Has anyone tried using selenium to lower their mercury levels?


"Selenium supplementation is an effective way to reduce excessive mercury levels. I have monitored on a number of occasions a sharp drop in selenium levels when dental amalgams were removed, and where subsequently Se slowly returned to previous levels again over a three to four week time period.

When people have no heavy or toxic metal concentrations in their body (that bind to selenium), most of the time there are no negative symptoms when taking about 200mcg per day of selenium, however when selenium is very low when first supplemented (perhaps due to toxic / heavy metal storage), and larger amounts are taken, adverse effects are very commonly experienced the first few weeks due to the heavy or toxic metals being eliminated by the body. In that case, I always urge my patients to slowly increase their selenium dose from as low as 25mcg per day (or even lower), up to eventually the full dose, which generally is around 100mcg or sometimes higher, depending on circumstances."

This is interesting. I've given up on taking selenium on several occations because it made me feel like I was dead sick.

Are you positive that if I take low doses for a while my body will eventually adjust to it?

I'm scared of the stuff.

Hi, I copied this info from acu cell site so I have personally no idea how selenium works.....I actually took 25 mcg last night and this morning I feel energized, but also a bit shaky at the same time if that makes any sense to you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> I might try another 25 today or go even lower.

This could be why i have been feeling rubbish, i have been taking 100-200mg a day.

I feel bad all the time, so it's difficult to tell if its from selenium. I am taking 200mcg a day. When I took 300mcg I felt absolutely terrible, and had an upset stomach. I think it is quite good for inactivating the mercury.

Ok, I took 10 mcg yesterday and this morning I feel the same; energized, but a bit shaky. It's difficult to explain what I mean by shaky, but it's kind of a little nervous energy I think. But at the same time I feel happy and energized physically and mentally. A strange combination.

I decided to only take 10 mcg as I told a knowledgeable friend of mine who is chelating that I've decided to reintroduce selenium again. We have both previously tried Se, but used between 50 and 100 mcg a day. He reminded me to be careful even at low doses such as 25 mcg as Se has a tendency to store itself in the body, levels building up and then after a certain amount of days you feel the toxicity from Se (which is known to be toxic at high levels).....Some of us are (as usual) more sensitive to this than others.

The inorganic form of selenium (I think its sodium selenate) is the only one you would have to worry about it building up. People have taken 200 mcg a day of other forms (such as L-selinimethionine)for very extended periods of times with no problems whatsoever. Mercury binds tightly with selenium and leaves us with very little selenium in our body, which plays a giant role in many important enzymes and thyroid functioning...so if you have mercury you could definitely use selenium.

I take 100-200 mcg a day and can notice it does give me some anxious symptoms but nothing serious.

Hi Gdawson

I wish I was like "other people"........Unfortunately selenium doesn't work on me like other people, so I have to use extreme caution. I know there are other mercury toxic people out there who also feel ill on the recommended Se doses and it is for them I decided to make this thread about low-dosing <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Dawn

The penny is just beginning to drop. I have been taking selenium for about 4-6 weeks, and since then I have been feeling awful. I am now nearly 3 months post removal, and I thought this was just a normal reaction to amalgam removal. I am going to stop taking the selenium, to see if I improve. I was told to take 200-300mcg a day to inactivate the mercury. But surely if the mercury is coming out this is a good thing?

I havnt taken Selenium for 2 days now and feeling a bit better already.

anominous, let me know how you go with the selenium.

Dawn

Dawn

will do. I won't take any more from tomorrow onwards (took 100mcg today) and will see what happens. It was just reading here today that I realised that selenium could be the reason why I feel so awful - weak as a kitten, fluey and so tired. I slept for a good 10hrs last night, and I could still fall asleep here and now. I have done a search on selenium though, and it is supposed to be good to take if you are mercury toxic. Perhaps it is a question of finding a dose where you don't get any symptoms. I guess it has to be a good thing though, as mercury must be exiting my body. Some of my symptoms, notably hypoglycemia, have got better. Did it do anything for you?

Nicola

Hi All,

Just to put my 'tupenerth' in.......

I often suffer with bad gastrointestinal probs, often for days at a time. Some time ago I started taking Selenium (100mg per day) and within a day started with another bad bout of stomach probs. It was quite intense for a week and I was trying to work out what food/food types I had eaten and it then occurred to me I had started the Selenium.
Within a few days of stopping I started recovering and, although I still get my 'regular bouts', nothing as intense or as prolonged as that week so I'm pretty sure the Selenium strongly disagreed with me - or it was too high a dose.
I have since been worried that taking DMSA would be just as problematic but I'm so pleased that at least I've been able to tolerate that so far <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Melanie

Just to let you know that not everyone does badly on selenium. I take it all the time and don't seem to have a problem. So, it is an individualistic thing, I guess.

Giving another update this morning: I took about 15 mcg last evening and this morning I still feel the same good energy mentally and physically. It's as if I have more stamina and willpower to get things going in the morning. Ususally I feel very crappy despite a long nights sleep.

Because of the the slight nervous energy which I've been telling you about, I'm not going higher than max 20 mcg per day. Don't wanto push my luck........Anyway, so far so good <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hey guys,

I'm interested in giving Selenium a try. I'm excited about it's ability to get rid of mercury and the fact that some of you have felt energized by it....nervous about the dosage difficulties and the nervous energy (I don't need any help with nervous/anxious feelings, which I get sometimes because of the candida/mercury as it is).

I wanted to comment on the ideas about it possibly being a good sign even if Selenium makes you feel crappy because it might mean that it is doing it's job - getting the mercury out. To me, it seems similiar to the die-off you get when you have candida and take anti-fungals. It's a normal part of the process and does show that it is doing it's job....but at the same time, you have to be a little cautious with it. Because with candida, if you kill off too much at once, you can clog your system with the toxins brought out when the yeast dies (die-off), and then it ends up being counterproductive (and you feel like crap!). I'm assuming that it is the same way with clearing the mercury out of your system - good to do, but maybe best in a slow, steady manner so that your system can handle it. I guess maybe that's why the dosage is so tricky and varies from person to person - maybe it depends on how mercury toxic you are, how your body can handle the cleaning, and how aggressive it is being mobilized so that your system isn't overwhelmed.

Just my rambling thoughts on the matter.....

Cheers,
~Tia

Dawn

I had one day without selenium and all my hypoglycemia symptoms came back and I've had a terrible night. So it seems I can choose between feeling terrible but sleeping and managing the hypoglycemia OK, or feeling better (I had more energy and didn't feel so fluey without the selenium) but not sleeping and having horrible hypoglycemia. I think its a question of finding a dose which keeps symptoms at bay, whilst not feeling too terrible. My experiment tells me that selenium does have an effect on the mercury - apparently it renders it inactive, but I'm not sure how it gets it out of the body. So I shall take 100mcg of selenium a day, and see how I get on with that. I may have to drop it down if symptoms become too strong. I also started my second round of DMSA. When are you going to start?

Nicola

Hi nicola, i only took 25mg selenium yesterday and feel sort of alright, im not sure cos im always getting symptoms, they come and go. Im always needing to eat nearly every hour. No, i havnt started yet with the DMSa, too scared, at the moment my anxiety and nervousness come and go and arnt as bad as a few weeks ago, im scared of getting like that again. it would be so much easier if i lived on my own. but i have a house to run with 2 kids, i know i will have to start soon. Can you tell me how you are on it and your symptoms?thanks.

Dawn

my symptoms are hypoglycemia (big time) which I think stems from hyperinsulemia. I am producing too much insulin because the mercury has scrambled the messages to my pancreas. This is my most annoying symptom, as it means I need to eat every 3-4 hours, and nighttimes are just a joke. I can be awake for hours hypoglycemic - sometimes eating doesn't work because I then get reactive hypoglycemia, when my blood sugar crashes just 1-2 hours after eating. I get strong palpitations and generally feel horrible. My other symptoms are hypothyroidism, for which I am taking Armour, and hypoadrenalism, for which I am on a full replacement dose of Prednisolone. Without this I have no doubt I would be permanently bedridden, as I was at Christmas. These drugs have enabled me to live some sort of life. I have three young children (9, 7 and 5) to look after and get to school every day. My husband works long hours and isn't really here. This is the worst time of my life - I have been sick for 2 years now, but only just had my amalgams out. I know it's going to be another good 1-2 years before I start feeling better. It's like some sort of torture that no-one really understands. It's like having a cross between a hangover and flu every day. Is it the same for you? I was doing better before I had my amalgams out, but I think its normal to get worse afterwards, as the body starts to move the mercury. I was scared to start the DSMA too, but I didn't want to get any worse than I already am. I am taking 6mg every 4 hours. This is my second round. The first one I did for three days and three nights, and I felt pretty awful for the last two doses, but then I was taking the selenium as well, so it could have been the combination of the two. You should give the DSMA a go at a very low dose to see how you respond. At least then you'd know. It wasn't that bad for me.

Nicola

Nicola I can really relate to what your saying. I have been ill for 16mths, (bedridden in the beginning) yes i feel like i have a bad hangover and fluey lots of the time. Somedays i dont know how i carry on, im just existing and trying hard to get better so i can have a life again. Its doubly hard with children, i have 2. They can look after themselves to a degree but they still miss the way i was. its great we can all share experiences eh!
When i start DMSA it will be 6mg, every 4 hrs.
I too felt better with amalgam still in, even my periods were normal then, but im really glad the mercury is out, at least we have some kind of chance to be healthy again.

Taking chromium picolinate really helped me with my blood sugar, it helps link the insulin molecules to the glucose...and taurine helped too.

My flu and hangover feelings in the am are finally gone...that was horrible waking up every morning like that, my cousin that had cancer said she felt like that all the time.

It will get better, in the meantime take good care of yourself with moderate exercise, good food and relaxation technigues. And be sure to avoid all processed foods, dairy and gluten and above all, SUGAR!!! That grown more yeast and methylates more mercury, the most dangerous form of it.

Sandi
xoxo

I tried selenium for awhile before I was aware of the whole mercury issue. I had read that some thyroid issues can be resolved with selenium, magnesium, and chromium picolinate. I was taking 200 mcg in addition to my multivitamin.

I had two distinctly different side effects. First, my geographic tongue cleared up. Second, my skin which has been prone to bruising, began to bruise far worse, with distinctly yellow based bruises occuring every time I had the least little bump. When I stopped selenium, the geographic tongue came back and the bruising issue disappeared. Has anyone else had these sorts of symptoms?

Unfortunately, I noticed no improvement in my thyroid symptoms!

It looks like my dosage may have been too high for one who has mercury toxicity (and still has amalgams). I just had no clue at that time that mercury was an issue for me.

I used to supplement with it but I tested negative for it so I stopped, haven't noticed much difference, but I think our mineral levels change from day to day...especially if we are using chelators....it really is a tough thing to nail down. Kind of hit and miss...so now I just use trace minerals in my water and sometimes I take a kelp supplement for the iodine. It is such an enigma!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

It is probably good to get muscle tested for it now and again, or you can even do it yourself...if you are a believer in that sort of thing.

Sandi

Very interesting lawstudent.
I have never taken selenium by itself but I get it various supplements, can't say exactly how much I am getting but I too have noticed the bruising thing, slightest bump turns into a nasty yellow bruise and tiniest cuts or scrapes turn into these big scars bigger than the original cut and takes forever to heal and never is the same.
Vit E, fish oils, vit c are said to help but has not helped me.
But I have never had the geographic tongue. I have thyroid conversion issues that have also not be resolved yet and may not get resolved until the mercury is out.
Get better

Veg