Sodium Selenite (Twinlabs) helps chelate mercury safely. DMPS is very dangerous for some people - can cause permanent harm. DMSA is helpful for some people, has side effects for some people, but the side effects are temporary. It is claimed that EDTA suppositories work for mercury; I'm not sure, but they can help the way you feel. With all chelators, need to replace Zn and Cr, and other metals, and for EDTA, also need to replace iron. R-lipoic acid (=R-alpha-lipoic acid) is helpful for some, start with very low doses.

I had the amalgam procedure done this past January. I suffered from many food sensitivities and MCS. I had a heavy metals test done through my natural doctor which revealed excessive mercury and lead levels. After removing my fillings and replacing them with composites, I started chelation first with DMSA for a few months. I had to discontinue chelation because my candida issues became unbearable. DMSA is a sulfa type chelator which binds to the mercury. It does, however, cause candida. I already had candida issues before starting the protocol. My natural doctor recommended me to try OSR to chelate. You can google OSR for more info. It did not cause me problems like the DMSA did. I chelated for 8 months. I am in the process of retaking the heavy metals test to see if my lead and mercury levels have decreased. From what I was told, it can take years to chelate mercury from the brain. I do feel better since chelation. I am not as sensitive to foods or chemicals. I hope that, over time, my health will continue to improve. If my mercury level is still elevated, I will go back on my OSR. I hope that your health improves now that you removed your amalgams. It is a good first step. Recovery can be a long process, but so worth it in the end. I feel like I am getting my life back.

I did this last year, as I have late-stage Lyme disease as well. My teeth, even with good hygiene, were falling out from the infection. Lyme LOVES mercury and they did a job on my jawlines.

I ended up having a lot of work done. This procedure is very hard on your body and it is critical to get the mercury you have stirred up during the procedure out of your body. Otherwise it is quickly reabsorbed by your tissues.

After each procedure I went to my DR.'s and did a Vit.C IV with DMPS or EDTA (depending on what my body tested for that day). Then the real critical part was doing a colonic. This way you are able to bring the stirred-up mercury to the gut area and then release it. I would never do these procedures any other way because of the serious effect mercury has on our brains. And I would get that mercury out of your mouth. God bless with your decisions.

Cathy

Hi Bridget,
There is a website, with several yahoo group possibilities, that has loads of information.

livingnetwork.co.za and
the dental offshoot is:
livingnetwork.co.za/dentalnetwork

Good Luck,
Vicki

Hi Bridget, I have some significant experience with mercury poisoning and chelation.

I became severely ill about 8 years ago, and after two years and numerous doctors it was discovered that I had off the chart mercury levels. I had a mouth full of amalgams (11), plus 3 gold crowns which makes it 10 x's worse. I also ate lots of mercury laden fish which compounded the problem.

We had to search for awhile to find the best way to proceed, but came across Dr. Andrew Cutler's information, and feel that it is the best. He has become pretty much the expert in the field. His website is amalgamillness.com . You can order his book for starters.

The way that you chelate is very important. There are lot's of different methods and opinions out there, and some of them are harmful. Getting your amalgams out the right way is also important. I didn't do things quite right and was in bed for a month afterwards. It's been a long haul to recovery, but I'm doing pretty well. You most likely need a longer course of chelation than just surrounding your amalgam removal, judging by your MCS. Finding a practitioner to work with you may not be so easy, but keep looking. You may be able to get a referral through Dr. Cutler or his website. We actually e-mailed him for a referral and he put us in touch with a nurse practitioner in Seattle who we have worked with ever since. She sees people from all over in her office for the first consult and then you can do the rest via phone consult. Good luck on your journey towards health & healing.

Linda

A medical doctor, Dr. Mercola, does not recommend having those 'mercury' fillings replaced unless absolutely necessary since doing so releases more mercury than leaving them in place. Using cilantro to remove mercury from the body works, but may cause mercury still in the teeth to release also. He had his fillings replaced and now wishes he hadn't. His website has articles on this subject.

Chlorella would be great.
Kindra

My chiropractor has me taking an oral chelation to help me detox heavy metals from amalgam fillings. It's called ChelaClear by NuMedica. He has me taking 2 twice daily on an empty stomach.

I would recommend the Andy Cutler method of chelation. More information can be found at www.noamalgam.com
Good luck!

Years ago my naturopath sent me to a special dentist, one who had experienced mercury poisoning himself, to have my last amalgam fillings removed. The man has since retired, but he had a special system, quite elaborate, to make sure I did not swallow or breathe any of the mercury that was freed up during the procedure.

I would guess that, though perhaps not easy to find, there are still other dentists who practice this way. You may have to ask around, because, at least at the time, he did not advertise for fear of the dental association pulling his license, because he was so far from the party line.

He also had understandings about how bad root canal and other dental materials can be for the body.... I wish I had known about him before I had had so much dental work done improperly. Now I wonder about the currently used materials as well -- I just don't trust the dental associations to be as careful as they should be about the new things they approve, when they used to think mercury amalgam was OK.

Another time I was sent to a doctor who had decided to specialize in alternative things like chelation, but I was afraid of it, so he recommended I have a hair analysis first, to show me whether I really needed it or not.

I didn't want to have to cut all those small sections of hair, so I didn't do it, but now I am sorry I did not, and think at some point I will go back and do it. If you know exactly what heavy metals/contaminants you have, I would think it would be easier to decide what to do.

I have also heard that special blood tests can be more accurate than the hair analysis... but I think they require a small amount of a chelation supplement taken, to free up the metals to show up in the blood, and that made me nervous as well! I wish there was more research done on these alternative things!

I look forward to reading about others' experiences with actually doing the chelation therapy, and learning more about the chelation agents used.

We chelated our son about recovered him from some severe autistic symptoms. We used oral dmsa, oral edta and finally Calcium EDTA IVs. After 6 years of work with a DAN (Defeat Autism NOW) doctor, he is recovered.

So....my husband and I both had our amalgams removed and are doing the IV protocol for maintaining good health into our Sr. years. I'm a big believer in chelation now!

Our biological dentist did give us activated charcoal immediately following the amalgam removal as it soaks up toxins in the body....we also beefed up on Vitamin C and many others I can't recall now.

Yes, get those amalgams out yesterday!

Thank you all for your input. I like Debra's website very much and appreciate the chance to blog here.

There are so many variables. It's a big decision for me to go ahead with the removal of even one amalgam filling because of the MCS (cum food allergies, etc.) and also a history of Lyme disease. Because I have a sore tooth (one with an amalgam filling in it) that needs dealing to in some way, I must proceed in some way. The dentist I see tells me he uses rubber dams and the good kind of suction. There are other precautions and protective mechanisms he will use as well, something to do with ambient air in the treatment room and I will insist on protective eye-where and something for my face. I have seen a video of the procedure on-line.

I live in New Zealand (originally from Maryland) and I'm not sure what choices for chelation I have available to me here besides chlorella and cilantro. I am still asking around about other ways to chelate and will take a closer look at what has been offered here to ensure I have done my homework.

Thank you again for all your input. If I have anything more to share with regard to the procedure and chelation, I hope it is okay to expound on it later within this post.

Kind regards, Bridget

Hi There,

Removing Mercury and detoxing it properly from the body is extremely important.

I know because the beginning of my removal and detox, even tho I had read about and was taking the "appropriate supplements", it caused me a severe but trmporary physical disability which then led my husband and I , M.D. and R.N., to reaseach the least harmful way to get this done for our patients.

First there is no one size fits all.

You must:

1) have the correct dentist and physician who is well schooled in Mercury removal and treatment.

2) they have to make sure first that all of your eliminating organs are "draining "properly---this means kidneys, bowels, lungs and lymph and that your liver is able to detox well.

If any of the above are not working properly, they should give you correct "drainage" remedies for them

3) the physician must make sure you are not "allergic" to the mercury, prior to removal. If you are, it is best to be desensitized by the practitioner to mercury. Otherwise you might have a non-optimal reaction to the removal.

4) It is important not to eliminate candida right away--candida binds up excess mercury in your body and can release lot's of mercury as it is killed.

5)make sure you have a dentist who is honest enough to remove every speck of old amalgams

6) DMSA and DMPS can be very hard on the body--deplete minerals---DMPS can be rough on the kidneys. For some EDTA IV chelation is helpful but there are some oral chelators out there which are very good. But timing is cricial--that why you need a doc who is very expert in this area.

I cannot mention these products because we carry one and that would be a conflict of interest.

I can tell you how to find the best dentists and expert docs in this area in the states, but not in New Zealand.

Keep googling--you might find the best training center and find out the highest qualifying group for Mercury removal dentists--

Best, Sue

To Bridget in New Zealand:
Go to IAOMT.com to find a knowledgeable dentist---International
Association of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.
Go to Acam.org or A4M.org to find a knowledgeable M.D.
Best, Sue

Like many of the people who have replied, I also was diagnosed with "off the charts" mercury toxicity and had all of the corresponding issues including food allergies, candida, hypothyroidism, hormone imbalance, etc. Like many, I had the mouth full of amalgams and was eating too much mercury-laden seafood.

My most important message is that mercury detox is serious business and should not be done without being under the care of a professional.

I am three years into my detox experience and here is a summary of my learnings:

1. The Urine test is the best test for assessing accumulated toxic levels

The blood test only shows what you have recently been exposed to (days), it does not show what your current body burden is.

The hair test only shows what you have accumulated over the last 3 months or so.

The urine test (pre and post with some kind of provocation) is the best method for assessing your total body burden.

2. Prepare your body for detoxification

As Sue pointed out, there are many systems of the body that need to be functioning properly in order to successfully detox. If these are not functioning properly, you are just moving toxins around, causing more damage and will re-absorb them. The drainage remedies for kidney/liver are critical as well as making sure your body's mineral levels are healthy. You should have an RBC blood test to see the current status of your mineral levels before doing any detox work.


3. Use a Holistic or Biological Dentist to get mercury amalgams removed

These folks know the proper protocols, will also test you to make sure the new material they are using is compatible with you and will give you the required supplements to take to aid in removing the immediate mercury burden as part of the removal treatment. I only know of doctors in CA. I don't have any knowledge on ones in New Zealand.

To minimize the burden, you may want to remove only 1 or 2 at a session and spread the work out over time.

I have gotten all of my mercury amalgams removed and experienced no issues with this process.


4. Only consider detox protocols AFTER you have your mercury amalgams removed. If you are using detox protocols with mercury amalgams in place, you are simply pulling mercury out of your amalgams.


5. Choose the mildest protocol available to you. I prefer drainage over chelation/detox.

Detox/chelation protocols are very hard on your body, especially if needed to remove large amounts of heavy metals over an extended period of time. Chelation protocols remove the good minerals from your body as well as the bad heavy metals.

I was originally on DMSA and went through 2.5 cycles of this treatment. Although I was taking all of the recommended mineral supplements to replenish the good minerals I lost, because I had absorption issues, my minerals were not being replenished. At the end of these cycles, I was severely depleted from a mineral perspective and not able to effectively detox anymore.

I have since switched Doctors and am now on plant stem cell-based drainage remedies while focusing on replenishing the minerals in my system.

Drainage is different from detox in that drainage is designed for a particular person's system and it is something that is done every day. Detox is a "one size fits all" approach that does not take into consideration the unique circumstances of the individual's current system function and is done in on/off cycles because your body can't handle it every day.

Given what I know now, I would not use DMSA again.

6. Resources:

One of the leading practitioners of plant stem cell-based drainage for detox is Dr. Louisa Williams. She has written an excellent book that covers the issues with dental amalgams in detail.

www.radicalmedicine.com

You might also contact her to see if you can get a referral in your area.

HI - about 10 years ago, I was very ill and learned that my mercury levels (by hair analysis) were "off the charts" - at the time I was going to a Naturopath who is very highly regarded and he recommended that I undergo IV detox (which he did)type of chelation due to severity of my situation - and to NOT touch my fillings, or even have my teeth cleaned, until chelation was completed. The regimen lasted 8 months, and consisted of IV chelation on Week 1, then Week 2 with an IV replacement of minerals that were also lost during chelation (it removed not only the mercury). Then, two weeks would pass of the month, and then, the second month, IV chelation etc etc regimen again.

When that was done, my hair samples were sent off again and were much much better at that point. I then was sent off to a holistic dentist who removed three fillings (they did not suggest removing gold crowns as I have a mouthful - and said that the cement they use to put them in with are also harmful - so best to leave them alone. I also remember that the holistic dentist tested me (sorry, can't remember how now - over 10 years ago now)for how bad the gold crowns were and they were pretty much ok - best to leave alone. Subsequently, I have had porcelain crowns put in. Once all the dental work was done by the holistic dentist, I had to go back for two IV chelation and replacement treatments (two months duration) to remove what had subsequently been released by the dental work - that holistic dentist also told me that any fussing with fillings, et al, causes the mercury et al to be absorbed by one's GUMS and dental tissue!! YUCK again!

Interestingly,my own dentist told me he didn't believe in all this business about mercury and fillings, and would not remove mine - thus, I ended up at the holistic dentist's office. I truly think that part of the problem for many dentists is that if they begin removing fillings for this problem, it is like admitting they know of the problem and could end up being sued for the replacement of fillings, crowns, etc - this is NOT CHEAP to have done - and many people can't afford it. I have several friends who ask, if the European dentists know about this, why don't American? They DO know, they just don't want to SAY so and end up on the wrong side of lawsuits for damaging the health of their patients! Yikes!

Thought I would also tell you that with no insurance to help with any of this (not covered!), my total cost for the naturopath doing the 8 months of chelation and replacement IV therapy, and then, the holistic dentist, cost us close to $40,000!!! Ye Gods!! It just about broke us financially! I was told by several practitioners back then NOT to try to do this alone - to find a practitioner who is trained in this, has certification, and knows what he or she is doing. One's health can otherwise suffer worse side effects.

Thanks for all the postings, Les from Hawaii

I would suggest doing 1 tooth to start with and waiting a month to see if you have any reaction to the new dental material- regardless of any testing done beforehand. Dental material testing is inaccurate and the only way to truly tell how it will effect you is to actually try it. Also, be aware of Neuro-Cutaneous Syndrome (NCS) members.cox.net/llyee/ncs_overview/overview_neuro-cutaneous_syndrome_revA.html

It sounds crazy, but I have experienced it as I reacted to a new dental material. I felt as if I had little pin-pricks on my skin, (almost like biting mites) as well as sun sensitivity. I only had a couple of teeth done and eventually the symptoms faded, but be careful. I am now going with probably the most inert dental materials: high noble gold with zinc oxyphosphate (ZOP) cement. Good Luck