Hi birdlady,

I take zinc and it doesn't make me sick, so it maybe the brand or something. Not sure. But yeah, I have it in the multi (like you) and that's ok too.... But I'd definitely go for the pumpkin seeds I'll take a look in one of my health books and see what they say about foods with zinc for you.

Here are the foods containing zinc:
brewer's yeast (be careful if you have candida. Oddly enough, nutrional yeast is apparently ok).
liver, seafood (not so good, mercury problem)
soybeans
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
mushrooms (again may not react too well with candida)
raisons (again too sweet if you have candida)
wheat germ and bran (careful if you're wheat/gluten intolerant)
eggs
milk
herring,
whole grains

I hope this helps somewhat. I am a big consumer of eggs. I have liver also and of course I have the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, plus the multi. I do sometimes take an isolated zinc supplement (which I'm meant to take before bed), but I often forget. I just hope what i'm doing is enough.

Just to comment on your kidney ache? This is normal. I only ever had that problem with DMSA, when I was very mercury toxic. I no longer get anything when I take DMSA, so I doubt it's the DMSA itself. Since I have permanent lowered immunity from ongoing virus/infection and candida issues, it would no doubt have done something. But again, I am eating well, so that may help.

however, when I was mercury toxic? I ached there and elsewhere too. I felt very very ill on round sometimes. The symptoms were not pscyho ones, but they were still difficult and I usually had to stop the round a bit early because I couldn't continue.

Just make sure you eat really well and drink enough fluids too. Good to have enough healthy salt in your diet (adding it to vitamin C drinks is great - quarter teaspoon) about twice or more daily. Getting enough of the minerals into you 3-4 times a day is necessary too whilst taking DMSA. The chelation will drain you and minerals are reduced, which may also be a cause of the aching.

The kidneys are also working overtime to try and keep up with the toxins being shifted through. This is good, but this is also why you need breaks inbetween rounds and why you should not push yourself too hard either. Keep the dose tolerable, keep up the breaks between rounds and monitor yourself.

I had a few things that occured with chelation that I would get a bit alarmed at. I would get a swollen tongue that would ACHE and almost hurt. So bad, that I often felt it was permanent (it wasn't). Though the effects continued, even after stopping the round. I know now it was mercury still being moved/removed. Just because you stop the chelation round, doesn't mean things are still going on. They are. I also used to feel so bone tired too. Aching, exhausted, swollen tongue, sickly, tearful sometimes, or even hyped up other times. I also used to get a strange pain/ache in my abdominal area (by the tummy button). A real sore spot that would hurt too. Burning sensations is another one. I still get that too in my mouth/throat area.

Hence why I had to take breaks and sometimes for longer than suggested. I did what I had to do to keep myself as well as I could.

This is years ago and I did finally get better. It just takes time. Keep antioxidants and minerals going and good diet and essential fats. And if you can exercise? Do so, but not over the top where you're bouncing too much metal around. It DEFINITELY works, but it's gotta be monitored too. I reduced mercury also by treadmill walking and rebounding believe it or not, as well as hot baths (with epsom salts or baking soda and sea salt - about a cup each). Selenium, vitamin C and vitamin E were also VERY effective then as well. So it was not just chelation, but all had a part to play.

Though my mercury days in that respect are long gone and I'm dealing with different problems now, I have found something odd just recently. I am not sure what has caused it, but here goes. I purchased some crushed garlic in a jar from the supermarket. I LOVE garlic, but don't usually have it much. For some reason, whether coincidence or not, I was mixing it with my onions and consuming it and now I feel massive detox type symptoms (metal ones). I can taste metal, feel it behind or in the eyes and everywhere. I can't figure this out, since DMSA isn't producing a thing! I have done a round of DMSA with 50 mg, and no symptoms, not even improvement or worsening.

So I can't honestly say what is going on, but I do know I've had recent dental visits and possible mercury vapor exposure from teh office. But why is DMSA not doing a thing? Yet this garlic seems to have erupted something major? Either that, or it's the increased activity I've had to do (since work experience), but I swear it started with the garlic more.

Whoa! Potent stuff if that's the case. I can't handle the supplement, it's dangerous to me and I've been hit severely twice by taking it. But the food is different.....does anybody else here notice something when using garlic in food (or supplement) that tends to really move toxins/metals? OR is it coincidence?