Hair test results came back today. Very, very low on all heavy metal toxicities. Other things aren't obviously out of balance but now that Dr. Peatfield is helping me, I'll send the test to him to interpret.

He's a wonderful chap, I really enjoyed talking to him. It was like how visiting a GP ought to be. And it was the first time in my life that I've been talking with someone face-to-face about nutrition and Linus Pauling (etc) without having to try to convince them that I'm not crazy. He was well impressed with my 9g vitamin C a day LOL. In fact he said it's probably why my adrenals aren't completely crashed.

The mysteries to my condition just continue though. He said there wasn't much evidence of obvious adrenal or thyroid problems, though they are possibilities -- especially given my symptoms -- and he thinks my adrenal output is fluctuating. I'm going to get a saliva test and we agreed I'd take it on a Friday, because I stop working for the week on Thursday and crash during the weekend. I'm also getting tests for thyroid metabolism and candida antibodies.

We had a talk about candida; he's got a lot to say on the subject. He was talking about it almost as if it were a clever entity. "It's not sentient," I said, "How do we know, collectively?" he replied. I said it sounded like something that ought to feature in a Doctor Who episode. What was of interest was that apparently you can have candida without the physical symptoms like thrush, coated tongue, allergies, etc, none of which I have ever had. In fact we both said it would be good in a way if I turn out to have candida because he admitted he would be at a loss for what to do next if it isn't.

I must admit I'm mystified too. Apparently the patient he saw before me was pretty far gone, with Hashimoto's, hair falling out, etc -- not difficult to diagnose. Then there's me.

I took a lot of info away with me, including instructions for what to do if I need to treat candida. While I am waiting for this antibody test, I'm thinking it would probably do no harm to go ahead and try a treatment, see if anything happens. He recommends the diet of course (no problems there, I'm a dab hand by now), an antifungal medication (flucanozole), a natural antifungal (caprylate), and probiotics later on. I could maybe get that flucanozole. If I do have candida then I won't stop chelating because it's going to be sequestering some mercury.

Maybe I'll get there in the end LOL.

It has to be said, we need more doctors like Dr. Peatfield. 71 years old, an outcast from the mainstream, and he's still travelling around the country helping people. The term "doctor" is just a formality he said <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks to those here who recommended him to me. At least I feel I'm getting some expert help now.

Thanks for that update LindaLou, I go to see him this Saturday. I am one of the 'far gone ones' so I wonder what he will make of me. I am not too keen on tests myself as i think it is safe to act as if I have everything and have it badly! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I've got the saliva test here but I did not go ahead with it. How knowlegeable do you think he is on mercury poisoning? I don't want to get into an argument about using anti-fungals.

Hi Linda

Good to hear about your appointment with Peatfield. I'm not sure I would bother sending him the hair analysis though. Diagnosis of mercury toxicity by hair analysis is something quite specific to Cutler. You could post it here, as enough of us are familiar enough with Cutler's Hair Analysis book to offer a view, or even better, post it on FDC. There, you can get Dean, Linda Jaytee and Stephanie to comment. They really know their stuff. Basically if calcium / phosphorus are high, that is an indicator of thyroid problems. Low or high sodium / potassium would be adrenals, at varying stages of fatigue - which is probably the info you're looking for.

Good luck with the candida stuff.;)

Best

Nicola

That's so awesome to have found a doctor who believes. I sure would love to see this guy. We could use more like him. I've got an appt with a new doc this week. I hope I have the same great experience. Hope you find someone to help with the hair interpretation.

Linda

I just want to correct myself. It is the calcium / potassium ratio on a hair analysis (not phosphorus) which is indicative of thyroid problems. This article is worth reading for more info.


Copyright © 1992 - The Eck Institute of Applied Nutrition and Bioenergetics, Ltd.


Introduction
The thyroid gland, located on the anterior part of the neck, produces two major hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine. These hormones are vital activators of metabolism. The thyroid gland is thought to regulate metabolism by affecting the level of cytochrome C, a vital intermediary in metabolism. Hypothyroidism is the word used to describe a group of symptoms associated with underactivity of the thyroid gland.
According to Dr. Broda Barnes, hypothyroidism afflicts some 80% of the American population. Reduced thyroid activity is a common cause of fatigue, weight gain, impaired thought processes, impaired memory, emotional instability and other serious symptoms.
Hypothyroidism often goes undiagnosed for several reasons. Physicians often overlook hypothyroidism as a cause for symptoms. If they do consider hypothyroidism, the blood tests used for detection often miss the condition. One may have adequate circulating thyroid hormones and yet have signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism. This occurs because transporters and receptors are needed for the thyroid hormones to act at the cellular level.
Hair mineral analysis offers a simple, quantitative method for detection of thyroid impairment. It also can offer clues as to the nutritional causes for this common, but very important condition.

Detection Of Hypothyroidism
Blood Tests
The most common method used to detect hypothyroidism is a blood test. The tests for T3 and T4 measure circulating hormone levels. The TSH test measures the pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone, which in turn signals the production of T3 and T4.
Problems with the blood tests are that circulating hormones may be normal, or even high, yet thyroid function at the cellular level may be deficient. This occurs very frequently. For example, elevated tissue calcium stabilizes cell membranes and impairs the transport of thyroid hormone across cell membranes. In other cases, low potassium impairs thyroid hormone activity at the cellular level. Other metabolic defects may also impair thyroid hormone activity at the cellular level.
In some instances, the body may elevate thyroid hormone levels to attempt to compensate for poor transport across cell membranes. In these cases, a person may have some symptoms of thyroid overactivity such as anxiety. Yet he or she may also have some symptoms of hypothyroidism such as fatigue. The treatment may be drastic, such as removal of the thyroid or permanent damage to the thyroid through irradiation.

The Temperature Test
Because so many cases of hypothyroidism are misdiagnosed, other detection methods are often superior to blood tests. One of these is the temperature test devised by Dr. Broda Barnes, M.D. He recommends shaking down a thermometer before going to bed and leaving it next to one's bed. In the morning, oral or underarm temperature is recorded immediately upon arising, before getting out of bed. If body temperature is below 97.6 F. on several consecutive mornings, it indicates hypothyroidism.

Hair Mineral Testing
The other detection method we are familiar with is the use of hair mineral analysis. The hair test has the advantage of being a cellular test. The hair test provides an average reading over a three-month period of time. This is also advantageous because thyroid activity can vary depending on the time of day, or one's activity level.
The thyroid gland regulates calcium levels. An elevated hair tissue calcium level generally indicates lowered thyroid activity. However, rather than measure calcium alone, our research indicates that the ratio of calcium to potassium is a better indicator. A calcium/potassium ratio greater than 16:1 generally indicates sluggish thyroid activity at the cellular level. Individuals with indicators for both sluggish thyroid and sluggish adrenal glands are called slow oxidizers. A characteristic of slow oxidizers is sluggish thyroid activity.
Other mineral levels on the hair test such as zinc, copper, cadmium and lead may also indicate thyroid impairment. The effects of these minerals will be discussed later in this article.

Symptoms Commonly Associated With Hypothyroidism
The most common symptom associated with hypothyroidism is unrelenting fatigue. Other symptoms include:
• Lump in the throat: This is a symptom of an enlarged thyroid, or goiter. It may cause a sensation upon swallowing or if one clears his throat.
• Dry Skin and Hair: A hypoactive or sluggish thyroid gland is commonly associated with dry and flaky skin. The skin will eventually lose its tone resulting in saggy, flabby, loose skin. The skin may take on a pallor or pasty appearance. Hair may become dry and brittle and lose its luster. Hair loss may also occur. The fingernails become weak and break easily.
• Enlarged and grooved tongue: The tongue may enlarge. As this occurs, the constant pressure against the teeth produces indentations which are readily seen when the tongue is extended. The tongue may also quiver when protruded and show signs of geographic tongue or deep grooves running length-wise. The deeper the tooth marks, the more chronic or severe the condition.
• Weight gain: An unexplained gain in weight or increased difficulty losing weight is a common symptom.
• Water retention: A common symptom is tightness of rings and at times a noticeable retention of fluid.
• Constipation: This is a common symptom associated with sluggish thyroid or adrenal glands.
• Other symptoms: Impaired or disturbed sleep, stiffness upon arising, tenderness to the touch of the thighs, cellulite formation and an increased sensitivity to cold. Other symptoms are a diminished sex drive, atherosclerosis, skin disorders, poor circulation and elevated blood cholesterol.
Nutritional Causes Of Hypothyroidism
Nutritional research indicates that a variety of imbalances can contribute to thyroid imbalance. Causes include vitamin and mineral deficiencies, heavy metal toxicity, improper diet, use of stimulants, use of prescription and non-prescription medications and other stress factors such as emotional and psychological stress. Let us discuss each of these in more detail.

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
Vitamins A, B and C are needed for adequate thyroid function. Minerals involved include iodine, manganese, potassium, zinc and copper. Thyroxin is synthesized from iodine and tyrosine. Manganese is thought to be needed to permit this synthesis. Potassium sensitizes the cells to thyroid hormone.
Copper reduces potassium and decreases thyroid activity, while zinc enhances potassium levels and enhances thyroid activity. The relationships are complex, because elevated tissue copper can actually mimic the effects of an overactive thyroid by stimulating biogenic amine activity. This can give rise to mixed symptoms in persons with metal toxicity. Elevated magnesium and calcium are associated with reduced thyroid activity.

Toxic Metals
Lead interferes with calcium metabolism and can contribute to thyroid imbalance. Cadmium interferes with zinc and calcium and may raise sodium levels on a hair test. This can contribute to symptoms of thyroid hyperactivity. However, cadmium interferes with other enzyme systems, often causing symptoms of fatigue and lowered thyroid activity.
Mercury and copper toxicity interfere with thyroid activity and can result in lowered thyroid activity.
"Copper exerts an attenuating (weakening) effect on thyroxin, the secretion of which is diminished in hypothyroidism."
The use of milk should be avoided inasmuch as "...milk frequently contains copper which it accumulated passing over heated copper rollers while it is being pasteurized, or being transported in copper containers..." --Rodale

Adrenal Exhaustion and Hypothyroidism
The adrenal and thyroid glands work in close harmony. The adrenal hormones cause the conversion and release of sugars. Thyroid hormone is needed for oxidation or combustion of the sugars. Often hypothyroidism is accompanied by reduced adrenal gland activity. This is revealed on hair mineral tests. Blood tests are not always accurate for detecting adrenal insufficiency.
The symptoms of adrenal insufficiency are similar to hypothyroidism. In some instances, the thyroid gland attempts to compensate for reduced adrenal activity. This may work for a time, but eventually the thyroid becomes exhausted as well.

Dietary Causes
Foods high in copper can suppress thyroid activity. These include: avocadoes, liver, soybeans and walnuts.
Foods or supplements high in calcium can suppress thyroid activity. Dairy products are not only high in calcium, but in fat, which can reduce thyroid activity. High calcium in the diet can lower potassium, a mineral needed to sensitize the tissues to thyroid hormones.
Goitrogenic foods (members of the cabbage family) contain thiocyanates which inhibit thyroid function. These include Chinese cabbage, broccoli, water cress, kale, rutabaga, turnips, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, radish, horseradish, collard, kohlrabi, rape and mustard greens. These foods should be avoided by individuals suffering from decreased thyroid activity.
A high fat diet tends to slow the thyroid. Fat tends to slow the metabolic rate.
Dietary protein has a stimulatory effect on thyroid activity. A diet low in protein results in diminished thyroid activity. In some individuals, an inability to properly digest protein due to a zinc deficiency or a deficiency of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, can lead to lowered thyroid activity.
Certain amino acids may affect thyroid activity. L-tyrosine can help stimulate production of thyroxin.
Whole grains are high in phytin. Phytin combines with calcium, magnesium and zinc, resulting in reduced absorption of these minerals. Lowered calcium and magnesium can temporarily stimulate thyroid activity. However, lower zinc and the serotonin-stimulating effect of grains actually reduce thyroid activity.
Foods that cause a calcium loss may enhance thyroid activity. These foods include citrus fruits, salt and all foods high in sodium.
"A tendency to retain water and occasionally also sodium chloride, is common in the hypothyroid, particularly in the obese type, while the lean type hypothyroid is more likely to show dry salt retention. Restriction of salt is advisable in both cases. Potassium is often beneficial." --Practical Endocrinology pp. 255
"What causes all this thyroid trouble? Well, a lot of the problem is in the way we eat. Many of us include salt in our diet, for example, in endocrinology (56:387, 1955), mice tested for goiter-activating foods showed an enlargement of the thyroid could be caused by salt. With omission of salt, goiters decreased in size..." --EOCD pp.760
Salty foods tend to lower magnesium, which enhances thyroid activity. Many people mistakenly avoid all salt in their diet. Adding back a reasonable amount of sea salt can often improve symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Alcohol causes a magnesium loss from the body. Since magnesium acts as a brake on thyroid activity, alcohol can cause a temporary increase in thyroid activity.

The Water We Drink
A hidden cause of thyroid underactivity is drinking water with added chlorine and fluoride. These minerals suppress thyroid function. If your drinking water is high in either chlorine or fluorine, a water purifier should be utilized to eliminate these thyroid-suppressants.

Medications and the Thyroid
Certain medications, including aspirin, have a suppressant effect upon the thyroid gland.
"The Journal of Endocrinology (November, 1953) tells us that aspirin, . . . has an immediate anti-thyroid action and hypothyroidism is often the result of its use." --EOCD, pp. 760

Stimulants and Hypothyroidism
Many stimulants such as sugar, caffeine, cocaine and others temporarily increase thyroid activity by increasing sympathetic nervous system activity. However, when the stimulant dose wears off, a rebound action causes lowered thyroid activity. This can happen after one dose, or may happen as a result of years of use of more mild stimulants.

Autonomic Response, Stress and Hypothyroidism
The thyroid is activated by the sympathetic nervous system as part of the fight-or-flight response to stress. If the autonomic nervous system is excessively sensitive or overstimulated, overstimulation of the thyroid occurs. The first effect is an increased thyroid and adrenal response. This may continue for several hours, days or years, depending upon its intensity. Then the thyroid weakens and can no longer maintain its response. Hypothyroidism then results.
This chain of events is labeled the General Adaptation Syndrome by Dr. Hans Selye, M.D. The alarm response, including excessive thyroid activity, is the first stage of adaptation. During the resistance and exhaustion stages, the thyroid weakens and hypothyroidism occurs.
This type of hypothyroidism can be caused by any type of stress. Eventually the thyroid becomes nutritionally depleted and cannot function properly. If the autonomic nervous system is out of balance, the thyroid is not properly stimulated by the pituitary to produce adequate amounts of thyroid hormone.

Correction Of Hypothyroidism
The common treatment of hypothyroidism involves hormone replacement with either natural bovine thyroid hormone (Armour thyroid) or with synthetic hormones (Synthroid, Cytomel, etc.). In some cases, this corrects the symptoms. This treatment, however, does not correct the cause of the problem. The patient usually is told he or she must remain on the hormones for life.
In many cases, hormone replacement does not clear up all the symptoms. This occurs for several reasons:
• Symptoms may be caused by adrenal as well as thyroid underactivity. Both the adrenal and thyroid imbalances must be corrected.
• The cause of symptoms is an autonomic nervous system imbalance, which affects far more than just the thyroid gland.
• Thyroid hormones are adequate, but do not reach the cells, the target site for the hormone. This may be due to low tissue potassium, elevated tissue calcium and magnesium, or the presence of toxic metals.
• An improper diet can offset the effects of the hormones.
• Overwhelming stress or nutritional deficiencies prevent a satisfactory response.
Nutritional Correction
In most cases, we find that replacement hormones are not needed, provided a complete nutritional program is followed. This program should include specific vitamins and minerals as indicated by the mineral analysis. Thyroid glandular substance is also helpful for many patients. This freeze-dried thyroid preparation may contain nutrient substances as yet not isolated, but which nevertheless assist in the regeneration of the patient's own thyroid tissue. A complete nutrition and lifestyle program must also address toxic metals, electrolyte imbalances, diet and lifestyle.

Conclusion
Hypothyroidism is one of the most common conditions affecting adults today. Blood tests for hypothyroidism are not always reliable. Additional testing by means of body temperature and hair mineral testing are recommended.
Hypothyroidism causes a variety of symptoms including fatigue, constipation, weight gain, water retention and sensitivity to cold. If not treated, more serious conditions can also result.
Nutritional correction of hypothyroidism is often successful, provided the program is tailored to the individual. A properly designed program must include correction of diet and lifestyle, along with an individualized, scientific program of nutritional supplementation.



Best
Nicola

Hi Mati,

Dr. Peatfield's specialisms are thyroid and adrenals, so if your symptoms are obvious then it's possible you could walk out of there with a recommended treatment regime, and no tests at all. He suggested tests for me because my symptoms are not so obvious and he doesn't want to have to guess. Goodness knows I've done enough of that myself.

I'm not sure what he knows about mercury poisoning; I told him the folk here had recommended me to him and he smiled. He said he thought that if mercury was affecting me then it was marginal, and judging from the results of the hair analysis he was correct. He's seen enough of us, though, that he must know something about it. He seems to have a good knowldge of nutrition and toxins.

I doubt if he'd argue with you about anything, though if you obviously have candida he'd probably tell you, as he told me, that diet alone won't get rid of it. Do you think you have candida?

I'd say look forward to Saturday, he's a great chap <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> He's got the sort of knowledge that your own GP ought to have, i.e. he knows how to actually cure people, versus matching drugs to their symptoms.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Hi Nicola,

The people who did my hair analysis must be reading from the same hymn book. Thanks for the info. It isn't just a test result, it's also got some interpretation information and some suggestions for supplements and diet. I have to say I'm rather unsure about those and I want Dr. Peatfield's advice. One of the recommendations, for example, is to eat a low-fat diet. This is not only unhealthy for most people, but particularly for me. I've loved healthy fat all my life and the Paleolithic diet suits me down to the ground. There's no way I'm cutting out butter, coconut oil and salad dressing, I'd feel horrible, and I'd also never feel full.

My own analysis does say that I have sluggish thyroid and adrenals. Dr. Peatfield might see the same and it might help him in suggesting a treatment regime. I already treat my adrenals as best I can, and I'm not ready for something like Armour because I tried a small amount and couldn't handle it. I've started proesterone cream too, which should hopefully help with some of these things.

My calcium/potassium ratio chimes in with this; it is high. So some concrete evidence that there are some problems.

The question, though, is why. I know that a hair test for mercury can be unreliable. But I've been chelating heavily for months and if I am toxic it should be there in my blood, pulled out by the chelators. It's below the lowest reading on the graph, as are most heavy metals. I think it's safe to say that mercury is no longer a problem for me. So what is causing my problems? As I said above, I hope it's candida because I wouldn't know where to look next. I can't see anything that was happening in my life that would have precipitated such a sudden illness. Dr. Peatfield says that something probably "got at" me. Goodness knows.

I'm trying to stop eating sugar -- a big problem lately -- so that I can have a go at dealing with any candida (in anticipation of using an anti-fungal soon), and so that when I take my tests the adrenaline one isn't affected by what the sugar does to my system. But I have to admit I'm struggling. I have this sense of everything being hopeless and joyless and pointless. I feel anxious, irritable, sluggish, fogged and tearful. I want to do what's healthy but I can see myself having a chocolate bar at some point in order to prevent myself from becoming a basket case. I've got to be OK for school and for this trip I've organised Thursday night with 60 students.

At least I know I can stop the DMSA for now. I'm sticking with the ALA and am just working on taking fewer, higher doses during the day, because it seems to be propping my immune system up and I get ill whenever I quit it completely.

Thanks for the help Nicola. Guess I'll post here in a week or so and say whether I seem to be getting any reaction once I start taking the anti-fungal.

Thanks Manonash and good luck to you. As for my hair test, I think Dr. Peatfield knows a fair bit, and I can also ask the ND who runs my psych med withdrawal and recovery list if need be -- but it looks fairly straightforward. No heavy metal toxicity, and thyroid and adrenals a problem to some degree. The levels for my metals are mostly on the low side despite supplementation, but it's possible that the DMSA could have been chelating them out.

Indeed, we need more like Dr. Peatfield, and that's what I told him. He's understandably still bitter about what the GMC did to him, but he's obviously decided to carry on helping people with the knowledge he has. When he was de-licensed in 2001 he was saying he was fed up and was going to retire.

Hi Linda, glad you like him and he helped you.

I’d be more than willing to have a look at yr hair test if you want. You should post it to Yahoo FDC too, they know their stuff big time. Reading thyroid and adrenal info from hair tests is fairly simple.

When I talked to Dr Peatfield I got the impression he didn’t know very much about mercury poisoning, although he obviously knows a lot more than most doctors about it .

I’m happy it worked out so well for ya<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/applause.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Linda for that information about Dr Peatfield. Yes I am sure that i have candida. I fought it 8 years ago and it is back. I know that diet alone does not get rid of it but I don't want to try to get rid of it while I still have my amalgams in, and I would not take any anti-fungal meds but I do use coconut oil. I am looking forward to meeting him after what you have said. The main reason I want to see him is for his vast experience, and so able to tell me how bad a state i am in and whether i am up to chelation in about 6 months time which is my guess. I am not going to take a pile of supplements at present as I have to go easy on everything as i soon develop sensitivites. I think just seeing someone who understands will be an encouragement after I have had zero of that from doctors all of my life apart from Dr Maberly in Keithley Airdale Allergy Centre Yorkshire who tested me for chemicals and found I was highly sensitive and prescribed desensitising injections which only made me worse. He has retired now.

Everything you're saying makes sense to me Mati. And remember, at the end of the day no one is forcing you to do anything, it's your body and your life. Dr. Peatfield seems to know a lot about candida so I'd expect he knows that it can absorb mercury.

What's he going to make of us all, LOL. I wonder how many he's seen from this forum so far.

Thanks Sunshine. I'm not sure I would say it worked out well, as such, because what's causing my condition is as much of a mystery as ever. But I certainly thought it was money well spent, and I expect that after various test results have come in, he'll be able to prescribe a regime for me.

I don't think I'll have any shortage of people to help with the hair test if I don't like what he says for whatever reason. I think it's pretty clear that the mercury is gone and that there are adrenal and thyroid issues. I'm not sure how much help people on mercury forums will want to give if I'm not actually toxic LOL.

Like I said though, I feel I need to know why all this is going on. In holistic medicine we always try to determine root causes. If candida were causing all the imbalances, then instead of treating the individual imbalances you'd kill off the candida. I'm happy to do what is recommended in order to function better here and now, but I still need to know what the cause of the problems is. I'm tempted to worry that it's something so obscure or bizarre that it will just never be found, but I know that's being very pessimistic. I just want to keep things going with my family and my job and if this goes on and on, both of those things will be endangered.

At least I seem to be OK with the ALA alone. Last autumn I couldn't do that, and every time I raised my dose a little bit I'd have to cope with symptoms for a few days. It is reassuring, at least, that the mercury is gone.

Hi Linda, I know how you feel. From what I have read, usually something odd like this can often be some hidden infection going on somewhere. E.g. viral and/or oral. Gum disease, cavitations, etc etc. Because it is often something that is constantly challenging your immune system, leaking into your system and insidiously making you unwell and depressed.

I deal with this everyday. mercury I gather is still in me, but it is not THE main problem here. Because this all started after virus and dental extraction. Too coincidental. I was ill with mercury yes, but I always detoxed from it and always could. Once this happened, I came to a standstill and didn't know whether chelation was helping or not.

Things kind of stopped going forward. Even Cutler mentions this in his book, he feels cavitations can be responsible for this, but I think any hidden infection can be. The adrenal book I'm reading also mentions this! I was quite surprised. It says so often it can be dental toxicity or dental infection that is constantly straining the immune system and of course every other system (glandular included).

These things interfere with how you feel inside, how you perceive everything, because they screw with your hormones too. The control centre of your brain etc. So I often wonder about people who are not getting any REAL impact with chelation. I know I used to because I stil felt strength inside, even when I was wretchedly sick and bed ridden, I could feel my body excreting poisons and I never really suffered such chronic fatigue that I do now. To a point yes, but not like this.

My how things have changed! And horribly so. So I hope you do find out what is going on here and what is screwing you up because something is and it isn't "you". When things are functioning as they should, you cannot actually help but feel good and happy. It's a natural response to health.

Linda, Some of the most toxic people have the lowest levels of heavy metals levels in their hair.

High levels = toxicity, low = we don't know

We also know that highly toxic people need to chelate for 3-4 years to get well. If you don't chelate it will also take several years to reduce your body burden. The brain does not clear itself usually....

if you had absolutely no symptom change/improvement from chelation this might mean that mercury is not a problem for you.

If you were mercury toxic and had your fillings out without protection you won't be clean in 12 months.

Hi Bex, yes I was thinking of you when I mentioned "something must have got at me." Because it seems that's what's happened to you. I'm a bit skeptical about candida because of the lack of obvious symptoms, though I will try a treatment regime. If that makes no difference, then what? How do I try to find out what could be challenging my immune system? Nothing happened to me that year that I could link to an infection. The only dental work I got was the fillings. EBV? This is where I start feeling frightened that the illness could go on for years and just be one of those mysterious things.

Thanks for your input here. I hope I'll be able to say at some point that I've found the answer to this.

Hi BG,

Please correct me if I am wrong but I was under the impression that mercury-toxic people would have negative hair test results because their bodies are not excreting the mercury. However, I have been chelating heavily for 8 months and there should have been mercury in my blood from that, which would show up in my hair. I would be surprised if 100mg ALA and 50mg DMSA, 7 times a day, continually, would not stir up any mercury at all.

The DMSA is hard on my adrenals and it could end up being damaging to me if I keep using it when I am not toxic. If I start getting a reaction in a week or so because I'm not chelating, I will re-evaluate. Without the hair test results, I would have continued to chelate. Maybe now it's time to start looking for alternative solutions.

I know exactly what you mean. This is exactly what I think too. In my case, I want it to be the Hg, because at least then I know what to attack. (However, in other ways I want it not to be; the thought that I've been poisoning my daughter makes me wanna hurl:(.) I don't think our bodies go all whacked out just because; there is always a reason. And barring genetic issues, for the most part, our systems should work pretty well together. If they are not, something is interfering. I sure hope you get answers soon.

Absolutely. What gets me is that so many people don't question why they are ill. Even doctors often don't. It's as if "these things just happen." The body wants to be healthy, it tries to be healthy, and it will be until something interferes with that.

Many of us here are in the same boat and we work from one thing to another, searching for solutions. I've been through SAD and light therapy, antidepressants, diet, supplements, amalgam removal and chelation, EMF fields . . . guess I gotta figure the more of these things I eliminate, the fewer culprits are left LOL.

Just took an anti-fungal cap. If nothing else, it's going to force me to stay on a strict diet for a week, no matter what cravings I get.

This is what is really amazing me. The more I learn about this mercury thing and the subtle (and not so subtle) imbalances it causes, the more it amazes me, because it seems sometimes that some of the imbalances it causes are protective in some ways. I remember thinking that this morning while I was reading, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was about now. Brain fog.

I've tried several things too. Some of it not so smart either:o. I've spent hours and days in front of this computer trying to put the pieces together, getting one small bit of info at a time, one thing leading to another. That's what got me here. Each time I think I have it figured out, something else shows up as making more sense. I had been to several docs and then just quit trying because I was so flustered with their living in their own little specialty and knew they didn't have the info to help me piece this together. I must say though, my searches have led me to some interesting places in my life I wouldn't have known about otherwise.

I saw Dr Peatfield today,

I LOVE HIM!

He was good though I knew most of what he told me. He wants me to start on adrenal support straight away and thinks I have been adrenally fatigued all of my life and thinks I need thyroid meds. It was good to have a doctor acknowledge that I am in a bad way if you know what I mean.

He suggested a hair test for the mercury but i said that i did not think it would necessarily show any results so we are starting the adrenal support first, after deciding that a test was not really necessary at this point but maybe later and he wants to test how bad my candida is. It was worth the money to have someone else involved in sorting me out. He is very open to your own input and opinions which is a rare doctor indeed!

I am pleased that I saw him.

Thanks for sharing that Mati. I was wondering how you were getting on today. Pleased, too, that you think this is going to help you. I just did that candida test myself a few minutes ago LOL. Have to fuss over 2 more complicated tests today and tomorrow and get those ready to ship off too.

Why not start your own thread and let us know how things are progressing for you?

Thanks Linda will do.