Hi Bann,

Thanks for sharing your experiences with DMSA. Sounds like the DMSA is working, but the symptoms are not out of control. It sounds similar to me when I was mercury toxic. Normally symptoms would start a few days into taking the DMSA, not immediately. And typically by day 4 too. This is why one must be careful not to increase the dose too soon, as symptoms can and often do take awhile to start showing up.

Also, you should not increase the dose of DMSA during a round. Alterations in the dosage during a round can alter the levels of DMSA in the bloodstream, which is not the best idea. The levels of DMSA are best to be kept consistant throughout the round to avoid any ups and downs of DMSA levels. Though at the end of the round it's unavoidable due to having to stop for a break, which of course causes a drop in DMSA.

You can of course decide to go for a higher dose when you start a round, but generally best not to change in the middle of one. That is up to you of course. You have appeared to have handled it, but I'd not take too many chances like that. There is nothing wrong with a higher dose, it's just the alterations of chelation during rounds that may cause problems.

How long have you been amalgam free? I wouldn't add ALA too quickly into the protocol, until you have been 3 months or more post amalgam removal (or other mercury exposure). If you have been over 3 months post exposure/removal, then you can add ALA at anytime. However, some people won't add ALA until they stop getting symptoms from DMSA. If DMSA is causing enough symptoms on it's own, it's probaby chelating mercury and you may want to keep it going for a bit longer.

However, that is again up to you. So long as you're 3 months (or more) post amalgam removal/exposure to mercury, then you can pretty much decide that for yourself. Again, if you do, start with low doses and do not be too quick to increase and do not increase during a round.

If/when you add ALA with the DMSA (or if you decide to take ALA alone), it has to be taken every 3 hours, rather than 4 hours (according to Cutler). Though some do every 4 hours, it maybe a little too lengthy, as it seems we use up ALA faster than DMSA in the bloodstream. Hence why 3 hours is a bit safer and more reliable.