Hi Benza, well I've not really been on any withdrawal nightmare like you have been through, but I relate to those symptoms more than I can express.

I can't tell you how many times I've done nothing with my life, but sit in a chair, lie down, play video games or anything that I don't have to do much about or with. It's hard to explain unless you go into that mode of being so ill, you actually cease to really think properly and all motivation seems to be gone - non existent.

Life was sh*t and still is pretty much, though it's controlled more by a strict diet. But the only high point as I said, was when I was getting well from many years of detox suffering after amalgam removal. Until the other garbage hit and down I went. I often wanted to sleep and never wake up. Suicidal? Yes that too.

At any rate, I'll just mention my chelation routine and what I did at the time I was detoxing mercury. At that time, I was tired and couldn't concentrate and didn't want to split pills (I admit this). I had 50 mg of DMSA on hand and that's exactly what I took. I didn't care. I had a battery worked alarm clock and just set it for e.g. 12 midday (to start). Then when the alarm went off, I took a dose of DMSA with water and reset the alarm ahead for another 4 hours (4 pm) and kept doing this throughout the night for about 5 days or up to a week.

At that time, there was no adjustments to Cutler's protocol and I considered I had to do it this way and didn't consider lessening the dose or the time period. Now I realise I could have done 3 days, not an entire week. I put myself through a lot, but at least the symptoms were not entirely insane, like they were with other protocols.

In hindsight, the dose was indeed too high and the time taking it was too long. I tried 25 mg a few years later after being repoisoned and this seemed to work great for me. Though some need to go lower than that. 25 mg worked pretty well. Detox symptoms are ok, nothing to be afraid of. So long as they are not over the point of tolerance.

For reducing a 50 mg dose to a 25 mg - I used to get a piece of paper. I'd pull apart the capsule and let the powder onto the paper. I'd then split the powder into halves. I'd take one half then and there as my dose and tip the other half back into the capsule for one of my night doses.

Later in the day, when I'd need my next dose, I'd do the same and keep the other half for the nightly dose. It worked out ok.

I did indeed miss doses sometimes. I'd be late taking one and either I"d risk it, or I'd have to stop the round, wait a few days and start again. It's not usually worth the risk if the time has been over an hour late...that's where you risk redistribution. Though i did it on occassion, I really paid for it twice. Big time.

I did not enjoy waking to take a dose, but I kept a large glass of water, a battery alarm clock and the DMSA by my bed and went through with it. Yes it interrupted my sleep, but I needed to do this to avoid the redistribution effects of isolated dosing. Every 4 hours really is necessary. But it's 3 days and if you can take 3 days out of life every now and again? You may start to see things improve.

I am going to start ALA at some point again soon. So that'll be interesting. The lowest I can get is 50 mg. Should be ok, since it's been years since amalgam removal and I've done chelation before with no real issues. So it'll be every 3 hours for this one. Since ALA apparently needs to be taken a little more often than DMSA (though one can extend it to every 4 hours during the night if it helps with sleep. But that is not worth it if the symptoms become too severe).