Aside for a hair test, what is a accurate test for mercury? I understand that using a provoking agent is a bad ideas because it skews the results because the reference values are for people without DMPS or DMSA or EDTA etc. My doctor says he does both, with and without. Anybody have any experience with this? What does Huggins or Cutler say is accurate. My hair test shows high Nickel lower end calcium and the rest of the minerals are within limits.

This is one of the reasons (not the only reason) mercury has not been recoginized earlier as the culprit for so many diseases: It's difficult to diagnose. In fact, I recently saw a study that said it may be easier to diagnose mercury by observing behavior than via convention testing.

I've believed the same thing for years. When I see 3 or more symptoms in someone who has fillings, I would give a 90% chance they are highly mercury toxic; or, when I see someone who is complusive, goofy in a perverse way, depressed, withdrawn, shy or overly apologetic AND they have amalgams, I would give a 95% chance that they are mercury toxic.

Diagnosing mercury toxicity conventionally is so complicated, both the Amalgam Illness book and the It's All In Your Head book devote an entire chapter to it. You really have to study the indicators and know what test to have taken, or you need to see a Doctor that does.

According to Huggins, candidate tests include white blood cell count, hematocrit, blood protein, triglyceride, urea nitrogen, hair analysis, carboxyhemoglobin, and several others.

Its so tough. I'm a pilot 25 trying to get on with it. Doctor says I have adrenal fatigue, which is better than the previous doctors. I had ADHD as a kid (mercury passed by vacines or placenta?) my mom had a bunch of fillings, still does. My problems really began when I was 10 about the same time my adult teeth had come in and got some cavities. Overnight went from a popular kid, to being submisive, with drawn etc depressive. A change of scenery helped (move) but I was always shy, and submissive, and did'nt have many friends. Then it really hit recently, not so much psychologically but physically, ie adrenal fatigue. I've since had my two amalgams removed and some minor wierd things stopped but, its inconcusive. I did a round of DMSA and after I got off it gave me a severe hypoglecimic episode, which I'm told may OR may not have been a sign of toxicity. Then to throw a curve I am positive for nickel. Algin *seems* to help but I'll be fine for a few weeks/days and then I'll have 2 just crappy days for no reason.

Yes it is complicated. If you read Andy Cutler's book, he has a section where he gives indications for many signs and symptoms of mercury toxicity. It includes various blood tests and urine tests. He does not recommend challenge tests as they can cause redistribution and sometimes very bad side effects (as happened to me with a DMPS challenge) He does however recommend the urine porphyrins test. You can read more about it in his book. Mercury will not show up in hair usually, but there would be abnormal mineral transport on a hair analysis in most cases.

Sandra