Seeker, yes ALA alone can be done effectively. Cutler talks about this in his book. For those who cannot afford DMSA, don't react well to it, or just do not wish to get it, they can chelate fine on ALA alone. It is an antioxidant, so is natural, but has been found to cross the blood brain barrier and chelate mercury from the brain. Bonus!

DMSA can be used alongside ALA to help with side effects and increase chelation at the sametime. It helps keep things more stable.

DMSA is optional according to Culter. ALA is essential.

One is advised to use DMSA in the early stages to help reduce blood levels of mercury and help with the side effects of being poisoned at the sametime. But DMSA does not chelate organ/brain mercury to any clinical degree. So it's a good one to take to clear extracellular mercury (mercury on the outside of cells).

But one not HAVE to use it. One can in fact "wait it out" for the first 3 months or so without taking it at all. But it maybe alot slower and more painful to struggle through that time as the blood mercury declines, because DMSA clears things more effectively and can help with symptoms. Though some people may find it intensifies symptoms because it's chelating mercury! It can differ from person to person, plus sometimes it may create reactions, other times it can help them!

But yes, you can wait out that time and then after 3 months or so is up, you can simply use ALA alone. However, I would personally advise using DMSA, because I think it is a stronger chelator than I had realised and does remove mercury really well. Even if it's not able to chelate organ mercury too well. Which makes it a good one to use in the early stages.

Either way, ALA should not be used within the first 3 months following amalgam removal or recent mercury exposure. The blood levels should be allowed to reduce, either on their own, or with the help of DMSA during those first 3 months and then the brain chelator (ALA) can be brought on board.