Re: Copper/Zinc Testing

[Guest guest]

Sheila, you might find the following extracts from Dr Cutler's

" Amalgam Illness " book interesting; He recommends hair mineral

analysis as being the most effective way of determining mercury

intoxication. He also mentions copper intoxication in this book and

this is what he has to say about copper specifically;

" In copper intoxication syndromes, copper will be elevated in red

blood cells, in other tissues not generally accessible for analysis

(eg liver and brain), in hair and possibly in urine. It may be normal

in serum. There may or may not be some copper excretion in the feces

via the bile " .

So if your lab tests serum levels (as opposed to RBC levels), they may

come back as normal, even if you have high copper levels. He

recommends RBC and mineral hair analysis to test for copper intoxication.

He also says that " in normal individuals, 96% of copper is excreted in

the bile and 4% is excreted in the urine. In the rare condition

s Disease, there is no bilary copper excretion and individuals

eventually become copper toxic on a normal dietary intake. Biliary

excretion may be deranged in other uncharacterised syndromes. Lipoic

acid dramatically reduces the biliary excretion of copper, and

increases urinary excretion (are you supplementing with Alpha Lipoic

Acid). The protein metallothionein is involved in the storage,

handling and ecretion of copper. Metallothionein production is

increased by vitamin C and cortisol and is intimately tied in with

zinc metabolism - zinc takes up sites in the metallothionein as well

as causing more of it to be produced, so more zinc will help most but

not all people. Selenium often creates more free sites in the

metallothionein that hold onto copper " .

Theres a lot in here, but since many people supplement with selenium

and alpha lipoic acid, I thought it best to reproduce it all.

Another relevant quote;

" Mercury intoxication tends to make the essential elements vary

widely, while copper intoxication results in greatly elevated copper

but most other elements within normal ranges and reasonably near the

average. Low hair magnesium implies low body magnesium which can

cause fibromyalgia and assorted heart conditions including angina.

Low potassium and sodium are suggestive of mineralocorticoid

deficiency, which implies that the adrenal glands may be beaten up. "

And yet more...

" Copper and iron can be high or low in amalgam illness "

And more...

" Copper absorption can be reduced by...taking 10-30mg zinc,

250-1000mcg molybdenum, 2 grams of Vit C with each meal. Vit D may

.....increase copper excretion. Selenium.... sequesters it safely

inside the cells. "

" A normal persons copper half life is about 35 days. For a person who

is not excreting any copper in their bile, the half life increases to

about 175 days and body concentrations of copper increase about 5

fold. This can bring copper levels into the toxic range. The

symptoms are usually psychiatric. In addition to genetic problems,

anything that interferes with bile secretion, such as gallstones or

other liver disease, will cause elevation of body copper.

Low body levels of thyroid hormone will increase body copper, an

increased thyroid hormone as well as cortisol will lower it. Vit A,

B3, B5, B6 and C antagonise the effects of copper, as does iron.

Appropriate supplementation with these may reduce the toxic effects of

elevated copper levels. "

I hope this helps; good luck getting to the bottom of your problems.

If you're considering a hair mineral analysis, I had one done by

Mienral Check Ltd. They also include a metabolic profile based on

your results, and suggest areas where you could improve your

supplementation.

Marie xx

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

It'd be good to get the selenium too, if they have enough sample?

best wishes

Bob

>

> Hello everybody

>

> You may remember last week when I asked my doctor if he would test my

copper

> and zinc levels. This was because I do not have a grey hair in my

head (and

> at my hefty age - I should have) and I am losing most of my hair,

which bob

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

I am going to have my vitamins, minerals etc., tested. It is non-

invasive - I think one has to hold a copper tube. If this method

works it should be interesting. Will let you know the outcome.

B

She says in her email to me.................

I test for candida overgrowth, 100 Food Intolerances, Vitamin &

Mineral deficiency, Hormones, Organ Function, Food Colourings,

Allergens such as dust, pollens, animal fur, etc., viruses, toxic

level. The test takes about an hour and a half, is not painful and

the results are immediate (you can see them on the machine as I test).

You can read more on my website www.serenityallergy.co.uk.

I am based in Gillingham, Kent.

If you want any more information, ring for a chat on 0845 260 6530.

If you want to make an appointment, let me know what days and times

are good for you and I will e-mail back with available appointments.

Look forward to hearing from you.

[Guest guest]

Wow Marie -

that is some information. Seems I might have wasted my doctors and my time then

getting the copper and zinc blood tests. I think I may need to go down the road

of getting a hair mineral analysis, but now, I will have to wait until I grow

some. However, I do need a metabolic profile that would suggest the areas where

I could improve my supplements. I feel I have been on them for so long without

any changes - and I need to know the effect my 200 mcgs Selenium have had on my

body.

Many thanks

for posting this.

Luv -

Sheila

Low body levels of thyroid hormone will increase body copper, an

increased thyroid hormone as well as cortisol will lower it. Vit A,

B3, B5, B6 and C antagonise the effects of copper, as does iron.

Appropriate supplementation with these may reduce the toxic effects of

elevated copper levels. "

I hope this helps; good luck getting to the bottom of your problems.

If you're considering a hair mineral analysis, I had one done by

Mienral Check Ltd. They also include a metabolic profile based on

your results, and suggest areas where you could improve your

supplementation.

Marie xx

[Guest guest]

Can

you let me know the price as well please?

Luv -

Sheila

Hi Sheila,

I am going to have my vitamins, minerals etc., tested. It is non-

invasive - I think one has to hold a copper tube. If this method

works it should be interesting. Will let you know the outcome.

B

[Guest guest]

>

> Many thanks for posting this.

>

Glad I could help!

[Guest guest]

Well done Sheila, lol!

Hello everybody

You may remember last week when I asked my doctor if he would test my copper and zinc levels. This was because I do not have a grey hair in my head (and at my hefty age - I should have) and I am losing most of my hair, which bob told me could be low zinc. Low zinc goes along with high copper. My GP asked me if I was on a good diet and after telling him I was, he said there was no need to do such testing then as I get the right amount of minerals, vitamins etc in my food. He said had never heard that high copper could be the cause of not having any grey hair, or

that low zinc could be a cause of losing one's hair. He refused point blank to test these. I was annoyed and let him know that I needed to know the cause of my hair loss through a process of elimination and he told me I obviously had been reading information on the Internet and that this was driving doctors round the bend.

Luv - Sheila

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

It is £55 for about 2 1/2 hours of testing. There are probably other places

where you can get

this done I would imagine.

My friend was tested last week and found out that she was deficient in quite a

few vitamins

and minerals - AND that her adrenals were weak, she had a thyroid problem and

candida.

Her estrogen and progesterone were ok. It seemed to be quite a comprehensive

list of things

tested.

I had been telling her for ages that she should go and see Dr P. She is going

to be re-tested

in a few weeks time and if there is no change she will consider seeing Dr. P.

B

[Guest guest]

Could

you get such a test done without having to tell them anything about your

illness, your diagnosis, your medication and supplements you were taking to see

what they would come up with, or do you have to declare all of these first….and

is the sample of hair taken from your head or anywhere else - and how much is

needed?

Luv -

Sheila

Hi Sheila,

It is £55 for about 2 1/2 hours of testing. There are probably other places

where you can get

this done I would imagine.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

> Could you get such a test done without having to tell them anything about

> your illness, your diagnosis, your medication and supplements you were

> taking to see what they would come up with, or do you have to declare all of

> these first….and is the sample of hair taken from your head or anywhere else

I will not be telling her what my condition is or what medication I am taking -

I may do so

afterwards if I feel she has hit the mark. I did the same thing with my

reflexologist - I did

not tell her at the beginning of the session - she told me that I had thyroid

and adrenal

problems and was most delighted when I told her she was right.

I think that one holds a copper bar that is hooked up to a machine which takes

phials of

various stuff and records the reaction of the body. I don't think that hair is

analyzed.

I will ask her if there are other practitioners around the country.

I will let you know how I get on.

B

[Guest guest]

I

would need one in West Yorkshire - as it's the largest county in the UK, there

must be one hidden away somewhere.

Luv -

Sheila

I think that one holds a copper bar that is hooked up to a machine which takes

phials of

various stuff and records the reaction of the body. I don't think that hair is

analyzed.

I will ask her if there are other practitioners around the country.

I will let you know how I get on.

B

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

I hope that you are doing well. It has been a while since I last

wrote to you. Thanks again for keeping this forum going. It is a

great source of comfort.

Re your copper and zinc tests

I had the 'normal' blood tests done and they showed my zinc

deficiency and elevated copper levels, so don't lose heart about the

tests you have ordered. My zinc/copper problems showed up by doing

the same tests as you did.

I took more than the daily dose of zinc for over a year to try and

get the levels up and yet my zinc levels were STILL too low! I'm

gradually getting my levels up and the zinc levels are looking

better, but it has been a long haul.

I read Marie's message with interest and will ask my doc about it

during my appt on Monday.

P

[Guest guest]

Hi . Sheila,

I recall Dr. L doing the like when I saw him some years ago- my feeling was that

it was some new age hocus pocus at the time, but maybe it wasn’t

explained properly.

Stenning

Subject: RE:

Re: Copper/Zinc Testing

I would need one in West Yorkshire - as it's the largest county

in the UK, there must be one hidden away somewhere.

Luv - Sheila

I think that one holds a copper bar that is hooked up to a machine which takes

phials of

various stuff and records the reaction of the body. I don't think that hair is

analyzed.

I will ask her if there are other practitioners around the country.

I will let you know how I get on.

B

[Guest guest]

I've

heard this too, but I need to keep an open mind. Did you find anybody ?

Does anybody else have thoughts about such therapy?

Luv -

Sheila

Hi . Sheila,

I recall Dr. L doing the like when I saw him some years ago- my feeling was

that it was some new age hocus pocus at the time, but maybe it wasn’t

explained properly.

Stenning

Subject: RE:

Re: Copper/Zinc Testing

I would need one in West Yorkshire - as

it's the largest county in the UK, there must be one hidden away somewhere.

Luv - Sheila

I think that one holds a copper bar that is hooked up to a machine which takes

phials of

various stuff and records the reaction of the body. I don't think that hair is

analyzed.

I will ask her if there are other practitioners around the country.

I will let you know how I get on.

B

[Guest guest]

Sheila,

I think you are talking about a Vega Machine. I had it done and to

be quite honest, I thought it was hocus pocus. I just can't see how

something like that can work. It is worth looking for the pro's and

con's online. I remember when I looked into it years ago, I found

sites that discussed how it couldn't work vs others that found that

it worked. I personally don't think that I gained very much from

the experience and just lost a bit of cash in my wallet.

I shouldn't be completely cynical though because on the other hand,

my friend said that it worked for her. She suffered from a

particular debilitating ailment since she was a child and the person

she saw found out what was wrong with her by using the machine

and 'fixed' her through the use of various things (herbs? etc?

homeopathy? can't remember). Her ailment (major debilitating

stomach pains and problems with digestion) were completely 'fixed'

and she hasn't had a recurrence of the problem since treatment. Up

to that point, nobody else could work out what was wrong. The woman

who used the machine worked it out and my friend was SO much better

afterwards. Whether it was luck that she found the ailment or

whether it actually worked, I don't know.

P

>

I've heard this too, but I need to keep an open mind. Did you find

anybody ? Does anybody else have thoughts about such therapy?

[Guest guest]

I've experienced something called Bioresonance therapy where they put

a band around your head and hook you up to an electronic device. As

far as I understand it, the device " reads " body signals and can detect

things like bacterial or viral infection, nutritional deficiencies

etc. It sounds similar to what you're talking about here.

Very sceptical though I was, I can tell you many years ago, it was

instrumental in detecting food intolerances which were causing severe

migraines. When I removed the offending foods (dairy and citrus), the

migraines stopped until I got ill with CFS.

After I got CFS, I went to a dietician using another device where I

had to hold a metal rod... I'm a bit hazy about the details. The idea

was to detect food intolerances. THose recommendations made no

difference to me.

Since getting CFS, I've re-tried the bioresonance, but despite taking

the supplements that was advised after the treatment, I made no

progress.

Of course, if my underlying problem was adrenal/thyroid all the time,

then no amount of nutritional supplements (without proper adrenal or

thyroid support) would cure it. But then again, if the technology was

perfect it would have detected adrenal/thyroid problems.

So I'm not sure about it. I think it can be useful, and I know people

who swear by it, but its not perfect. I have to be honest and say

that I am more comfortable using something where I can see numbers on

paper, such as hair analysis. I feel I have more to work with when I

can see exact results. But thats just me.

[Guest guest]

Many

thanks P and

Marie- I

obviously need to do a bit more research into this. I actually feel quite well

- all I want to know is where my zinc and copper levels lie because of the lack

of grey hair in this old head.

I

have had blood tests done so will wait and see what they show first.

Luv -

Sheila

Sheila,

I think you are talking about a Vega Machine. I had it done and to

be quite honest, I thought it was hocus pocus. I just can't see how

something like that can work. It is worth looking for the pro's and

con's online. I remember when I looked into it years ago, I found

sites that discussed how it couldn't work vs others that found that

it worked. I personally don't think that I gained very much from

the experience and just lost a bit of cash in my wallet.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

I will be keeping an open mind. People say reflexology is a waste of

time but the woman I saw identified my thyroid and adrenal condition.

I am going to have it done on Thursday. I will not tell her of my

thyroid or adrenal problem or the medication I am taking. I will only

say that I am taking a multivitamin.

It will be interesting to see the results.

B

[Guest guest]

I think reflexology is great, although like everything else, it

probably depends on the skill of the practitioner. When I can afford

it, I have a session with a woman who comes to the house and I always

feel some benefit from it. It seems to take the edge off the worst of

the symptoms, and I feel like it gives my body a bit of a kick-start.

My reflexologist says there are 2 types of practitioner; one type

focus more on the massage and relaxation elements of reflexology, they

use scented oils etc, while the other type focus more on the

diagnostic and treatment elements. So she says anyway.

>

People say reflexology is a waste of

> time but the woman I saw identified my thyroid and adrenal condition.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi marie,

Yes it was Vega- I’ve still got the leaflet attached to my own medical file.

If anyone wants more info I’ll refer to that

Stenning

FW:

Re: Copper/Zinc Testing

Many thanks P and Marie- I obviously need to do a bit more

research into this. I actually feel quite well - all I want to know is where my

zinc and copper levels lie because of the lack of grey hair in this old head.

I have had blood tests done so will wait and see what they show

first.

Luv - Sheila

Sheila,

I think you are talking about a Vega Machine. I had it done and to

be quite honest, I thought it was hocus pocus. I just can't see how

something like that can work. It is worth looking for the pro's and

con's online. I remember when I looked into it years ago, I found

sites that discussed how it couldn't work vs others that found that

it worked. I personally don't think that I gained very much from

the experience and just lost a bit of cash in my wallet.

[Guest guest]

Hi sheila,

I had the 'test' this afternoon. Very interesting. The Vega machine is an old

version with

about 60% accuracy - this one is German and has about 95% accuracy.

She picked up on a lot of things I already knew about - like my dislike of fish.

She also

picked up on my adrenal stress but.....she did not pick up on my thyroid. She

said my TSH

was ok - and it is - it is just I cannot convert. Also I did take my afternoon

dose of

Armour about 10 mins before I saw her - so that may be the reason. She also

said I was

deficient in B vits - which is what I suspected.

I won't go into detail unless anyone wants to know more. She gave me a list of

people -

there is a practitioner in Yorkshire.

Anne - Clitheroe, Lancashire & Skipton N Yorks - tel: 07914 898131

I will be getting my other half to get tested.

B

[Guest guest]

Oddly enough I was looking at exactly this the other day, as I noticed neither

was tested by my original endo despite my asking him to and him agreeing.

I found some as part of a general mineral test and over £100; some as part of a

heavy metal toxicity urine test (didn't seem like that would be helpful to me,

but not sure). I did also find these:

https://www.mineraltestkit.co.uk/

Basically you taste the test liquid, and depending how it tastes determines if

you're deficient, too much, just right etc. But no specific figures. Very

cheap though as you can buy individual tests for just shy of £8 rather than just

a panel as the others I've found were.

Niki