Re: allergy/sensitivity/Melisa test, was Re: Urine challenge test reference ranges

[Guest guest]

In frequent-dose-chelation beigetable wrote:

>

> > I submitted a 24 hour urine sample to DD a couple of days

> > ago, done

> > while chelating with DMSA and ALA.

> >

> > There are no established reference ranges for challenge

> > tests. You

> > are on your own in interpreting them.

>

> If that is true then I would have to agree that their usefulness is

extremely limited if not completely non-existent other than for the

reasons you state regarding insurance.

>

> > Cutler says that challenge tests are not diagnostically

> > useful, but

> > in both books, and in some posts, says that serial tests

> > can be used

> > to track progress; in other posts, he says that they are

> > hard to

> > interpret. I recently posted quotes from his books

> > regarding using

> > urine tests to decide when it is OK to add ALA, and how

> > often to use

> > DMSA to chelate lead. He also mentions that one can be very

> > ill and

> > show low metals in tests, because one can be unusually

> > sensitive to

> > metals.

>

> Is it a fact that some can be unusually sensitive to metals and how

is it proven? Some people have unusual sensitivities to seafood,

peanuts, etc and these are easily proven. I would have thought that

if one were unusually sensitive to metals that it would show up in

other ways as well, say when wearing jewelry made of base metals, or

getting ill immediately following an amalgam filling or removal etc.

Is there a difference between an allergy and a sensitivity?

----------I don't know either. Maybe a sensitivity is a lower level of

allergy? Or maybe it's similar to how you can be gluten sensitive, but not have

full blown celicac? I believe there are different levels of sensitivity or

allergy, and you can be allergic to specific metals, not just all of them.

There is a test called the Melisa Test, that does test for metal allergies. I

only recall a few members who have had the test done. You could search archives

for posts about it.

Andy doesn't seem to recommend the test though, but I believe he does use the

term that some people are more *sensitive*. But I would think that if you have

a mercury allergy, then it could explain why some people seem to be more

sensitive, and can only chelate at very small dosages. And it could also

explain why some people don't meet the counting rules on hair tests, but still

seem to be affected by mercury. The hair test would measure toxicity, not

allergy. And vice versa. I suppose you could be toxic, but not particularly

allergic, so the Melisa test could be low for mercury allergy, even though your

hair test shows your toxic. So I believe that toxicity and allergy are two

different things, and it is probably possible to have different levels and

combinations of both. JMO. Here's the link, if you want to check it out.

http://www.melisa.org/

But I will note that this isn't part of Andy's protocol, so it is a personal

choice as to whether you have it done or not. But there is nothing harmful

about doing it, not like challenge tests, which he does not recommend doing at

all. You can search archives, onibasu/wiki, and the ANDY INDEX for his past

comments on such topics.---------Jackie

Another note: I believe alot more parents have done urine/fecal testing, so

you could probably find alot more in Autism-Mercury archives about

this.---Jackie