Re: A Hair Test, a Few Questions, and a Hi

November 27, 2007

Hi and welcome. I will let some of the more experienced members

address your hair test, supplements and food questions.

The part of this that I can respond to is about the dental revision

work. If you can find a good biological dentist they will do

compatibility testing beforehand to see what materials they can use,

which usually includes which anesthesias will work. I had had a

silver front crown when I was 6, which was first replaced with

porcelain when I was 16 by a dentist that was... excessively fond of

the needle. Actually, I think he was a bit of a sadist, but that's a

different story. This left me with a great fear of dental shots.

When I was younger I needed laughing gas just to take the injection.

Anyway, my holistic dentist was absolutely wonderful and between using

the right anesthesia and her injection technique I hardly even felt

the needles. Also, all of the composites she placed have been fine -

no bite problems or pain in 2+ years.

So, find a good holistic dentist. They know they are going to do a

lot of revision work, so their training/attitude is more understanding

about what they are going to encounter than your average dentist. Go

in for an evaluation, before you commit to any work, to make sure you

like her/him. Explain all of your past problems. If they aren't

willing to listen, then look for someone else. I found my dentist by

mailing to the DAMS organization for their list. It was tedious and

slow since they didn't do it over the web but by snail mail (that may

have changed).

Another thing that I want to mention is that laughing gas will cause

serious B12 depletion. There are other objections to it, depending on

who you talk to. But the B12 depletion can be dangerous. So, if you

do use gas, be sure to take large doses of B12 for weeks before and after.

The other thing that I recommend is getting a 4x/day saliva test. If

you are having any kind of problem with thyroid/adrenal this will be

very valuable to you. I dragged my heels about getting it (well, it

was a money issue) but when I finally did, it was very valuable data.

You can get one done through The Canary Club -

http://www.canaryclub.org/ - you have to sign up but it's free to join

(not the test, the test is about $150).

Good luck. It's great that you are dealing with this while you are

still young!

November 27, 2007

In frequent-dose-chelation britlerrr wrote:

Hi all.

---------Hi back and welcome!--------Jackie

I've been lurking around here and on the Autism-Mercury list for a

couple of weeks, and I need some advice on a few things, so I thought

I'd say hi. (Sorry if this post ends up being really long, as I

expect it will.)

I've had problems for probably the last decade (I'm 20 now) that I've

recently realized were almost definitely mercury-related. The 2

things that have always been the biggest problems are sleep, and my

gut, although I'm now thinking that the issue I always thought was

" sleep " is actually quite a bit broader. I'm just starting with all

this stuff really: I still have amalgams in (though I'm positive I

want to get them out and start chelating), and I definitely haven't

sorted out the supplements and such I should settle on.

-----------It's alot to absorb all at once. Take it a piece at a time.

Antioxidants like Vit C and E are a good place to start, and most of us mercury

toxic folks need zinc and magnesium. Of course there are alot of others, but

these are the very basics. Andy's book covers it all, but you don't have to try

everything all at once.-----Jackie

First of all, here are my hair test results. When the sample was

taken, I had been regularly supplementing with vitamins C and B1 (the

reason for the B1 is that it seems to help with this weird

pressure/tightness I've been getting in my head since I started

getting way sicker about a year ago;

--------Have heard of this as a mercury symptom.---------Jackie

I figured this was maybe because

of the M1 receptor antagonism, but I really don't know), and

irregularly with magnesium and vitamins E, B6 and B12. I do have a

PDF copy of the results that I could email to that site if it would be

helpful, but I wanted to get the results in right away with this post.

--------The color copies are easier to read, so do email it to Dean if you

can. I'll take a stab at this test, and hopefully will

too.--------Jackie

POTENTIALLY TOXIC ELEMENTS

element result ref range color

=============================================

aluminum 2.5 <7.0 green

antimony .023 <.066 green

arsenic .042 <.080 green

beryllium <.01 <.020 green

bismuth .22 <2.0 green

cadmium <.009 <.015 green

lead .38 <2.0 green

mercury .13 <1.1 green

-----------Low hair mercury can be a sign that you are retaining

it.-------Jackie

platinum <.003 <.005 green

thallium <.001 <.010 green

thorium <.001 <.005 green

uranium .036 <.060 green

nickel .06 <.40 green

silver .01 <.12 green

tin .05 <.30 green

titanium .45 <1.0 green

ESSENTIAL AND OTHER ELEMENTS

element result ref range color under/over 50%

============================================================

Calcium 145 200-750 yellow

UNDER

Magnesium 66 25-75 green

OVER

Sodium 170 12-90 yellow

OVER

Potassium 6 9-40 yellow

UNDER

Copper 12 10-28 green

UNDER

Zinc 160 130-200 green

UNDER

Manganese .24 .15-.65 green

UNDER

Chromium .39 .20-.40 green

OVER

Vanadium .021 .018-.065 green

UNDER

Molybdenum .020 .025-.064 yellow

UNDER

Boron .40 .40-3.0 green

UNDER

Iodine .25 .25-1.3 green

UNDER

Lithium <.004 .007-.023 red

UNDER

Phosphorus 156 160-250 yellow

UNDER

Selenium 1.2 .95-1.7 white

exactly 50th

Strontium .06 .30-3.5 red

UNDER

Sulfur 47300 44500-52000 green

UNDER

Barium .13 .16-1.6 yellow

UNDER

Cobalt .008 .013-.035 yellow

UNDER

Iron 7.2 5.4-13 green

UNDER

Germanium .033 .045-.065 yellow

UNDER

Rubidium .009-.011 .011-.12 yellow

UNDER

Zirconium .80 .020-.44 yellow

OVER

Ratios

Elements Ratios Expected Range

----------------------------------------------------------

Ca/Mg 2.2 4-30

Ca/P .929 0.8 - 8

Na/K 28.3 0.5 - 10

Zn/Cu 13.3 4 - 20

Zn/Cd >999 >800

Looks to me like it meets the all-under counting rule, and only 11 are

in the green/white zones (and 2 of those, boron and iodine, are

actually exactly on the green/yellow border). The other things that

stand out to me are the bottom-of-the-chart lithium, which I hear is

very characteristic of mercury,

----------Yes, it looks like you meet two counting rules, which says you have

a high probability of having mercury poisoning. You did a good job of reading

your own hair test, and sounds like you understand alot already.---------Jackie

and the frickin' enormous Na/K ratio,

which I hear suggests hypothyroidism (I'm planning on making an

appointment with a local doc known to prescribe Armour and hopefully

get this sorted out).

----------Good. Thyroid testing would be appropriate. You don't show the

classic adrenal sign, but hopefully this doctor understands that part also. He

should at least test Free T3 and Free T4 and thyroid antibodies.-------Jackie

Also, I think I read that a Ca/P ratio below 1 means I would probably

benefit from digestive enzymes, and that's one of my questions. When

I started getting really bad a year ago or so, my gut problems kind of

changed, and I think a lot of my awful discomfort has a lot to do with

this, so I would really like to do something about it. But, I am

absolutely confused and overwhelmed by all the dietary possibilities.

I've never in my life prepared anything that wasn't microwaveable or

a pizza, and apart from a few trials of eating more vegetables or more

fiber or whatever, I've never really paid any attention at all to my

diet. I want to start with some probiotics or digestive enzymes, but

I don't know what exactly that means (which brands/formulae to use,

whether I should use both, how much to use, anything). So any advice

on that front would be awesome, and any other gut advice would be nice

too.

--------The diet and gut aspect can be very overwhelming. Many of us have

candida (yeast), food intolerances, and lots of digestive problems. Just ask

specific questions and start trying things one at a time, and maybe we can

figure some of it out. I think in the files there is a post from Andy about how

to pick which diet. It can be hard to change your diet, but it can help

symptoms alot. Since your hair test showed the all low pattern, this means you

are probably not absorbing your nutrients and supplements, and would probably

benefit from taking Betaine HCl (stomach acid). This and digestive enzymes may

help alot. You can even try taking apple cider vinegar before your meals, and

see if this helps. And I think most of us are taking probiotics too. The good

ones are refridgerated. These digestive aids may help alot, but you should

probably start one at a time and build up slowly.----Jackie

I really don't know what foods in particular cause problems.

---------This can be hard to figure out, dairy and wheat often cause problems.

Some people do food allergy testing to help them figure it out, or you can try

eliminating a certain food group for a week or two, and see how you

do.-------Jackie

There

seems to always be something awful going on with me, so it's hard to

tell when something causes a temporary flare-up. I do know, however,

that I ate some gummi bears the other day and damn near died.

----------Your Ca/Mg ratio is out of range, and this can be a sign of blood

sugar problems. Might be why the gummi bears almost killed you! Some blood

sugar testing would probably be very useful, and might be part of why you feel

so rotten alot of the time. Do you eat alot of sugar and carbs? Try cutting

back and eat protein frequently.---------Jackie

Dairy

doesn't seem to make me feel any worse short-term (ice cream seems to

be one of the foods I tolerate best, oddly enough).

---------This surprises me because of the sugar. It could have been food

coloring or additives then in the gummi bears that got you. How do you tolerate

other sweets? Dairy is often a problem for mercury folks though.-------Jackie

Does this mean

anything about a need for increased/decreased sulfur intake?

-----------Dairy is sulfury, but I think you would have to consider all of

your sulfur food intake, to decide that. There is a list of them in the back of

AI. If you know these foods bother you, then you are probably high sulfur, and

would do better to strictly limit them. If you're not sure, then you are

suppose to stop eating them for a week or so, then eat a bunch, and see how you

react.--------Jackie

The other big question is about amalgam replacement. I've always had

an awful time with dental work, as the novacaine (or whatever -caine

they used, I really don't know) doesn't seem to work right. They

always have to keep re-injecting it, which results in half my face

being numb without having nearly enough effect on my teeth. It seems

to me like maybe they aren't hitting the right spot, or something,

since I've had TMJ problems forever and that's where they inject it.

But anyway, it kind of makes any drilling horrific.

The second-to-last time I had dental work done, they actually gave me

general anesthesia, which, apart from costing a ton, also left me with

an insane jaw/headache for weeks that was intolerable even with the

painkillers, because the guy propped my jaw farther open than my

screwy TM joint was happy with. The other usual solutions are

laughing gas or " twilight sedation " with benzodiazepines, but I'm kind

of terrified to try those, as when I started getting really sick, I

had been recreationally and self-medicinally using drugs, and I

learned then that basically any psych drugs in me are a trainwreck

waiting to happen (even benzos just make me feeling incredibly

uncomfortable, like severe restless-leg all over, which I can't

imagine helping much with dental work). Does anyone have any

suggestions, other than my bright idea to find a bunch of Vicodin

somewhere and cross my fingers?

---------I'm not sure what to tell you about this. Maybe others will have

recommendations. I was thinking conscious sedation and getting it all done at

once might be best for you, but with your TMJ and trouble with sedation, that

doesn't sound good either. How many fillings do you have?---------Jackie

And also, I read just now that some

people end up with pain from composite fillings because they aren't

properly adjusted to fit your bite. Does anyone know anything about

this?

------------This doesn't happen to everybody, it depends on how precise of a

bite you have, and probably has something to do with the skill of the dentist

placing the composite. I had no problem with mine. My dentist worked on the

high spots right after he placed them and I never had to go back. My sister

went to a different dentist and has a very precise bite, and she had to go back

many times for adjustments. So it just depends.--------Jackie

I'm really not too thrilled at the prospect of crazy jaw pain

in addition to the inevitable symptom flare up of the removal,

especially considering how barely functional I already am.

----------Amalgam removal and supplementing helped my TMJ alot and teeth

grinding. I think zinc deficiency is a big part of that. Try working on your

supplements and dlet/gut issues, and maybe you'll feel better. It can be hard

to make huge changes in your diet, especially at your age, but start by cutting

out really junky stuff, or at least limiting it. This might encourage you to do

more.--------Jackie

I won't give a big detailed explanation of all my symptoms here, or

everyone will probably just see the wall of text and not read the post

at all . But, I will say that by far the biggest things are extreme

fatigue and difficulty focusing or wrapping my head around social

situations... I sort of feel really knocked out and half asleep all

the time. I also have this pretty extreme physical discomfort that I

really can't describe. It sort of feels like I need to tense really

hard all over and get blood flowing or something, except that never

actually helps. I get things I would call actual " pains " pretty

frequently, and a lot of the time, I also feel a weird numbness on or

around the spot with the pain (it doesn't numb the pain, but it feels

very dulled to touch). It's not at all uncommon for me to spend hours

in bed writhing around and not knowing what to do with myself. Any

experiences with or advice for this would land me in your debt for

life. I have a feeling the gut and thryoid problems play a big part.

---------We all seem to have numerous problems/symptoms, so addressing any of

them should help some. You'll just have to pick one or two and start working on

them. Ask specific questions in new, shorter posts, and hopefully you'll get

some helpful suggestions.--------Jackie

I've recently started taking adrenal cortex extract, which seems to be

helping with the fatigue and brain troubles a bit. My brain has

turned on to the point where I can actually, you know, feel emotions

occasionally, rather than just feeling completely knocked out all the

time. This is an improvement, but not a big one, since the emotions

brought on by your life sucking are not pleasant ones. I'm a little

worried about starting thyroid supps, since I have such crazy fatigue

that I'm worried about my adrenals not be up to the task... am I safe

to try Armour just from taking 3-4 ACE caps a day?

-----------Hopefully the doctor you are seeing understands the adrenal part

also, and will do some testing for you. If you do try the Armour, and end up

feeling worse, then this is a sign that you might need adrenal support also.

Without seeing some labs, we really can't predict what will happen. In post

number 15287, Andy runs down what to do or try for different types of

depression. Take a look at that sometime, and maybe you can pinpoint something

to try. And again, you can't do it all at once, so pick something to focus on,

and work on that first.-------Jackie

I've also recently started taking milk thistle extract, and I'm taking

vitamin E more regularly now, though I think I need to switch to the

natural kind, as the synthetic stuff I have seems to make me more

tired and uncomfortable sometimes, and I really don't need any

supplementation to feel tired and uncomfortable. I think that covers

all the supplements I'm taking now (and yes, I take them spread out

through the day).

----------The natural form of Vit E would be much better, and plenty of Vit C

too. And zinc and magnesium are needed by most of us too.------Jackie

Anyway, thanks a ton to anyone who actually read through all that, or

read a bit of it, and can help me out with these issues, or offer any

suggestions relating to anything at all. And a big thanks to you guys

for providing this list, and especially to Andy Cutler for all his

work, or I'd probably just be tearing my hair out right now withuot a

clue how to proceed.

------------You're welcome, and I think alot of us have been there, so we

understand. I don't always have time to be online, but try to help when I can.

There are alot of other great folks on this board also. Good luck and hang in

there.-----Jackie

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November 27, 2007