Hi sosick, just to comment about the DMSA. Taking DMSA every 4 hours may not be easy or overly convenient, but it far outweighs the reactions of intermittant doses that can cause long term redistribution side effects.

E.g. for me, taking even one capsule of 50 mg of DMSA alone with no follow up doses, was enough to send me into a terrible state that last two weeks (one capsule). Yet the every 4 hourly routine enabled me to chelate and not have to suffer such a horrific backlash and then attempt to recover from it.

Rather the every 4 hours produced typical detox symptoms of tiredness and feeling ill and drained, and just plain grotty, but nothing intolerable or frightening. It felt controlled and safer and this is why more and more people are opting for this manner of using DMSA.

I would prefer the safer use of a synthetic chelator, than the random use of a natural one. in my own experience, as a hyper sensitive to mercury, and highly toxic, natural detoxes were no better than random DMSA use. They produced exacty the same problems as eachother, because it all came down to the mercury itself, rather than the chelator. Simply by the manner the mercury is moved.

DMSA stopped doing that when it was used appropriately, though not always without detox symptoms. Of course, some may still find even this route too much and may need to use a lower dose to start.

Again, some people may not tolerate DMSA at all and may simply have to give it a miss. But I feel that the protocol of every 4 hours has been tried, tested and used by many. The fact two forums alone are devoted to this protocol and many of the members have already been injured previously by other protocols and have found this one to start helping them and improving their condition. Some have already mentioned their success on this forum.

But I agree with you, in that it is a wise move for anybody to start gently (low dose) regardless of the protocol and monitor their symptoms. If they dont like what is happening, they can stop the round, wait for a few days and start again if they wish to try a lower dose than before.

But changing the way it's taken, like extending the time inbetween doses, far from being helpful, is more risky in my experience and others also. In fact, those that may get too many side effects from every 4 hours, may even need to take it more often (every 3). Because some people use the DMSA up faster than others (metabolise it quicker) and in order to keep the levels of DMSA even in the blood, they may have to do the every 3 hours. However, every 4 seems to suit in most cases.

I prefer every 4 hours, even if I do get side effects, because I do not believe it's always possible to avoid symptoms anyway.

LOL about the picture comments!!! Actually your picture sums up how I feel most of the time.