Heavy metal poisoning

[Kurasz]

Just wondering if anyone here has experienced heavy metal poisoning and what the symptoms were. The gluten free diet saved my life, but im still having serious issues. It seems like anything containing metals or canned in a metal container gives me severe pains in my guts. I really think it might be heavy metal poisoning and or leaky gut. Its always in tbe same spot where i get a stabbing pain that is so severe i have to lay down to get it to go away. It almost causes me to pass out from the extreme pain. I had a ct scan because i thought it was hernia related but the drs said it wasn't. They did say part of my intestines was elongated but didn't offer any explanation of what that meant.

[GFinDC]

Hi Kurasz,

I don't think they put heavy metals in canned foods.  That would be frowned upon by the FDA or someone in the Gov.  I think I read about a coating that is sprayed inside cans sometimes with certain foods to keep the acid in the food from reacting with the metal can.  So it might be you have a reaction to that sprayed chemical coating, whatever it is.

If you really want to be tested for heavy metals toxicity, please go to a regular doctor and get tested.  It' s a pretty unusual condition unless you live in Flint, Michigan (lead) or are an artist and hold your lead paint brushes in your mouth like Vincent Van Gogh did.  Sometimes welders might have problems with metal toxicity from breathing in metal fumes for years.

[pdxmotorhead]

Have you been tested for nickel allergies? Nickel sneaks in to all kinds of packaging and can cause amazing crazy symptoms..

[Kurasz]

On 1/4/2017 at 6:35 PM, pdxmotorhead said:

Have you been tested for nickel allergies? Nickel sneaks in to all kinds of packaging and can cause amazing crazy symptoms..

No i haven't.  I can't afford any more tests. I'm thinking I'm suffering from a severe case of colitis. All of my current symptoms point to colitis and i was prescribed and antibiotic that has a side effect of colitis.  If i had researched the drug first i wouldn't have taken it. It has a 90% colitis rate. This form of colitis is permanent and i will most likely have to deal with it for the rest of my life, which might not be much longer. 

[GFinDC]

45 minutes ago, Kurasz said:

No i haven't.  I can't afford any more tests. I'm thinking I'm suffering from a severe case of colitis. All of my current symptoms point to colitis and i was prescribed and antibiotic that has a side effect of colitis.  If i had researched the drug first i wouldn't have taken it. It has a 90% colitis rate. This form of colitis is permanent and i will most likely have to deal with it for the rest of my life, which might not be much longer. 

Hi Kurasz,

Are you still taking the antibiotic?  Or can you get a different one prescribed from the wonderful and very unhelpful doctor?

A sharp pain could be from various things.  A twisted bowel could cause it, or a gall bladder problem. or kidney stones.  Sometimes Crohn's patients have blockages caused by narrowing of the intestine due to scar tissue buildup.  There's a bunch of possibilities.  Perhaps you can find a different doctor for a 2nd opinion?  With any serious illness it makes sense to me to get a 2nd opinion/2nd set of eyes to review the situation.  Two heads are better than one they say.

[Kurasz]

3 hours ago, GFinDC said:

Hi Kurasz,

Are you still taking the antibiotic?  Or can you get a different one prescribed from the wonderful and very unhelpful doctor?

A sharp pain could be from various things.  A twisted bowel could cause it, or a gall bladder problem. or kidney stones.  Sometimes Crohn's patients have blockages caused by narrowing of the intestine due to scar tissue buildup.  There's a bunch of possibilities.  Perhaps you can find a different doctor for a 2nd opinion?  With any serious illness it makes sense to me to get a 2nd opinion/2nd set of eyes to review the situation.  Two heads are better than one they say.

I do have narrowing in my intestines along with a swollen colon. They call it mega colon. I quit taking the antibiotic when i got extremely ill. I haven't taken any antibiotics since, and hopefully I won't have to. This colitis has been horrible for over a year now and the problem just seems to keep getting worse. I cant wait until summer. Its going to be great eating food that hasn't been sprayed with toxic chemicals. 

[TexasJen]

What antibiotic did you take - so that we can avoid it?

So sorry to hear that you are suffering......

[Posterboy]

Kurasz,

GFinDC is right it could be anything.

If you think it heavy metal poisoning they typically include a neurologic condition like tingling in the fingers causing you to be diagnosed as MS for example or hearing or vision problems etc.

See the mercymom who was poisoned after having silver fillings put in her dental work which are 50% mercury by content.

http://mercurymom.com/Mercury_Mom/Mercury_Mom.html

her video short video about 1:30 sectonds "Evidence of Harm" is a very powerful and emotional.

http://mercurymom.com/Mercury_Mom/Videos.html

Here is some good links if you want to google your symptom's as I have done and see what disease best match your symptom's.

From the American College of Gatroenterology  a 3 page pdf summarizing possible conditions.

http://s3.gi.org/patients/cgp/pdf/abdomi.pdf

and this much longer symptom checker from oksate used by physician's to single out specific pains associated with a GI diagnosis.

http://www.healthsciences.okstate.edu/college/clinical/crh/rural_clinic/docs/Abdominal_Pain.pdf

It is a summary of  the "Early Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen. Revised, 18th Edition that is a little old (from the early 90's) but has a good easy to digest format of approx. 30 slides that might be of help to you.

Good luck and I hope this is helpful.

Also Cilantro is a herb that is a great metal Chelator if you are sure you are having metal toxicity problems.  A  pinch or a handful once a week wouldn't hurt anything just don't go over board and put in the whole bottle all at one time to see if it helps.  It is a herb used commonly in Mexican and Italian foods but it is a well known chelator for heavy metal toxicity too so don't go overboard with it.  One small seasoning bottle should last you at least a couple months.

but GFinDC is right true chelation therapy should be done under the supervision of a doctor so your minerals' don't become unbalanced. I asked my doctor to check my mineral deficiencies but he said they don't do that.

It is relatively easy to check.  A small hair sample can be sent to a lab and they will send you back a report of any metal toxicities you might have.

Here is Dr.Wilson's site about using hair to get a result for metal toxicity poisoning.

http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/HA INTRO.htm

But be warned some people consider this quackery. 

I am not recommending the site I just including it for reference.  I have not had it done myself (have my hair checked) but wanted to mention it if you truly think it is heavy metal poisoning but it more likely something more benign like the colitis you mentioned from your antibiotics.

I noted the same thing when taking Sulpha drugs.  And I told my doctor I was allergic to sulpha drugs.

I didn't feel right for probably a month or more after taking a round of sulpha (antibiotics) and could barley drag myself out of bed or stand on my feet without feeling faint for two weeks after a sulpha drug round.

I hope you find out what it is soon.

posterboy,

[Kurasz]

It's been a long time since I posted this. I've been gluten free for a year which has really improved how my guts feel, but my colon is still getting worse.  Right now im in the process of getting checked for colitis and c-diff. They don't tell you the dangers of antibiotics especially clindamyacin . I'm in severe pain and haven't been able to sit in weeks. Its completely unbearable pain.

[knitty kitty]

Sorry you're having such a rough go.  I sympathize with you.

Do you have an allergy to Sulfa drugs?  A similar thing happened to me.  I started getting sick whenever I ate something canned. After some research, I found that the plastic-y lining of the cans have Sulfites in them.  Sulfites are used as antimicrobial agents... 

Clindamycin is a sulfa drug.  Many antibiotics are sulfa drugs, as are proton pump inhibitors (ppi's), blood pressure medications, diabetic medications and diuretics and antidepressants.

The more sulfa medications I was prescribed to alleviate the symptoms of my digestive disorders, the sicker I became.  Please consider talking to your doctor about this possibility.  My doctor was sceptical at first, but after reviewing my medical history, he agreed. Once I discontinued all the sulfa drugs and eliminated Sulfites from my diet, my health improved immensely.  

Celiac disease disrupts some of the normal metabolic pathways due to nutritional deficiencies.  Please have your doctor check for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, too.  

Knittykitty

[Kurasz]

3 hours ago, knitty kitty said:

Sorry you're having such a rough go.  I sympathize with you.

Do you have an allergy to Sulfa drugs?  A similar thing happened to me.  I started getting sick whenever I ate something canned. After some research, I found that the plastic-y lining of the cans have Sulfites in them.  Sulfites are used as antimicrobial agents... 

Clindamycin is a sulfa drug.  Many antibiotics are sulfa drugs, as are proton pump inhibitors (ppi's), blood pressure medications, diabetic medications and diuretics and antidepressants.

The more sulfa medications I was prescribed to alleviate the symptoms of my digestive disorders, the sicker I became.  Please consider talking to your doctor about this possibility.  My doctor was sceptical at first, but after reviewing my medical history, he agreed. Once I discontinued all the sulfa drugs and eliminated Sulfites from my diet, my health improved immensely.  

Celiac disease disrupts some of the normal metabolic pathways due to nutritional deficiencies.  Please have your doctor check for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, too.  

Knittykitty

I can't eat anything with sulfites. I know that is a big no no for me. I ended up in the er tonight and after all this time, the er Dr said i have severe internal hemorrhoids  and polyps. A surgeon will be contacting me tomorrow and I'm going to have surgery ASAP 

[knitty kitty]

Oh! I'm so sorry to hear that your condition is so serious. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. We're here to support you through this.  Please keep us posted on your progress.  

Knitting kitty

P.S.   It might be beneficial to mention your problem with dietary sulfites to your doctors.  I believe there's a connection there.  

[ravenwoodglass]

Sorry you are having such troubles. Good that they were able to do a colonoscopy in the ER to diagnose the polyps and hemmies. Why didn't they remove the polyps when they did the scope?  Sorry you have to go through it again for removal and hope all is clear when they biopsy the polyps. Hang in there.

[Jmg]

Probably a side issue given the seriousness of your symptoms but have you tried a course of probiotics? If you've had strong antibiotics they may have killed off the good bacteria in your gut. Replacing them may give your digestion a boost and it sounds like it needs that? There's over the counter solutions as well as the option of making your own kefir or sauerkraut. For healing the gut you may also want to try bone broth, easy to make and good for your digestive system. 

Best of luck!

[Kurasz]

I didn't have surgery  because they also discovered i have  severe case of colitis,  and giving my condition,  they don't want to put my body through the stress of surgery. 

[GFinDC]

Hi Kurasz,

How's it going?  Any change for the amazingly better?  Or slightly better?  
If not, hang in there, and keep praying! :)