You're welcome Steve A certain amount of detox symptoms is normal and often unavoidable - especially in the earlier stages of detox. Sometimes even when taking just general supplements to boost detox at first can cause a surprising amount of symptoms (at least it did with me). I guess because one can be so full of mercury and other toxins that anything that stimulates "any" increase in detox power can cause an increase in symptoms and if you're already bad enough, it doesn't take much to make you feel worse.

But when those symptoms become acute and utterly intolerable? That's where there's a problem and I had this often when experimenting with chlorella or taking chelating agents incorrectly. when detox symptoms get to the point where you're screaming and ready for a psyche unit, you know something is very wrong.

The fact you can tolerate sulfur foods and your low in sulfur might indicate then that it's beneficial for you. I reacted strongly to sulfur foods in the beginning, but usually detox symptoms. However, if I took really strong supplement products containing high sulfur? E.g. garlic, chlorella, etc? I would get extreme symptoms and couldn't tolerate them very much. So I guess it's a case of experimenting and finding out what one can handle. Sulfur is healthy but it can have it's risks if it's mobilising too many toxins at onetime. I usually find concentrated supplements high in sulfur are worse than the foods like eggs/onions, even though they too can be problematic for some. Again, they may not be a problem.

I don't see the problem with the supplements you're already taking, as long as you handle them ok. NAC can be fine to take and benefits liver detox. If it causes too many problems, then it may not be for you. Selenium the same. There will always be a certain amount of redistribution as replacing needed elements displaces mercury to some extent and some will become mobilised. Even exercise will do this. Iodine can do it also. I've experienced what happens when I replace needed elements/minerals and that alone does displace some toxins and metals. Be careful of taking supplementary sulfur amino acids like cysteine and glutathione, these are apparently contraindicated in the mercury toxic person. Taking this in the concentrated supplement form, may worsen the toxicity and make a person much worse.

Yes, you can naturally detox extracellular mercury (mercury on the outside of cells, in the blood stream etc)out over time, even if you did not take chelating agents. So some people definitely do experience improvements over time, despite no chelating. Some might wish to take DMSA to help this process along and help with the symptoms it can cause. The problem is the leftover stored mercury in the brain and organs (intracellular mercury) which is a bit like a time bomb waiting to go off. If there is enough of it, it will definitely start to create problems. Usually the blood stream clears of mercury initially following amalgam removal and people can experience improvement. Problems can hit later on as the second phase of suffering (so it's called) can kick in. Where the deeper storage of mercury begins to loosen and leak out slowly. It's like being "repoisoned" and sometimes worse than how one might have felt initially with amalgams. Because the body, having no more amalgam, begins at some point to go from storage mode into detox mode. I have experienced this and it was awful. I didn't know about proper chelation or the second phase of suffering that can hit later down the track. I had amalgams removed in 1994. Felt worse for a time due to exposure during removal and swallowing some amalgam. But then started to feel better after a bit of DMSA (though taken improperly). Then I quit and stayed much the same. Not healthy, but I felt "ok" and was none the wiser.

I had no idea that the deep storage of mercury was still there and my body was about to start trying to dump it back out. It took about a year or so before this began to happen. Some people get it sooner, like 6 months post amalgam removal. I guess it's different for everybody.

I was pretty devastated by it when it hit, because I didn't know what was going on and had no idea it was my body's attempt to now try and deal with the storage of mercury. Problem is, it's very slow, very difficult and the brain will not detox properly on its own without a brain chelating agent apparently, so most of it will stay there up to a lifetime.

Some people may not have a heavy storage of organ mercury and may notice improvements much quicker than somebody else and remain improved from then on. But others who have years of stored mercury? Usually they will have to chelate for months, perhaps some years before they start to get well again.

ALA may worsen symptoms, or in some cases, it may give improvements. That could be because it's chelating mercury and "keeping" a person feeling better by grabbing the mercury before it builds up again. Or it could be the general antioxidant effect, because it's good for the liver. Or perhaps both. So it's usually hard to tell what's going on, unless perhaps proper testing is done to find out.

You can take up to 200 mg of ALA according to Cutler's book and up to a week or so of chelating. Not sure if 2 weeks is wise, because there is the interrupted sleep etc. The body, because of chelation stress, can use up nutrients/minerals during the time you're chelating, so it's necessary to take the breaks, but supplement things like B complex, C, vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, milk thistle, essential fatty acids etc the entire time you are on and off chelation. You must take the B complex, C, magnesium, milk thistle up to 3-4 times daily to gain benefits from them. The others can be taken once or twice a day. And other supplements you feel benefit you. That is just a basic supplement plan from Cutler's book.

You can actually feel better very quickly if you are taking the right stuff as you are chelating the mercury at the sametime on a proper protocol. But be careful, as sometimes "feeling better" or even feeling "cured" may not be reflecting reality. You can be simply doing the right things to help you feel good, but still may have significant mercury to chelate out of you. Sometimes you have to keep going with chelation for sometime, even after you 'feel' well to make certain!

Sounds like your diet is good. Coconut oil is really healthy apparently, not only is it antifungal, but very nutritious. I really did find the animal proteins and fats an aid to me. I think the animal protein helps with supplying amino acids as well and I know that beef contains lipoic acid! As well as broccoli and yeast (though I'd not personally advocate yeast products with a candida problem - though some say some of them are ok).

I would personally recommend this group here also for finding out alot of very good information regarding Cutler's protocol and mercury poisoning and what to do for it, what to take, how long you could extend the rounds of ALA etc. I'm on that group myself, though I don't frequent it much these days, but the people there are very well informed on this protocol, tests to have done, hormone levels, hair mineral levels etc:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/frequent-dose-chelation/