Has anyone used the hair mineral test, based on Andy Cutler's recommendation, to determine mercury toxicity? I am waiting for my results, and I wonder how often the results are ambiguous. I really want to find the CAUSE of my adrenal fatigue. Thanks!

I have had a hair mineral analysis. It was quite interesting to do and Andy Cutlers book interpretting hair analysis is good. As you probably know mercury wont necessarily show up in hair but Cutler says look for signs of deranged mineral transportation. Mercury affects this and this is what he has based his counting rules on.

My hair results came up okay though and i did not meet the counting rules even though i know i am toxic, so even this method is not necessarily conclusive.

Richard

How do you determine you are mercury toxic, then, at not toxic by some other means? Have you had your amalgams replaced?

I only have confirmed adrenal fatigue and low neurotransmitter production. I am trying to find the cause, and mercury seems likely. I can't really afford to have my amalgams replaced, and would like some kind of confirmation rather than replacing them and not getting any better.

Thanks,
Olif

There are other ways of testing other than hair. If your hair test is inconclusive you may wish to try the home test kits available through www.osumex.com which are relatively cheap and appear to be reasonably accurate.
I had a provocation test through Doctors Data which worked well for me but I have since found out that they are not very safe.

I had 12 amalgam fillings replaced two and a half years ago after a period of physical and psychological ill health. I had a DMSA challenge test for mercury which tests the urine. This showed up extremely high levels of mercury and then i went on to have the fillings replaced. Even though my dentist followed the huggins protocol if felt very ill after the removal and continued to so for about a year which help confirm things further. I also can also only tolerate DMSA at very low doses and cant really tolerate lipoic acid at all (if you do not have a mercury problem apparently these agents should not be a problem tp take). All this confirmed the diagnosis for me.

No test for mercury is conclusive. The problem being that mercury can apparently remain locked in the organs and brain but not be present in urine and blood. So if you get a negative blood, urine or hair test is does not necessarily mean that you dont have mercury in your system doing damage. Challenge tests such as the one i did have also been reported to be potentially bad for you because it can redistribute a mercury around your body causing further damage.
Andy cutler in his book amalgam illness : diagnosis and treatment describes a check list of things to look at when deciding whether mercury might be a problem or not.