New file: Welcome to Autism Mercury Group

[Guest guest]

Re-posting the welcome file that has been re-added to the file section.

Hopefully this will help new members. I am not able to make it so that new

members receive this when they join, that's up to the moderators here. But

hopefully, some will find it useful in directing them on their journey to

recover their kids.

Jan

RFA Group

Welcome To Group

Most of what we discuss in the autism treatment (A-M) group is referred to as

" biomedical treatment " . It includes a wide range of treatments for autism and

other developmental issues, or anyone with toxicity and health problems. Our

main focus is the discussion of the potential link between autism and other

developmental disorders and excessive mercury exposure via thimerosal in infant

vaccines. Many parents in this group are in the process of chelation, with a

child. This process is discussed in detail. Other biomedical treatments may

include antivirals, anti-fungals, dietary modifications, immune support, gut

repair, immune modulation, supplements, traditional and other therapies.

Many of us on autism treatment have found that our children have been poisoned

with mercury, lead, aluminum, arsenic, antimony and other heavy metals. This can

be treated safely. One of the unique things about the autism treatment group is

that many of us have the experience of helping improve or recover our kids.

Many of us have been able to get our children off of the spectrum by using a low

dose chelation protocol. I will provide an explanation for why it is different

from other chelation protocols and why it is safer.

Much of what you will read on A-M may not be what any doctors have told you.

Please read through this introductory document and browse the files and links

sections. When you first post please state that you are new and what your

situation currently is. You can provide details of your child's age, diagnosis,

a bit of history, therapies tried, supplements, diet…etc., anything relevant so

that we can begin to help.

We are parents volunteering our time with advice based upon our research and

actual practices.

We do advise each parent do their own research and make their own decisions.

Each person is responsible for the decisions that he or she makes just like each

person is ultimately responsible when they give permission to health care

professionals to make treatment decisions for them.

At first, it may seem a bit awkward if you're posting about something a doctor

told you to do, and others know that it may make your child sicker. Please be

patient and listen….they are only speaking from experience. They will tell you

if they think the doctor is wrong. This open thinking and sharing is what has

allows A-M to help so many children and adults.

We have found it best to ignore spam posts or posts trolling for sales of a

product. Usually they go away if we do. Rarely, but sometimes someone will pose

as a parent and claim the wonders of some very expensive products. If you watch

the post, you will see that some will reply to it with the truth. You would

also receive a good reason why it may not be safe. Usually, from the experience

of people who have tried it or through scientific evidence.

Moria has been a moderator of the group for many years and has contributed many

helpful documents for parents to read.

http://home.earthlink.net/~moriam

On her web pages (see link above) there are some parent stories of experiences

with people who have actually used those products. You can do the research and

see if it is something you wish to take a risk with. Again, if we " long timers "

feel it is dangerous, we will tell you why.

http://home.earthlink.net/~moriam/Chelation_products.html#chlorella

There are also tons of responses to common questions anyone may have:

http://home.earthlink.net/~moriam/ANDY_INDEX.html#other_chelation_agents

There is a compilation of progress reports from members who successfully

chelated their children called the " Love Letters " :

http://home.earthlink.net/~moriam/LOVE_LETTERS.html

I will include a list of websites you should book mark and read over. They will

provide a ton of information on Dr. Hall Cutler, his protocol for

chelation, and other helpful things you may need to know. Please do take the

time to look through at least Moria's site to get a grasp of the basics if you

feel you may want to use this chelation protocol.

Why Andy Cutler Protocol?

What is the AC Protocol?

" AC protocol " or " Andy's protocol " was formulated by Dr. Hall Cutler. It

is different from what most doctors do in that it considers the actual chemistry

of the substances (chelators) that we use. For example, Tylenol has a half life

of approximately 4 hours in the body. We know that, so we don't expect it to

work for a headache we have now if we took it once last week. We know we would

need another dose because the body has used it up or disposed of it. We also

know that the dose of Tylenol to use would be different for a small child or

person compared to a large adult. These are simple examples of pharmacology. In

basic pharmacology the use of chemical substances is based upon body size and

how long the substances last in the body. Most medications are dosed this way.

With chelation, for some reason, most doctors have been ignoring the basic

principles of pharmacology.

With AC chelation we use the chelators based upon how long they last in the body

and dose them by weight. Other protocols use large doses and give them

haphazardly, for example giving a child 500mg of DMSA once a day. This would

free up relatively large quantities of metals and mobilize them, but then

whatever metals are not immediately excreted would redeposit in the body

(redistribution). There would not be subsequent chelator available to pick up

and keep these metals moving out of the body. Using such a high dose is taxing

because of the large quantities of redistributed metals and will make side

effects intolerable. Every time there is significant redistribution of metals

the metals are doing more harm to the body. Using the chelators infrequently

will make the person sicker over time. Most protocols use a one size fits all

dosing and do not consider the timing of the medication (how long it lasts). If

it is not dosed by weight and used on the correct timing over and over, it

allows a lot of mercury to be moved around and redistributed to storage in the

body and will cause further damage. This is why many people get sick with

typical chelation.

Andy has found a way to avoid this and to make people better with chelation. The

chelators are dosed in intervals based on the half life of the chelator (3 hrs

for ALA, 4 hrs for DMSA, 8 hrs for DMPS). The chelators are dosed by weight

starting at 1/8 mg per pound and very gradually increased over time to a maximum

of 1/2mg/ pound.

Andy's protocol is based upon using the pharmacology of these substances to keep

a steady blood level of the chelator throughout a round. This keeps mercury from

going back into the brain, which happens on other protocols. Other protocols use

large dose of chelator and give them infrequently. This allows metals to be

pulled free and then left to redistribute in the body. Essentially, the person

is being re-poisoned each time a dose of chelator is taken at an interval longer

than the half life. Andy has seen people get sicker over time from doing this.

He recovered himself, his girl friend, and his girlfriend's child using his

protocol. He found that you can eliminate risks and seriously reduce side

effects by using the chelators on these principles. The most important principle

is to reduce the number of times the body has to go through the redistribution

process in order to get well and remove all the metals. As a result, using low

doses, giving the doses at the half life, and giving them on a steady schedule

for three days and two nights, does that. And yes, doses are taken at night.

This really is not as difficult as it sounds and is worth the hassle to avoid

metals moving around and making one sicker. Parents have many tips on doing this

protocol to make it easier on you and your child. As Andy explains…it's

following the laws of chemistry.

Andy's chelation protocol has been shown to improve the health of many mercury

poisoned people and in many cases provide a cure. The success of his protocol

is documented in the A-M archives, in his own files of case reports and in the

files of his colleagues. Andy is in the process of writing several books that

will include many case reports. Some case reports can be found in his " Hair

Test Interpretation " book (see links at the end of this article).

A Guide to Andy Cutler's (AC) Chelation Protocol:

With AC chelation we use one of the following chelators (DMSA or DMPS) and ALA.

We have the option to add ALA, to DMSA or DMPS, at a later time or begin them

together. We also have the option of using ALA only. They would be given based

upon the weight of the child, and dosed by the time they last in the body.

DMSA: dimercapto succinate is approved by the FDA to chelate children for heavy

metal poisoning. It has a half life of four hours in the body. It also removes

other metals besides lead, but it does not remove metals from the brain and deep

within organs. It is advised that at some point ALA is used.

DMPS: Is good for removing mercury and arsenic from the body. It will remove

other metals but not as effectively as the DMSA. DMPS is not FDA approved and

may be harder to find a physician to prescribe it. It has a half life of 8 hours

in the body. ALA is needed at some point during chelation because DMPS does not

remove metals from the brain or deep within organs.

ALA: Alpha Lipoic Acid is an over the counter antioxidant that also happens to

bind and chelate mercury. It does cross the blood brain barrier and thus it

removes mercury from the brain. It is inexpensive and you don't need a

prescription to obtain it. It has a half life of three hours in the body.

*Half-Life: Is the time that it takes for the concentration of the substance

(chelator) to fall to half of its original concentration in the blood. By

taking doses at the half life there is always enough chelator available to pick

up and keep the metals moving rather than redistributing to tissues and causing

further damage.

Basic Rules:

The dose timing is always the half life of the chelator or less. It is always

ok to dose more frequently, never ok to extend the timing longer than the half

life. The cut off point is one hour. If the dose is missed by longer than one

hour the round must be stopped.

Doses are taken around the clock including at night. A round is usually 3 days

and 2 nights on and then at least as many days off as days on.

One should use the same dose of chelator for the entire round.

Dosing is measured as 1/8 mg per pound to begin. The upper limit is 1/2 mg per

pound.

One should not change the method of administering the chelator during the same

round. ie: don't give oral during the day and TD or suppository at night. It has

to be the same method, the same chelator, and the same dose for the whole round.

Suppository chelation is not necessary. You can find many posts about why dosing

in this way may not be the best option.

Transdermal chelators are also not usually necessary. They would only be

necessary for a child who simply could not take any medication by mouth. In

most cases children can be encouraged to take oral medications. There are many

posts in archives from parents with experience in how to give these chelators

orally.

Oral chelators are the most reasonably priced and also the most effective method

of delivering the chelators.

Your choice of chelators (DMSA, DMPS or ALA) will depend upon the metals you

wish to remove and what you tolerate and have the ability to get. At some point

ALA will have to be added to clear metals from the brain and organs.

Things to Consider before doing ANY chelation:

You cannot do chelation if you still have metal dental fillings (amalgams) in

your teeth. These are grey or black colored fillings. They must be removed by a

trained dentist before any chelators are used. If you do not do this, you will

pull mercury from your teeth into your brain. This website has a list of

dentists who do safe removals. http://www.iaomt.org/

You cannot use alpha lipoic acid unless it has been three or more months since

you had those fillings removed or since other exposures such as thimerosal

containing vaccines. Your blood levels of mercury will be too high to use a

chelator that crosses the brain barrier. You will need to use DMSA or DMPS until

you reach the three months. You can begin using DMSA or DMPS on rounds starting

4 days after amalgam removal or exposure if you wish.

You cannot do chelation if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or are trying to

get pregnant. You will need to wait 18 months after stopping chelation for your

body levels of metals to settle down to conceive. Metals do pass through breast

milk and into the fetus. So it will make your baby sick if you chelate while

pregnant or nursing.

You should obtain a hair elements test from www.directlabs.com for the

child/person in question to verify metal toxicity. Be sure to order the

Essential Hair Elements profile. This test can be interpreted on the group for

you using Andy's Counting Rules to see if mercury is a problem. Andy has

written a book that covers hair test interpretation, metal toxicity, and

includes many case studies with hair test examples (the link to Hair Test

Interpretation below).

You should have your child on vitamin and mineral supplementation before

chelation. There is a list Andy recommends for chelation. Obviously some

children will not be able to use all of them or tolerate all of them. It is wise

to use what your child can tolerate to provide basic vitamins and minerals,

liver support and gut support. This will assist with the healing process, reduce

any side effects and make chelation go smoothly for your child. Probiotics and

antifungals may be needed to control yeast, and they should be used. This will

make your child more comfortable and healthier.

These are the basic supplements for chelation (copied from the autism treatment

supplement file):

Supplementing for Chelation

When supplementing for chelation, you are not looking for improvement, instead,

you are looking to support the body during the chelation process. However, you

must introduce new supplements just as you would for more general

supplementation. Start low and slow, watch carefully, keep track.

It is highly recommended that you supplement three to four times a day—the body

can only absorb water-soluble vitamins and minerals in limited doses, and giving

them all at once is a waste and may be harmful to your chelating child.

Continue supplementing the same way every day, regardless of whether you are

chelating or not. Supplements should be in place for a week or two before you

begin chelation.

Remember, this is not medical advice, just one recommendation. You will find

different ones elsewhere. You must make the decision as to what is best for

your child.

Note that some supplements call for milligrams (mg) and some for micrograms

(mcg).

The ones in bold should be required. The others are based on need:

Calcium: 5-20 mg/pound divided into four doses over the day

Essential Fatty Acid (fish oil or flax, see notes above) 1 to 3 tbsp/day

Magnesium: 10 mg/pound divided into four doses over the day

Milk Thistle: ¼-1 cap (20-80 mg) per dose/ 4 times a day

Molybdenum: 5-20 mcg/pound divided into four doses over the day

Selenium: 1-2 mcg/pound/divided into four doses over the day

Vitamin A: 5 RDA's/day. Be sure to consider if your EFA is a source

Vitamin B: 12.5-25 mg/4 times a day

Vitamin C: 5 to 20 mg/pound per dose/4 times a day

Vitamin E: 500 IU/day

Zinc: 1 mg per pound + 20 mgs divided into four doses over the day.

Important Links you will need:

Here are links that you should bookmark for future references, you will need to

read or refer to them as you go along:

Dr. Cutler's Websites: These are where you buy his books Hair Test

Interpretation and Amalgam Illness. He also has other useful books available and

he ships overseas.

http://www.noamalgam.com/

http://www.noamalgam.com/hairtestbook.html

Previews of Andy's two books can be found here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=ZG9glNfif5YC & dq=amalgam+illness & pg=PP1 & ots=15u5\

QzTqS0 & sig=nbgrQ15gJj0pRQPYOiOTOReo3kI & hl=en & prev=http://www.google.com/search

http://books.google.com/books?id=U765adeBPlEC & pg=PP1 & dq=Hair+Test+Interpretation\

& sig=3gUl0BYfnWoo-8m30AetodDOFk0

This website contains details about Andy's protocol, how to get a hair test and

dosing information:

http://home.earthlink.net/~moriam/

This is the Onibasu Wiki which contains information and post answers from Andy.

This is a good place to do some reading for when you have problems or questions.

http://onibasu.com/wiki/Main_Page

This is the Onibasu Archive for old messages from . You can search

around for old posts and answers to your questions. It has thousands of useful

posts, many from Andy about all kinds of things. Just type is some search

phrases and selects the " " box.

http://onibasu.com/

Autism- Mercury group frequently asked questions:

http://f1.grp.fs.com/v1/MPO_SV25iWcJbvUxj9yvroZfa3B2iMmq5tF3mnqNs-CnNLvIf4_\

BduB6uh1ipo6ZDbcDEZYMfeE0myey2thM0aEiTcoSSDuvjFc8/Mercury-Autism%20FAQ