Oh boy I'm so sick of this constant anxiety... it has been going on for months now and today its been really bad once again. Its hard to even describe it, its pure torture. And depression is often a part of it, feel like I'm about to cry every minute. Every now and then I take Klonopin for it and even that doesnt seem to help...

I wish I knew what really is causing this... is it the mercury or something totally different.

Did many of you get rid of anxiety after taking out the amalgams and chelating?

yes, i still suffer from it 17mths post removal, it comes out of nowhere, its a bit like someone has a gun to my head.
i got it all the time in the begginning after removal, now it comes and goes.

Sorry to hear that Dawn <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Did you have the problem *before* taking the amalgams out?

no, not like this, i had depression but not anxiety, i got a whole lot worse after removal, the only thing that got better was my eye sight.
dawn.

hi finn : yes for me it was not the anxiety more than the depression that was crippling ,after amalgam removal it got much better ,and is getting better with each day ,I think the anxiety comes from hormones all out of whack ,mercury really messes you up and once you get rid of the source your body can start to heal

its easy to see why we should feel worse after removal as all the mercury in the organs gets dumped out into the blood.
i dont understand how people can feel better after removal but alot do.
as for me i wasnt protected enough and breathed in alot of mercury,there were times where i couldnt even speak, i thought i had alzeimers at one point.

i never had anxiety until i took my amalgams out. I read that seems to happen to people, but usually it goes away after 1-2 years. When i took 5-htp in the past i got some anxiety but depression was better. I think it could be caused by changing brain chemistry. Remember when people start with antidepressant their mood often gets better but one of the side effects can be anxiety.

I also did improper chelation and I think i redistributed mercury in my cns. After that i had big problems with anxiety for a while. After proper chelation my neurological symptoms improved and my anxiety got better.

Dawn, did you try chelation?

So Dawn and others,

are you taking anything to help with the anxiety/depression?

I HATE taking drugs (anti-anxiety/antidepressants) but now its getting so bad that I might not have a choice...

Finn, I don't know whether you would have access to anything like this but I'll offer it anyway. I had a urine test done called an Organic Acids Test. It was very revealing. One of the things it revealed was that I my body was deficient in serotonin, magnesium and B6.

My doc prescribed additional supplementation above what I had been taking in magnesium and B6 and then he added the amino acid L-Tryptophan to remedy the problem in my serotonin metabolism. For me it was an overnight change. My anxiety and depression and fibromyalgia symptoms disappeared.

There is another blood test called a Neurotransmitter test that will also test the neurotransmitter levels. Then you'll know where you stand and whether you might benefit from supplementing with any of them.

The labs that do these tests are elite labs and they do deal with people internationally.

The lab that does the Organic Acids Test is Metametrix. Here is a link taking you to the lab and a description of the test and it's benefits: http://www.metametrix.com/content/DirectoryOfServices/0091OrganixComprehensive-Urine

And here is a site where you can order a Neurotransmitter test:
http://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/index.php?pr=Neurotransmitter_Tests

Hope this helps!

Can I ask how much mg of L-Tryptophan, B6 and Magnesium you take daily?

hi Kriminal, sure .....

I take 500 - 1000 mg of the L-Tryptophan in the evening before bed. I'll take two caps (1000 mg) if I think I have too much energy because it helps me sleep. I also use how I've felt during the day as a gauge on whether I take 1 or 2 caps in the evening. My doc told me to also take it with a light snack that has a healthy fat as this will help facilitate with the serotonin uptake. So I take it with some nuts or some liquid Udo's oil or something.

The B6 I'm taking is actually B6 phosphate by Biotics Research. I'm female and I don't know whether that makes a difference or not in B6 levels. But the B6 is also meant to help in keeping estrogen dominance away. The B6 is 20 mg. caplets and I take 2 a day in divided doses (that is, 1 in the am/ and 1 in the pm). This is in addition to the B6 is that is in daily multi.

I was afraid to be taking so much B6 because I understand it can cause serious and permanent nerve damage if one takes too much. My doc said it's fine to take higher doses when under the care of a practitioner or doc. So far I've been doing this for 8 months and I'm doing just fine.

The magnesium has been a little difficult. Most people have a hard time assimilating and digesting mineral supplements. I could not take tablets -- I just passed them whole. And whether it was my irritable bowel problems or what -- I don't know -- but it was hard for me to take alot of magnesium without IBS flare-ups.

My doc recommended Magnesium Glycinate -- he said his experience was that it was a better absorbed form of mag. for most folks. I'm taking the brand that Metagenics makes. Although it's in capsule form, I grind it up and swallow the powder. The tablets come in 200 mg doses.

Most days I take 1 of those -- but I was told to take more if needed. There is also magnesium in my cal/mag supplement and my multi. So now I'm getting an approximate total of 1100 mg of magnesium. My doc would like me to take more magnesium glycinate -- but my bowels just get too irritable with more. Sorry if that's too much information!

I had my amalgams removed about a year ago but I have not been able to do any formal chelation because of underlying infections (Mycoplasma) and very tired adrenal glands. My body just doesn't have the metabolic energy right now to formally chelate.

Anyway, I think the entire neurotransmitter issue is worth pursuing for folks who have anxiety, depression, etc. What I listed is what worked for me in my case. But I understand that there are different combinations of deficiencies that can exist (i.e., dopamine deficiencies, GABA, etc.) and those can still cause anxiety/depression.

That's why I included that last website above. I've never used their services nor have I ever ordered from them. But I think the information they have is helpful. And it's interesting to see the integrative approach they're using with innovative testing and supplementation to try and help folks.

I have still my moments like everyone else. But I must say that the improvements were indeed virtually overnight when I began that extra supplementation.

So, in summary:

500-1000 mg of L-Tryptophan
140 mg of B6 (this is a lot! and probably shouldn't be supplemented at this level without the advice of a physician or a known deficiency is shown by testing)
1100 mg. of Magnesium

Hope this helps.

Doh!! I made a mistake -- meant to say that the Metagenics is in Tablet form and that's why I grind it up. Since alot of folks have problems digesting and assimilating minerals, especially in tablet form, I try to find powder or capsule forms. When those aren't available, I just grind them up and swallow them with a huge gulp of water. lol!

:-)

Very helpful thanks, I will add Tryptophan with B6 tomorrow, as I already take a magnesium supplement
Hopefully it helps with anxiety

Good luck, kriminal. Just thought I'd add that I've experimented with an over-the-counter L-Tryptophan and also the one that the doc recommended which is a capsule that it compounded for me by a nutritional pharmacy.

I don't know whether it's my imagination or not, but I seemed to notice better results with the compounded form.

Yeah, it's pure torture, I know.

Anxiety comes from:

1. Mercury poisonning
2. Hypothyroidism ensuing from mercury poisonning
3. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency ensuing from mercury poisoning
4. High cortisol, low DHEA, ensuing from mercury poisonning
5. Low testosterone, ensuing from mercury poisonning

Mercury causes systemic disruptions in the body, especially the endocrine system.

Try 100 mg once or twice per day of Vitamin B1, it did wonders for my anxiety. Try Triiodothyronine (T3) of the sustained release form if your doctor is kind enough, get thyroid panels done, get salivary cortisol 4x/day and get salivary hormone (testosterone, etc.) tests done. Diagnos-Techs, Z Labs, lots other places do salivary tests.

Good luck!

I get a stabilizing effect for my slight anxiety from taking alpha lipoic acid in small doses and regularly (at least concentration improves and I can sit down and seriously do some work). Large amounts of vit C (1 g and more per day) makes me anxious and increases salivation, and my heart may start racing (also get enlarged pupils). Same with vit E. Zinc stabilizes my anxiety somewhat. I have heard selenium also causes typically anxiety and heart racing.

hi pgm: all your reactions to those suppliments sounds alot like overactive adrenals kicking out too much cortisol , have you tried adaptagenic herbs like astrangulas ,ginseng ,or even holy basil ,these herbs are very good at lowering cotisol and anxiety , especially the holy basil , my body makes too much cotisol according to my blood work ,I started taking ginseng just to see if it would lower it without taking the drugs the doctor wanted me to take ,and was able to lower quit a bit just with herbs , the doctor couldn''t believe it , just gos to show that doctor don't know everything

I have terrible anxiety as well and my holistic MD put me on Lumina made by Metagenics.
It's got L-Theanine, DHA and EPA as well as a Natural Marine Lipid Concentrate in it.

The bottle says it is designed to support Dopamine Activity. My doctor say my dopamine levels are probably messed up.

It also states "It is designed to support healthy mental function and relaxation-issues related to proper focus, attention, learning, and memory-by providing nutrients for modulating the metabolism of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine and GABA.

I've been on it 4 days now and am just starting to notice a slight calming effect.

I also took 5HTP in the past with some help but mostly helped me get to sleep.

Another supp that was suggested to me was ADR by Pure Encapsulations, it's an adrenal support and I was told by my Osteopathic Doctor with really helps with ADD type anxiety
hth

Yeah Mikey, I don't doubt that. Being mercury poisoned does just that, your body has to work on overrevolutions to get anything done. Now that this poison burden is largely removed for me, the adrenal glands must somehow stabilize. I hope that doesn't take too long. But I could try what you suggested and see if it helps. Thanks for your suggestion.

I'm pretty sure now about where the anxiety comes from. It comes from either candida or the other bugs (bacterias and viruses) that your body tries to kill off. Adrenals then respond by emitting cortisol, because the body thinks it's a good idea. Anti-oxidants (and many other supplements) are capable of enhancing this killing, so you get higher cortisol from taking them, if you have bugs around in your body. Your adrenals will then only stabilize when you get all your bugs killed. Other reasons are also possible.

Since I had amalgams as a child, I have suffered acute anxiety, so bad I had OCD by my teens. Once I stopped getting amalgams, it eased, but for the past 20 years I have suffered immensely with anxiety and a host of other problems, including infertility. It has interfered in my life profoundly, but I have learnt to cope, most of the time. For a while I had very bad depression, but it has improved lately.

I don't know if all this was caused by mercury poisoning, but I do know I was a different person before the fillings. I have so many symptoms of poisoning, but have had some improvement after removal. I think I am very sensitive to mercury.