did anyone havw any doubts about what is causing their illness. What made everyone so sure it was thee Mercury.

For me, it was a process of triangulating the cause of a whole suite of (at first glance) unrelated symptoms that were progressively getting worse. Since I've removed my mercury amalgams and begun the process of chelation, I've steadily been getting better.

Dear TIto, what were your range of symptoms and what has gradually improved. Did you have all your alagama replaced at once

I still have periods of doubt, even though I am "sure" it is the mercury - which is kind of strange. I suppose it's the remnants of denial, the realisation that so much of my suffering was due to a filling, and therefore was unnecessary. I think a lot of people don't realise the emotional trauma of being mercury poisoned.

But what persuaded me was the number of symptoms and their onset. I started with OCD at about 11-12 and I didn't start having fillings until about 10. Before then I was just a normal child. Always on the anxious side (but would have had some mercury exposure from vaccines and mother's fillings etc) but nothing like what happened when I got fillings. I have so many symptoms of poisoning, that it seemed obvious to me that I was poisoned by amalgams. When I got no more amalgams, got my braces out and gave up fish at about 16, my symptoms improved immensely. Then I got a root canal, and my problems aggravated again.

Here's the list of symptoms that have appeared over the past 16 years:
- gluten sensitivity
- dairy sensitivity
- salicylate sensitivity
- amine sensitivity
- sensitivity to different preservatives
- unable to control temperature (cold feet especially)
- particularly sensitive to glutamates and glutamate analogues
- night-time hallucinations (visual and aural)
- deranged ability to concentrate. By observing the effects of different supplements and medications, I traced problems with NMDA receptors, dopamine metabolism, and acetylcholine receptors

All in all, it was rather unpleasant. After removing all of my 9 amalgams at once, I experienced an increase in the symptoms overall. This deterioration began to reverse after about 1 1/2 months (during which a new general feeling of fatigue was constant). I'm now 2 1/2 months post removal and feeling much better. I no longer have the hallucinations, my feet are generally warm, my concentration is vastly improved, and I'm able to eat more fruits and vegetables that are higher in salicylates. Most important, I no longer have a feeling of foreboding that things are just getting worse and worse. In fact, it's the opposite, I am becoming more optimistic each day. I'm dreading the sixth-month resurgence of symptoms predicted by Cutler, but will cope with supplements and continued cycles of chelation with DMSA. At about 7 months post-removal, I intend to begin chelating with ALA.

What is salicylate sensitivity? I really have a problem with fruit. I think it's citrus as I have a problem with citrus in products, but even non-citrus fruits can cause rhinitis.

The thing that lead me to think my illness was cause by mercury was after 11 doctors or so no one knew what was wrong with me. When I did some research I started reading about mercury poisoning and side effects that accompanied root canals. I started to think back to when I began to feel like this (dizziness, fatigue, facial pressure, urinary infections, emotional issues, irregular menstration, worsening blurry vision etc.) and it was about 3 weeks after going to the dentist for a root canal where he had to drill out a silver filling (with no protection) and placed a partial crown on another tooth. All my symptoms seemed to fit. I recently had all my amalgams taken out, my root canal extracted and 4 cavitations cleaned out. When I had all this work done the dentist found out that the previous dentist placed a sliver filling underneath that partial crown! Sneaky! I didn’t even know I had a brand new silver filling in my mouth! Right now I feel like this is the only logically explanation as to why I (a 26 year old healthy active female) suddenly out of nowhere starts to feel very ill. Anyway I plan to go my detox fairly soon and am eager to see if it helps but am also afraid that it may take another year or so to see any results. a

I was never sure that it was mercury. But after reading several books about mercury poisoning and then getting on the forum, it seemed all the people were having symptoms much like mine. And it all made sense. As a matter of fact, after learning that fillings are 50% mercury, I was not amazed anymore that I was having multiple symptoms, I was amazed that I was still living and somewhat functioning! After I got my fillings replaced, I had my ups and downs, but, objectively, I have no more thyroid antibodies. I have had thyroid antibodies for at least 24 years and now they are gone. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

No doctor could tell me whats wrong, i had all the tests, even brain scans but nothing showed, my symptoms matched mercury and candida, so i went on the diet and felt so much better, but i went too far with the anti fungals which made me worse in the end, so i had my amalgams out.

I actually felt worse after each filling removal but am now getting good days 5mths post removal. it takes time with some people, others get good results overnight.

Salicylates are compounds found in fruits, vegetables, herbs, and medicines (aspirin is a salicylate), as well as beauty and cleaning products. You can absorb it by eating, breathing, or getting compounds on the skin. Some individuals are extremely sensitive and manifest a variety of symptoms. It's been implicated in ADHD (read about the Feingold diet), asthma, bed wetting, ear infections, fatigue, headaches, hives, hypoglycemia, reading/writing problems, sleep disorders, speech difficulties, swelling of face-hands-feet, tics, tinnitus, accident proneness, memory problems, depression, suicidal thoughts, unpredictability, and others.

The way to see if you're sensitive is to remove salicylates from your diet and wait for a week or so.

I'm sure that informed readers have realized the overlap of symptoms with those also attributable to mercury poisoning. I don't think that this is simply coincidental. Some symptoms are likely related to salicylates impact neurotransmitter metabolism by influencing the available sulphate. This is because your liver has to process salicylates and uses sulphate to do this -- a mercury-compromised liver will struggle with this and effectively increase the length and intensity of exposure and impact.

If you are interested in reading further, check-out the Feingold webpage and a webpage called Food Can Make You Ill. Also of interest to this forum: salicylates can exacerbate fibromyalgia and CFS by presumably blocking the action of guaifenesin: see Guaifenesin.com for further information and links to lists and lists of salicylate-free foods and products.

i too had a worsening of symptoms after each removal, even with protection. i have one more to go this week. take care!

good luck anominous!