ALA versus Dithiol-based Chelating Agents (DMPS, DMSA)

The ability of ALA to bind inorganic mercury from rabbit renal tissue was compared to glutathione and the chelators 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonate (DMPS), meso-2,3-dimercapto-succinicacid (DMSA), penicillamine, and ethylenediaminetetra acetic acid (EDTA) (Figure 3). (69)

[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]

DMPS was the most efficient chelator, removing 86 percent of the mercury in three hours, with DMSA being the next-most efficient, removing 65 percent of the mercury. In the same time period, penicillamine removed 60 percent, glutathione removed 50 percent, ALA removed 35 percent, and EDTA removed 20 percent. Only the levels reached by DMSA and DMPS, however, were statistically significantly different from baseline (p<0.05). Therefore, the effect of ALA and glutathione may show only a trend or an apparent effect and are not comparable to DMPS and DMSA. Although the actual effect of a chelator or heavy metal-complexing agent cannot be determined in a three-hour time period, and acute doses of 10 mg/kg of inorganic mercury would be considered highly toxic in an adult human, there is evidence from this study that ALA is a less efficient binder of inorganic mercury than the recognized chelating agents, DMSA and DMPS. All of the substances were used at a concentration of 10 mM, a level difficult to reach with ALA oral supplementation.

Therefore, the effect of ALA and glutathione may show only a trend or an apparent effect and are not comparable to DMPS and DMSA. Although the actual effect of a chelator or heavy metal-complexing agent cannot be determined in a three-hour time period, and acute doses of 10 mg/kg of inorganic mercury would be considered highly toxic in an adult human, there is evidence from this study that ALA is a less efficient binder of inorganic mercury than the recognized chelating agents, DMSA and DMPS. All of the substances were used at a concentration of 10 mM, a level difficult to reach with ALA oral supplementation.

This article is irrelevant..... Andy has alread commented on it. You can use ALA only.....

Well I guess that does make it irrelevent, as I'm familiar with the whole ALA -> DHLA conversion.

I think the fact that your dentist left a small piece of mercury in your mouth shows how irresponsible and incompentent dentist really are.

Hi Gdawson,

Similar happened to me. But get this - I had a panoramic xray which didn't really show remaining amalgam. Even a biologic dentist did not spot anything amiss in that area.

However, when I had my plastic composites redone in cerec porcelain, I had to go to a mainstream dentist because this requires somebody very experienced. The guy I went to was actually a cerec instructor and I wasn't taking any chances with an expensive material like this by going to somebody perhaps less experienced. He was also a little less expensive. Plus, I was not having amalgam removal, so it wasn't quite as "necessary".

As he was removing my composites - he discovered a bit of remaining amalgam in either one or two teeth (I cannot recall). I was pretty angry because the previous dentists I'd gone to knew that I was getting amalgam removed for health, not for "looks". However, I must also remember that two of the dentists I had gone to for amalgam removal were not biologic. So that is a lesson. This cerec dentist told me that it is common for a dentist to leave amalgam behind because they do not like to drill too deep and often avoid doing so by leaving a little leftover.

I only found out by having composites removed. This cerec dentist drilled out that bit of amalgam for me. No protection of course, but what did I expect? However, thankfully it was only a small amount. Now did the bit of remaining amalgam/s have anything to do with the utter agony I went through with chelation? Or is that just expected with mercury detox anyway? I will never know. I never recovered from it anyway - I was still detoxing the stuff when I went down hill with the virus that has plagued me ever since. Plus I think cavitations from later extraction.

Mercury poisoning leaves a person in a far more vulnerable position. Just because a person may reach a point of "feeling" better, it is highly on the cards they are still very poisoned. As I believe in my case. Even Andy says that as a person chelates, they may reach a point of "feeling" well again. This is the point where people can make the mistake of quitting chelation too early. There comes a point where the chelation maybe KEEPING a person well, but there is still plenty of remaining mercury. It is wise to keep chelating for sometime after you feel well. E.g. 6 months or more to make sure that the improvements become permanent, not temporary. A number of people have mistaken feeling better for BEING well and have quit chelating, only to find themselves regressing again as the remaining stored mercury is still there and still slowly leaking out and causing problems.

I too have some greyish discolouration from my amalgam days. I can only hope the cerec dentist did his best.

Though even with the bit of remaining amalgam, there is no doubt that my body did go through the mercury dumping stage regardless. So enough amalgam must have been gone for my body to start trying to dump the storage. Or this would not have taken place. I also lost a some weight after last amalgam removal too (which was needed). I had a more streamlined appearance, rather than my typical slightly bloated/solid look, which I could never shift with amalgams. It shifted all by itself after the removals.

However, the little bit of amalgam remaining may well have hindered me somewhat both in healing and in my efforts to chelate - either way I cannot be sure. But I am soon to begin ALA chelation. But awaiting a better time, because my gut is in no condition to support chelation. I am struggling still after the probiotic usage. Further problems that ALA has created in my gut in the past would be making a difficult situation even worse.

I then got on DMSA and that did help quite a lot, and fairly quickly too.

My symptoms get worse in the winter

Sean, if your dentist took good x-rays afterwards, there shouldn't be any problem.

I would get a metallic taste in my mouth occasionally, but only from certain supplements...I think thats normal with mercury poisoning and not something you should worry about.

I did do 18 rounds of ALA w/ (8 were w/ DMSA) that tiny speck in, and I don't think it hurt me, but it could have still been holding me back.

I had a bit of amalgam, but it didn't hold back the dumping stage from occuring. So evidentally my body recognised there was no mercury or at least very very little, so it started to dump the storage. I am doubtful this would have occured otherwise.

Cool you made me think more positive tonight Bex!!!!!!!!! My holistic dentist took pics and said he was checking for more and did not say a thing later on about it, just showed me the black on the pic and said you will get better every year with muscle testing which he found out an earring was bothering me from the way it was put in and where it was, go figure he found that out too? Holes in your body, he said do you have a hole anywhere? I said no? I did not have my earrings in there and when he found out what it was he said take them out they did damage! He was beyond thorough so I trust him there and with the teeth! My amalgam was a WHOLE TOOTH, even my other dentist said GOD THATS HUGE and would not tough it, it cracked too! That means it leaked? That messed me up badly, I had a few crack before in my life. This one was monumental though, a whole moler of Amalgam? Damn.

Excellent advice, Bex, thank you. This is the first thing I've done in a whole year that seems to work, so in a way I'm relieved. I'm on day 2 of my round and the headache and stomach ache are back mildly, along with general bodyache and a bit of pain in my chest again. I think you'd expect this as a round progresses. It also seems to be a good sign that I feel this way on such a low chelator dose -- I must really be ready to get rid of this stuff.

I think I need to start a new thread for further comments . . . I am NOT chelating with ALA alone, LOL.

Bex, have you tried some detox teas? They have helped me. You might want to try alfalfa, red clover, dandelion, licorice root, and ginger to help detoxify yourself. Are you taking molybdenum? That also helps with detoxification. When I was at my worst, parasite cleanses and those herbs helped me. I am now taking echinacea and goldenseal, as well plenty of cayenne pepper, which seems to be getting rid of plenty of candida. I had been forced to take many months off chelation, but am now chelating again. Perhaps you should try adding some of the herbs I mentioned to your regimen. Of all those I mentioned, the cayenne pepper, echinacea, and goldenseal are probably the ones that made me strong enough to start chelating again.

Bex, have you tried some detox teas? They have helped me. You might want to try alfalfa, red clover, dandelion, licorice root, and ginger to help detoxify yourself. Are you taking molybdenum? That also helps with detoxification. When I was at my worst, parasite cleanses and those herbs helped me. I am now taking echinacea and goldenseal, as well plenty of cayenne pepper, which seems to be getting rid of plenty of candida. I had been forced to take many months off chelation, but am now chelating again. Perhaps you should try adding some of the herbs I mentioned to your regimen. Of all those I mentioned, the cayenne pepper, echinacea, and goldenseal are probably the ones that made me strong enough to start chelating again.

One reason that people are sensitive to probiotics is that it breaks the cell wall of the candida and releases mercury, which the probiotics then can potentially methylate. I know I still have a lot of mercury in my gut (from swallowing mercury on 3 occasions, and from my old type I and type II fillings, and from all the failed DMPS/DMSA treatments which only got a little out and circulated it around my body and nearly killed me), which is why I take enteric coated probiotics, which make it through the acid stomach environment and release in the small intestine.

bex, if i may add i also feel a different kind of toxic reaction from using probiotics and antifungals. I think the reason is thatthey work in a different manner, antifungals more like poke holes in the yeast and release its contents, probiotics do something else, more like push out , rip out the yeast from the gut wall, hence perhaps the pain u've been experiencing.

Bex, I think your pain is from improper digestion. you are probably not making enough stomach acid, and probably deficient in some digestive enzymes. You could try taking some digestive enzymes, and avoid hard to digest foods(perhaps also replacing raw vegetables with different ones that are cooked?). Many talk about a raw diet, however imo those who have such digestive problems need to avoid raw vegetables. You might also want to consider taking betain HCL, which is an acid supplement. If you do, start out slow, and stop taking it if you get adverse effects. I know that I made some negative comments before about algin and activated charcoal, however if you are having such bad digestive problems, you might want to try taking these for a short period of time. Some might recommend psyllium, however I suggest staying away from it, as it clogged me up quite severely the last time I took it. Yes, I did drink plenty of water with it,and still has a bad reaction to it. Imo you should also try taking alfalfa for a while. I am using tablets, but others eat fresh alfalfa. Another thing you might want to try for a short period of time is bentonite. I have never used bentonite, but others got relief from it. Its action might be like activated charcoal in that it adsorbs many things, including undesirable things as well as vitamins and minerals, so imo it should be used carefully just for short periods of time.

Bex, I think your pain is from improper digestion. you are probably not making enough stomach acid, and probably deficient in some digestive enzymes. You could try taking some digestive enzymes, and avoid hard to digest foods(perhaps also replacing raw vegetables with different ones that are cooked?). Many talk about a raw diet, however imo those who have such digestive problems need to avoid raw vegetables. You might also want to consider taking betain HCL, which is an acid supplement. If you do, start out slow, and stop taking it if you get adverse effects. I know that I made some negative comments before about algin and activated charcoal, however if you are having such bad digestive problems, you might want to try taking these for a short period of time. Some might recommend psyllium, however I suggest staying away from it, as it clogged me up quite severely the last time I took it. Yes, I did drink plenty of water with it,and still has a bad reaction to it. Imo you should also try taking alfalfa for a while. I am using tablets, but others eat fresh alfalfa. Another thing you might want to try for a short period of time is bentonite. I have never used bentonite, but others got relief from it. Its action might be like activated charcoal in that it adsorbs many things, including undesirable things as well as vitamins and minerals, so imo it should be used carefully just for short periods of time.

Have you got any DMSA left, Bex? Enough to do a gentle round?

Months and months ago, I took a 200mg cap of ALA, as a little test to see if it would provoke any reaction in me. (I do not recommend this.) It seemed to. I then took some DMSA for a few days and that cleared the symptoms. DMSA is good at mopping up mercury in the bloodstream.

You'd think I would have got the hint then, LOL. It still took a long time after that before I was convinced that I needed to continue to chelate.

I think the probiotics were competing with the candida and dislodged it or caused some die-off. Death of mercury-laden candida equals mercury in the bloodstream. I know you say it feels different from what you're used to, but it's still a possibility.

To kill it off continually doesn't seem to help such a situation, but it grows back where the damage is. All I get is a flood of toxins, a backfire and worse trouble for my efforts. Again, this never used to be the case before the gut condition occured. I used to get die off like anybody else and feel worse at first, then better.\