Hi, it is very possible that you have mercury toxicity. Andrew Cutler seems to feel that it could be responsible for so many illnesses, that it is a pity that people don't look there first, but go in circles until they end up there when all else fails.

I think that mercury should be one of the first things a person looks at, because it is a toxin that can cause so many of modern day illnesses and it does no harm to address it, even if it turns out it isn't. It is at least an avenue to try, or try other things as well.

You can get mercury toxicity from a Mother having amalgams (I did), vaccines, fish eating, many forms of contamination and a body that retains the mercury, rather than excretes it, which can leave you toxic for YEARS.

If you have no amalgams? (Make sure of that with a biologic dentist if you need to, panoramic xray could help), and you haven't had amalgams in a long time, then you would be able to use alpha lipoic acid (ALA). Many people use DMSA to start, but this is only in the early stages. You may not need it if you have been without amalgams for years and other mercury exposures.

HOwever, if you have had any recent exposures to mercury, contaminated fish, vaccines, etc, it is wise to use DMSA for a few months to clear the blood/tissue first, lowering those levels before bringing on ALA.

If you have not had any recent exposures, then you might be able to give ALA a try (in small doses at first to see reactions). It is an antioxidant, so is good for the liver and certainly can't really do any harm to give it a go. It might even indicate a problem if you find you get metal detox type symptoms when using it.

If you get symptoms when using sulfur foods, that can be another indicator. Though candida is often wrapped up in all this, so sometimes it's hard to know which is doing what. But for someone that has an ongoing struggle with yeast? You can pretty much bet that something else is going on, mercury, or other toxic dental issue (root canals/cavitations), or viral related illness.

Something that is stressing your system to where it is unable to control yeast at normal levels. The symptoms you can get with both yeast and mercury are so many that it's hard to even list them all. I have had the uncontrollable blushing and I got to a point where even talking to anybody had me go red in the face.

I know that they can mess up your skin, had that too. I did not have acne as such, I had a face full of blemishes. I could not heal properly and had a white almost grey complexion.

Frequent urination can be another signal as well. Had that too and still get it with the problems I have now (viral). Looking for mercury levels on blood/urine or hair testing is often completely futile. Many reasons for that, and so often because the mercury is bound up in organs/brain.

It is unlikely to show up in hair at any telling level, unless a person has had an acute exposure or still has amalgams, then the mercury "may" show up. But often when the blood levels have already lowered, the remaining mercury is in the organs/brain and you can be highly toxic, with little to almost no levels of mercury showing up. It often has to be chelated at high levels over an extended period of time, and in the right manner, to get a level to show up in the urine.

Hair testing according to Andy can be used to check for mineral derangement. The way mercury messes up certain minerals can be the indicator for mercury. Also, doing a chelation test and seeing what symptoms you get can be a very strong indicator that it's mercury.

Nickel is the worst toxic metal, alone and in combination with mercury. Make sure you have NOTHING like that in your mouth. I had braces as a teen and it messed me up for good. Even though they were removed, it was just enough to push me right down into chronic mercury poisoning. I was obviously teetering before that, but this was the clincher.

I also suffered shyness, embarrassment, withdrawal my whole life with this toxicity. SEems to be part of the territory and a really typical symptom. Low self esteem, the whole deal. Obsessive thoughts and behaviours etc. And yes, hyperactiveness, being over alert, or you can become the opposite and go into an almost stupor like condition. It's frightening the way this stuff acts on the body and mind. The suffering caused by it can be tremendous. Failure to gain proper muscles is something I have heard from someone else too, who after amalgam removal and detox, developed proper muscular development, when previously couldn't no matter what they tried. And it messes up your hormone levels too. I have had the problem of too much steroid, which causes aggression, too much hair growth and some masculinity. So you have some of the opposite?. Funny how it can do that in both sexes. It's demoralising I know. But it depletes what you already have, and overproduces what you shouldn't have much of. I have swung so much hormonally that sometimes my voice has deepened too, or gone much higher.

Heating up/exercising causing rashes is what I had when mercury was erupting onto my skin. This is very telling, it's called the mercury rash. You have to be careful with that, you can overdo it. also you can breath in a bit of the vapor that comes off during this. I have and I would get wheezing and uncontrollable giggling spells (like I'd been gassed).

Anything like that will stir up the mercury, so exercise is good but should be done in moderation, or you can get very sick. Same with sulfur foods, you might be fine on them, but if you notice symptoms, take it easy on that also. Mobilises mercury.

I think you have done a very wise thing to consider mercury in the role of your symptoms. It is far more common than people realise, but because so many out there are not chronically "ill" from it, they do not attribute any symptoms to it. But those who do become ill, often finally start checking it out and seeing if it's a problem and so often it is.

It will not hurt at all to do a trail run of DMSA or ALA (or both together), but ALA again should only be used if you've had no mercury exposure within the past few months. Taking it around the clock is the safest method I know of.

Unfortunately, it is not really possible for anybody here to diagnose anything. We are not professionals, like you we are struggling for answers and this is where so many end up and for many it's been the answer, for others only part of the answer and perhaps for some they've hit a dead end with it. But I would definitely give it a go.

Make sure you are not being exposed to mercury in the meantime. Keep of fish. I know people say that some fish is low and it's ok, but I would not take the risk personally. instead I would opt for a certified mercury free brand of fish oil and use that for my omega 3, rather than go eat fish. Just my opinion.

Clean up any possible dental toxicities, even if you only have "one". Make sure there is no amalgam left in your mouth, and no nickel.