HI sregan, I've had similar issues with it in the past at times.

What form of selenium are you taking? E.g. sodium selenite? selenomethione etc...? because according to Andy some people respond poorly to selenite but do well better with selenomethione.

This is what he says about selenium and mercury.
Quote
"Aside from being an all around antioxidant, selenium compounds bind mercury quite tightly and make it inert in the body. Selenomethione is also an essential part of some enzymes, so having a bunchy of mercury running around will reduce the amount available for tehse essential functions. Some people find it helps with asthma. Selenium can have side-effects like heart arrythmias, insomnia and irritibility. Selenium is potentially toxic at doses not far from those used in supplementation. For many people selenium is something they have to experiment with and customize. A few may choose to omit it due to toxicity concerns."


I am personally honestly not certain of what EXACTLY goes on with selenium and mercury because I have experienced much help from selenium and at times difficulty also and some distressing symptoms. Brain symptoms are not always caused by brain mercury. I thought they were, but Andy discusses this too somewhere that even liver mercury can cause mental symptoms too etc.

It is good that you were able to improve your reaction to selenium with the other products. Sometimes there is not enough information to explain why all these things occur. 60-70 mcg is not much at all, but I hear in very mercury toxic people that reacting to even small doses of selenium is not uncommon. Some call it detox effects and may indicate very toxic levels of mercury (or simply that you are reacting badly to the selenium itself)?.

If you feel it doesn't suit you, or if you are taking a type of selenium that reacts with you (selenite for example), you could simply oust it from your programme, try again later on a lower does, use another form of it (selenomethione).

Check this link out http://home.earthlink.net/~moriam/ANDY_INDEX.html and scroll down to "SUPPLEMENTS, FOOD ISSUES AND DRUGS". and you'll see where selenium is mentioned, as well as zinc. Here is another excerpt on Andy mentioning both these products:
Quote
Zinc increases the body's level of the protein metalothionein, which
stores and passivates mercury (and copper, and zinc, and other
things). Zinc also reduces body copper levels by hindering
absorption, and copper is synergistic with mercury.

Selenium binds with mercury to form a passive and very poorly soluble
compound. It is also used in certain enzymes, like glutathione
peroxidase and the T4 to T3 conversion enzyme (thyroid hormones), so
mercury toxic people don't have enough for these enzymes if they don't
take extra.

Andy


If the selenium can to some degree bind with the mercury to form even a poor soluble compound, would this then allow for "some" easier excretion of more accessible mercury I wonder? I guess I am just not getting it! I cannot figure out whether it's the indirect effect of selenium boosting gluathione levels and thus causing the effect of increased detoxification ability or selenium competing with and displacing mercury perhaps causing some redistribution, or what exactly is going on...heard a few theories on this.

You can also check that earlier link out and scroll down to "effects of mercury Toxicity" and you should see "symptoms of mercury in brain vs in body". I was unable to access it, but you might be able to.

The link is excellent and helps answer many questions.