OK, I wanted to get people's takes on a few things.

I've heard that white spots on the nails can indicate a zinc deficiency... which can be caused by mercury, right? I have spots on several of my nails.

Someone also pointed out to me - and now I notice this is semi-unusual - that I have very red skin around the nails, just past the cuticles.

Does anyone have any insight about this redness? Is it an iron issue? My nail beds themselves are not terribly pink or red, which may also be an iron-deficiency issue.

just keep chelating and it will probably go away.

It's generally not recommended to take too much iron supplements, helps plaque form in your arteries.

SoSick, do you notice any redistribution effects when you chelate? Do you do anything to prevent it?

Do you take selenium?

Yes of course. I keep chelating and it goes away. You are going to notice effects when the stuff is being pulled out of hiding and running in your blood, it's like a fight in there, good nutrients against bad.

I keep supplementing, eating healthy, drinking lots of water.

Yes I take selenium, about 300% daily recommended value, with a day off a couple times per week. The selenium is quite helpful. I mostly chelate hard at bedtime, and eat/supplement during the morning/day. Lots of fruit smoothies with vitamins tossed in.

chlorella too helps me a lot. I use that during the day instead of DMSA.

My doc looked at my nail beds and instantly said she thought I was iodine deficient....then off we went for iodine testing. Merc competes for iodine in the body...as does bromine and chlorine and other nasty stuff.

What do your nail beds look like that indicated the iodine deficiency?

She looked at them, and poked them with her fingernail....said the nails were thin (very bendy) and the nail bed underneath the nail wasn't a pink as she would like it. She didn't mention white spots...although I have at least one white spot on each nail. Then I took the iodine test and she was right on. I was very iodine deficient.