Hi Sandi ! The great thing about IODINE is that not only does it chelate heavy metals from the body BUT also revitalizes the organs of the body. This revitalization I think is the critical component of detoxing. Some on the forum have speculated on how long it takes to detox from mercury, and it seems like a very long time. With iodine it can be much shorter because it can jump-start the WELLNESS ENGINE in you. One of the things I have learned about iodine therapy is to take sea salt everyday and to drink LOTS of water. I came up against the water problem early on when I didn't drink near enough to flush out the toxins. I began getting worse headaches and body soreness and achiness. The day I began drinking lots of water, I could feel immediate relief and after a few days all the bad side effects left. I also STOPPED iodine intake for a 4 day period, and I feel much better than before I started. I am now on iodine again and I will do even better!! Hope you are feeling better now.