I've got it on order. I was wondering, does it tell you how to interpret for the other metals or just mercury? I know there are counting rules or something like that for the Hg, but didn't know if it mentioned how to read it for the other common toxic metals.

Thanks!
Shonda

Yes, everything is covered in detail in the book. It helps you understand what all the bars on the hair test result mean, and what they mean in relation to each other too. If one is high and one is low…than can mean something and the book tells you what.

You need to have done the right hair test from the right hair test company!

You will learn a real lot about yourself from reading that book.

It is a bit heavy, good luck

Heavy's fine -- but with the brain fog, it may take some time to get thru and retain LOL. I'm ready for some information with some meat to it. Geesh, there are some very vague books written.

On the hair test, the website I visited last night with quotes from Cutler said to get the Hair Elements test, not the Toxic elements. But the test offered from DRI is a combo of both. How do we separate out the toxic ones from the elemental ones: IOW, how do I know which ones to apply to the counting rules?

Thanks!
Shonda

If you are getting a hair test and you want to be able to understand that hair test according to Cutler and use Cutlers hair test book to evaluate your own….then the hair test MUST be the “hair elements” test from www.directlabs.com (and not the “Hair toxic element exposure” from the same company.)

Other labs use different ranges, use different techniques to do the tests. Comparing tests from different labs is not compatible and cannot be compared together all the work/study Cutler did with his book.

If you got the wrong test or used the wrong lab, then the cutler book is………..wasted. The counting rules will not work.

These are the correct instructions http://home.earthlink.net/~moriam/HOW_TO_hair_test.html

I had a hair test done from a different lab since the physician I used didn't work with Doctors Data labs. I used Cutler's Hair Test Interpretation book to go through the results, and although I didn't apply the counting rules as described in his book, I was still able to apply the general concepts provided to get meaningful information from my hair test.

I also found all the other information in the book helpfu, like all the sources for heavy metal exposure, symptoms of exposure, and mineral information.

Hi Laura

Ah…ok….maybe not wasted then.

You can learn lots from that book about yourself

Thanks for the link. I finally found the Hair Elements test. I was on another DDI page when I found that other one. I think it was the same test though after looking at the details.

I probably could figure out a different test too, but the cost of the DDI Hair Elements test isn't bad, and it would help to not have to. I think I'm just gonna order that on myself and DD. I had to cancel my appt with my new doc tomorrow because something happened with DH's work and we can't go. I can't go alone on this because of my daughter.

Ok, one more thing... breastfeeding. I don't have my cutler book yet, so I don't know how it affects the hair test. Would I be able to still get any kind of idea or will it be useless to me? I'd like some idea of proof now and can redo it after DD stops nursing if I need to.

Thanks!

That's a good question. I looked in Cutler's book about how breastfeeding affects a hair test and he mentions (on pg. 164) that "lactation has a significant but not well characterized effect on mineral transport."

Personally, I would get a hair test while breastfeeding and then again afterwards so I could compare the two (Cutler shows test results from a woman who did just this and discusses the comparisons).