DMSA is tricky, as are all chelators, because they can easily move mercury into worse areas or stir it up where it is (if it's already in worse areas), and simply excerbate your symptoms, and in some cases, cause damage.

What your doctor is recommending is a pretty typical protocol. Perhaps he's had success with this, but I do know of people who have been injured by it badly and have had to find out a safer way of using DMSA.

There is a protocol going around that is supposed to be very good for many mercury toxic people. Works well for a lot of us, but again, everybody is different, so there are no guarantees. And right now, I'm finding any chelation bad, so I'm having to stop.

But if you are interested. The way they take it is according to Andy Cutler (biochemist). He's studied mercury poisoning for many years and treats mercury toxic adults and autistic children with great success. He's cured himself of mercury poisoning also.

He says that DMSA has to be taken every 4 hours around the clock (yep all night) for about 3 - 7 days straight and then break for the same amount of time you were on it and continue doing this over and over for about 3-4 months or so. Reason being, DMSA only remains in the blood for about 5-6 hours and then the blood levels of it drop significantly. If it's taken every 4 hours, the blood levels of DMSA remain pretty consistant and therefore, the movement of mercury is more consistant, even, and there is no random highs and lows of DMSA and therefore less bouncing around of mercury.

If you take DMSA in large doses, or periodically or widely spaced apart, you risk moving mercury into worse areas because there is no control of the movement as such. When it's used every 4 hours, mercury appears to be more safely escorted through the body because the DMSA levels in the blood remain pretty even.

Though some have to take it even more often, due to having a fast metabolism and using it up quicker. But 4 hours is the usual recommendation.

Most start on very very low doses, because if you are very mercury toxic, you could get very sick on doses that might be nothing to someone else. Many of us start on only 12.5 mg of DMSA (half a 25 mg capsule).

You can split capsules up to get this dose, though it can be very annoying, so the idea is to get hold of the 25 mg capsules online. Order them and then split them in half when you need to take a dose. You can increase the dose later on as you find you become less toxic. Even 12.5 mg can be too much for some.

So you see how dangerous the high levels can be. Taking it every 4 hours is the key though. If you miss a dose, or you're late, it's better to stop the round and wait for a few days before starting again, to avoid the bouncing around of mercury if you let the DMSA levels in your body drop by leaving the next dose too long.

But again, it's up to you. THis is just another method and is being used by more and more people. And if you're interested, there is a forum for people using it that way called frequent dose chelation. You'll find out what you want there by checking out the files and links section and you can also find out where to get DMSA in 25 mg capsules etc.

Here is the link if you're interested. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/frequent-dose-chelation/

But again, you have every right to follow your doctor's recommendation. But I get concerned because so many of us already HAVE followed our doctors and ended up worse from the very protocol yours is recommending. Not sure why they keep using that one, but I assume some people do fine on it.