is rapidly cleared and stored in your tissues.
Inorganic mercury is also converted from methylmercury by the body and is the main form of mercury in brain, which can lead to dementia, autism, ADHD and more.
==> Health Effects of Mercury
So how do we get mercury in our body?
Sources of exposure are widespread and include mercury vapors in ambient air, ingestion via drinking water, fish, dental amalgams, vaccines, occupational exposures, home exposures including fluorescent light bulbs, thermostats, batteries, red tattoo dye, skin-lightening creams, over-the-counter (OTC) products such as contact lens fluid and neosynephrine, and more.
Whew!
You absorb about 80 percent of inhaled mercury vapor and nearly 100 percent of mercury in fish through your gut.
The mercury is then primarily distributed in the kidneys and brain and can be readily transferred to the fetus via the placenta.
It is eliminated via the urine, feces, expired air, and breast milk.
The major toxicity is from mercury's ability to bind to sulfur-containing molecules in the body (found in nearly every enzyme and in the mitochondria), as well as other chemical binding sites in the cells.
So how does that affect us -- and our kids?
Well, we've learned a lot from reported exposures to mercury over the last 100 years.
These include epidemics such as the Minimata Bay exposures in Japan, acrodynia or pink disease in children from calomel (HgCl) used in teething powder, "mad hatter syndrome" or erethism, and methylmercury fungicide grain seed exposures in Iraq and Pakistan.
The symptoms and diseases these exposures have caused are varied and mimic many other conditions.
Nervous system toxicity includes erethism with symptoms of shyness, emotional lability, nervousness, insomnia, memory problems, and the inability to concentrate.
Other neurologic symptoms may include encephalopathy (non-specific brain malfunction), nerve damage, Parkinsonian symptoms, tremor, ataxia (loss of balance), impaired hearing, tunnel vision, dysarthria (slurred speech), headache, fatigue, impaired sexual function, and depression.
Kidney toxicity includes proteinura (protein in the urine) and acute renal failure.
Gastrointestinal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and colitis.
Skin toxicity includes allergic dermatitis, chelitis (cracked corners of the mouth), gingivitis (gum disease), stomatitis (sore in the mucous membranes of the mouth) and excessive salivation.
Clearly, mercury toxicity is serious business!
==> Dentistry and Mercury
I'm going to spend the rest of this blog talking about one of the more controversial sources of mercury toxicity -- dental fillings.
Silver dental fillings, or amalgams, contain inorganic mercury.
Mercury exposure from amalgams is estimated to be between 3 to 17 micrograms per day from chewing, brushing, grinding, and even slow corrosion.
But is that a problem?
A recent study in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" found no significant neurologic or behavioral changes in children who had mercury amalgam (silver) fillings, compared to kids who had composite (white) fillings placed.
But there were significant problems with that study.
First, the duration of the study was short and the effects subtle.
Second, they failed to emphasize the significance of the fact that the kids who had the silver fillings had much higher levels of mercury in their urine than the kids with white fillings.
What does this mean?
Very simply, it proves that mercury fillings in your mouth release mercury vapor and this is absorbed into your body, ending up in your urine -- and getting deposited in your organs, including your brain, where it accumulates over time.
This is true of both new and old fillings. The mercury in them is constantly absorbed into your body.
Even if you stop being exposed to mercury, it sticks around.
It takes up to 18 years for the body to clear half of the dose of mercury from the body. So once mercury is in the body it comes out only very slowly.
In fact, people with amalgam fillings have significantly elevated blood mercury levels, 3 to 5 times more mercury in the urine, and 2 to 12 times more mercury in their tissues than those without amalgam fillings.
However blood and urine mercury levels don't necessarily relate to the mercury load in your body tissues or severity of clinical symptoms.
Research on sheep and monkeys with dental amalgams has shown that blood mercury levels remained low -- even though their tissue mercury levels were raised.
Urine mercury levels aren't much better. They mainly reflect the cumulative dose of inorganic mercury in the kidneys and there exists only a very weak correlation with levels in other target tissues.
Another speaker at the conference, Mike Robichaux, a practicing dentist, reviewed his experience with removal of amalgams fillings.
He showed a remarkable video of mercury vapor being released from a 25-year-old tooth. You can watch it on the website of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (www.iaomt.org).
But other dentists aren't so concerned.
In fact, the American Dental Association still says it is safe to use mercury or silver fillings.
That's something I've always wondered about, considering that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) considers mercury, once it is removed from old fillings, to be toxic waste that has to be disposed as such.
Let me put this another way. It's apparently all right to put mercury fillings in your mouth -- but not to throw it out in the garbage!
But before you start yanking out your fillings, consider this.
Some of us are very good at detoxifying mercury and other toxins, while some of us store toxins like a toxic waste dump.
You see, genetic variations (called polymorphisms) make some people more prone to metal toxicity.
One gene in particular is very important because it's related to the body's production of glutathione, our most powerful detoxifier and antioxidant.
Your body can only excrete mercury when it's bound with glutathione.
The polymorphism of the gene that controls the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase (GSST) prevents excretion of mercury.
That is the gene problem I have that led to my mercury toxicity.
When that happens, the mercury stays in tissues and does damage. Plus, mercury also binds to key enzymes that help us produce glutathione -- in effect helping itself accumulate in our bodies.
Plus, research shows that people suffering from symptoms like fatigue, irritability, mood disorders, poor concentration, headaches, and insomnia due to their amalgam fillings are more likely than their peers to have the apolipoprotein E 4 (ApoE 4) gene.
ApoE 4 is known as the "Alzheimer's gene" and also promotes heart disease. It has reduced detoxifying activity. This means that people with this gene can't get rid of mercury from their brains, contributing to its toxic effects on this organ.
==> The European Experience
Now let's look at some of the research done in other countries.
At the conference, Anders Lindvall, M.D., from the Foundation for Metal Biology in Sweden, reported his work on the health effects of dental amalgams and presented a review of the controversial literature on dental amalgams and human health.
Many of his patients reported a symptom complex consistent with chronic fatigue syndrome that they believed were related to dental amalgams.
So in 1990, Dr. Lindvall began a study (i) at Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden to diagnose and treat 796 patients with suspected amalgam-related illness and to develop and evaluate diagnostic tools to assess toxicity from dental amalgams.
Besides conventional measures of quality of life and symptoms, unique laboratory assessments were used to determine the presence and immunological toxicity of metals.
One was PIXE, an accelerator-based test on single blood cells that assesses intracellular levels of trace elements, which showed that, in lymphocytes (white blood cells), mercury is found in the nucleus, particularly in places where zinc is low.
The other was MELISA, a test of lymphocyte reactivity to metal compounds (ii). Information about the MELISA test is available at www.melisa.org.
Dr. Lindvall's patients were treated with antioxidants (B complex vitamins C and E, and selenium), treatment of infection and jaw dysfunction, selective removal of any incompatible dental material, low-emission amalgam removal techniques, use of bio-compatible materials substituting amalgams, and laboratory follow up at one year.
The cost was covered by national health insurance.
So what were the results?
Over 70 percent of patients reported significant improvement in symptoms after amalgam removal!
And there were improvements in the PIXIE and MELISA testing, too.
Unfortunately, this study had some problems.
The clinic was closed after the study was published, so there was no further access allowed to the records, which contained over 1,000 untreated patients who could have served as a control group.
Since 1999, amalgam dental restorations in Sweden are no longer covered by insurance.
But Dr. Lindvall's study still suggests that silver amalgams can cause health problems -- and that removing the fillings can help relieve these problems.
And other studies have had similar effects.
Research has found that patients with chronic fatigue and autoimmune thyroiditis show improvement in their health status after their amalgam fillings are replaced with composites.
In another study, 71 percent of people with autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, improved after amalgam removal. Low-dose exposure to inorganic mercury may be a contributing factor in the development of autoimmune diseases.
Animal and lab studies suggest that exposure to metallic mercury may cause nerve cell damage and promote the production the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
Plus, we know that mercury levels in the human placenta correlate with the number of maternal amalgam fillings -- and a substantial amount of mercury from amalgams reaches the fetus.
Worse, mercury from dental amalgams in pregnant women may also contribute to development of autism in their children. In one study, mothers of 94 autistic children had statistically more amalgam fillings during pregnancy than 49 mothers of healthy kids.
In contrast to their higher mercury exposure during pregnancy, these autistic children had reduced mercury levels in their first haircut (mercury exposure can be measured in human hair). This may reflect a reduced capacity to excrete mercury from their body, which in turn may lead to elevated brain mercury levels.
And approximately 20 percent of the general public may experience sub-clinical central nervous system and/or kidney function impairment due to amalgam fillings.
What does this research tell us?
Taken collectively, it questions the safety of dental amalgams.
I know this all sounds very depressing.
And it is.
But there are things you can do to reduce your exposure -- and to identify if you have toxic levels of mercury.
Now I'd like to sum up what we learned in this week's blog and offer some suggestions and reducing your exposure.
1. Industrial exposure to mercury is significant and mostly comes from coal burning (220 million pounds a year) and chlor-alkali plants.
2. The main ways that humans are exposed are from contaminated fish and dental amalgams or silver fillings.
3. Mercury can affect nearly all your organs, especially the brain, heart, kidneys, and gut.
4. Many chronic diseases may be caused or worsened by mercury, including neurologic disease, ADHD, autism, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and more.
5. Some of us are genetically better adapted to detoxify mercury than others, leading to variable effects within the population.
6. You should reduce your exposure by never eating river fish and limiting your other fish consumption to small wild fish (if it fits in your pan, it is probably OK) and avoiding tuna, swordfish, shark, tilefish, and more. See the resources below for more information on mercury.
7. Blood tests are relatively worthless for analyzing mercury toxicity, unless you have had a significant recent exposure or eat a lot of sushi or tuna.
8. Hair tests only check for mercury from fish, not from fillings so they only give you a partial picture.
9. The only way to find out your total body load of mercury is to take a medication with sulfur molecules that binds to the mercury like fly paper. This is called DMSA or DMPS.
This test should ONLY be done by a trained physician and involves taking one dose of this medicine, followed by a 6- or 24-hour urine collection to see how much comes out. (In my opinion, the most reliable testing is done by www.doctorsdata.com).
10. If you are toxic and sick, you may consider addressing your dental health by seeing a biological dentist who can safely help you deal with mercury in your mouth.
Going to see a conventional dentist who drills out your fillings without any precautions or protection can lead to serious health consequences. I strongly advise against it. However, it can be done safely and effectively.
Next time, I'll give you more advice on how to safely get eliminate the mercury in your body if you find you are toxic.
WEB RESOURCES ON MERCURY
http://www.ehponline.org - (Environmental Health Perspectives)
http://commons.ucalgary.ca/mercury - (Video on the toxic neurologic effects of Mercury)
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html (EPA Mercury Fish Advisory)
http://www.ewg.org (Environmental Working Group)
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden - Study of Body Burden of Toxins
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309071402/html Toxicological Effects of Methyl mercury
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fishadvice/advice.html - Joint Federal Advisory for Fish
http://www.cfad.net (The Center for Advanced Dentistry Beachwood, OH)
http://www.testfoundation.org (Mercury Resources - Boyd Haley, University of Kentucky)
http://www.safeminds.org (Autism Website)
http://www.iaomt.org (The International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology - Find a Dentist who can safely remove amalgams and view the Smoking Tooth video)
Now I'd like to hear from you...
Do you think mercury toxicity is a legitimate health concern or a bogus problem?
Do you have any symptoms of mercury toxicity and what have you done about them?
Have you asked your doctor about mercury toxicity and if so, what was his/her response?
Are you exposed to many sources of mercury? What could you do to reduce your exposure?
Please let me know your thoughts by clicking on the Add a Comment button below and posting your comment.
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, M.D.
(i) Lindh U. Removal of dental amalgam and other metal alloys supported by antioxidant therapy alleviates symptoms and improves quality of life in patients with amalgam-associated ill health. Neuroendocrinology Letters 2002; 23(5/6):459-482.
(ii) Stejskal V. Metal-specific lymphocytes: biomarkers of sensitivity in man. Neuroendocrinology Letters 1999;20:289-298.
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re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
I recently read that mercury in fish isn't really a problem because fish contains a significant amount of selenium which binds with the mercury and prevents it from absorbing through the gut. Is there any truth to that?
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
wrong it means that apoe 3-4 make amyloid protien which causes plaques
all this is after apoe does its first job to create hardening of the arteries
thus avoiding the heart attack at 54 but by then you are into alzhimers
what a deal
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
Maybe I missed something, Mark, but I was looking for the practical suggestions about how to "get this lethal toxin out of your body..." Where were they?
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
Three years ago I found a Dentist in Vancouver B.C. Canada who took out all my mercury filled teeth from 40 years. He took all the precautions necessary to keep me from getting any vapors. It took every kind of detox except intervienous EDA to get me past the toxicity and back on the road to good health. Even that I had read everything I could get my hands on and worked for months to find a dentist who would take precautions, I still had a difficult time detoxifying. I had no idea how drastic it was to have those teeth in my mouth so long. I am still very sensitive to chemicals, but the mercury tests low these days. It was worth it to improve my health. However, I still have three root canals, one in the very front of my mouth I am considering having removed. Any information on that? Dr. Mercola says to pull them, but I have a lower "flipper" as I had my two front bottom teeth knocked out in a car accident about 20 years ago and it is a pain. I almost have the cost of a new SUV in my mouth in dental work and don't even know the cost of my other health problems before I got the mercury out. Hundreds of dollars! Thank you for your good work. I appreciate your truth.
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
I must be doing something wrong - how do I read others commetns ?
Dr. Mark - not fair - you have scared me silly and I have to wait till next week to learn how to detox !!! I have your two books but am only through half of the first one. Living in the middle of Mexico I KNOW there are not any dentists around here that wont just drill and refill - have 3/4 of my teeth with almagamas and ate tuna fish sandwiches a LOT while growing up. Plus lived in Germany durong youth and we heated home and hearth with coal.................
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I read through it and was yelling at the top of my lungs. You touched on almost every point I believe to be true with a 'no-nonsense', 'scientific' approach. You are my hero! I forwarded it on to two of my doctors and family members as well. My daughter and I were being treated, but our insurance company cut us off. My entire family is mercury toxic and I can't wait to see what else you have to say. Hopefully, there are other ways to get through this without the high cost. I believe DMPS is the route to go - DMSA kinda scares me. One of my doctors uses Doctors Data for lab tests as well. You just validated everything that I have learned & experienced first hand, on this very long and lonely journey. My 16 year old son just did a 6 week project on Mercury Toxicity and was bombarded with questions when he was through with his presentation. Just wish you would have written this a couple weeks ago so he could have passed it out - maybe he still can. Thanks Again!!!
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
Thank you Dr. Hyman for all you do! Thank you for your book and your research. Thank you for understanding us "crazy patients" that just don't feel good. I speak from the other side of this issue - the "been there and did that" point of view! I went from a ultra athlete to a couch potato overnight and my family could not understand. Nor did they understand when I spent every last penny and all my energy on getting well. I was 10% body fat when I had three crowns replaced - not a good idea. I went from being a very successful Systems Analyst to staring at my computer screen. Every MD I went to said there was nothing wrong with me. I took the aggressive approach. I had 9 pieces of metal dental work removed in a two day period. Since I had no body fat when the dental work was removed, all the mercury went to my joints and I could feel it work its way down my body joint by joint. My dentist was not a "believer of Mercury Toxicity" but used precautions I requested - barley green powder packed in my cheeks and gums, used a dental dam, and provided oxygen thru my nose. I went through 3 1/2 years of chelation. Aggressively, I had a DMPS every 10 days with 2-3 vitamin and mineral IVs in between. My arms were scared like a junkie's and my family thought I was crazy. But it was absolutely worth it! I would advise others to consider a slower and not so aggressive and expensive approach - Like your diet and supplement regime. Again, thank you for lending your medical credentials and reputation to such an important issue that can be solved!
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
I had all my amalgam fillings removed by a conventional dentist in Jan 2003 who took no precautions and then I became pregnant in Nov 2003. After my daughter was born, I realized I had candida (I had fungus and parasites! in my blood discovered through a live blood analysis). I had horrible chocolate cravings and went to a series of practitioners who suggested various supplements-but I could not get rid of the candida. Just recently I went to the "best naturopath in town" who made the connection between the mercury "poisoning" and the candida. She has me taking a series of Unda homeopathic remedies and gammolyns (special minerals) to chelate the mercury out of my system slowly (I'm still nursing and she says this is safe). All I can say is for the first time in a long time my cravings have pretty much disappeared. She says in her experience people who have chronic candida also have heavy metal toxicity. Her theory is that the candida, which in effect coats the digestive tract, is somehow allowed there by the body as a way of sort of symbiotically protecting us from the toxic mercury which has been largely absorbed by the digestive system-especially when removed from the mouth. Anyway, my daughter has had terrible problems w/ early childhood tooth decay, despite never drinking anything besides breastmilk and water and having a low sugar diet. The naturopath thinks the formation of the enamel could have been compromised by the mercury and digestive problems/candida I had, in that I may not have been absorbing minerals properly and/or the mercury could have interferred somehow. Any thoughts?
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
Hello Again! Hopefully, in your next blog you will also go into the effect of both RhoGam and vaccinations - that contain Thimerosal - including current flu shots. I did love the fact that you made it clear that toxic mommies have toxic babies. RhoGam just added to the toxic level in my system as I had several fillings and severe TMJ dysfunction - 2 surgeries. My daughter, who is mercury toxic, has and never has had any mercury fillings. She reached her 'toxic overload' (as the half life of mercury is 18 years!!!) level after receiving a round of vaccinations in 1999 & it took years to finally get to the source. Altogether, as a family, we have spent (so far) in excess of $70,000.00 out of pocket. Wish you could get the insurance companies to listen to you as they believe that treatment for heavy metal toxicity is 'experimental' & 'unnecessary' treatment! Thank you, yet again!!!
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
YES!!! I have been battling mercury toxicity and severe candida, too. Would love to talk to you about what you are doing... My son had a LOT of dental problems with his baby teeth, but not with his adult teeth. Thank you so much for bringing this up!!! Just yet another validation of how all this is connected. I truly believe there is a HUGE connection between mercury and candida overgrowth. Not just in all the research I have done, but in ALL my tests (stool, urine, blood, skin) indicated not only an extremely high sensitivity to candida - 100+ (off the scales!), but also a high level present in my system - 3+ (on a scale of 1-4). One of my doctors calls me his 'Candida Queen'. Started chelation for lead and mercury, but had to quit because our insurance company cut us off. Struggling with candida will probably be a life long thing. Please email me if you find a free moment - would really love to hear exactly how you are battling your candida. There are TONS of 'cures' on the internet, but I don't feel comfortable trying anything that isn't recommended by a doctor.
email address: debrak12@aol.com
Thank You!
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
Hello Laura! So glad to hear that you made it through it all - A success story every once in a while is good for the soul. I can't believe how many times I hear 'my story' - or at least a portion of it - over and over again - at least I know I am not alone. Just wish I could afford to continue IV chelation - it was & I stress this - WORKING - but we only did it for about 5 months & then our insurance company cut us off. Hopefully, someday I'll stand where you are now - CONGRATULATIONS! Oh, by the way, my family thinks I've lost my mind, too - really sad...
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
Dr. Hal A. Huggins, DDS has been expounding the dangers of Mercury Amalgams for over 20 years, and his book "It's All In Your Head" published in 1993 is very enlightening.
The book "Root Canal Cover-up" by George E. Meinig DDS, FACD covers the work of Weston Price and describes the dangers of root canals and the toxic bacteria associated therewith.
I had my amalgams properly removed in 1994 (Dr. Dennis Charnesky, Troy MI) after having had the priveledge of hearing Dr. Huggins speak on several occasions, and it took several years of chelation therapy (DMSA w/ DMPS challenge tests + Chlorella & other supplements)to finally solve the problem.
A blood compatability test is recommended to make sure that the replacement dental materials are compatable with one's individual chemistry, so as to not go "from the frying pan into the fire" as Dr. Huggins would say.
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
Thank you Dr. Hyman. I have been told by a nurse practitioner who uses many natural cures that she believes I do have a heavy metal toxicity from lots of asthma medication and shots in the past. Thank you for this information and for all of your so valuable knowledge. Thank you so much.
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
Hi - I also saw a naturopathic doctor that was able to determine that I had candida as a result of having rheumatic fever as a child and being on 16 Bayer aspirin a day! As a 31 year old I am still struggling to get rid of the Candida and yes, the parasites and finally, the metal toxicity that just came out as a result of an ionic footbath that I had done. I am feeling a little lost as to what to do and where to go. I have used the product Candigone from Whole Foods which worked well and of course completely changed my diet but I feel like it's an uphill battle.
I can't wait to see what Dr. Hyman offers up as a solution. I am sick of being sick & tired.
I agree with your naturopathic doctor - I had horrible mineral absorption from the candida and was given a supplement to take care of it. Supposedly Candida exists at such levels in your body that it's like peeling an onion.
Sounds like you found a doctor truly devoted to your well being - congrats!
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
Dr. Hyman,
I found your recent email/essay on mercury toxcicity to be very helpful, informative and full of good tips on removing this poison from our bodies. The studies done by Dr. Lindvall and others in Europe seem to be conclusive and chalked-full of evidence that these types of fillings are harmful, yet the American Medical and Dental Associations don't seem to get the picture. How can we get these organizations to outlaw these types of fillings and what would it take to do this?
Just like lead paint, asbestos, and red dye no. 2, we've been able to convince people that certain things are harmful, although it can be an uphill battle. But I thank you very much for your efforts, and I hope they will one day be proven to be common knowledge by all.
Sincerely,
Haley Ritter
haley_ritter@yahoo.com
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
Definitely a health hazard of Prime rank!
I suffered many of the neurological symptoms of mercury toxicity. I had all of my amalgam fillings removed, underwent chelation therapy with EDTA and ate a lot of chlorella nd cilantro. The problems gradually faded away. I do a challenge with high doses of chlorella every month and still have elevated [slightly] levels in urine. Maybe this is newly acquired? The problem is real, the dentists are in real denial [imagine the liability!] and the health care system won't pay for any therapy. Bad Karma!
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
I was wondering if you had any thoughts on whether women who are planning on having children should take the flu shot? The concern being the preservative Thimerasol which contains ethylmercury.
Thanks.
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OK..you have my attention. I love Japanese food and I eat sushi. So much for that. My father had Altzheimers and dimensia...I don't want to follow in his footsteps. As I get older, I do notice that my thinking is slower...could it be all the toxins that have been building up after all these years? I have been more tired lately than I have been in years. Could it just be the stress I am under? I don't know. But I do know...I want to take care of myself and rid my body of these toxins. So....tell me how can I do this?
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As a matter of fact I just today had most of my mercury fillings removed by a biological dentist. The rest will be removed soon. I have had an intention tremor in my right hand for years, and lately just a case of nervousness over nothing. My mother has Alzheimers and a mouth full of mercury fillings. I also cannot tolerate tuna, scallops or oysters, I vomit within 4 hours of eating any of those fish. I am also very over weight. Hense, I have your book, but seems to be too much carbohydrate for me to loose. I do love the recipes and things you suggest to eat, but just don't loose weight.
--Geri
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Sam Queen, director of research and development ofthe Institute of Health Realities in Colorado Springs has done extensive research on mercury toxicity and speaks all over the world to doctors, etc.
He has publications/books that are available. See the website at www.healthrealities.org There is a scientific advisory board of specialists on the Health Realities team.
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I agree with 99% of what you said with one notable exception. That was your comment:
9. The only way to find out your total body load of mercury is to take a medication with sulfur molecules that binds to the mercury like fly paper. This is called DMSA or DMPS.
This test should ONLY be done by a trained physician and involves taking one dose of this medicine, followed by a 6- or 24-hour urine collection to see how much comes out.
I have come in contact with MANY people whose health was further damaged by this type of testing. It can pull out more mercury than the body can safely eliminate and can damage organs and make a patient sicker because the mercury redistributes.
I am in the process of having my amalgams removed. I have also had 2 root canal teeth pulled (toxic) and cavitations cleaned up. It is then my intention to go through the Andrew Cutler protocal for chelation. Look him up on the web.
Thanks for spreading the word.
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I was disappointed too--I didn't see many practical suggestions other than avoiding certain fish and getting all your fillings with mercury replaced.
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Hi Dr Hyman. I have an appointment on friday to address mercury toxicity. I have weakness, lightheadedness, funny metal smell in my nose and lungs that makes me feel like I am short of breath at times, pressure to my head mostly to my face, nose throat area, Funny high pitched noise that goes in my ears like a buzzing. all this is on and off and comes on quick and scary. I went to the er yesterday it was so bad. I feel a little better today. They said the mercury levels in my blood were high but not toxic. my urine mercury was 89 after the pill I took and the 6 hour urine. Also appetite decreased and weight loss. I think my exposure is fish and sushi, but I worked in the hospitals for a long time recently in the operating room so I'm not sure. I hope you can help me get the mercury out and this will help my symptoms.
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In the middle 70's I had all the silver fillings removed from my mouth in one day...27. Many had been there for 20yrs. The forward looking dentist was efficient, but there was no protection for me from the vapors as they were removed.
The following day I could not walk or navigate myself about. Extreme fatigue and dizziness kept me from eating, climbing any stairs, or moving about.
After 2 weeks I could begin to walk, but not climb stairs. The necessary 5 blocks to walk to the bus..to get to my doctors took me all day.
I was 30 years old and in excellent health...but it took two months to return to some normalcy..where fatigue finally eased.
The point being that the method of extraction must protect the patient from added toxicity...and that the process probably began a process of detoxification that was extreme and demonstrated that I'd been poisoned for many years
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I had some (14)"silver"/mercury fillings removed in the mid-1990's. Those that were removed with a dam in place, and supplemental fresh air caused no side effects. But two large fillings were removed by a dentist who, after getting me in the chair and numbing me up (he was also a substitute for my regular dentist that day) told the assistant that he didn't know how to install a dam, and that it didn't matter when removing a filling. He managed to get a dam in on one removal, but couldn't on the other, and wound up just grinding this huge filling to bits. Pieces of it fell down the back of my throat, gagging me. He got one of them out, but I swallowed others. Over the next three weeks I felt sicker and weaker than I ever had in m life. This was followed by a decade of fibromyalgia , pain and fatigue. Yes, I had other things going on, a car accident later, etc. But my ligaments just got looser as a side effect of adrenal fatigue, and no one could figure out why my mitochondria just wouldn't create energy. Altitude made me sick, walking made me sick, cllimbing stairs made me sick. Anything but lying down, not moving, made me painfully exhausted. It's finally getting better, bit by bit, after ten years. The dentists all deny that mercury has anything to do with health, and that I was affected by this. If I ever learn how to fix this, I will. It's just that I'm so tired!
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Re: Flu shots.
They often aren't even for the virus that is going around. The vaccines are made in advance by guessing what will be where, when.
Yes, they do contain mercury. And yes, it is harmful.
Flu, in a normal person is not fatal. Do you take care of your health in other ways?
Do you want to pass on some strange immunological anomaly to your children? Flu shots are made from chicken eggs, mostly, and can contain DNA. Read up on that.
Shots also mess up your immune system. Your body builds immunity through different pathways, (i.e., inhalation, ingestion) not from having pathogens injected. For example, my otherwise healthy father had a flu shot at age 70, and within 24 hours got transverse myelitis, a form of paralysis, and was deceased within two years, after giving up the struggle, having been treated with mostly steroids. Kidney failure was the last straw.
If your immune system is normal, why take such a chance?
The medical profession likes to refer us to the flu pandemic of 1919-1920 as if they could prevent such a thing with these shots. They can't, and that was a very different thing. Read the book about it for more data.
And if it ain't broke, don't break it!
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Dear Wendy,
Thanks for your response to my question. I really appreciate your input.
Heidi
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I can relate to all of this.
Everyday my mouth tastes like I have eaten metal for hours. I have muscle pain, twitches but not all the time, tired, digestive problems, food allergies, elimination issues, hypothyroidism, overweight and I can go on forever.
I found a holistic doctor and got on healthy meds and all natural thryoid meds but themetal taste in my mouth is getting worse. If I could afford to take all of my fillings out of my mouth which is alot, I would do so today. The beginning of fillings started very young and the town water we drank...well, not the best. Today I am not a big water drinker do this this fact but have been trying to get more daily. I wish I could find a dentist that would do one filling at the time as it would an expensive venture to have to have it done all at once.
Let me know if there is anything that I can do in the meantime to help this situation.
Sincerely,
Marcia
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I had all(about 10)(some since 13 years of age, I'm now in my 50's) my fillings removed in the mid 90's by a dentist who took no precautions. It took over 3 years to have them all removed because it took me 6 months to recover from the removals. I am still very sick today from severe migraines to daily headaches to fatigue, hormone issues, fibromyalgia. I have had DMPS challenges (more than 1)that have all been negative for mercury and yet I have all kinds of symptoms that indicate mercury toxicity. I am very careful with any possibility with a current exposure. I don't eat a lot of fish and am very picky about fish I do eat. I would not get any vaccines at all. I don't think there is anything in my life right now where I am getting current exposure. I have tried the different approaches to detox heavy metals and I have severe reactions to them all such as chlorella, cilantro, different nutritional products that are supposed to detox heavy metals. I am guessing that since I have such a strong reaction that I am detoxing heavy metals but if I can't take the cure how do I get rid of it? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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I can believe that amalgam does much of what you share. I suffer from depression since my college years - forward - as this was the first filling I had - was right before I started college. I never struggled with depression before... I have also had chemo in 2000 - and I am sure I have a lot of toxins from that.... Would be interested in how to detoxify and find a dentist in the Memphis, TN area.
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Yes, mercury is definitely a problem. I track the decline of my health from when I got a mouth full of amalgam fillings in my early twenties. I'm 58 now. I've had lifelong struggles with weight, depression, anxiety, fatigue, etc. Taking quality supplements and chelation (when I could afford them) helps somewhat but effects are not lasting. Had a broken tooth in past year. Asked dentist to use dam and take all precautions he could (which he pooh-poohed). Still felt crushing fatigue for a month afterward. This may be melodramatic, but I feel like these fillings have ruined my life. Given the condition of my teeth, I don't think replacing the fillings is viable option. The thought of dentures is repugnant. Where to go now?
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what did you replace the root canal teeth with?
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I've been trying to find out your advice on whether colloidal silver is something to take for nutritional purposes. For several weeks I've requested information at your website and gotten back gibberish nonsense. I reason that this has to do with your employees on that website. May I please receive an answer? Some believe that colloidal silver is lethal others that it is the next best thing next to antibiotics. Please help me resolve this controversy. Thanks
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
I've been trying to find out your advice on whether colloidal silver is something to take for nutritional purposes. For several weeks I've requested information at your website and gotten back gibberish nonsense. I reason that this has to do with your employees on that website. May I please receive an answer? Some believe that colloidal silver is lethal others that it is the next best thing next to antibiotics. Please help me resolve this controversy. Thanks
re: What you can do to get this lethal toxin out of your body..
I've been trying to find out your advice on whether colloidal silver is something to take for nutritional purposes. For several weeks I've requested information at your website and gotten back gibberish nonsense. I reason that this has to do with your employees on that website. May I please receive an answer? Some believe that colloidal silver is lethal others that it is the next best thing next to antibiotics. Please help me resolve this controversy. Thanks
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A Psychiatrist friend of mine told me that giving blood on a regular basis was proven to be a good way to reduce heavy metals in your blood, including mercury and lead.
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Ligaments got looser as a result of adrenal fatigue???!!! I don't think so. This is not a side effect of adrenal fatigue.
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I found this article very interesting, but now I am concerned. I am exposed to many sources of mercury. I live in a state that mines coal, I eat fish trying to be healthier, and currently I have 10 amalgam fillings. I have fluorescent light bulbs all through my house to save on energy costs as well as a programable thermostat. Over the past 8 years I have gained 80 pounds and have tried everything to get it off. It seems like everytime I try something new I only make it worse. I cannot stop gaining weight, I am constantly tired, and as of yesterday I was diagnosed with Polycystic ovary disease. I am confused! Please help!! I think I need a detox bad and there are no doctors or dentists close to me that follow your recommendations. What can I do?
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I have beeb taking EDTA (oral chelation) to assist the removal of toxics from my body. I would like to know your thoughts/opinions on this & it's effectiveness. I take a 600 mg. capsule daily. Is this dosage sufficient? Should I increase it. I am waaay overweight Male, 320 #, & 5' 9" tall. I would very much appreciate your response to include transmittal to my email also. Thank You so very much for your dilligence & sharing of your expertise on this & many other issues.
Duane Fortier, Concord, CA
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I have approximately fifteen amalgam filings put in while in the Air Force in the mid seventies. Twelve years ago, at the age of 44, I was diagnosed with type II diabetes. In so far as mercury takes up residence in the mitochondria of cells, is it possible that it may be contributory to the onset of type II Diabetes by altering the cell membrane in such a way as to not allow efficient absorption of insulin?
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I am 65 years old. I had fillings before I went to the first grade. I cannot remeber a 6 month check up without cavities found until at least after high school. I grew up on the coast and have eaten lots of fish and other seafood. Of course, at my age I am most concerned now about getting Alzheimers from the mercury. I do vaguely remember something about the dentist calling my parents and telling them that he was putting something(cement?) in the bottoms of my permanent teeth that he filled. I wonder if that was to protect me from mercury poisoning? It was obviously a long time ago though. I think I may have been slightly overweight growing up. I know that I have always had a thick waist. Now I am very overweight, have trouble losing weight, and have a thick waist. Those are the only symptoms that I have. I don't have any of the other symptoms you mention. Any info on what I should do now would be appreciated.
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I'm looking forward to starting and maintaining the ultrametabolism diet on Monday!
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Thanks for posting this reply. I was just told that my son, who is 4, has 2 cavities. I was perplexed by this, but at least I now have a potential cause to consider.
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I have been wondering about this issue as well. If you find out an answer could you please forward the information to me??
many thanks
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My daughter was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome shortly after her college graduation. This was diagnosed after her having mono in college. It seemed that her system never really recuperated fully from the mono. She was able to finish her senior year but shortly after graduation, she was bitten by a tick. Lyme disease with its coinfections, plus the chronic fatigue syndrome(which her doctor later found high titer levels of Epstein Barr virus)have been plaguing her ever since. We have been to different doctors, lyme specialists included. Blood tests have shown low white blood cell counts, high TNF levels, and most recently,mycoplasma pneumonia. She is kept up at night with chronic coughing/excessive phlegm. She had a chest x-ray which read normal. She is going to be getting an EKG done this week to see about any additional stress on the heart as she has had palpitations and infrequent chest pains.
I guess my question to you is have you had any experience with chronic lyme disease? In our experience with area doctors, we have have not found one doctor who knows really anything about this illness. Thank you for your time.
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I had all of my silver amalgam fillings removed many years ago (my teeth were full of fillings). I didn't realize that I was pregnant (I had a urine test but not a blood test done for pregnancy before having the fillings removed, but that showed negative). I had a miscarriage soon after having the fillings removed. My dentist suggested that I have a pg test before removal because the mercury would flush out of my system and could cause problems for a fetus. I actually felt relieved that I had miscarried as I was concerned as to what the lifelong effect might have been on a child.
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I appreciate the new format especially the "print option" which prints fewer pages then when I had to print just the email.
Thanks for the great information!!
Marty
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Hi I have been reading the candida problems you all are having. I went to my naturopath and had no idea i had candida although I did get yeast infections more often than not and for no apparent reason. She did a stool test to test the levels and they were extremely high. She put me on a diet of 60grams of carbs a day and no fruit for 2 weeks as well as no wine for 6 weeks. The diet was really tough but I stuck with it. I had to drink some awful stuff to kill the candida 2x's a day and I cant remember the name of it but it was very bad tasting. This went on for 4 weeks then I had to take 3 Tamalbit 2x's a day. This is some type of herb that is suppose to remove heavy metals and kill candida I also took acidophilus to replace the bad bacteria. I felt horrible whenI was taking the tamalbit and my skin looked pale and I think it was from detoxing my body. Afterwards I felt great and still feel great, I have not had a Yeast infection since. I highyl recommend anyone to find a good naturopath, I live in WA and mine can prescribe drugs as well. Try and find someone that has a medical background as she went to 8 years of medical school with a specialty in natural remedies. Good luck!
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I am interested in any studies going on in USA of 3 to 9 yr olds with ADHD or autism whose body mercury has been measured (estimated) and results of chelation