Sounds vaguely familiar to my first experiences with IV chelation, even prior to DMSA use. After the first couple weeks I was going into the clinic complaining of feeling worse after a couple weeks of actually feeling better. But the staff there were adamant about "'everyone goes through this, you always get worse before you get better with chelation... major symptoms will reappear at first as heavy metals are pulled out.."

And I really like the staff at the clinic and I could see from the people around me there, other patients, that it was effective. So I hung in there and kept going... it took a few more weeks of heavy duty IV chelation, during which time the DMSA oral was added for home use (helped immensely), and I began to see real noticable progress.

By now, I don't feel the necessity to see the doctor as often and thus have dropped IV chelation for the time being (though I will probably go in for some more in the future). I use just a tad of DMSA a few times a week in the evening before bed, I eat a bit of chlorella for maintenance, use lots of C and maintenance on other supplements. I make a cilantro pesto almost daily (resting a bit currently from that though) which I feel is also very very effective for chelation. For precaution, with my cilantro pesto, I'll add in some DMSA a few hours later (those are the evenings I use DMSA now) if I really feel an usually strong mercury rush or the very noticable cold metal sensation of it being drawn out of bone/muscle.

I'd say hang in there, keep going, pass the hump. ALA (alpha lipoic acid) is very effective with DMSA. I read somewhere that B and E vitamins are good to use with DMSA too, and I lately add ginkgo now and then also. I also eat a lot of raw organic garlic, in salads or on burgers, whatever. The garlic is suppose to very good at neutralizing the toxicity of the mercury, appears to be true. Other things like iodine are also suppose to help there (kelp supplements provide iodine and help protect your thyroid).

Very rarely are my hands numb anymore. Maybe once every couple weeks I'll wake in the morning with the numb tingly hand/arm thing.

I also experienced leg symptoms, strange soreness behind the knees especially. That is pretty much gone, does reappear a bit. My toes however are very affected, I think there is a lot of heavy metal settled in my very end extremities, toes, fingers, and my toe symptoms especially reappear every couple weeks for a day or so, which will actually cause me to limp. like major arthritis in the toes, hurts major. Then suddenly it will be gone, very weird. i have had that for about 3-4 years. When I was very very toxic this past winter it would not go away at all, I limped for weeks, could barely walk for a time. Chelation got rid of the worst of it but I think it will be some time before it's gone for good.

It might be wise to limit your use of hot spicy foods during chelation. I love jalepenos too but it has the same effect on me. I hope within a month I am that much more chelated because I love fresh salsa and have all the fixings growing in the garden.. habeneros.. tomatotillos... etc and of course cilantro!

My progress over 5-6 months with chelation has been awesome. The DMSA is very effective but not sure I would stay on it forever. The first time I tried adding ALA into the mix my right pinky went completely numb for about 30 hours. Works great today though, no issues with my hands for the most part at all anymore. My elbows and knees intially were extremely sensitive too, also gone. My butt hurt. My doctor said mercury often will target nerve endings.