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MERCURY POISONING
Mercury has been a known poison for centuries. Toxic levels of mercury can cause or exacerbate autoimmune diseases, infections, unexplained chronic fatigue, depression,
nerve impairment, memory problems, decreased mental clarity, bowel disorders, and many other problems that are seemingly unrelated. With laboratory testing and a
thorough history and physical examination, experienced health care professionals can detect harmful mercury levels, advise on how to avoid exposure and
formulate a plan of detoxification. If further exposure is avoided, the body will efficiently eliminate mercury over a period of several months.
MERCURY EXPOSURE
Mercury exposure occurs from mercury/silver dental amalgams and environmental contamination (occupation, polluted air/water, pesticides, processed foods, cosmetics,
mining, smelting, coal smoke, some large fish and more).
Mercury has always existed in the earth's crust and in the human body. The clinical problem now is
to determine the threshold of safe tolerance and the upper limits before toxicity occurs.
CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS
- Minimize exposure! Prevention is always better than treatment of symptoms. Be aware of your environment, what you eat and drink, what you
apply to your skin (mercury can be absorbed through the skin), over-the-counter medications, and chemicals used in the home or at work. Check the labels of
cosmetics and eat non-processed, organic foods when possible.
- With special laboratory tests, experienced health care professionals can estimate the mercury
load within the body by how much is being excreted in the urine. This is done by the order and under the supervision of a licensed health care
professional.
- DMSA to remove mercury is taken by mouth. DMSA binds with mercury, arsenic and lead, hastening
removal from the body. The usual adult dose for mercury chelation is 500 mg DMSA (five 100 milligram capsules) on an empty stomach on first arising in the morning with a
glass of water or juice, and no food for another 30 minutes. This dose is taken 3 days per week with at least one day between each dose. Monday, Wednesday
and Friday is a convenient schedule. This is continued for 3 months. Then wait another month without DMSA before retesting, allowing mercury in the
body to equilibrate with blood and urine.
- EDTA has little or no effect on mercury in the body, probably because mercury binds more tightly to other molecules. Mercury detoxification is the one problem for
which oral chelation is the best choice, using DMSA by mouth. EDTA does not remove mercury and arsenic while oral DMSA does.
- Nutritional supplements, that contain magnesium and selenium, along with a wide variety of other
essential micronutrients, and help to overcome symptoms.
RELATED RESEARCH/ARTICLES:
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Copyright © 2005
by Eduardo Castro, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
Mount
Rogers Clinic
Trout Dale, Virginia
Phone:
(276)
677-3631
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