Hi -- I haven't posted here in quite awhile, but had a question on algin, and I know there are folks here who have had success with it.

I'm currently using Dr. Andrew Cutler's dmsa/ala protocol and find that I feel quite good while on round. When off round, however, I get a pronounced "hangover" effect for several days, probably caused by mercury redistribution.

I recently picked up some ProAlgen at my local health food store in hopes of alleviating these after effects while off round. The label recommends 1 pill 3x a day, but I'm wondering if that can be safely increased without additional negative side effects.

The capsules contain 400mg alginate and 40mg milk thistle. Do any of you use this product at different (higher) dosages?

Thanks very much, and hope you all are improving.

Tom

I replied to your post 2 days ago, and then it disappeared as of today. In case you did not see what I had to say, here goes again:

I give my teenage son 4 ProAlgens per day, and I don't know if it is the algin or the Milk Thistile, or the interaction between the two, but he is now even tempered and easy to get along with, way better than before. Not the perfect child, but who the heck wants one of those, anyway.

I don't have too much in the way of bad effects from my few mercury fillings, but I am pretty sure my son got a good dose of mercury from me during gestation. He was irrational and impossible and now, after the algin product, his psychological symptoms, as I mentioned, are about 80% improved (if you can quantify it that way).

Best of luck with your health challenges. - Carla.

Hi Carla,

Yes, I saw your post yesterday and replied to it -- that post doesn't show up either.

Anyway, thanks for your response. Why did you decided on 4 capsules, just out of curiosity?

Good question! Where mercury & other poisons are concerned, it's my opinion that unless you go really crazy (like 20 caps a day), more is better. I know that is a strong statement, but in this case I believe it. As far as I can figure, algin does not contain anything harsh.

I am planning to buy a milk thistle product that is combined with other liver herbs, including turmeric.

I use Nature's Sunshine's Algin. Each capsule contains 475mg of algin. This is the main product I use for mercury detox.

In the past, before I had my amalgams out, whenever I would try Milk Thistle, I would experience a definite increase in my mercury-related symptoms, especially the emotional symptoms like anger and irritability. I honestly don't think I've tried Milk Thistle since I've had my amalgams removed.

Milk Thistle is an excellent herbal remedy for all kinds of liver problems, as well as liver detoxification. You could take extra Algin if you notice an increase in mercury-related symptoms; however, an increase in symptoms suggests that mercury is being reabsorbed into the systemic circulation, which isn't good. If this happens, it would be better to decrease the dosage or wait and try it again at a later date, once your body has had more time to detox.

Hi Laura,

Just to be clear, algin is not a chelating agent though, correct? It does not pull mercury from the brain and other tissues/organs, like DMSA/alpha lipoic acid for example, but it is supposed to mop up existing redistributed mercury, yes?

The reason I ask for clarification is that you mentioned you use algin as the primary method of "detox". Theoretically, I think, if one did not use a chelator in conjuction with algin, then there really wouldn't be anything to mop up.

Thanks for clarifying.

Tom

Hi Tom,

According to Hal Huggins' research, once all amalgams are removed, in the vast majority of cases (approximately 80% or so), the body automatically begins to release mercury that has been stored in the tissues. This means that mercury will be redistributed if you don't use Algin to absorb the mercury.

My own experiences have confirmed this. Plus, this helps to explain why some people get so ill from using chelators. If their bodies are already releasing mercury and they use chelators to pull even more mercury from the tissues, they end up with too much mercury to eliminate, which then gets reabsorbed and redistributed.

Algin is not a chelator. It does not pull mercury from the tissues, which is why some people that have amalgam fillings still in can use Algin to help with their symptoms.

I hope this helps clarify things. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Laura,

Thanks for clarifying. I have Huggins' book at home, so I'll have to go back and see if I can locate that information. I'm just wondering how having your amalgams removed would cause the existing mercury absorbed into your tissues and organs to be released.

My understanding is that all redistributed mercury (excepting that which is flushed out of your system) is eventually reabsorbed, given the nature of mercury to attach itself to fatty tissue and organs. Therefore, it would seem necessary to pull that mercury out before getting rid of it. So I can see how Algin would be helpful mopping up redistributed mercury, but I wonder if it is sufficient for detoxification in and of itself.

I think alot of people get ill from chelators because they use them improperly. For example, some chelation protocols recommend an "every other day" routine, which is only going to redistribute the mercury, making them feel worse. This is why Cutler's protocol consists of a low dose regimen taken at 3-4 hour intervals -- theoretically, this prevents redistribution by keeping a steady presence of the chelator in your bloodstream, thereby disallowing mercury redistribution and encouraging a steady elimination rate. I'm using Algin at the end of my 4-day chelation rounds to help mop up redistributed mercury that may occur after ending the round. We'll see how it goes -- hope it helps alleviate the "hangover" symptoms I experience at the end of chelation rounds.

Tom