Omg...i Might Be On To Something

[Rachel--24]

OK....I totally posted in the wrong thread!!

WTH happened???

Ummm....just nevermind my last post cuz it makes no sense...and Amanda isnt here.

I will now move it to the proper thread.

Sheeeesh....too many chocolate chips??

[Ridgewalker]

Hi everybody!

Ok, I've been reading along in here for awhile, trying to keep up with new posts, and occasionally going back to random pages to see if I can pick anything up (hopeless,) and I have just a couple questions.

Many of you have problems with metal toxicity.

1- How did you figure that out?

2- How did you get the heavy metals? I've seen you all mention dental fillings, vaccines, mercury-laden fish, etc... But these are things that everyone in the country is exposed to. Why do some people get such a terrible build-up?

[AndreaB]

Hi everybody!

Ok, I've been reading along in here for awhile, trying to keep up with new posts, and occasionally going back to random pages to see if I can pick anything up (hopeless,) and I have just a couple questions.

Many of you have problems with metal toxicity.

1- How did you figure that out?

2- How did you get the heavy metals? I've seen you all mention dental fillings, vaccines, mercury-laden fish, etc... But these are things that everyone in the country is exposed to. Why do some people get such a terrible build-up?

Sarah,

I also read on the Lyme thread so I've read you're posts over there. I don't have lyme, but my whole family has some problems with metals, candida. I suspected metals due to our increasing food intolerances and I have a lot of amalgams. My husband was in the military and they are notorius for multiple shots yearly.

As far as why some people have more obvious problems than others........partly genetics I would guess. I would also suspect more people have problems that they think are normal or won't admit to. I would also suspect that some areas are more prone to variable levels of toxins, especially industrial areas. Rachel posted recently about forest fires and how they contribute to the mercury in the air. Pesticide and insecticide are used more and more and have polluted the soil and waters. All these toxins are building up, hence more disease and sickness.

Rachel probably has read much more about this and may have more to say.

[Rachel--24]

Hi everybody!

Ok, I've been reading along in here for awhile, trying to keep up with new posts, and occasionally going back to random pages to see if I can pick anything up (hopeless,) and I have just a couple questions.

Many of you have problems with metal toxicity.

1- How did you figure that out?

2- How did you get the heavy metals? I've seen you all mention dental fillings, vaccines, mercury-laden fish, etc... But these are things that everyone in the country is exposed to. Why do some people get such a terrible build-up?

Hey Ridgewalker!

No need to try to dig through the pages.....just ask anything. I have no problem with repeating stuff or pulling up older posts.

Figuring out metal toxicity wasnt too difficult for me since it was more obvious than in most cases. I actually got sick right after dental work....I went from having no symptoms or intolerances to having major debilitaing illness, multiple chemical sensitivities as well as the food intolerances.

It was hard to get help with it because it was over 3 years until I ended up with the right Dr.'s to deal with this.

There are tests for heavy metal toxicity....provoked urine challenge or hair analysis. It takes an experienced Dr. to read these tests and recognize heavy metal toxicity.

For example with the hair analysis.....having normal or low levels of mercury does not rule out mercury toxixity. In fact....the more severely toxic people (especially autistic kids) will not be excreting mercury....hence nothing is showing up in the hair.

My own hair analysis results about a year after I got sick showed very low mercury but my good minerals were all over the place....totally out of range. That strongly suggests mercury toxicity. My body was holding onto the mercury...therefore its not coming out in the hair. This can give the impression that mercury is not a problem if the person looking at the results isnt very knowledgeable about it.

The same can occur with provoked urine tests (but less likely) if the person is really having difficulties detoxing. I had alot of alternative testing to confirm that heavy metals are indeed a problem. Also...the chronic candida I'm dealing with is highly suggestive of mercury toxicity from amalgams.

2- How did you get the heavy metals? I've seen you all mention dental fillings, vaccines, mercury-laden fish, etc... But these are things that everyone in the country is exposed to. Why do some people get such a terrible build-up?

It depends on the persons genetics. How well can you detox mercury compared to your neighbor?? There is no way to answer this. Some people handle it better than others.....however, it *is* toxic to everyone.

Mercury comes from the environment, the amalgams, the water, the vaccines, the fish and many other sources....its also used as a fungicide for wheat crops. 90% of the mercury burden in our bodies comes from the fillings. The amalgams are the biggest source of exposure to mercury.

Besides genetics...other things come into play. Lyme is one of those things....it can impair the body's ability to detoxify itself....therefore heavy metals are usually (if not always) an issue for those with chronic lyme.

The more things accumulate the more difficult it is for the body to handle it all....the elimination organs become heavily burdened. When the load becomes too great we become symptomatic.

Every person is different in what their body can handle and how many things it takes to push them over the top. Stress, lifestyle, diet, exposure to chemicals, genetics....all of it factors in.

If you have a heavy burden of metals and arent sick....as the immune gets weaker from other added burdens you can be much more susceptible to infections. The infections produce their own toxins...creating a heavier burden.

Heavy metals (especially mercury) also can very much impair detoxification. Mercury can totally block pathways essential for detox....this can make a person much more susceptible to Lyme toxins, or mold toxins, or chemical exposures, etc.

It doesnt really matter what came first....the chicken or the egg....in the end once detoxification is impaired it ALL becomes a problem. Alot of people cant recover without addressing the heavy metals because the burden is so great that the immune system remains weak due to the toxicity. Infections such as Lyme persist because the immune system cannot recover enough to effectively control these infections.

Thats a big factor in why some people are on antibiotics to treat Lyme for years and years. Its because as soon as they stop the treatment the infection is once again gaining ground....the body is still very toxic.

These days we are exposed to more toxins then ever before. There is more mercury in the environment then ever before...our food is loaded with chemicals, plastics are everywhere...and the list goes on and on. More and more people will reach their threshold because the exposure is so great. The increase in Autism as well as chronic conditions such as Fibro and CFS are examples of this.

In the end its not usually ever *one* thing that got us sick. Things stack on top of each other as the body becomes more and more overwhelmed. I used the example of piling books...one on top of the other...eventually the stack will get too high and everything comes crashing down.

[Ridgewalker]

90% mercury burden is from the fillings!? Are all metal fillings amalgam? What about metal crowns?

[Ridgewalker]

BTW, thanks for the quick replies! What you both said makes a lot of sense. I am shocked that the mercury exposure is that high from the fillings, I had no idea.

The Lyme thread stuff, yeah I have to admit I'm kind of stressed and bummed about the possible (probable???) Lyme. Mad, too... that something I hadn't thought about for almost 2 decades is coming back up again as a possibility, because of unreliable testing. Something I know a lot of people around here have felt.

I read somewhere that people with Lyme shouldn't give blood, and that's really disturbing me, because I've donated blood dozens of times. Jeez, a couple years ago I was about 2 weeks away from donating a kidney to my 6 year old nephew! (I'd completed all testing for it, and we were ready to go, the docs just wanted me to quit smoking before surgery. Nephew was in bad shape, and they ended up taking another kidney.) If I have it, and the surgery hadn't fallen through, could that have made him sick? From what I've read, the answer is yes... and then I start getting mad again.

I need to get tested and find out for sure, but it'll have to wait till next year because of finances. I don't even have insurance right now, and I want to get that before I get tested, in case it comes out positive.

Thanks again for the info!

[AndreaB]

90% mercury burden is from the fillings!? Are all metal fillings amalgam? What about metal crowns?

All metal silver fillings are amalgam. Gold is gold, which is better than mercury but still not good.

Metal in crowns is also amalgam but I'm not sure if it's a problem or not. I had a porcelain crown I just had pulled that I'd had a root canal in and it had mercury around the base of it. I was quite surprised since I was under the impression it was all porcelain. My dentist had said that the part around the base wasn't problematic due to the high heat it's exposed to, that the mercury vaporizes.

[confusedks]

Rachel,

I had never posted that before about the bite. I don't know why, but it dawned on me the other day when I was talking to my mom. It got really swollen and it was bad, but since I was going out of town the next day, we didn't do anything other than rub mosquito cream/ointment on it. Which porbably just spread the tick's bacteria. Also, I didn't even realize I just got back from camp right before the bite. Ohhhhhhh, this is all making sense now. We will talk to this Dr. today and see what he says about all of this. Like I said earlier, if nothing else, he can order us the tests for Lyme through Igenex.

I didn't mean I was asymptomatic before camp, I was very symptomatic. I don't think camp had anything to do with it. I was feeling crappy before camp, but everything got way worse when I started school in Sept. because of the stress and lack of sleep due to studying, etc.

Carla,

The only problem with the temp. thing is that I never know when my period is starting or ending, etc. So I guess I just wait and hope I actually get it this month? And then on the 6th day of my cycle check it? We'll see if my brain fog will let up enough for me to remember!? Also, read above!

Andrea,

I know. It is really suspicious. I will talk to the Dr. about Lyme testing.

Kassandra

[miamia]

ok i don't really feel good enough to post althought i had a doctors appt so i have a few updates to give but i did n=some research on plant sterols and its actually really interesting and i found alot of info on how good they are for celiacs.

Here is one site on them

Open Original Shared Link

[miamia]

oh i know some people here have tried alpha-lipioc acid- what kind of reactions have you had?

[CarlaB]

Kassandra, are you talking about two different camps? One where you got a bite and one this year?

If you're not having regular periods, then you're not ovulating regularly, just take your temp at any time ... if you start a period within two weeks of taking your temps, then take them again. You will have a period two weeks after you ovulate (approx).

OK....I totally posted in the wrong thread!!

Thank goodness .... I didn't think my brain fog was THAT bad to not even know an Amanda on this thread!

Hi everybody!

Ok, I've been reading along in here for awhile, trying to keep up with new posts, and occasionally going back to random pages to see if I can pick anything up (hopeless,) and I have just a couple questions.

Many of you have problems with metal toxicity.

1- How did you figure that out?

2- How did you get the heavy metals? I've seen you all mention dental fillings, vaccines, mercury-laden fish, etc... But these are things that everyone in the country is exposed to. Why do some people get such a terrible build-up?

Sarah, I think most of your questions have been answered ... I had a provoked urine test and was positive for lead. I had my amalgams out and detoxed the mercury over 15 years ago, so mercury wasn't much of a problem this time though I did have some. I don't know how I got lead ... but it is commonly found in foods (chocolate) and lipstick.

I think we are all exposed to toxins .... if we're detoxing at the same rate (or better) than we are taking more toxins on, we are okay ... if not, then when they build up past a certain point, we will become ill, but it will be an ambiguous illness like most of us have, meaning several things contributing to making us ill.

I think this is why the ADA can do testing and determine amalgams to be safe ....if they test them on people with a lower toxic burden, they seem to be ... not that they are, but they also aren't the only toxic thing we are exposed to ... it builds up.

When I took away the toxic burden of the mercury years ago, my body could keep the Lyme under control. It wasn't until I was under a heavy stress load that I became sick from it again and that happened over 12 years later.

So, to return to health, I am not *just* taking antibiotics. I have chelated heavy metals. I am doing things to detox daily (saunas, coffee enemas, supplements, whey). I exercise several days per week. I eat no sugar, alcohol, or caffeine. Lots of sleep and rest. Etc.

Miamia, I hope you are feeling better soon.

[CarlaB]

oh i know some people here have tried alpha-lipioc acid- what kind of reactions have you had?

Chloe and I neither one reacted at all. We probably shouldn't be your guage though ...

BTW, Chloe is herxing on the doxy. She has been getting headaches, which was one of her Lyme symptoms from before. It has not been bad enough for her to miss school, but it is a sign that it's getting to more bugs.

Here in Ohio they have PI tests that the kids have to pass for each class. I think the idea is to keep the classes standardized ... anyway, Chloe has NEVER passed one the first time, EVER. Last week she got 100% on one the first try!!!!!

[dlp252]

oh i know some people here have tried alpha-lipioc acid- what kind of reactions have you had?

I had reactions when I took too much. I did fine with the original brand and dosage that I took, but when I ran out I bought another brand and it was almost double the amount in each capsule...I continued to take the same amount of capsules (not thinking I guess). It caused horrible mind trippy things and foggyness. That was the period that I was having such a hard time...dark thoughts, crazyness really. I don't remember what all else it did, but as soon as I cut down the dose I was taking I started coming out of that dark place and the rest didn't matter.

[melmak5]

For anyone else who is in a rough spot digesting or absorbing nutrients, here is my review of products I have tried thus far. Note, these are just MY reactions and opinions.

I have not included prices, because they vary depending on where you live/shop, but the baby formulas are MUCH more expensive than the protein powders.

Dread ratings are my overall feelings towards having to down another dose.

Jay-Robb

[confusedks]

Carla,

I got the bite years ago. I went to Girl Scout camp then I came home and the next day we went to Lake Tahoe for vacation. It was the day in between the Tahoe and Camp trip that I got the bite (or it showed up.) So I am talking about 2 different camps. Jin actually was the first one who said that she thought camp this past summer was where I could have gotten a bite. But the only reason I don't think that is because I was having symptoms before camp. Like I said earlier, I don't think camp triggered anything I, but I think because it was close in time to when school started (major stress) Jin thought it was camp. I think everything has been a major contributing factor. When I was hospitalized in June, that was a burden mentally because it started a whole new blanket of health problems with my back which we thought was under control. I think the biggest trigger was moving to New Zealand and coming back. It was a lot to deal with and that's when the complete exhaustion started and has only continued to get worse.

Kassandra

[AndreaB]

Here in Ohio they have PI tests that the kids have to pass for each class. I think the idea is to keep the classes standardized ... anyway, Chloe has NEVER passed one the first time, EVER. Last week she got 100% on one the first try!!!!!

That's great news Carla!

UPDATE

I started Chinese herbs two days ago and have had a very good response thus far. (more energy and I am HUNGRY)

I reacted to turkey, prunes and dates and had to pull them out of the rotation.

(sweet potatoes, potatoes, collards, kale, onions, carrots, beef, garlic, baby formula are the "I can eat these without regurgitating or having a mouth reaction, but they still hurt like hell when I do")

Thanks for the update Kristina. I was wondering how you were doing. You'll get there, just don't give up.

I got the bite years ago. I went to Girl Scout camp then I came home and the next day we went to Lake Tahoe for vacation. It was the day in between the Tahoe and Camp trip that I got the bite (or it showed up.) So I am talking about 2 different camps. Jin actually was the first one who said that she thought camp this past summer was where I could have gotten a bite. But the only reason I don't think that is because I was having symptoms before camp. Like I said earlier, I don't think camp triggered anything I, but I think because it was close in time to when school started (major stress) Jin thought it was camp. I think everything has been a major contributing factor. When I was hospitalized in June, that was a burden mentally because it started a whole new blanket of health problems with my back which we thought was under control. I think the biggest trigger was moving to New Zealand and coming back. It was a lot to deal with and that's when the complete exhaustion started and has only continued to get worse.

You've been through a lot. Can't wait for your update on the appointment today.

[CarlaB]

BioChem Whey Protein - powder

+dissolves easily in water

+neutral flavor

+highly processed (smaller protein structures)

-lots of bloating

*overall dread: medium-high

I used the vanilla flavored version of this (Morgan likes the chocolate). It's better if you use a hand blender to mix it. I also add frozen fruit to it ... this morning I had vanilla whey protein, mango, peaches, and blueberries. My "normal" version is to use frozen raspberries. It's really good this way. I look forward to it ... once Adam tasted it along with the piece of 'fudge' I eat with it, he no longer felt sorry for me, LOL. If we stay home for date night, he has some with me, otherwise he certainly doesn't need to do what I do to keep my weight up.

Anyway, it's delicious this way, I love it!

Carla,

I got the bite years ago. I went to Girl Scout camp then I came home and the next day we went to Lake Tahoe for vacation. It was the day in between the Tahoe and Camp trip that I got the bite (or it showed up.) So I am talking about 2 different camps. Jin actually was the first one who said that she thought camp this past summer was where I could have gotten a bite. But the only reason I don't think that is because I was having symptoms before camp. Like I said earlier, I don't think camp triggered anything I, but I think because it was close in time to when school started (major stress) Jin thought it was camp. I think everything has been a major contributing factor. When I was hospitalized in June, that was a burden mentally because it started a whole new blanket of health problems with my back which we thought was under control. I think the biggest trigger was moving to New Zealand and coming back. It was a lot to deal with and that's when the complete exhaustion started and has only continued to get worse.

Kassandra

Kassandra, interesting ... the first time I got sick from Lyme is after an exchange program in Mexico. If it started this summer, you are three years ahead of me in diagnosis (I was sick this time about four years before I got diagnosed) .... plus you are so much younger ... treatment won't be as hard or as long for you. You will be feeling great by the time you are going to college.

[dlp252]

Shoot, I had a post all done out with replies and comments on several posts and lost it...

Andrea, just wanted to add my concern about the blood!

Okay all, I'll "see" you when I get back!

[jerseyangel]

Bye Donna--see you soon

[AndreaB]

Everything is heading back to normal today. Getting back on the Pau d'Arco along with the Oil of Oregano and cranberry juice must have done the trick.

I've decided not to call the doctor since I'm doing better. The cranberry juice is sooooooooo bitter but I don't want to sweeten it. I mix the Oil with that so it's a very bitter concoction. If it makes me better I'll deal with it though.

Does dysbiosis cause any kind of reflux. Mitch has mild reflux, depending on what he eats it seems. Any thoughts?

Bye Donna! Have a great trip! We'll miss you and can't wait til you can come back and tell us about it.

[Rachel--24]

Mia,

I take ® Lipoic Acid...this is what my Dr. has me taking on my chelation days. I never looked into the difference between ALA and RLA.

This is what it says on the bottle...

Lipoic Acid is one of the most thoroughly researched and highly regarded antioxidants. R-Lipoic is the biologically active portion of the molecule, and provides maximum antioxidant activity at lower dosage levels.

So I take this on my DMSA days (every 3 days)....I'm only taking 1 capsule which is 50 mg. I have not had any problems with it.

If you can have that woman muscle test you for the dosage it should help to make sure you're not exceeding your tolerance. You can get nasty symptoms of redistribution if its more than you can tolerate.

The other thing is that if taken by itself it can possibly drag mercury into the brain. Its recommended that it be taken in conjunction with a chelator (DMPS or DMSA).

I dont take it by itself...I take it the same time as my DMSA.

I'm going in for my IV DMPS in a few hours. EEEEK.

Yeah...I'm scared a little.

I called awhile ago to ask if they can leave the vitamin C out. It sounds like they're gonna do that but they wanted to check with the Dr. first. They said I should be fine with just the glutathione and minerals. Hopefully the Dr. doesnt change his mind about me having the IV. I'm waiting for a call back.

[Rachel--24]

Carla....thats awesome about how well Chloe is doing!!

I'm so glad she got treated early and is showing so much improvement!

Be back later to respond to more posts.

[melmak5]

Scratch everything I said. I just reacted to both baby formulas that were "safe."

I am running out of patience here.

[confusedks]

Update on my appt:

It turns out he didn't test me for Lyme. We are going to call and ask why because the appt. was 1.5 hours long, so we didn't think about it at the time. But, I did call Igenex and they are sending us the kit and the Dr. said he would be willing to test for it.

He said that because my iron total is high, but my ferritin is so low, he thinks my pituitary gland is not working properly. He even suggested some sort of tumor?! EEK! The problem is that the iron is in my body, but it's not being converted into ferritin. So his remedy for this is liver. I have to eat liver...EWWW! But we are going to buy it today and I will try to choke it down. Yuck!

He wants to order an MRI of my brain to see my pituitary gland to make sure there is nothing really serious going on there. My gut feeling is that it's okay, but he seems to think something is very wrong.

He also said I have chronic mononucleosis and I have few white blood cells. Since the ratio of mono (viruses) to WBC's is 2:1, he wants to give me Vit. C IV's. He said that my WBC's don't have a chance of fighting away the viruses. My question is... WHY??? Why can't my body fight these? He says that the mono has been there ever since I moved to NZ in 2004. That is a long time, but I think that is when the Lyme may have been triggered.

He also said something about my liver not working well. I don't really remember the exact of what he had to say (brain fog!) but I don't think this was his main concern. He did say that since my Cholesterol and Triglycerides were so low a while ago, that something has turned for the worse because before they were telling me I wasn't eating enough fat and now I'm not eating a lot at all, but my body thinks I am.

We found out I am an A blood type, which is his reason for my stomach problems. He said that because I am not taking (pill) acid with my meals, the protein is going in my stomach and not breaking down, just fermenting. He told me to eat egg white powder with rice milk, etc. but not with fruit. Grr! It's going to taste gross, but oh well. Also, he said no protein with anything but veggies, so no carbs with protein. Since my stomach is very alkalized my body can't break down the carbs AND the protein together; they must be eaten separately. He gave me amino acids to take halfway through a meal to break protein down, we'll see if that helps.

Finally, I am extremely dehydrated. That's what the chloride number was about (if anyone say me labs that I posted.) So, he wants to give me liquid vitamins and minerals to put in water but we are waiting to make sure they are gluten-free before we but them. 3 liters of water a day! That's A LOT compared to what I have been drinking.

Overall, I am a little skeptical. I don't know if I believe that this is getting to the bottom of everything. Why isn't my body converting iron to ferritin? Is it too early to have Vitamin C IV's? Is my body going to be able to handle it? I just am concerned that we are not going to get to the bottom of everything. He didn't even mention anything about my back which is a HUGE part of my health problems. I don't know, am I expecting too much?

I look forward to hearing what everybody thinks.

Kassandra

[AndreaB]

Kassandra,

I really believe that lyme is behind what's going on with you. You need to get the Igenex test before you do anything, aside from diet changes (I personally wouldn't do the liver as livers can be high in toxins).

I believe Laura had had mono around your age or something similar. She also has lyme that had brought her down to a few foods she could eat before she found out what she had and started treatment. She just started treatment earlier this year and is doing pretty good now.

Igenex needs to be done, probably M-Th for you since you are in CA. It needs to be overnighted to the lab. I'd call Igenex and get the paperwork and take it in, just to make sure it goes to the right place. I don't trust the doctor to do that, especially if he doesn't normally use them. OOOPPSS Just reread your post and see that you called for the paperwork.

Meanwhile, head back over to lymenet and post a question about a doctor in CA who uses natural remedies since you are sensitive to abx.

How are you doing with the fires? I don't know how close you are to them but they sound like they've devastated alot down there.