Anybody interested in some FAQ and helpful tips with Andy Cutler, you may want to save this onto your computer and refer to it when you want. Just about every question and answer is here!

http://home.earthlink.net/~moriam/ANDY_INDEX.html#ala

Yup, that is an excellent site. Thx Bex

you're welcome SS <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Unfortunately the way my computer is now set up, I cannot view the subjects/answers on that link anymore. But I have his book, so I'm ok. Just annoying though because that site was particularly informative.

Thank you Bex. Some helpful info there. For one thing, if I'm going to keep dosing the ALA, then I need to stop taking my main zinc supplement.

Is the autism & mercury list the only one that Andy talks on, do you know?

Hi Linda, you're welcome. The main forum for andy's protocol, is the frequent dose forum on yahoo.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/frequent-dose-chelation/

From time to time, Andy has gotten on there himself and answered a few questions. But there are many people on there who are almost as informed as he is and the moderator TK is very much one of them! So you can ask anything there about this protocol and receive answers and information from very wise people.

Thanks again, I've put in a request to join the list. I like this forum, but I belong to other Yahoo lists too and I'm at home with them. Between these 2 forums I should hopefully get through this experience with flying colours, and be able to thank Andy at the end <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

no problem! I hope it'll be helpful and that you will get to thank Andy at that end <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Andy is on Yahoo FDC now. He has been posting almost daily for about 2-3 weeks now. Jinx got a reply from him, which was pretty cool.

Thank you for that,Bex.

you're welcome Sunflower! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Great to hear that Andy is on the Frequent dose forum Sunshine more often now. I hope that he will be able to help poor Jinx or "has" been helpful.

I just what to say again, those people on Yahoo FDC are mercury Gods. I read all the posts and it has helped me understand so much. They know so much about mercury and how to chelate safely. You cannot fail to learn from being part of that group. Yahoo FDC is for technical mercury support, Herb Allure is reassure myself that its not all in my head and keep me sane.

It is the first time I have see Andy on the forum and I have been reading for 4 months at least.

You've had lots of replies to your last post haven't you. My head would be spinning with all that info <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

As for me, I've only heard from someone called Michelle so far. She suggested I get tests done. Very sensible. But I've looked into this, and one test alone costs upwards of £100. I think I'd have to be fairly certain that it would really do me good in some way, because we've been living beyond our means for a whole year and our savings are drained. It makes me all the more resentful that the NHS I pay my taxes to cannot help me in any way.

I'll see what else they say. It seems to be friendlier here, but maybe I'll pick up some useful info there.

HI Linda, yes I did get some really helpful advice and ideas over there. I usually do. I posted the same post here on herb allure and the replies are very different. Here I got what herb allure is all about….I got moral support, which has become as important as the technical support from Yahoo FDC. I appreciate it very much indeed.
If you don’t get replies to posts over there it just means people don’t know, not much guessing goes on over there (which I think is a good thing), just lots and lots of experience, which is real important. But you are right, it is not as friendly, but mercury knowledge and technical help is very very good, that that information flows quickly and easily. And its free!

LOL, they hate going off topic. Lol, they hate it when I talk of muscle testing….freaks them out….hahahahaha.

Re thyroid and adrenals. Forget the testing. You don’t need to spend £100 on a test. Just like you don’t need to be tested for mercury illness. Once you read up about it, you soon figure out if it’s a problem. It amazes me that I am still here, I got so many screwed up parts of me!

Simple testing like taking your temperature will tell u if u have a problem or not.

Lab test results are for doctors, and as we know they are useless. The only worthwhile test I ever did was the hair test, (which my doctor called Mumbo-Jumbo). In fact the hair test was why I started adrenal research. The simple questionnaires in these books will tell you much more. I got all the tests done and they didn’t tell me anything that I didn’t know from reading a couple of books. Because I read the books I know roughly what I got to do about it too. £6 on Amazon on a book will be much better spent.

http://www.drrind.com/metabolic.asp

This is a excellent place for an overview. The temperature graph is really interesting too. I will post my graph tonight so u can see whats happening to me after a few changes that I made.

Thanks for the link Sunshine. I've had a look at estrogen dominance (not sure there), and thyroid and adrenal problems. To my surprise, many of my symptoms match those for adrenal fatigue. I have asked my ND to recommend a good adrenal glandular that's available in the UK. She's not always around so I may need to wait a while, but I'd rather get her advice than just guess and get something that may make me worse. At least it's another thing I can try <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

hi lindalou : have you had a 24 hr urine cortisol test done , I t is the only way I found out that my adrenals were producing too much cortisol , and chances are that if the results are low then glandulars will help ,but if cortisol is high they will make you feel very bad as I found out the hard way

So many overlapping symptoms…..so many things wrong…..bloody mercury gets everywhere, buggers everything up

It's a difficult call. I know my cortisol is too high sometimes, usually when I've been at work all day, or if the weather is hot.

Much of the rest of the time I suspect it's too low. I feel sluggish and unmotivated, fogged, and I have sleep problems and sugar cravings.

Whaddya do when the system is broken like a light switch LOL. I suppose if I try a glandular and it makes me feel worse, fair enough I'll stop taking it.

Before I try Glandular (which I assume you mean ACE, which is adrenal cortex extract.(so many different names!)) I wanted to try other….more normal…… things. Salt, liquorice, kelp…these simple things have already helped me.

So….anyway….here is my temperature graph for the last 6 weeks.
This is my metabolic temperature graph. It is my average daily temperature taken 3/6/9 hours after waking up, and then averaged.
The numbers I have written in the graph are the number of temps I took on that day.

Temp for a normal person, in good health should be 98.6 (the top shaded line)

In the first 3 weeks my temps are very up and down and way below what they should be. This means that both my adrenals and thyroids are in trouble.

Then I started adding supplements, about half way in the graph.(I don’t know if u can read my handwrittting!). I doubled my Himalayan salt intake to 1.5-2 tsp per day. Started taking kelp and starting drinking liquorice tea.
Yesterday I added the supplement D-Ribose.

As you can see around 12/November the jaggedness started calming down. Then temp start to rise to roughly 97.4 and stabilised there. You can see a couple of days I only took my temp twice and the pattern was broken.

You saw I had a real bad weekend this last weekend with the 4th round of DMSA. See what my temp did? It dumped right down to an average of 95.9. I felt really shitty then. But the good news…it was short lived and temp have right back up the low 97’s.

When I feel rough they are reflected in low temps.

I still have a way to go, but from what I understand this is a pretty good sign that things are getting better. I do feel like I am getting better too.

It is a really good road map and actually shows me that the things I am trying are actually working.

Another good experiment.

<img src="http://herballure.com/ForumExtras/Images/tbxonubjtn.jpg">

Sorry. i could not make the pic smaller for some reason.

(Note to self: do resizing before posting pictures)

wow the graph looks like alot of a sluggish thyroid

Wow.

a.) How do you post a picture here?

b.) How did you learn all these things about adrenals and thyroid? I always like to keep it as natural as possible too but your knowledge of this stuff looks light years ahead of anything I know.

a) Yes, I am very proud of my ability to post pictures here. And the size is right too! cool! No…..it’s a Jedi secret. Jedi’s only.

b) It was amazing. I just woke up one morning and I just instinctively knew what was what. It just suddenly made sense to me. kinda like flicking a switch and I knew everything about thyroids and adrenals. Magic!

b) ok, not really.
I read “feeling fat , fuzzy or frazzled?” by Shames
I read the Dr Rind website back to front and upside down. And stopthethyroidmadness website back to front too.
And then I read “Adrenal Fatigue the 21st century stress syndrome” by J. Wilson
And then I read “from Fatigued to fantastic” by J, Teitelbaum
And then I re-read AI bit with adrenals
Then I tried to read “safe uses of cortisol” by Jefferies but I just gave up because it was too technical. I am not a doctor and I don’t know what he is on about! But all the other books make multiple references to it.

“Adrenal Fatigue the 21st century stress syndrome” – this was brilliant and my clear winner. Very keen on natural remedies, not so keen on Hydrocortisol. Lots of natural remedies to try before getting heavy with Hydrocortsiol.

It was bloody difficult and confusing because they all call these bloody things different names. All have completely different ideas on how to treat it. The Shames book was rubbish. When I finished it I think I knew less than when I started. Very confusing…avoid that book.
Teitelbaum was good in places, but rubbish in others. At one point he recommended eating cheerios and having flu jab’s! strange how people get some things so wrong.

“How did you learn all these things about adrenals and thyroid?” – I have to thank my doctor really. If he and the system where not so useless I would not have had to bust my balls reading all this stuff.

I am long past the point where I will take any product or attempt anything without learning as much as possible about it myself first. Painful experience has taught me that, but it is a price I am willing to pay because I am getting better, I am healing.

a) Nope…Jedi secret!

Ummmm, can’t sleep tonight. Yawn!

If anyone’s interested in the temp graph…it got it from here…..

http://www.drrind.com/tempgraph.asp#top

Yawn!

Re my temps stabilizing:

“Contraction pattern. The temperature variability decreases in a cyclic fashion that encompasses one or more days per cycle. It shows a pattern that is stabilizing, implying that the adrenals are not as stressed as before. This happens either because they are stronger or because a burden has been lifted from them such as less thyroid stimulation or a successful end to a stressful situation.”

Burden has been lifted….amalgam free now
Stronger because I have taken supporting action.

Yawn!.............

"a) Yes, I am very proud of my ability to post pictures here. And the size is right too! cool! No…..it’s a Jedi secret. Jedi’s only."

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Secret eh?

<img src="http://swg.allakhazam.com/images/Clipped_jedi_screen.jpg">

gosh that is utterly amazing Bex.

If your name wasn't there to the left I'd have to think it was posted anonymously. By someone who logged in.

Utterly amazing. Gosh it really makes me think....

The only problem is you are sucking bandwidth from swg.allakhazam.com. If your name wasn't there to the left I'd have to think it was posted anonymously. By someone who logged in.

Utterly amazing. Gosh it really makes me think....

The only problem is you are sucking bandwidth from swg.allakhazam.com. swg.allakhazam.com might get upset.

Not Jedi secret.Jedi secret does not suck bandwidth from other domains to post Jedi photo.

Do you have one of Carmen Elektra? Like where she does chinups with one arm?

*slaps hand* for sucking up bandwidth. Hope nobody else takes it so badly. I just quoted sunshine and posted the pic for a joke. First and only time I finally got a pic up there, but disappointed I didn't pick the carmen electra one. Sosick you always come up with original ideas.

Thx Bex for the links. I had already found this onibasu stuff, but managed to miss the FDC Yahoo group. There is some interesting stuff to go through for sure. Especially I'm interested in what kind of immune system deficiencies we have.

tsk tsk

Bex, SS is just yanking your chain. She keeps posting inane pictures herself on the creation forum. I guess she's trying to get attention here because she isn't getting it there.

lol, Hi Linda, yeah I'm not one for being too quick on the uptake in interpreting the nature of someone's post if they're being caustic and sarcastic - either I take it the wrong way, or it goes over my toxic head.

Posting pictures herself........isn't that sucking up bandwidth? Or maybe the pics weren't quite as extravagent as my jedi one...;)

PS Linda, I don't know if you got the pm I sent to you, but it was just over how to post a pic on here. I have tried to do it myself in the past and for some reason failed, yet this time around it worked. Did the same thing too.

No problem pgm. The frequent dose group is not open like this group, and there are advantages and disadvantages to that. Which is why I think it's a good move to be on both forums.

The other group provides ideal information on andy's protocol and that is where you'd find the closest answers to what you want in that area, from very knowledgeable people who have gone down the same road and used and using his protocol.

Other discussions OT, or "near off topic" are usually not welcome and they are very strict on anybody getting a little out of hand or smart, they are moderatored or banned without too much mucking around. Keeps the group on the straight and narrow I guess.

I don't actually like it there so far. It's very cold. They want me to get tests. Sunshine says that you can probably learn more, accurately, by studying your own symptoms carefully, which is what I prefer. No one knows their own symptoms better than a depressive. We've always gauging from minute to minute how we feel aren't we LOL.

I've looked into adrenal support and I found a liquid liquorice extract in a health shop this morning. It's doing . . . something. Not sure yet but keeping fingers crossed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yes, I felt the same which is why I left the group and eventually came here. Though some people find it suits them find because they want the very clinical side to it, i found it too much. I just find it overwhelming when you're already sick to try and do everything just right, testing, supplements, all in the right clinical way. Though I am fine with the chelation side of doing this, I coudln't take much of the rest!

I go on there on the rare occassion under "fats_malone2002", so you might catch me there at times. Interesting about the licorice. I know somebody else that is taking it and saying they think it's helping them! So hope it will do that for you too.

Not true, Lindaloutionary. speakie for yourselfie pulhease.

Bex does not have a chain to yank. If you try tying her to a boat even, she likes it!

Quit picking fights oh humourless one. Not everyone is sad. Or mad.

I am glad you like my pictures... you think I look inane eh? Well you ain't so pretty either huh. I do have many characters, wait'll you see me as Carmen Elektra! Very hot, chinups with one arm... backflips the whole bit.

double yawn
PS
this will have no significance whatsoever for the fortunate ones not having been exposed to the creationist thread..

Count your lucky stars.
I do.

I just drink 2-3 x herbal liquorice tea a day. Seems to do the trick for me. Tastes pretty good too, the stronger the better.

I love the taste of licorice tea, I could drink it all day. Problem is, Andy mentions this in his book - as an adrenal stimulant. It loosens mucus and helps with asthma and upper respitory infections. It should not be taken continuously. Licorice accelerates liver phase 1 metabolism. One week per month is appropriate.

Now the problem with him mentioning the speeding up of liver phase 1 is the fact that I have fast liver phase I and underactive liver phase II. This can be genetic uniqueness or long term exposure to toxins/mercury can cause it. Not sure what came first.... So I cannot afford to take anything that encourages that even more. Fast liver phase 1 is not a good thing, any toxins that come in, are made even MORE toxic and usually liver phase II, is unable to keep up, so they build up.

This is something that is quite typical in mercury toxic people and why it's a wise move to take things that support and help speed up phase II, so that it can keep up a bit more and take things that suppress phase I a little. Andy mentions that in his book. If anybody's interested, I can type it out a few nutrients/supplements that supposedly help these problems.

I only found out I had this from proper urine testing.

<img src="http://herballure.com/ForumExtras/Images/hdjoqwapac.jpg">
here is the bone you are looking to pick Elvis and Linda.

Thought I'd save you the trouble of having to back each other up all the time. You can just toss this one back and forth between yourselves and spare the rest of us your interruptions. It's a femur. Should last a while assuming you don't hit each other with it. If your other friend shows up to pick bones too, just have a threesome.

Thx Bex, I didn’t know that.

I'd be interested Bex.

It's clear to me now that I need adrenal support. I really like how the liquorice extract is helping me. I am much less sleepy and sluggish. I have my evenings back -- BIG THING -- no longer fighting off grogginess from 7pm onwards. I'm just more alive. And yes, my sinuses are clearer too.

I'd really hate to stop taking this stuff. If I switched to something else I'd need to feel assured that it would have a similar sort of effect.

y/w sunshine! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

hi Linda, I wouldn't stop taking it. If it works, keep going. You may not have fast liver phase I either, some people have slow liver phase I, so licorice would be very good in that case. Andy discusses both extremes in his book. You'd know if it was causing problems. Also, the fact it's helping one area, surely would take more load off the liver anyway?

And again, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I'm glad it is working for you! It's almost making me wonder if I should take it as well, even with my liver issues...hmmm.

I'll simply mention the supplements recommended to support liver phase II, which I think anybody could benefit from. Probably things you may already taking, but andy mentions plenty of cruciferous vegetables (if you' dont need to do sulfur exclusion), ellagic acid from red grape skins (great if you can eat grapes) , basically increasing glutathione, which is taking the antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium. And apparently fish oil (good quality low mercury one). and treating gut issues too I think, because they affect the liver.

Personally I think it's just a case of taking the load off the liver with treating candida and eating healthy and taking antioxidants perhaps. Milk thistle was another one mentioned to help support and protect the liver.

There is MORE than this, but for some reason I'm lost in this book in finding the right page. It's one of those areas that does not seem to be clearly marked in the index, yet I've come across it before. But that's an idea of what's recommended. When I find more, I'll add more!

Hi Linda
I have been taking licorice for 8 months. I can not take the liquid form because of my blood pressure but started taking DGL for the h-pylori and kills the pain very well. Stomach is alot better but still have some upsets and it helps very much. I also have a tendency to get the shakes and alittle dizzy if I wait to long to eat. The licorace takes care of that. It does not happen all the time but if I am feeling bad that day when I start out I will take some with me just in case.
Sunshine
Interesting on the temp graph. I might give this a go. I spent the whole day freezing and could not get warm. Funny thing it got up to 75 degrees here. Don't know what happens with that but I hate being cold. Monday was same temp here and I wore shorts that afternoon. Today I wore a jacket all day and sat under a blanket when I got home. Really frustrating.
Bex
Really interesting on the liver phase1 and phase2. I don't have Andys book yet money is so tight with all the supplements. It's on my to do list after the first of the year. I don't want to change anything right now since i am seeing a little progress. I still have some bad days just not as many. My good days are not as good as I want them to be but it's a step in the right direction.
Rachel