The one thing we can say about the effect of toxic metals on the mind is that we don’t know much. These metals are hard to detect and difficult to get rid of once you know you have them. That is why you don’t hear much about this subject. I certainly didn’t, even after studying nutrition, herbs and all kinds of natural therapies for years and years. You often hear, “Well, you could have heavy metal toxicity,” but what does that mean? What do you do about it? All I had ever heard about for heavy metal toxicity was chelation and I didn’t like what I heard.
Fortunately, about seven years ago I was contacted by Analytical Research Laboratories, which was founded by Dr. Paul Eck, a biochemist and nutritionist who addressed these issues in a very specific and unusual way. At that time, I had a patient who was not recovering, and I became convinced that she had serious metal problems, so we began doing his protocols, which included hair analysis. It turned out she had the biggest amount of aluminum I had ever seen in anybody. I now know that aluminum causes a lot of chronic pain; you often see it in fibromyalgia. The key fact about the metal toxicity is that it is always related to chronic fatigue and chronic adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal Fatigue
All chronic illness includes chronic fatigue and adrenal fatigue, whether you feel tired or not. A lot of my patients will say, “Oh, I have lots of energy,” but they do not or they would not be chronically ill. There is no conventional medical treatment for adrenal fatigue unless you have reached the point of total failure, at which time you are put on cortical supplements for the rest of your life. Therefore, like the issue of toxic metals, if adrenal fatigue is not tested for, it is not discussed.
These two problems—adrenal fatigue and toxic metal buildup—are strongly related because you cannot excrete metal without good adrenal function. Adrenal function needs to be pretty close to normal or you will start retaining metals, because the adrenal glands have such a big part to play in the proper handling of metals in the body.
The first sign of adrenal fatigue is reliance on stimulants. If the idea of going without your stimulant is an issue, you have adrenal fatigue. There, you have taken the test, now you know.
If you need stimulants to feel good, you are already exhausted. In fact any drug that makes you feel better is a sign that you are already exhausted because ultimately their effect is a stimulant effect. Even alcohol or drugs that are said be sedative actually have a stimulating effect on the adrenals. Many people get by for years on stimulants, which can include behavioral and emotional stimulants like overexercise, workaholism and even constant worry, such as putting yourself in a fear state and indulging in anger. All of these will rev up your adrenals and keep you from feeling just how tired you really are.
Meanwhile your adrenal glands are not functioning normally and you are starting to retain all kinds of metal. Once you reach a certain threshold in the body, the metal itself becomes one of your major adrenal stressors. Now you are in a constantly poisoned state and the adrenals are getting weaker and weaker. Even if you are trying everything in the book—you are eating well, you are getting a lot of rest and doing tai chi—you cannot get well because by now you have toxic metal poison in the body, all the time taking your energy out of you.
Local Variations
What happens next depends on many variables— the types of metals to which you are exposed, and how much, and even where you live. I find very interesting variations in the hair tests, depending on where people live. In California, for instance, I primarily see aluminum toxicity; apparently there is a lot of aluminum in the area. Aluminum is a very common metal, comprising up to 14 percent of the earth’s crust, so it is in the dust and in the air.
Aluminum is also an additive in anti-perspirants. I have a theory that in warm climates, where people use a lot of anti-perspirants, they are exposed to a lot more aluminum than people living in colder climates.
On the East Coast, I see more problems with cadmium, mercury and lead, the heavy metals. On the West Coast, if someone shows mercury, you can bet they have been eating fish twice a week and have been for a while. If they aren’t eating fish, they don’t show mercury even if it is in their mouth. I don’t know why, but that is what I have found.
The Copper Problem
But the main thing that happens with metal retention is copper toxicity because everybody is getting copper constantly. Almost everything you eat has some copper in it. A lot of really popular foods like coffee, chocolate, avocado, soy, shellfish like shrimp and lobster, and certain beans and nuts like pecans are pretty high in copper.
This isn’t a problem with good liver, gall bladder and especially adrenal function. If adrenal function is strong, we just mobilize that copper and excrete it through the bile. Unfortunately, the way we live these days, that is not what is happening. Most people are not able to get rid of the excess copper. How many people have impaired liver function, congested gallbladder or adrenal fatigue? Probably the majority these days.
If adrenal function becomes impaired, the copper builds up in the liver, brain, joints and lungs. When this happens, you see very specific problems, including mental problems, liver problems and detoxification problems. Phase II liver impairment is often made worse by copper toxicity, if not actually caused by it.
You also see a lot of copper toxicity with asthma and breathing problems, including emphysema. Copper also tends to build up in the joints, leading to arthritis. Chronic skin problems are also an indication of copper toxicity.
Vegetarian diets are very high in copper because the vegetable foods are a great source of this mineral. Since vegetarians don’t eat meat, and possibly not even eggs, they are not getting enough zinc, which is the natural antagonist to copper. Zinc naturally balances copper and keeps it from building up in the tissues. If you are not eating much in the way of meat and eggs, you will develop copper problems.
Excess copper interferes with energy production at the cellular level. It impairs various energy pathways in the cell so it contributes to the very fatigue that tends to make you retain copper, leading to a vicious circle. Once this pattern gets going, it is totally self-reinforcing and very difficult to break, even by adding zinc-rich foods back into the diet.
Copper is stimulating to the brain, causing it to produce high levels of the activating neurotransmitters, like serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine. This is why you will see copper toxicity in manic states like paranoid schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. The so-called copper head tends to be very emotional, very intense, often very creative. Such individuals are prone to crash and burn because their overactive mind is being supported by a very fatigued body.
Copper toxicity is a major factor in irritable bowel syndrome because copper is excreted through the bile and certain things will cause you to suddenly dump copper. If you have been building up copper, anything that causes an increase in your metabolic rate will cause a copper dump and it comes out through the bile. If you are copper toxic and suddenly under a lot of stress, this may bring on an irritable bowel episode because suddenly excess copper is moving through your bowels and irritating them.
The tendency of copper to build up in the body is similar to iron, which is another essential nutrient that is also a heavy metal. They’re both highly electrical, very conductive metals that produce a lot of free radical activity and have to be bound by special proteins, such as ceruloplasmin and metallothioine. The production of these proteins is controlled by the adrenal glands, and they are produced in the liver. If the adrenals are not functioning properly and the liver is impaired, possibly from copper buildup, you will not produce these binding proteins, so copper remains in free form. That makes it a toxic and reactive free-radical generator capable of causing a lot of damage.
When this happens, the body starts to sequester it. It tries to stash it somewhere so it will do less damage. Thus, while you may be building up a lot of copper in your body, you may also have the symptoms of copper deficiency because the copper is bio-unavailable. The copper is not in a usable form so you will have both deficiency symptoms and symptoms of toxicity.
When copper accumulates under stress, when you go into a fight-or-flight condition, your adrenals are on line and ready to go. This is a short-term mechanism that is beneficial. It helps the body cope with stress, at least initially.
The body has an intricate system of checks and balances which operate through the mineral levels and ratios. If you are deficient in one mineral, another mineral accumulates and can become excessive. For example, when sodium and potassium levels go down, calcium and magnesium rise. When copper drops, iron increases. If zinc rises, copper goes down. If iron rises, chromium goes up. There is a constant and complex dance of minerals going on in the body, and the body very specifically retains and releases minerals in order to control certain body functions.
When we retain copper, this makes sodium rise. Sodium is required to produce aldosterone, the adrenal cortex hormone that causes sodium retention and high blood pressure when produced in excess. An increase in aldosterone is a defense against stress—you need that high aldosterone production during a fight-or-flight state, when you are trying to guard yourself in some way against a threat. When aldosterone increases, the body retains copper and releases magnesium, which is a calming mineral that slows you down. That is why a lot of people use it to sleep or to relieve muscle cramping. So if you are going into fight or flight, your body drops the magnesium very quickly. It is the first thing to go, because the body is trying to rev up. Increased aldosterone production will also cause a drop in zinc, which allows the copper to be retained and the sodium to go up.
The increase in copper is stimulating, it gets you going, which is just what you need in the short term. But chronic unremitting stress never gives you time to recover, you never get to address your biochemical imbalance, you never have that down time to excrete the excess copper now.
When your adrenal glands are in great shape, you can excrete excess copper whenever you need to. But when your adrenal glands are just hanging on by their fingernails, just barely able to mount a stress reponse, you have an excess of stimulating copper. It becomes very hard to go to sleep and the mind races. You think, think, think, worry, worry, worry, and all of that makes it worse. You are always worn out. In fact, people with chronic fatigue often wake up tired because they don’t really ever rest.
We also use up tryptophan in these situations, as tryptophan is needed for serotonin production. Serotonin is used up under stress. You can’t replace your tryptophan by eating turkey when it is being used up so quickly. What this tells me is that the body is not designed to be constantly under stress. We are meant to spend time sitting in a hammock somewhere, or weaving a basket!
Mental Disturbances
Loss of zinc and magnesium along with retention of copper temporarily serve the body and improve the adrenal’s response to stress. But with unrelenting stress or extreme catastrophic stress, these imbalances can start working against you. The copper toxicity reduces the ability to cope with normal everyday stress; it impairs adrenal function. A lot of adrenal activity requires zinc, which copper impairs. The result is a slowdown of your whole metabolism.
And your body knows when this happens, knows that you are not up to the challenge, not able to respond to stress properly. This is enough to make you feel anxious. You might feel fearful about taking on certain things because you know you are not up to it. This is the beginning of the mental disturbances that go with copper toxicity. You know that you are exhausted. You may be playing a lot of tricks to keep going. When presented with certain situations, you may panic or feel very nervous. Eventually, as you become exhausted, you may become apathetic and depressed and no longer desire to take on much of anything. So you build your little shell and get behind it.
But initially you will tend to overreact, everything is an emergency. “Oh no! I have to go buy food. . . Oh no! I have to go to the bank today.” Everything is a big deal. With a lot of my patients I have to say, “Pretend you are on vacation.” Instead say, “If I feel like it, I’ll go get some food,” because inside there is a constant sense of urgency. Automatically if anything has to be done, it’s a big deal. It keeps you in that revved-up state, always overreacting to every little life event.
And you are probably using many stimulants to keep you going, which has you on edge too. You are not calm, cool and collected. I very often recommend that people with this problem slow down— no fast walking, don’t drive fast, go below the speed limit. You have to send your body a signal that this is no big deal, there is no rush. If you don’t do it today, you can do it tomorrow. You have to take yourself away from the edge of the cliff because otherwise you will go over the edge into full adrenal burnout. When everything is a big deal, your body gets into a vicious circle of constant stress leading to loss of zinc and magnesium and retention of copper.
The other thing that happens with excess copper and adrenal exhaustion is hypoglycemia and blood sugar swings. Low adrenal output results in low production of glucocortocoids, cortisol and cortisone, which play a role in maintaining proper blood sugar levels. So when production is low, you are underproducing those hormones and constantly going into hypoglycemia, which can result in depression, irritability, mood swings, poor concentration, poor memory, dizziness, fatigue, sleepiness and many more unpleasant effects. A lot of people don’t realize they are hypoglycemics, but if their problems tend to start an hour or two after they’ve eaten, that is always a clue.
Depending on the severity of the toxicity and the susceptibility of the person, copper can affect the mind very strongly. Initially copper toxicity may make a person active, productive and creative. But eventually such feelings will be undermined by lack of energy. Then we see people who have a million ideas and are always making lists, but who do not have the energy to follow through. This leads to chronic frustration followed by depression.
After a while the combination of over-activity of the mind with lack of accomplishment can make people quite nutty. They tip over the edge into obsessiveness, compulsiveness, phobias and all kinds of fixations because the mind is so intense and it has to go somewhere. In extreme cases, people become psychotic. But most people tend towards mood swings, PMS and weird episodes that they cannot explain. “I don’t know why I did that or said that.” They lose control briefly and then pull themselves together. They may have ways of managing copper toxicity to keep a lid on inside, but they are a lot nuttier than anybody thinks they are. They just don’t let it show. They may look very calm but they aren’t.
Copper increases the electrical potential of the neuron, probably because of the enhanced movement of sodium. This leads to over-production of the activating neurotransmitters—dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin—leading to anxiety, racing mind and insomnia. Researchers Pfeiffer and Goldstein demonstrated that brain waves exhibit an equivalent central nervous stimulation from either 5 mg of copper or 5 mg of Dexedrine—so copper is equally as stimulating as Dexedrine to the mind. As we know, amphetamines can eventually make you psychotic if you keep using them.
The body will begin storing the excess copper in the brain as the liver becomes overloaded. Copper stimulates the diencephalon, which is the emotional brain. Zinc stimulates the cortex, the new brain, the rational mind, and is calming to the emotions. Thus, copper-toxic people often keep themselves in a state of high drama, and their symptoms can even mimic bi-polar syndrome. Carl Pfeiffer, PhD, MD, has found that one-half to two-thirds of schizophrenics have high levels of copper and low levels of zinc and magnesium, especially during acute phases. Copper has an adverse effect on methylation, a metabolic pathway that is essential for detoxification and for controlling free-radical activity. Poor methylation can be an important factor in cases of autism and schizophrenia.
Pyroluria
A condition that can really put a person at great risk for copper toxicity is pyroluria. Pyroluria is characterized by excess krytopyrrole in the urine. Pyrroles attract aldehydes, and vitamin B6 is an aldehyde. Once the pyrroles bind to B6, that unit now becomes a real vacuum cleaner for any zinc you might have lying around. So if you have pyroluria, from a very young age you are developing a B6 and zinc deficiency constantly. It is hard to consume enough B6 to overcome the drain that is happening in pyroluria.
About 52 percent of schizophrenics, 42 percent of psychiatric patients and 40 percent of alcoholics are pyrolurics. If alcoholism is associated with nervous breakdowns, suicide or even migraines, pyroluria is likely involved.
A sign of low B6 is lack of dream memory, or very disturbing dreams. And if your B6 is very low, you will find it hard to take zinc. Zinc will make you feel nauseated, bloated or uncomfortable.
Family tendencies seen with pyroluria include cluster headaches and migraines, depression, fatigue including chronic fatigue, sensitivity to cold, anemia, morning nausea and appetite problems, lack of dream recall, suicides and suicidal depression, motion sickness, blood sugar problems, glucose intolerance, sore lower back and upper left pain in the ribs.
Drug and alcohol intolerance, constipation, crowded upper front teeth, a lot of joint problems, growing pains might even be part of B6 deficiency. Tingling sensation, cramping, tremors, ticks, convulsive seizures and epilepsy are very strongly affected by the pyroluria, low B6 and zinc along with copper toxicity. Both can give you epilepsy and clearing them up can definitely get rid of seizure disorders. Neuralgia and sciatica are very common in these cases. A common symptom is pale skin that will not tan. Often the most pyroluric member of the family will be the lightest one. Other signs are late onset of puberty, low stress tolerance and prematurely gray hair.
Slow Oxidation
The other thing that happens with high copper is slow oxidation, because high copper slows down both the adrenal and thyroid glands. Oxidation means to burn or mix with oxygen. Dr. George Watson, a researcher at UCLA, developed the concept of oxidation types. Those who burn food at a slower-than-ideal rate are slow oxidizers. If your thyroid and adrenal glands are very active you will be a fast oxidizer; if they are sluggish, you will be a slow oxidizer.
Stress from excess copper at first puts the body in a state of fast oxidation. Over time, however, the oxidation rate starts to decline and you go into the resistant stage. This can go on for years, where you have one foot on the platform and one foot on the train, and your body is in a constantly unstable condition of being overly stressed yet unable to fully respond. It is during that time that the copper starts to build up. You start to lose your ability to handle the metal. When exhaustion sets in, when your body can’t handle it any longer, that is when the oxidation rate becomes slow. This can be masked for a period if you take enough stimulants.
Slow oxidizers tend to have high calcium levels and fast oxidizers tend to have high sodium and potassium. When you see someone’s chart and they have high calcium, which means they are a slow oxidizer, along with a very high sodium and potassium, which is the signature of fast oxidation, it means they are pumping themselves up enough to overcome the slow oxidation but the calcium brake is still on. The underlying condition is slow oxidation, and buildup of copper, but these individuals are revved up on stimulants.
By the way, vitamin C can act as a stimulant. Often when people go on a nutritional program, they hate being told to take less vitamin C, because they’ve become so dependent on high doses and they don’t think they should take less. But that is what’s keeping them revved up and ultimately wiping them out.
People in slow oxidation are like people with low thyroid, because it is more or less the same thing. They have dry skin and hair, they sweat little and tend toward constipation, depression, fatigue, apathy, low blood sugar, adrenal insufficiency and low blood pressure. As with low thyroid, they tend to gain weight on the hips and have a low body temperature. Slow oxidizers tend to be withdrawn, introverted, less emotionally expressive and may exhibit depression, despair and suicidal thoughts. As the slow oxidation becomes more extreme, more and more of these symptoms will develop.
Copper and Calcium
Calcium and magnesium are part of the body’s braking system. These minerals help you get control and slow down, to avoid burning yourself out. You have to have a way to pull back, and calcium and magnesium are how the body does it. By contrast, sodium and potassium accelerate the metabolism, partly by increasing adrenal cortical hormones.
Newborns have a very high rate of metabolism and relatively low calcium levels. As we age the body begins to apply the calcium brake; as copper builds up, the calcium and magnesium levels rise while the sodium and potassium decline. Rising calcium in the tissues is a defense against the chronic stress which is the cause and effect of copper toxicity. So the body starts retaining calcium to buffer the effects of the copper and that calcium slows you down. That is the calcium brake.
Calcium and magnesium stabilize the body and prevent an excessive metabolism as a defense against stress. Slowing down metabolism can slow down the rate of collapse and allow the buildup of protective minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. This can initially be protective. It prevents the slow oxidizer from experiencing any acute, severe stresses. In essence, since the body can no longer handle stress, it builds a calcium shell and the calcium shell numbs and dulls your sensations and your emotions so you will not over-react. You will be impervious, but the calcium shell will preserve that spark of life that remains.
A high level of calcium is a sign that calcium is building up in the soft tissues. This calcium is being taken from the bones. Yet, just the way that toxic copper is bio-unavailable, this calcium that is building up and showing up very high in the hair analyses is not actually functioning, it is not in a usable, soluble, ionic form in the blood.
Toxic Metals
With ongoing imbalance, the body starts taking any metals that it might be retaining and using them as a substitute: lead can substitute for calcium, cadmium very readily substitutes for zinc, aluminum seems to substitute for just about everything. And the body will retain those metals; they get locked into the tissues, serving as place holders for the proper nutrients.
This is why chelation will not help the condition of toxic metal buildup. Chelation can only attach to a metal that is in free form, available to be picked up and carried out. If the toxic metal is in the body sequestered in the tissues, occurring at enzyme-binding sites or some other location, the chelators cannot get to it, it cannot be taken out and the body will not release that metal. For instance if you have cadmium toxicity, the body very strongly retains cadmium in order to support a low sodium level because cadmium will push the sodium back up. That is part of the reason that high-cadmium substances like tobacco and marijuana can be very addictive—they raise the sodium level and make you feel more normal, as though you have good adrenal function. Your body will not release the cadmium unless it no longer needs the cadmium to support that low sodium level, which means you have got to rebuild the adrenal function until the adrenals are satisfied and say they no longer need this crutch.
Hope
Copper overload and heavy metal toxicity are some of the most difficulty conditions to treat in modern medicine. However, recovery is possible— the right protocol involving diet, nutritional balance and gentle detoxification has helped many of my patients recover both physical and mental health. A healing protocol is outlined below. Meanwhile, it is imperative that we avoid this condition in coming generations by warning young people about the dangers of vegetarian diets and working together to reduce the toxic environmental load.
SIDEBARS
Cod Liver Oil: Part of the Treatment Plan
Cod liver oil is almost always part of my treatment plan—the exceptions would be in a cases where digestion is so imparied that the patient cannot tolerate the oils in cod liver oil
Cod liver oil provides vitamin A, needed for the production of adrenal hormones; and vitamin D, which works synergistically with vitamin A.
I find that cod liver oil is especially helpful for chronic pain due to inflammation. For some people, it relieves pain within one or two days after beginning with a dose of two teaspoons per day. It is also very important for treating obesity, heart conditions, skin problems, constipation and mental problems.
Interesting Facts About Zinc
- Zinc is rapidly lost under stress.
- Zinc is essential for protein synthesis. Low zinc status leads to problems with hormone production, healing and growth.
- Zinc is rapidly used up after injury or surgery as it is needed for protein synthesis.
- Because they are growing so rapidly, teenagers are very prone to zinc deficiencies.
- Zinc deficiency affects the immune system. Zinc kills a lot of viruses on contact. Those deficient in zinc may be susceptible to viruses.
- Zinc is a sedative and calming mineral for the mind. GABA, which is an inhibitory calming neurotransmitter, is zinc dependent.
- The body needs zinc to build protein so the skin and nails very often reveal zinc status. Stretch marks are always a sign of low zinc, at least at the time when they were formed.
- Zinc is essential for production of adrenal cortical hormones, especially aldosterone and cortisol.
- Zinc is critical for normal appetite, smell and taste. A sign of zinc deficiency is lack of appetite in the morning, or even nausea.
- When zinc is low and copper is high, the body will dump copper with consumption of meat, a high-zinc food. For some vegetarians, the copper dump can be so strong, they literally throw up any meat they try to eat. People in this situation will first need to lower their copper levels before they can eat meat. Then they will need to begin with very small amounts of white chicken meat and only very gradually introduce red meat.
- The ideal ratio of copper to zinc is 1:8 in favor of zinc.
- Some plant foods contain zinc, but when they do, it is usually accompanied by a lot of copper. Animal foods are the only good source.
Copper, Heavy Metals, Histamine and the Methylation Cycle
Copper-containing enzymes histaminase and ceruloplasminase regulate histamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us wakeful and that plays a role in local immune response. Elevated copper increases the level of these enzymes and thus promotes histamine breakdown. If you have high copper you will have low histamine and vice versa.
Histamine levels are related to the methylation cycle because methyl and histamine compete with each other. When histamine is high, it is a sign of under-methylation and when histamine is low, there is over-methylation.
Methyl (CH3) is very common in the body, as it is present in most enzymes and proteins. The methylation cycle is the process by which methyl groups are added to a compound; it is a metabolic pathway that is essential for detoxification and for controlling free-radical activity. When a larger molecule has a methyl group added to it, it changes its structure and function. Methylation has a lot to do with turning on and off gene expression—when the body attaches a methyl group to a gene, it becomes active and when it is removed, the gene is turned off. Methylation is very important for body development, including building the myelin sheath and all cell membranes in your brain. If it is impaired a lot of things are going to be impaired including histamine production.
With too much methyl the body will overproduce dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine and serotonin. This fact may explain why high copper is associated with high levels of these neurotransmitters. With too little methyl, the neurotransmitters are low.
SAMe (S-adenosyl methionine) is the main methyl donor in the body. When it donates its methyl group, it becomes S-adenosyl methionine homocysteine. Then the body can get a methyl group from the folic acid cycle and turn SAMe back into methionine. This is called the methylation cycle. When you have oxidative stress, which is what happens with toxic metals such as mercury, it will divert the homocysteine. The homocysteine will go to the formation of glutathione which is probably the primary detoxifier of heavy metals in the liver, and it will go to produce metallothionein, which you need to handle heavy metals. This will happen if your adrenals are working properly because you can’t form good metallothionein without good adrenal function. If you have a lot of heavy metals in your body, you are going to start under-producing methyl to some degree because it is all being diverted to detoxification.
Schizophrenia and Autism
Paranoid schizophrenia is associated with over-methylation, low histamine and high copper. Auditory hallucinations are highly indicative of over-methylation. People with over-methylation tend toward paranoia, obsession and sleep problems. Supplements that reduce methyl are folic acid, vitamin B12 and niacin, which is often used as a treatment for schizophrenia. Copper and zinc imbalance must also be improved in order to reduce the destruction of histamine. Schizophrenia is surprisingly treatable by nutritional means. It is really not that hard to control once you know what you are dealing with. If you do the proper things, it gets better. All the craziness starts to subside very rapidly.
In contrast to schizophrenia, all the markers of methylation are much lower in patients with autism. The nutritional supplements that often improve autistic symptoms support the normal function of the methylation cycle, that is folinic acid, DMG, TMG, methylcobalamin (which is B12 with a methyl group), zinc, B6, glutathione, cysteine and sulphate. To some degree giving glutathione, cysteine and sulphate is a way to keep the body from diverting the homocysteine into detoxification pathways. The other problem is metallothionein, which is one of the carrier proteins controlled by the adrenals. Even before you are born, it is required for immunity, brain and gastrointestinal tract maturation and the regulation of metals. Autistic children seem to be born with a low metallothionein function, so they have impairment in all these areas. They haven’t matured the way they should and so are vulnerable.
Metallothionein is essential for the proper ratio of copper to zinc. If you have a poor copper-zinc ratio, you will have metallothionein dysfunction and won’t be able to detoxify heavy metals. The primary nutrient needed in the formation of metallothionein is zinc. If you have mercury or lead in the gut without any metallothionein there, they are going to react with sulfhydryl groups. Sulfhydryl groups are a combination of sulfur and hydrogen and they are very much attracted to mercury, lead and cadmium, especially mercury.
Among the sulfhydryl groups in the intestines are the enzymes that break down casein and gluten. Toxic metals and low zinc disables these enzymes. This is why you see gluten and casein intolerance in autistic, bipolar and schizophrenic patients, because they all are lacking in metallothionein production. They may react violently to those foods. Without exception, high copper with low zinc along with signs of low metallothionein function with elevated levels of all kinds of toxic metals are seen in every single autistic child tested at the Pfeiffer Center.
Healing Chronic Illness
Many factors must be taken into account to determine the best form of diet and treatment for chronically ill patients. These factors include food sensitivities, gluten allergies, digestive needs, glucose intolerance, ability to digest fats and digestive impairments due to candida albicans, parasites and other factors. Without addressing these types of imbalances precisely, it is very difficult to succeed in healing chronic illness. Chinese Herbal Therapy, Nutritional Balancing, metal detoxification, diet, nutrition and acupuncture, particularly for pain, combined with lifestyle counseling are all important factors in healing chronic illness. Each program is specifically tailored to the patient and not all of these elements are required for healing chronic illness in everyone.
Diet
In general I recommend a low-carb, Atkins-type diet rich in animal foods and animal fats. But in many cases, this diet must be introduced slowly. Often specific herbs for digestive support are required.
Chinese Herbal Therapy
Chinese Herbal Therapy is the most highly developed form of herbal medicine in the world. Many other systems of herbal therapy have much to contribute but the theoretical foundations and the system of diagnosis and treatment which makes up Chinese Herbal Therapy allows for treatment of an extremely wide range of conditions from short-term, and milder problems to so-called “incurable” conditions. While Chinese Herbal Therapy cannot do everything, often it is difficult to obtain certain results without it. It is especially helpful in reducing and eliminating the need for medications and alleviating their side effects.
Nutritional Balancing and Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis
Dr. Paul Eck developed a powerful method of nutritional therapy called Nutritional Balancing. Dr. Eck was a biochemist and naturopath who studied the nutritional status of many thousands of people for over 30 years utilizing the diagnostic method of hair tissue mineral analysis. Hair tissue mineral analysis measures the mineral content of the hair. As hair is a soft tissue of the body, the mineral content of the hair reflects the functions of the body at the cellular level of the soft tissues where all metabolic activity occurs. Blood tests are useful and very important in acute conditions but they often fail to reveal chronic conditions until they are very advanced. This is because the body keeps the blood values as close to normal as possible, even at the expense of the body tissues. Blood values must be maintained in very narrow ranges or severe, even life threatening symptoms may result. Therefore, the body will sacrifice the soft tissues if need be to maintain those values. Hair tissue mineral analysis can reveal the imbalances which have developed at the cellular, soft tissue level. Using this information, Dr. Eck developed a highly sophisticated nutritional therapy designed to reverse the toxic and degenerative developments in the body due to all types of stress. After many years of experience with this method of nutritional therapy, I can say it is the most powerful and effective method I have seen. It is the best way to address problems of toxic metals, which are very often an important factor in chronic fatigue and chronic illness in general.
Heavy Metals and the Limits of Chelation
Chelation and other forms of detoxification from heavy metals can only remove metals that are in a free form. In many cases, these metals such as aluminum, mercury, nickel, cadmium and lead are tightly bound and sequestered in the body tissues. The body is actually making use of these toxic metals as substitutes for minerals that are deficient or bio-unavailable in the body. The preferred minerals are the optimal minerals needed for each enzyme function in the body. If a preferred mineral is not present, due to deficiency, bio-unavailability, or any other reason, it is replaced with a less optimal mineral in the enzyme binding site. The result is lowered efficiency and often breakdown of that enzyme function. This is an adaptive mechanism that allows us to survive in the face of deficiencies or metal toxicity. Replacing less-preferred minerals is a central concept in Nutritional Balancing and in healing chronic illness. As the balancing and replacement process proceeds, the body releases nutrients and toxic metals that were acting as replacements for the optimal minerals. Until the nutritional status of the body has shifted to a degree that supplies these minerals in a usable form to the tissues, the body will not release the toxic metals. Nutritional Balancing is a method that systematically re-balances the body chemistry to allow the tissues to release these toxic metals and replace them with the proper nutrients to allow full cellular functioning and energy production. The balancing process is achieved by providing the specific nutrients needed to balance the oxidation rate and support the energy production pathway in the cells. These nutrients are determined by the results of a properly performed hair tissue mineral analysis. As cellular energy is restored and nutritional deficiencies and bio-unavailabilities improved, healing naturally proceeds.
The Healing Crisis
Detoxification, die-off, re-tracing, healing crisis—these are all terms for similar phenomena that are an important part of the healing process. Natural healing is based on encouraging the body to rebuild body functions and cleanse itself of toxic substances or infections and is not always a matter of immediately feeling better. When healing chronic illness, feeling better is often fairly low on the body’s list of priorities. When the body is working to rebuild the very foundation from which human energy flows, diverting some of that precious and at this stage, limited, energy to make us feel better may not be a prudent use of the energy. As the body heals through diet, nutritional balancing and herbal therapy, little by little symptoms become more comfortable and fade away over time. But in the earlier stages of the healing process, at times there can be flare-ups of symptoms. A healing crisis is a period in the healing process when we actually feel worse than before. This can be due to a number of factors. Often when the healing process is stimulated in the body with herbal therapy, dietary changes or a nutritional program, the body’s energies are directed inward to the organs and tissues where this work is occurring. Healing is work for the body and requires energy to do it. This can make us fatigued, just as when we are fighting an infection.
Many of us over-expend our energy and force it to the surface with stimulants such as coffee and sugar. We may feel better when we do this, but these stimulants ultimately exhaust us and lay the ground work for chronic illness. Natural therapies reverse this process, sending the energies deeper into the body to promote healing. But we will not have as much energy to spend as we may be accustomed to spending. Resting as much as possible is the cure for this problem and it will pass as the body becomes stronger and has more real energy available.
In the Nutritional Balancing process, often the first reason for symptoms to worsen or recur is the detoxification of heavy metals. Nutritional Balancing has a very powerful ability to support the body’s own ability to release heavy metals from the tissues where they may have been building up for many years due to impaired metabolism. During the first three to nine months of the nutritional protocol and retesting process, it is very common to release metals such as copper, aluminum, mercury, manganese, cadmium and lead. As these toxic substances are released from tissue storage, and move through the blood to be excreted through the liver and kidneys, they are capable of causing some of the symptoms typical of acute exposure to the metal. In addition, for many chronically ill people, some degree of liver detoxification impairment is part of their problems and can even be due to the very metal being cleared, especially in the case of copper toxicity.
Slowing down the Nutritional Balancing program by reducing the number of times per day the protocol is taken in order to slow down the release of the metal is the simplest approach to reducing the detox symptoms. However, this can interfere with the other benefits of the program if the dosage reduction continues for many months. There are a few products that can improve the detox process to the degree that a more normal level of supplement usage can be maintained during the detox process and allow for faster progress overall in rebuilding body energy. Copper elimination often aggravates the same chronic problems the copper has been causing including skin problems, irritable bowel, digestive disturbances, headaches, neuralgia, hormonal imbalances, constipation and insomnia. The best product for improving copper detox symptoms is Extended Health’s Liver Support. This was developed for use during various methods of chelation and it really does help the liver to handle the higher influx of metal to be cleansed from the system.
Nutritional Balancing is a highly sophisticated nutritional system that rebuilds the body’s own ability to chelate and excrete heavy metal. It balances body chemistry to allow the cells to release metals that are sequestered deep in the tissues and are not available to be removed by externally administered chelating agents. Using a Nutritional Balancing approach also prevents the significant loss of essential minerals from the body that is typical of intravenous and oral chelation in spite of the mineral supplements that are usually given. However, the release of metal at times can be quite high so formulas such as Liver Support can bolster the liver’s ability to excrete metal into the bile, through the gall bladder into the intestinal tract and then out through the bowels. All of these organs must be active enough to complete the process of full elimination of the metal.
The best general chelating product that can improve urinary output of metals such as lead, aluminum, copper and mercury without pulling out large amounts of calcium, magnesium and zinc, is the RNA Results Advanced Cellular Zeolite. This zeolite is absolutely pure and suspended in 100 percent pure water. It is nano-sized which means that very small doses are highly effective due to the greatly increased surface area of the zeolite crystals. Because the zeolite has a cagelike shape, once the positively charged molecules of mercury, lead, copper and other substances such as free radicals and toxic chemicals bond to the zeolite, they are neutralized and no longer capable of interacting with the body to cause symptoms. The zeolite leaves the body within five to seven hours along with the toxic substance that has bonded to it. Due to the low dosage required when using pure nano-sized zeolite, the digestive side effects that sometimes occur with micron-sized products do not occur. Zeolite, like all chelating substances, can only pick up metals that have been released from the tissues in a free form. This product must be purchased from a licensed health care provider.
Suggested Reading
- Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis, Lawrence Wilson, MD
- Energy, Colin and Loren Chatsworth
- Toxic Metals in Human Health and Disease, Dr. Paul C. Eck and Dr. Larry Wilson
- The Strands of Health: A Guide to Understanding Hair Mineral Analysis, Rick Malter, PhD
- Trace Elements and Other Essential Nutrients: Clinical Application of Tissue Mineral Analysis, Dr. David L. Watts
- Toxic Metal Syndrome: How Metal Poisonings Can Affect Your Brain, Dr. H. Richard Casdorph and Dr. Morton Walker
- Why Am I Always So Tired?, Ann Louise Gittleman, MS, CNS
- Mental and Elemental Nutrients, Carl C. Pfeiffer, PhD, MD
- Nutrition and Mental Illness, Carl C. Pfeiffer, PhD, MD
- Natural Healing for Schizophrenia and Other Common Mental Disorders, Eva Edelman
- Depression Free, Naturally, Joan Mathews Larson, PhD
- Changing the Course of Autism, Bryan Jepson, MD
- Children With Starving Brains, Jaquelyn McCandless, MD
- Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD
- Healing Schizophrenia, Abram Hoffer, MD
- The Natural Medicine Guide to Schizophrenia, Stephanie Marohn
- The Natural Medicine Guide to Autism, Stephanie Marohn
- Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome, James L. Wilson, ND, DC, PhD
- Chronic Fatigue Unmasked, Geral E. Poesnecker, ND, DC
- An Alternative Approach to Allergies, Theron G. Randolph, MD, and Ralph W. Moss, PhD
- Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, Dr. Robert C. Atkins
- The Yeast Connection, William Crook, MD
- Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution, Richard K. Bernstein, MD
- Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon with Mary Enig, PhD
- Know Your Fats, Mary Enig, PhD
- The Mood Cure, Julia Ross, MA
- Toxic Psychiatry, Peter R. Breggin, MD
- Heart Failure, Thomas J. Moore
- The Schwartzbein Principle, Diana Schwartzbein, MD
Chinese Herbal Support
In general, various forms of Chinese herbal therapy are very helpful in the early stages of healing to help control symptoms and reduce the need for medication. There are many excellent formulas to help with menstrual and menopausal symptoms, gall bladder discomfort, breathing problems and coughing, digestive weaknesses and pain of many types. The herbal tonics when used properly are an excellent method of speeding up the rebuilding process, increasing energy and reducing the effects of aging. For very targeted therapy of specific problems, it is often more effective than other methods. It combines well with Nutritional Balancing although many people find the nutritional program to be all they need.
The well known and commonly available Chinese herbal formula called Yin Chiao, or Yin Qiao is very helpful in relieving detox and die-off symptoms as well as general discomfort ranging from sore throats, insect bites, ear aches, and non-chronic headaches to poison oak and neuralgia, especially trigeminal neuralgia. Taken right away and frequently during the onset of a cold, it can stop it or make it much milder if the flu is not very strong. If it comes on anyway, Yin Chiao is very helpful with the symptoms and reduces fever. It is especially helpful in candida detoxification and can be used quite freely to control the flu-like symptoms typical of candida die off. It can be taken every hour at first until symptoms begin to subside. Then take it whenever the symptoms recur. The main contraindication is loose bowels although only a few have this problem and it is usually temporary. For some, it is just too laxative at high doses. After a while, as the candida clears the system, it will not cause such severe reactions as there will not be as much candida in the system dying off all at once. The liver will be able to take care of the toxins released and no particular symptoms will occur.
The digestive discomfort that occurs with all kinds of detox and die off situations is very often helped by the Chinese herbal formula known as Curing Pill. The Health Concerns brand called Quiet Digestion is particularly effective. Quiet Digestion is excellent for cramping, bloating, gas, generally poor digestion, nausea, diarrhea and when combined with Yin Chiao, is very good for the stomach flu. It will control irritable bowel episodes if it is taken three pills each hour and the person lies down until the symptoms pass. Usually three doses will do it. Copper toxicity causes many irritable bowel type symptoms including bloating, cramping, and abdominal tenderness. Quiet Digestion taken regularly will minimize the flare up of this problem while the copper is being eliminated.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Winter 2008.
This is good news… a bit overwhleming, but good to hear and chew on. I’ll have to read it again, and again, but am grateful that I am on the right path, just trying to think of how to boil this down for those who are just beginning or not even started on this path…simple: read Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig, and start making time to learn the basics. And find a doctor, if possible, who is familiar with Nutritional Balancing…
Thank you for such an informative and well written article.It has made alot of sense to me since being diagnosed with elevated Lead,Mercury and I am on the east cost. Chelation is an exspensive,uncertain option. I am grateful for all of your info. on this subject.
What an amazing and eye opening article. I suspect my 3 yr old most likely has copper toxicity. I have just gotten in touch with a nutritionist to get a hair mineral analysis done. Thank you so much for this insight! Very well written.
@Jennifer
The page number has been replaced by a link to the sidebar referred to.
Extremem adrenal fatigue with numerous other signs you mention re metal toxicity
You say: “Copper overload and heavy metal toxicity are some of the most difficulty conditions to treat in modern medicine. However, recovery is possible— the right protocol involving diet, nutritional balance and gentle detoxification has helped many of my patients recover both physical and mental health. A healing protocol is outlined on page 42.” Where is page 42 (of what?) and what is the protocol? Please direct me, as I need this info and support very much. Thank you, Jennifer Reed
She mentioned these in the body of the article;
Health Concerns – Quiet Digestion
Extended Health – Liver Support
RNA Results Advanced Cellular Zeolite
I pasted all these into the amazon and google search bar and they all came up no problem.
Chelation protocol
I’ve been doing chelation and studying it for several years now. I use Andy Cutler’s protocol: http://www.noamalgam.com. There is a yahoo group where you can lots of help called frequent-dose-chelation. His protocol has been around for a number of years, he’s a scientist, he is recommended by Hulda Clark, among others. Mothers have cured their autistic children with his protocol; adults have cured themselves of a number of ailments. Very safe, time-tested.
referral
Glenneth
oh .. & the referral was via Laurel Blair, NTP ‘s site . She lives in Sonoma county & has similar influences as you.
GIRL !
Hey.. I FINALLY got through all of this. I do see indicators of high copper per your writing. And .. I think I have experienced some of the detox from using zinc. Soundz like it might be wise to start additional magnesium also. One step @ a time. I just learned our hourly pay @ work has been reduced. ;(
Mr. G
I just had a copper IUD removed, and suffering from all the symptoms of copper toxicity. I found this clay detoxification bath for copper while researching solutions online, and wondered what you thought of its effectiveness? http://renewalenterprises.com/db0010ll.html
Hi Natalie. I had my copper iud paragard removed yesterday after 4 years. I am have severe problems. Hot flashes, very tired, nauseous, couldn’t drive home after an appointment. I don’t know what’s going on . Is this copper toxic withdrawal? What helps? How long does it last?
I had been considering switching to a non-hormonal form of birth control due to my migraines, & was considering the IUD. Since the IUD contains copper, this presents some problems. I believe that I actually had adrenal fatigue throughout my 20s (no one could figure out what was wrong with me) & I certainly don’t want to bring _that_ back; however, I also believe that taking progesterone every day (Micronor) can’t be very good for me, either. Which do you think is the lesser evil? I do need to use a method that is highly reliable; so it appears that my options are hormones or IUD.
Don’t know if my comment went through so apologies if I’m double-posting.
Thanks so much for this article. Has some new interesting things for me to follow-up. I’ve been copper detoxing for several months now, really struggling with the emotional symptoms. This was an encouragement to keep going when nobody around me really has heard anything about copper before so it must be sounding like it’s “One more of Sue’s health things she goes on about from time to time but never manages to get her health to a good level.”
What foods contain what levels of the metals??
I too have enjoyed reading your above article. However, it would have been more infomative if you gave examples or let us know what foods / or what diets that contain the above metals. And what to avoid if suffering from one of the above.
thank you
I have five children who all have various HM toxicity symptoms – especially chronic nasal congestion. The youngest is very autistic. Contrary to the article, his blood reveals low copper, therefore under-methylation. I have read that copper is depleted by mercury. What is your opinion and recommendation for helping him?
I now know what is wrong with me all these years
I was born with ADD and Avoidant personality disorder. I was so fearful all my life. I was the last child of four. I think I got a good copper dump from my mother, she had been on birth control pills for years before she accidently got pregnant with me. She was stressed out while she was pregnant with me, my dad was about to leave her for another woman. I also have Type A blood type so I produce more cortisol. I was a fast oxidizer until I got pregnant with my first child and then I started to slow down. I had my first sinus congestion problems when I got pregnant. I can’t eat dairy without getting stuffy. I live on stimulants and I am going to the doctor friday for adrenal fatigue. I have most of the symptoms of pyroluria and after 30 years of suffering and wonder what the heck is wrong with me I finally know. I just am not completely sure of how to go about getting the copper out. I don’t do well on a low carb diet. I don’t know if I can give up coffee, what do I do to function in the morning if I can’t have my coffee? I wished I would of read this article years ago. I could hug the person that shared this. I am so happy to finally know what is wrong with me.
Hey, we can control our mind, not control by coppers. For example, you just don’t think & worry about it and get to sleep lo. just easy as that.. i agreed that food does effects the overall health. But how can a person’s mind be controlled by food. Please explain.
FINALLY, I got diagnosed after eight years. I HAVE SEVERE COPPER POISONING. blood level 149. Severe skin problems. Went to countless dermatologists. I have been very ill. I live with headaches, sinus problems, nausea and skin sores. Thanks for the Educational article.
Ms.
I have severe Copper Toxicity. My doctor Finally figured out what was wrong with me. Copper is very very bad for my body. Blood test 149 level. Way too high. My skin is about to rot off of my body. I have had Copper poisoning for eight years. Went to over one hundred doctors, none of them knew. I mainly went to Dermatologists, as I have severe skin sores from the copper. I sure do hope that someone can help me to get rid of it. I have every bad symptom that it can cause. My hair fell out. Live with nausea, headaches and very bad skin sores That Hurt and Burn. Thanks for the article
I finally found a doc that diagnosed all my chronic issues. My blood was low in pregnenalone so I’ve been researching adrenal fatigue & have learned that my allergies, fatigue, sinus congestion, headaches & insomnia are only symptoms of adrenal fatigue. I was vegan for 8 years so I’m going to take zinc, magnesium and b vitamins. Cutting out all carbs would be hard so I’m hoping I don’t have to do that. I do sprout, sourdough &/or soak carbs though. Wish I would have known how harmful the vegan diet is. Thanks for sharing all of this helpful info! Hopeful I can fix this issue cuz I sure can’t live with this fatigue!
Hey there
I had a HTMA in 2012 which showed high Copper so i have been taking high dose Zinc to counteract the Copper and also doing Infrared Saunas.
My recnt HTMA in 2014 May – showed copper levels have tripled!! Could this be die off? Does it work this way?
Thanks!!!
Wow, Valie. That is discouraging. I hope you get a relevant, helpful reply. I just found out I’m low in zinc, plus copper to zinc ratios are off. To top it off, my D (1,25) level is way above range. Best wishes.
It sounds like your body is dumping copper that was previously hidden and this is a good thing. Are you working with a nutritional balancing or similar practitioner who is familiar with Dr Eck’s work and protocols?
What should I do if I have both adrenal fatigue and copper overload? what will be the copper treatment that not lead to adrenal crash and should I treat copper or adrenal to get health? because the treatment for these two is different. there isn’t a naturopath in my country.
do-it-yourself procedure without drugs … or side effects.
Treatment is simple- remove your baby from the heated area and allow them to cool off.
There are some superb all-natural remedies for keratosis pilaris.
It’s an antioxidant that supports the production of
collagen. Still, don’t overdo it, a lot of products in the list are
allergens. Sometimes they can develop a skin pore pimple (pore) infection. One that contains vitamin C – important to the
production of collagen – may help to restore elasticity to
stressed, aging skin. Just bear in mind water with excessive sugar and also
alcoholic and coffee are not advisable for a person’s overall health.
This protocol should be followed at every diaper change
until the rash has cleared. If your skin condition is preventing you from putting your best face.
It’s an X-linked dominantly inherited condition caused by mutations
in a gene known as NEMO. There are several
different types of fungi that can cause ringworm in pets.
Article Source: for more information about treating common male organ health problems,
including soreness, redness and loss of male organ sensation.
You never know what to expect and nothing is definite.
Currently there aren’t any cures for this rare genetic
disorder. If dry skin or oily , talk to your doctor about your skin condition and learn how best to clean and protect your skin. conditions at their root …
which, interestingly enough, often centers. An example of
the irritant kind of dermatitis would be a poisonous chemical or
other substance that creates a rash when it touches your skin. If the product you are using is incorrect you
could do further damage to your skin without even realizing it.
The same vitamin contain also green leafy vegetables.
According to hair lab here I had the worst copper load in the country. My ca/k ratio is 1875% of what it should be. All my minerals are low. Both sodium & potassium are low. I’ve been trying to get the copper and calcium down for nearly 7 yrs now to no avail. That includes with nutritional balancing. I have addisons disease. Now it shows up as thyroid disease but of course, hair test had said my adrenals, thyroid, pancreas, kidneys and liver all dysfunctional.
With all that chelating the lead & cadmium reduced (which was also too high). I have been much kinder to my adrenals, I do the coffee enemas & near infrared heat but without improvements in all the areas mentioned above it seems a losing battle. I can’t take the pain any longer, if that’s where the pain is coming from. I have a very long list of virals so I don’t know if I’m getting extra pain from a reoccuring virus or bulging discs in my neck. The only thing I know is I’m not getting the pain from food allergies that I did for 4 decades. I do take low dose cortisol and have finally balanced my other hormones. All of this is with doctors that have no clue. Nutritional balancing doesn’t recommend supplementing adrenal hormones but with a cortisol level of 35 in the morning I would just die. I got so allergic I couldn’t live in a house because of all the building materials. What can I do about this copper and calcium that won’t move??
Magnesium will balance the calcium, zinc will balance the copper. Try a supplement with a combination of Magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, Potassium and Selenium. I hope you are feeling better.
What if my htma shows no copper, but I have the rest. High cal mag, normal zinc. Also severe adrenal, bad sod/pot ratio I have every sx down to groc store being big deal. Help! What to do.
Oh I had high aluminum, no copper. To add to my.post. does anyone answer these. Ill give my email?
Try going to the poster’s website at http://www.tvernonlac.com to ask for help. Just a suggestion.
Greetings during this beautiful Season of Christmas,
I have read your amazingly well-written article and have some questions:
1) we live in VA. where can we get tested for metals? Is there a reputable lab we can mail in OR do we need bloodwork?
1a) I see folks write about hair analysis. What can you tell us about such compared to bloodwork compared to other tests?
2) how do we find a practitioner to help us with metal evaluation and healing protocol, given that our family has Lyme Disease and co-infections, and fungus, probably Candida Albicans?
3) we cannot afford to spend $10,000 per family member and our oldest had Lyme/co-infections and was diagnosed with Lupus four years ago; our 2nd oldest has chronic Lyme; our 3rd daughter has Lyme/co-infections; our 4th daughter has had joint pain and inflammation and spinal column pains but no Lyme titers, just one knee “balloon” with seemingly Lyme symptoms. They are exhausted almost all the time and, except fot the 12-year old, they have terrible menstrual cycles.
Our son (15) has fungus (prob. Candida; naturopath could not figure out what it was) and he gets tired easily.
My husband and I both have old (prob mercury-filled) amalgam fillings and we are exhausted all the time (in our early 50s now). We have both had antibiotics in our lives. I had them when I was birthing our 1st and 2nd daughters, for sure, and was on Terbutulyne (non-FDA approved drug back in early 90s) AND I have nursed all five of our children. So, only in last couple of years have we begun to realize that we need to address the WHOLE body and ALL the problems, not just Lyme, not just pains, not just de-toxing toxins AND metals……
Thank you for your kind attention to my queries. We would love to come visit you but cannot afford to. Do you have a colleague who practices out East?
Hi,
Last year I was diagnosed clinically BPD II. At first it was diagnosed as depression, but with tests and further visits to General practitioner and my Psychologist and a psychiatrist, I was sent to be admitted in a mental health hospital. Although the hospital do not believe about undermethylation and pyrrole disorder sadly which my General practitioner has diagnosed me through blood tests. That is how you get your metals in your body tested. You will have to look for a doctor who has studied this side of medicine for them to be able to prescribe you get this kind of blood testing. Check this website too: http://www.walshinstitute.org/
I’ve waned off usual Lithium medication and now just taking prescribed measured mineral based medication depending on my blood readings every quarter, the doctor gets a compounding chemist formulate your minerals of what you lack, and minerals that will get you to excrete excess minerals in your body, i.e. copper in my case.
Thank you for this great review!
Through the work of Dr.Chris Shade at http://www.quicksilverscientific.com I have come to understand the following:
Inorganic mercury from amalgams doesn’t show up in blood tests since it is excreted via the kidneys and urine. This happens only the kidneys are functioning well and the proximal tubules are not damaged. Speciation testing will separate how well the kidneys are working to allow detox of inorganic mercury.
The Tri-Mercury Test measures both liver (for methylmercury detox) and kidney (for inorganic mercury detox)
EUREKA! At long last the stars seem to be aligned, and help be on it’s way!!! I am 66 years old and it is by Divine Providance I am alive! With all the toxins I have been exposed to from where and when I was raised, (1 mile from the St. Louis/East St. Louis industrial corridor lining the Mississippi river with barge full of chemicals arriving 24/7 from both up and down directions), the careers I had (in 2 pharmacology and physiology medical research facilities, dental assistants dental hygienit…ALL before gloves are masks were used. a The “mouthly” bare handed exposures to all the heavy metals in amalgam, toxic chemicals of fluorides and phosphates brought me to my knees, literally. And then the fluoride containing antibiotic and anti yeast medicines given to combat the misdiagnosed-as-chronic-sinus-infection-when-it-was-really-symptoms-of-acute-fluoride/heavy metal-toxcity left me really really…I mean REALLY SICK!!!
I used to have to hold my hand out to have people make change for me because I could no longer remember what nickels, dimes or quarter were worth any longer. With the Fluorides combining with heavy metal aluminum and tin (stannous), I went into Alzhemier’ s dementia in my early 40’s which eventually blessedly settled into severe Learning disabilities with all the cognitive issues associated with devastating ADD ADHAD and no memory. I was a poster child for all the myriad of syndromes, illnesses and conditions these toxins caused.
By the Grace of GOD I always retained my one full motivation. And that was to figure out what happened to me that caused all these and how I could recovery my health and well being. Last year I was blessed to have discovered something that greatly enhanced and turned on my cellular communication. Most of my cognitive skills have returned. What I am left with now is needing to know the safest, most effective ways to remove the deep repositories of sequestered heavy metals from cells. I need to find a way to do so ,so no mobilized heavy metals are redistributed to my brain, nerves are other organs. I live right between Austin, Dallas and Houston. Even though I have a large central Texas medical facility in Temple, not one doctor I can find in the health care system has any knowledge. Help me please. I need a recommendation for a specialist which can test, guide and direct me in this last stage of detoxification. PLease, if you can help contact me via the majestic@sbcglobal.net address. Entitle it, “EUREKA” so an unfamiliar address will not be discarded in spam. Thank you in advance for whatever you can do.
Please forgive how long this comment is! I know better to go back and try to edit it. I will end up deleting it because it always sounds like I am whining when I try to put this 40+ journey tin print. Mo
I was surprised to not find any mention of charcoal, or activated charcoal, in the above article or any of the comments. I used to keep it on hand for unexpected diarrhea but when my doctor discovered I was using it he warned me that it removes metals from the body. I just discovered a website with in-depth coverage on it which you may find helpful: http://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/charcoal.html
Hi,
I thought this information might interest you.
(http://www.klinghardtacademy.com/Articles-with-Protocols/DMPS-Challenge.html)
Best of luck with everything,
Luthien
That would be mojestic@sbcglobal.net not majestic. Any help will be appreciated.
This is conflicting with consuming beef liver. So, a HTMA test would be the place to start?
I recently discovered that my copper is very low. I have been experiencing symptoms that are very similar to MS and even having some of my veins “blow out”. I was afraid of copper but was supplementing vitamin c and iron for the last year in order to correct an anemia problem.
I don’t eat a lot of foods that contain copper and drink filtered (rev osmosis) water. I would have never thought of copper being my issue because everyone says that we are ALL getting too much.
WE ALL are not getting too much. It’s about balance. Most multi-vitamins contain zinc and vitamin c but no copper!?? I don’t believe that there is so much excess in copper.
Hi, I read read the article. It is not great. For example, the author mentions that schizophrenics have high copper and over-methylate. Then the author goes on to say that autistics under-methylate, and tries to make autistics look like the complete opposite of shizophrenics. However, not all autistics under-methylate, plus people with autism also tend to have high copper. The author does not even mention that, which is kind of a major point, copper being a major issue for people with autism. Also, people with autism are much more likely to develop schizophrenia. So autism and schizophrenia are not opposites, since the conditions often co-occur. So, based on that paragraph alone, I would not trust the article. Some things are true but you would have to spend a few months trying to pull apart truth from misunderstanding in that article. Also, you cannot even mention aluminum toxicity without mentioning the benefits of high silica water. Major omission.
Also in reference to schizophrenia, the author actually wrote, “All the craziness starts to subside very rapidly.” In the schizophrenia world (I know this because my sister suffers from this) it is extremely politically incorrect to use the “C” word (i.e. crazy). So anyone writing on this topic should really avoid that word if she or he wants to be taken seriously. The word is quite offensive to those suffering from schizophrenia.
Wow, that’s a lot of information to assimilate. I’m very interested and appreciate the research and suggested reading list. I can discern the logic and while only a paramedic will continue to slowly digest this knowledge. Thank you for taking the time to offer your theory and I’ll look into the supplements as well.
What can eliminate the heavy metals from the soft tissue without upsetting the mineral balance? Does taking a mineral supplement help this situation in high or low copper? Please give insight thanks!
Serotonin is not an activating neurotransmitter, it’s calming. Also, I thought copper toxicity lowers dopamine levels, rather than raising them….?