Hi folks

I'm sorry this is such a long post, but it's a long story. Please please give it a read, as I'm at my wits end and I'd appreciate any feedback I can get.

In October 05 I became ill (swollen lymph gland in neck, crushing fatigue diagnosed as "CFS"). I was given antibiotics for the swollen gland, even though it had gone down by that time.

Suddenly, things took a big turn for the worse. I started getting terrible nightmares which I would wake from 2-3 hours after going to bed, and when I woke I would have the LOUDEST tinnitus in my right ear that I've ever heard. The tinnitus would still be there the following morning, and would last until the evening.

(By the way, when I woke I'd feel as if I'd been asleep for six hours or more, having had a long, vivid dream... and would be astonished to find it was only a couple of hours since I'd fallen asleep)

This repeated night after night. Eventually, the tinnitus became permanent as did some hearing loss in that ear.

ENT surgeons couldn't find anything wrong ("oh it's a virus, it'll get better, let's see what happens") and after several visits and lots of tests (MRI, blood work for auto-immune things) I got nowhere.

My thyroid function, while not way off the scale, was definitely on the extreme wrong end of the normal range. So a friendly expert recommended I go on Armour thyroid to see if it helped, as a lot of hypothyroid patients have hearing problems. (In the US I'd be classed as hypothyroid, but we have different ranges here in the UK).

No particular improvement with my hearing, although the fatigue seemed to clear up. Also the nightmares gradually stopped and I started to sleep better... but the tinnitus and hearing loss is crippling (especially since I'm an audio engineer by trade... so I haven't been able to work for five months now).

In fact, the hearing got steadily worse. The tinnitus started to flare up in the other ear. Also my ears became "hot" feeling. I also have difficulty with my eyesight (can't stay focused on one spot, reading is very difficult as I can't follow a line of text well).

Eventually, I was lead to the thought that it might be mercury poisoning from my one remaining large amalgam filling which made up the whole inside surface of one molar.

My dentist insisted that it couldn't be that, so I did nothing and waited.

Then last weekend, things became unbearable. The pain in my ears and the loud tinnitus increased (as did my general level of panic) and I started to get strange flashing blue pinpricks of light when I closed my eyes to sleep. I was also getting tiny tremors or shakes in my hands, making it difficult to type or do any kind of fine manual work. I don't know how I survived that weekend, but I didn't get much sleep. Basically, I felt like my life was over.

So I went to have that filling replaced a few days ago. And that's when it REALLY got bad!

I'm not certain that the replacement was done properly. I insisted that my dentist used a rubber dam, which he did, and he said he had high volume extraction... although I wasn't aware of any sort of vacuum being used (can you normally hear it running? I couldn't see it from the chair). He didn't seem to have any way of providing me with a clean breathing air supply, but insisted it wasn't necessary.

So, replacement was performed on tuesday, and during that afternoon my hearing improved somewhat and I started to feel better. Not right, but better.

Then that night things went compleletly haywire again. I started having the nightmares again (which I hadn't had for two or three months), waking up after just three hours from an appallingly vivid dream. I woke with loud tinnitus in my LEFT ear. This happened two nights in a row... I'd also go immediately into vivid dreams even if I took just a short nap in the afternoon (waves of extreme fatigue occasionally). I also wake feeling as if I've been anaesthetised... I have to force my eyes open with sheer willpower.

So I started to wonder if the removal procedure exposed me to another even larger mercury dose. Otherwise, why would I have this dramatic relapse of symptoms the same day as the amalgam removal?

I now have varying tinnitus in both ears, variable hearing loss in both ears (although not the kind of hearing loss that shows up particularly in tests), and both ears feel uncomfortably "hot" and irritated. My eyesight is still messed up, and my hands were tingling noticeably this morning and are now shaking subtley.

I saw yet another ENT yesterday (after four expensive and unproductive 10-minute consultations with the first private ENT surgeon, I moved on) told him the entire story, and while he was sympathetic and open-minded about it, he admitted he had no experience with mercury poisoning. But he ordered up blood and 24-hr (non-challenge) urine tests for mercury... although I get the impression that these both frequently deliver false negatives.

My GP has kindly been in touch with the leading toxicology unit here in the UK, but the word that has come back is that "you cannot get mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings, so that cannot be the cause". They will treat me for poisoning if the blood/urine tests come back positive, otherwise I'm on my own.

I should also mention that I had an right-side abdominal injury last year well before all this started, which has never been diagnosed and is still painful. So my current theory is that my body's ability to excrete mercury has disintegrated (I've been kind of constipated for absolutely months) and that's lead to a buildup that has resulted in my current condition.

At least I HAVE an idea... so far, I'm the only person involved in the case that has researched any of these possibilities (HypoT, mercury). Docs have been utterly clueless and unwilling to suggest any particular cause, although more than happy to rule out things on the basis of what might be rather flawed tests (i.e. tests that could easily deliver a false negative).

Apologies for the long story. But I'm worried, after five months of serious health issues (I was previously a super-fit 40-year-old who played lots of sports) that I will remain in this condition permanently... the medical world is at a loss, and as you probably know, if they can't positively diagnose you they do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. There's no sense of emergency from any of the doctors I see, even though I'm largely incapacitated now.

Please please please, does any of this strike a chord with anyone out there? Does it sound like mercury to you? Does anyone have any suggestions for what to do next, considering I'm in the UK? I would even consider flying to Baltimore (Johns Hopkins Hospital) if there was any hope of receiving better treatment there. I'm almost suicidal with worry - my life is over if I don't get well.

Thanks
Audio Engineer (at least I was), London, UK

Hi,

Nice to hear from an audio guy. I write and record as a hobby with all my free time (year, right).

Two things:

(1) The group of symptoms that you have can all be related to mercury.

(2) Your symptoms flared up after the removal.

It seems likely that mercury is the issue.

It sounds like you could have been exposed to a lot of mercury during the removal. This is very common as I hear from people almost weekly who have fillings removed without proper protection and they get very sick.

At this point, I believe in taking it slowly and carefully. The last thing you want to do is "stir up" more mercury.

If I were you, I'd take the following steps:

(1) Begin taking Algin . This is your most important mercury detox supplement.

(2) Take about 5000 mg of vitamin c daily for mercury-induced oxidative protection.

(3) Remove the following from your diet: NutraSweet, Fluoridated water, processed sugar, seafood, high-sulphur foods.

(4) Add the following to your diet: Raw vegetables.

I would then see how you're feeling in about 30 days and make some decisions at that point, although I realize that time may be an issue.

There are also issues with putting in aluminum fillings (porcelain or ceramics) because they can cause dangerous side effects when mixed with mercury in the body. So, I would check with the dentist and find out what exactly (brand name and manufacturer) that he put in. This way, you know what you're working with.

I also hope the previous filling was removed completely and having dental x-rays may help another dentist determine this.

Considering you have a good filling in now (something like DiamondLite from Diamond corp.) and the previous filling is completely removed, the next step is detox.

Slow and gentle detox is best in my opinion as it allows you to live in the mean time and it helps prevent redistribution of the mercury, which can happen if you try to detox too fast.

If I were you, after I established that the previous filling was removed and the current filling is OK, I would started with a whey protein drink daily. As you feel better, you can add in a green drink that contains chlorella. I would also be taking vitamin e during the entire detox period. Here is what I use:

http://hocd.herballure.com/?MID=36583460884021411043

(click the attachements to the message)

If you want, you can be agressive about detox and try chelation, but this could make you sicker because it's very agressive and can mobilize a lot of mercury. For this reason, you should always be taking algin during this time.

I hope this helps. Let us know what you decide to do.

Here are some links you may find helpful:

http://herballure.com/mms
http://mercurytalk.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Index
http://mercurytalk.com

I reacted badly to British water as well. Volvic for me now...

Thanks for the suggestions Russ.

Funny (sort of) story. A day or two after the removal, I did in fact find a well-publicised mercury-free practice in London to get it checked out at. I was hoping to get it x-rayed, to confirm it was done okay, because looking at it myself i could see there were some very dark patches still in the tooth. Staining? Or something worse?

Instead of a dental exam, I got a 30-minute analysis of my health problems (okay...), and was told that I was deficient in "energy". I was then handed a flyer for a talk by a mystic/spiritualist type guy who would show me how to redirect my energy to my ear to help it heal. £10 to go to his session. Oh, and yes, my problems might be caused by mercury, but buy loads of our special fruit juice drink ("it contains all the different fruit!") and it'll help tremendously.

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I suggested they might want to actually examine the tooth that was done (seeing as that's what I went there for) so the dentist took a cursory look, and said it was okay, but that they would take it out for me and re-do it to make it look better.

No x-ray offered... we'd run out of time. But if I wanted to make another appointment...

Couldn't get out of there fast enough.

So anyhow... these nightmares and sleep weirdness. Is that a typical symptom of mercury poisoning? Oh, I forgot to mention the chronically sore (burning sensation right up the middle), swollen tongue. Which my regular dentist said looked completely normal to him!

I'm just trying to establish if these are common symptoms for mercury-poisoned people.

(FWIW, the people at toxicology didn't regard any of my symptoms as mercury symptoms. Of course, they didn't suggest, if not mercury, what they might actually be symptoms of.)

Common symptoms is an understatment. You have what we have. Mercury poisoning. My ears have not shut up in years. I have been to an ENT as well and he says my ears are fine. He has no idea what could be causing this unless I was exposed to heavy metals somehow, which he didn' t think I had because none of my previous employment involved metals or factory work. (he didn't make the connection).
I have the funny lights when I close my eyes. The strange dreams/nightmares. The think you have been sleeping for six hours in only two. The thyroid that is shot.
In a word, yes, it is familiar. At least you got the filling out. Now you can begin to detoxify the metals.

Hi,

If I may add my two cents to everyone elses......

Along with the Algin and vit C etc........L-Tryptophane helps with sleep and will help to control the vivid dreams....my daughter will not miss taking her L-Tryptophane.

I also like water with a fresh squeezed lemon in it...it will help to realkaline your system.

Chlorella
Cilantro.....topically might be best for a while.

You might even think about a fungus cleanse.

I hope you will keep us posted on how you're doing!
Elaine

I was just wondeing how you are doing, i too had worse symptoms after removal of my first 3 fillings, and i had it done properly at a mercury free practice, all the precautions were taken. I am now mercury free since 11 days ago, but my earpain and tinnitus, headaches are still rampant. It took 4 mths of treatment from start to finish. Dawn.

Hi Dawn... funny, I just found my own thread via Google.

Currently, things are only getting worse. The tinnitus has spread to my left ear as well as my right, and I'm getting variable hearing loss in both ears. The worst part is the excruciating burning sensation I get in one ear or other. This usually comes on in the evening, lasts into the night and prevents me from sleeping. Or I'll wake up with the pain and tinnitus and hearing loss. I've also had more of the "burning tongue" symptoms.

What is so frustrating is the continuing disinterested attidude of doctors over here (UK). There is no sense of urgency or concern whatsoever. They clearly don't appreciate the agonising pain I'm experiencing... I suppose I look perfectly normal to them.

I've been completely unable to work for seven months now.

The only thing that has helped a little is a tube of "Daktarin" oral gel (suggested by a pharmacist for god's sake), which is for treating fungal infections. It has reduced the incidence of tongue pain, and to a large degree the ear pain too... at least it did to begin with (I even got one great night's sleep on day one of treatment), but I've been on it a week now and it seems to be losing its effectiveness.

My ENT has put me on a small trial of fluconazole in case it's a fungal infection, but it's a low dose over only 5 days. I'm on day one, and not noticing any improvement so far. My ENT is a bit useless really, but I've been to four now, and he's been the best of a pretty appalling bunch.

Don't get ill in the UK. UK specialists are crap at this kind of medicine, seem to have very limited knowledge, and are rude and un-caring towards their patients. They seem to view puzzling cases like mine as an annoyance rather than a challenge.

I found another very experienced mercury-free dentist, and he has removed a piece of amalgam that was trapped under a composite filling in one of my upper left teeth. So I'm now completely amalgam-free. I may start on the DMSA again in a few days. I had tests for mercury in blood and urine done about two days after the removal of the large amalgam, and the results were incredibly low. I know these aren't the best tests for mercury toxicity, but I was surprised they showed almost non-existent mercury levels so shortly after amalgam removal. So maybe it's possible that my problems are nothing to do with mercury? I may get "challenge" type urine tests done when I'm on a round of DMSA and see if that shows anything.

Getting really desperate now. I'm still clinging to hope of some improvement (I get the odd couple of hours when things really aren't that bad, so it is obviously possible to improve, but I can't find out what causes me to get better or worse).

Sorry, it's all a bit of a downer! Any more suggestions or ideas gladly accepted. Thanks.

Anonymous,

I have Lingual and inferior aveolar nerve damage. Its excusiating pain from trying to eat and my tongue is numb and I can't taste my food very well. I'm on my second treatment of acupuncture and it seems to be helping alot now. I heard that low level laser works well too. I have alot of helpful info. on nerve damage if you click to ALLERGIC TO NEW COMPOSITES. Look for my name "Scarlet" and youl find my long e-mail. Also click DMPS AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS. Youl find more info, on detoxing clay bathes that really do work gently and effectively if you need any thing like that. God bless you and I pray your pain will go away!

I am sick in the U.K, lol, anyway, i went to my ENT appt last Tuesday, they gave me a nose spray, for my earache and tinnitus, also they will do an MRI, my hearing is OK, the spray seems to work, my ears have got quite a bit better, i have had some really good days, lately, Algin seems to be working for me also, thankyou Russ and Laura! Also, what i do when im feeling bad is: first do an enema, coffee or cammomile, then dry brush my whole body for 15 mins, then have an epsom salt bath, (really hot) for about half hour. When i ,ve done all that, relax with a cup or two of cammomlle tea. Dawn.

Dawn, I'm thrilled that you've discovered Algin and that it's working so well for you.

I always say this but I'll say it again, Algin is the single most important mercury detox supplement you can take.

It sounds like you're on the right track and you are being a real "go-getter" with your detox and health in general. The world needs more like you.

Take care.