wow I am so happy. I have never felt so good in all my years.

I started supplementing ALA last week and I feel like a new person. I have 13 amalgams and thought why not try detoxing.

I dont know if its cause ALA has a glucose type control in the brain as well but im def much better. I would recommend it. amazing stuff.

I currently take it 3 times a day as well with meals.

HI, wow, I'm more amazed that you can handle this regime at all??? Especially with amalgams. Being mercury toxic and using ALA in this manner has often been a cause for complaint, rather than elation with the adverse reactions in people (me included).

ALA has a lot of attributes, not just as a chelator, but also the fact it's good for the liver, increases glutathione in the body (which is what we need for detoxing chemicals/toxins/metals). It is an excellent antioxidant.

Perhaps that is also why you are gaining benefits, but the only problem and risk is the fact it can chelate very well....that may sound good but it can cross over the blood brain barrier and that is why it's good for removing brain/organ mercury. What happens though if the blood and tissue levels of mercury are still high whilst the ALA is on its way through the body (grabbing onto mercury as it goes and crossing into the brain?

This is why some people have had very adverse effects because of the risk of further uptake of mercury from the blood and tissue into the brain. ALA is usually the one to use late in the programme, way down the road after amalgams are gone and some chelation has already taken place with something that clears the blood and tissue first. That way when you use ALA, you're working with a cleaner safer slate.

Not only this, but according to Andrew Cutler (biochemist who has studied mercury toxicity for years) to keep the blood levels of ALA even, it needs to be taken every 3 hours around the clock. If it is taken less often than this, or randomly, the movement of mercury also become random and often displaced into more sensitive tissue and often the brain. One can end up with far more brain mercury as a result. Side effects are not always immediately observed. So this is why one should be very very careful.

The manner you are taking your ALA has often been a cause of bad reactions in others. So I am pretty astounded but impressed that you are going so well and obviously your body is reacting well to this regime.

Goes to show there is not always one hard fast rule for everybody. But generally it is wise to follow a path that has been tried and tested and safe...rather than take risks.

Still, I wish you all the best and hope that this improvement is sustained.....do you think you will get the amalgams removed? rather than remain trying to chelate out what is constantly going in?

I amazes me too. I seriously wonder if the post is not malicious, could hurt somebody.

Then again if Danewguy88 was born in 1988, that would make him about 19 years old and quite possibly if the amalgams are just a few years old his toxicity accumlation level may be low enough to get away with it.

I do know from firsthand experience that it's not possible when the amalgams are twice as old as all his years.

I know someone who takes 500mg daily with amalgams and is not affected, they take it for other reasons, i wouldnt recommend it though, it may affect you later on in life.

There can be too much emphasis put on what we read sometimes. Sometimes we just have to try things to see how they effect us.

I'm not suggesting that we totally disregard what we read, but realize that we are all different and what hinders me may help you.

any success is good, congrates! but highly recommend that you start to have those 13 amalgams removed safely so you can enjoy that good feeling for a very very long time .

Thanks everyone. Yes im only 19.
I had most of my amalgams in when I was in grade 5.
Only had 2 or 3 in grade 8.
Im quite scared since i have read horror stories on ALA on here but im going to keep continueing it as it really has helped me.

I was thinking of getting them out but my doc said if my body can handle chelation im fine but if I start to become weaker than its best to get htem out as their is alot of risk involved.

Hope everyone will find the right path as we all are different and have to find what works for each of us. I will keep everyone updated though.

Kind regards
Zack

HI Zack, I'm just glad that somethign is working for you and that's how it goes sometimes. THe usual things advised against in some people simply "work" and sometimes you have to accept that and for them it's the way!

Also ALA has so many attributes that the health side of it is possibly doing you big favours and the risks are obviously not kicking in (which is good). Just hope that it continues the same way for you.

Just like some usual effective safe ways may not suit someone else. I do not really understand the reasons and obviously it can depend where the mercury is, what the person's body respond to and requires. This seems to be hitting the right spot with you, at least at this point. If you feel effects later that you are not happy with, you know at least you can stop!

Best wishes.

hey DanewGuy. I also took ALA a long time ago mistaking it for Alpha Linoliec Acid lol.....It was for depression about 4 yeears ago and to be honest I found it to be very helpful but stopped it due to costs and found out it was Alpha Lipoic Acid. I heard it helps detoxify the liver and glucose response in the brain so it is great but yes the horror stories of people feeling worse as the mercury being mobilised is quite scary but remember it may not affect you but if you notice any problems stop.

Also check if its Alpha LInolic Acid or Alpha Lipoic Acid etc.

ALA is good for glucose in teh brain. yes its fantastic stuff I take 600 Mg daily and have to say im feeling great and I do have 3 amalgams so dont see what eh scare is about it with amalgams?

If it was bad why dont they put it on the labels when buying it or warnings? its not bad at all.

They dont put warnings on the labels of ALA because it is simply an antioxidant. It is not the most known stuff to be used for chelating mercury. So they are not at all obliged to do that.

If it works for a person that is good, but it can really hurt some people with amalgams or without becuase it can shift mercury into the brain if they have not first reduced their body burden. Simply because it can cross the blood brain barrier. This is great later on to remove mercury from there, but not so good if you're still high in mercury elsewhere (blood etc). Should also be used in a proper manner to ensure less redistribution and safer removal.

But again, some seem to do ok on it regardless. It is beneficial because it is good for the liver and increases glutathione levels in the body etc. But it's a good idea to be cautious in my opinion.

I'm working purely on guesswork here, trying to feel my way through.

I seem to be at a point where the worsening of my symptoms due to amalgam removal is more or less gone. I honestly don't know how much it is going to help to keep chelating but I think it is wise to carry on. I thought I would try some ALA with my DMSA, see how I reacted.

I went dose by dose, 25mg of each, every 4 hours round the clock (I'm just not willing to stretch to every 3 hours, don't want to have to wake up twice in the night). At first I was rather irritable, but that only lasted maybe a morning. Then I found that my brain fog seemed to clear a bit, and I finished the chelation round without any trouble.

The first day of rest after a round usually seems to be a little difficult, I guess because things are settling and redistributing. That was the case yesterday. Today's been worse though, I've been very irritable, rather anxious and low, and also I've got a stomach ache and have lost my appetite (these are the kinds of symptoms I got during amalgam removal). The brain fog hasn't come back though, I still feel like my mind is more clear. I was actually awakened at 4:30 am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so I'm sure that's a factor.

I thought I was doing well with the ALA; could it be causing the worsening of the symptoms I'm having right now? I'm still taking Algin, and as I'm not taking anything to move mercury through the blood-brain barrier right now I woudn't have thought that this was a likely time to get redistribution in the brain. Mind you, I suppose it can redistribute anywhere.

I wish I could understand more about what is going on. I'd like to keep taking the ALA if I can because I really hate the brain fog. I used to be capable of doing calculus and the other day I couldn't add small amounts of money together. I'm trying to sell a lot of secondhand stuff right now but have to triple-check myself all the time because I'm so prone to making stupid mistakes.

Linda.

linda, you may be better off finishing the round with just dmsa, it may give you a smoother finish.
Good luck, Dawn.

How long since youre amalgams were removed and you started taking ALA?

Hi Dawn, my very last dose was DMSA only because I'd mis-counted with how I was crushing up pills -- hard to explain. How many doses at the end would you suggest I do the DMSA-only?

Thanks,
Linda.

hi linda, well i would do at least half a day or a whole day to make sure, it cant hurt.
im starting up with DMSA on saturday, after my parasite cleanse is over,i feel ive wasted alot of time.
Cheers dawn.

Hi Linda, I hate to tell you this but ALA should be taken every 3 hours. To stretch it to every 4 gets risky because ALA does not remain in the blood quite as long as DMSA. So you can then get worse symptoms of possible redistribution.

Though some people may get away with it, it is probably not the best. You can take it every 4 hours during the night if it helps you sleep more, but try and go to every 3 during the day if you can. I know it's not ideal, but unfortunately that's how this stuff is.

Also ALA is usually the one that is most difficult because it's pulling out more mercury and out of the areas that are probably causing the most problems. DMSA can help with the side effects somewhat, increase the rate of chelation a bit more and possibly make things more stable but ALA side effects can really be difficult.

Some people have to start as low as only a few mg. Like 5 mg or something. 12.5 mg I'd say would be a pretty good one to start. Be careful not to overdo it. You can feel like you are regressing with it because of the detoxing, but I hope things begin to turn around as you continue.

This is THE chelator to use apparently and the main one because it gets brain/organ mercury. DMSA is really good too, but mainly gets blood/tissue mercury (possibly a little organ mercury but not nearly like ALA).

so if you only used ALA would you need to supplement vitamins and everything as well?
also... what would ensure the body would not absorb the mercury? algin? thanks

Yeah, apparently you would be wise to supplement because anytime you chelate the body is under some stress and uses up more vitamins/minerals (particularly antioxidants), but the good thing about ALA is it is already an antioxidant in itself and good for the liver. Problem is, it can increase copper in the body so it is best not to take supplements that contain copper. This is also one reason why you need to take breaks between chelation rounds.

I dont think you need anything to absorb mercury, ALA is a pretty powerful chelator. But you can if you feel it may help. this is why some people take DMSA, for extra "grip" I guess and also to perhaps grab any that may have been left floating around in the blood. But ALA is fine to use as a chelator by itself.

Supplements recommended (by andy) are vitamin C, B complex, milk thistle (these all must be taken 3-4 times a day for effectiveness or they get used up too quickly, you can split tablets up to do this), and zinc, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium (in the form of selenomethione), flaxseed oil for essential fatty acids (omega 3 etc) (I mix it in with my yoghurt, it is really nice like that). You can use about a tablespoon or 2 a day. I only take a full teaspoon of it in my yoghurt, but I have it about 3 times a day.

A couple of questions then Bex.

The DMSA helped with the physical symptoms. I think I really need the ALA now because most of my problems have been mental. (Yeah, I'm mental LOL.)

Can I ask if there's a lot of benefit to taking the DMSA with the ALA? It would obviously be a lot cheaper for me to take ALA on its own, and I could work up to higher doses. With the DMSA as well there are cost factors to consider. Would it be risky to try the ALA on its own?

Also, say I took one dose of ALA at night and wanted to take the rest every 3 hours in the day. Do you know how tinker around with the daytime schedule? It all works out neatly it you divide 24 hrs by 4 or 3, but it's not so tidy if you try to figure in several hours at night with one dose. If it weren't for the lingering brain fog I'd be able to work this out <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks,
Linda.

Hi Linda, you can successfully use ALA on its own. many do this. Some do it simply because they do not tolerate DMSA itself, some do it because they dont feel like using DMSA (it's optional). Some because of finance.

So you can definitely use this alone to cure yourself of mercury toxicity. There is "some" benefit to using DMSA with ALA, because it can help a little with side effects and may speed chelation up a little more. But that is all. Once you have already used DMSA to clear your blood and tissue of mercury then it is really no longer necessary and may not prove all that useful, unless a person feels better using it.

Yeah I know what you mean about the 3-4 hourly regime and trying to keep it even so you dont get confused by the timing (in this state, it's easily done I know).

I have done it a few times, though it's annoying. But you definitely have to take it every 3 hours if you can, including every 3 hours during the night. The only reason some extend it to every 4 during the night is for a bit more sleep. But again it can rattle you a little when you get thrown off the every 4 hourly rourtine, to going back to every 3 again during the day.

You may have to stick to every 3 hours or every 4 non stop. If you can handle every 4 hours? you may get away with it, but I would be more inclined to err on the side of caution and stick with every 3. But can you handle waking that much more often during the night?

If not, then you will have to figure out a regime, which will be a little confusing. E.g. taking doses at 9 am, 12 midday, 3 pm, 6 pm, 9 pm and then midnight. From midnight I would go into the every 4 hour regime. So I'd go from midnight 12 am, 4 am, 8 am. Then once I had the 8 am dose, I'd probably go back to every 3 hours again. So I'd go from 8 am, to 11 am, 2 pm, 5 pm, 8 pm, 11 pm (and then it would go into every 3 hours again). So yeah it does continually change the times because of this and it's up to you if you want to do this.

But it is safer to stick with every 3 hours during both day at night if one can do this.

lol yep I know what you mean by the mental symptoms, this toxin concentrates its efforts in that area more than any I think. But again not all mental symptoms come from brain mercury. Some of it can be from mercury in the liver etc. But ALA chelates all organs! It's astounding that some physical symptoms can be related to brain mercury and some mental symptoms are not always brain mercury.

I guess when you consider the brain the control centre of the body....it makes sense.

Sorry if my post isn't very helpful. I dont think it's easy to do this protocol at all and I know andy would have done it any other way if he could have, but he said that this was the ONLY way he foudn that was effective and safe for the patient. Taking risks are not usually worth it. Not everybody gets away with risk taking.

That's fine Bex, I think I'll try this. I'm used to waking in the night to take a dose now, I go back to sleep quickly usually. It's my husband I'm concerned about, because sometimes he gets woken up too.

It can also be hard to tell what the causes of symptoms are. Like I said yesterday, I hadn't had much sleep. I've also been struggling with a sinus infection for weeks. It's the sort of thing I used to get a lot before I changed my diet, and eating no sugar seemed to keep me safe from it, but ironically I'm doing everything well now and I'm just not fighting this. It's probably casuing a lot of the "yuck" I feel too. My naturopath recommended something called a neti pot, which I have ordered and am waiting to have delivered.

I'd like to make this work with the ALA alone, that would be a big relief. Thanks for the help and I'll let you know how I get on <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Linda.

Neti Pot’s are excellent. Really sorted my sinuses out a treat. I have about 5 different shapes and sizes, but the one in the shape of the rhino horn is by far the best, by a country mile the best.

It’s best to get someone to show you how its done, because there is a certain knack to it, LOL.

Good instructions are here http://www.jalanetipot.com/method.html

Rhino horns look like this http://www.netipots.us/

I am proud to say I can do stage 2 which is when u sniff the water back up through your nose and out your mouth, LOL, but I suggest u give it a couple of months before u try that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sunshine

Hi Linda, y/w. I see what you mean about your husband. I should have thought of that side of it! Ok if he was a very heavy sleeper, but no so great if he's not....

I just hope it'll work out somehow.

Also, chelating agents can flare yeast up. So this might be part of the problem. I'm not sure if this is due to the metals being moved around, or whether it's directly related to the chelation products.... perhaps a bit of both. So this does not help either.

Also the stress during chelation can be quite hard on you, plus the fact that detox symptoms themselves can bring on flu symptoms apparently.

I think it's great though that you are taking ALA and I'll be really interested to hear how this goes, so here's hoping that you will get over this sinus infection!!!!

Thanks guys. I'll have a look at those neti pot instructions. They're taking their time in sending mine. it's been a long time since I've had a sinus infection this bad. It could be far worse, but it's enough to cause me to speak with a gravelly voice all the time, and be very fatigued.

Also it's the wrong time of month. When the depression began I started having menstrual problems at exactly the same time. For a while when I was juicing veg regularly they died down, but I haven't juiced for some time now. I've had to spend the afternoon on the sofa, fobbing my daughter off who wants me to give her attention and play. I'll eventually be OK, but it looks to me like there are several other things going on here besides the chelation. Fortunately I don't think yeast is one of them, I've never noticed any symptoms of that.

Thanks for the support <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Gosh it would be nice just to have one day where I feel less crappy, you know the feeling?

Linda.