When I realized all of my symptoms were pointing to heavy metal toxicity it was like a lightning strike for me. Right away I removed all of my amalgam fillings as safely as possible and researched all of the methods to detox mercury. The protocol that seemed the safest was by Andrew Cutler (AC). I did it for three years, had some improvements but ultimately hit a brick wall. I now use a compound called OSR/NBMI and you can find my blog posts about it.
This page is mostly a detail account of the ACC protocol which I no longer recommend based on my experience.
What you see below is my mercury chelation (detox) journal with rounds explaining which chelator, dosage and my experiences with them. You’ll see me referring to various supplements. I also take various other herbal formulas and supplements to help support my adrenals, liver and detox process. Some acronyms that you’ll see are:
ACE – Adrenal Cortex (not adrenal glandular)
AH – Antihistamine (usually Cetirizine)
ALA – Alpha Lipoic Acid (chelator)
BP – Bupleurum & Peony Formula (Chinese herbal formula)
BC – Bupleurum & Cyperus Formula (Chinese herbal formula)
CBD – Cannabidiol (non psycho active hemp extract)
CF – The Core Four per AC: Magnesium, Vitamin C, Zinc and Vitamin E
DMPS – Dimercapto-propane sulfonate (chelator)
DMSA – Dimercaptosuccinic acid (chelator)
JYP – Jiang Ya Pian Formula (liver heat)
MT – Milk Thistle
OnR – On round (the three day chelating period)
OffR – Off round (the three day rest and recoup period)
PE- Pancreatic Enzymes (KREON)
SL – Selenium
(Other things in the protocol: Vit. B6 and A, Taurine, Te Xiao Zao Ren An Mian Pian [Sleepeace], An Shen Bu Xin Pian [SpiritCalm], Tian Wang Bu Xin Pian [HeartVigor], Celery juice or powder)
As the various symptoms improve or disappear, I will highlight them in the note section in between rounds.
NOTE: Started first round March 21, 2018. Tested with DMPS only, Then with DMSA only. Then higher dose DMPS, seem to tolerate just as OK as lower dose.
[1] DMPS 5 mg
Started to feel amped after 2 days, could not sleep, strange feeling in sinuses and left brain side – metallic pressure. Some fatigue. Off round increased tinnitus and wired. 03-21-2018
[2] DMSA 6.5 mg
Calmer on it, sleepy first day but then feel more energetic and amped up. Sleep is awful, waking up every 2.5 hours. Seems like at 3 hours I become very antsy already and need to take another dose to equalize. Overall not so bad when managed with all these other supplements. Almost feel energetic and upbeat. Sauna afterwards felt great to come off of round. No gut issues. Post round symptoms not too bad, first day some fatigue, second better. Seems DMSA is a good option for me too. 03-27-2018
[3] DMPS 10 mg
Tolerating surprisingly well, even better than first round. Very little that feeling around in my right temple. Fatigue is about the same but supporting with ACE, would be too hard without it – had rough time the day I skipped. Sleep is pretty good, again surprisingly, better than on first round, could sleep without antihistamine first two nights. Second night got less sleep. Third even with drowsy antihistamine was very rough, can feel it. More fatigue during day time. Day of last round felt that tension in right brain as before but that night took Ibuprofen, antihistamine, GABA, theanine and slept till 5:30 with one brief wakening. 04-02-2018
[4] DMSA 13 mg
First day seemed fine but could not fall asleep or sleep, was also very hot. Possible reasons: rice dish with lamb (plovas), rye bread, goat cheese, sauna and sun exposure during day time. Was very hot at night. Bad insomnia continues, feeling very activated and hot at night, not much is helping, even antihistamines not working. Day time fatigue and feeling depressed. Dose probably too high at this point. Definitely more amped up than on DMPS. Was doing this wrong (every 3 hours when needed every 4). 3rd night on round was totally different, supp record: melat., sleep peace, TAURINE, He shou wu, L-Theanine, purple edition CBD, drowsy antihistamine. First night off round was similar but second part of the night was restless. Similar supplement plan as the night before except no He Shou Wu second part and Taurine was before dinner. 3rd night off round could not fall asleep without Zyrtec (histamine issues), took He Shou Wu, Taurine and regular stuff. Had chills till 2am, very cold and then suddenly an adrenaline jolt in sleep and was up hot. Similar thing with chills already happened before. 04-08-2018
[5] ALA 25 mg
First two days felt almost nothing, in fact kind of calm and less tinnitus, perhaps some spurts of fatigue but nothing too unusual. Sleep was OK with antihistamines. Third day felt slower digestion, more dampness. Night had acid back up into my mouth – very strange. Next day weak, no appetite, nauseous, pressure in liver area. Hardly ate anything that day. Night had fever. More fatigue and no appetite. Seems like a toxic liver issue but could have been a simple stomach virus. May have to try with lower ALA dose in case this was liver intox but also learned my lesson and will need to support it better with Milk Thistle, Bupleurum, etc. Also, this could have been caused by HE SHOU WU as it is contraindicated with dampness, low appetite, etc. Will skip it till my digestion recovers a bit. 04-14-2018
[6] DMPS/ALA 10/12.5
Uneventful round. Some sporadic tinnitus, some sporadic fatigue but latter is mostly due improper liver support or prolonged use of drowsy antihistamine. Taurine is in question as fatigue cause, also Niacinamide. Milk thistle at three packs is also a question. Sleep is decent and possible without meds, difficulty falling asleep but this could be because DMPS is a bit activating – need to try taking it much earlier than bedtime and just take another one at 2AM together with a hit of ALA. Vit C at night seems too activating and problematic for gut. 2 more nights after round were good for sleep, slept all the way to 4am, didn’t need to pee and wasn’t hot – very impressing. Post round fatigue second and third day afternoon is the worst. Third day morning was amazing, felt great, thought was ready for another round but afternoon energy crashed but probably due to dampness – rainy day. 04-20-2018
NOTE: Overall sleep is slightly improving, noticing a slightly deeper release of nervous system. Juicing CELERY has been amazing for digestion – more bile flow, etc. Last night before round was rough – felt amped up, could have been something I ate – still very sensitive.
[7] DMPS/ALA 10/25
Double ALA dose in hopes last time crash was due to poor liver/bile support because other than that all was going relatively smooth. First two days were pretty smooth, third day had some bad fatigue; lucky was home because it might had been too tough at work. A bit of extra ACE wasn’t helping but adding to its usual side effects. Seems like there was less of those sensations in the right side of head and tinnitus but there’s more stuffy feeling where everything sounds dull and uninspiring. First day off round felt OK but I could tell body is stressed, slight heart palpitations, more heat in the organs, etc. Took a sauna in afternoon which felt good. Next two days felt waves of fatigue but manageable. Supplements: Some ACE, Milk Thistle, Cour 4, B6, Linseed oil, Cod Liver oil, L-Theanine, Salvia and Shen herbs at night to cool the engines, juiced Celery through entire round – felt great, much easier detox. Because of fatigue, might take an extra day to recover. Sleep on and off round has been quite better, easy to fall asleep, easily go back to sleep, the only thing I wake up early 4-5am. Non drowsy AH helped to sleep in more. 04-26-2018
[8] DMPS/ALA 10/25
Started round in the evening. Rough night, very light sleep. Next day fatigue, that draggy feeling, quick to tire from talking but manageable. Second two days on round were usual fatigue but not too bad. First day off round did sauna, some fatigue, that dull head feeling and increased tinnitus. Second day off round feeling pretty good, had a really good night sleep with ND antihistamine, day was energetic but was more antsy and irritable, also increase tinnitus. Third day off round a bit more fatigue and more spleen dampness – ate some chocolate cake yesterday, bread in the morning – no good, hard to digest stuff, flames sensitivities. Took no ACE. Next day was more fatigue, really need to be careful with diet. 05-02-2018
9 DMPS/ALA 12.5/37.5
Split DMPS 25mg into half capsules, increased ALA to see how I do. Started round with DMPS at 2am and ALA at 6am. First day had good mood and good energy levels, was feeling hyper and amped up. Night was decent with AH, morning light headache, ear pressure, very flat mood, medium fatigue, fun starts. Afternoon felt better and things evened out. Night was good with AH + Cod/Zizyphus + Salvia, woke up refreshed. Third day OnR feeling pretty good, good energy, good mood. Supporting myself with larger doses of Salvia and some liver heat clearing formulas in small doses. Also taking Bupleurum & Peony formula among my usual supplements. Using no ACE all this time. Celery powder seems to be helping quite a bit! First day OffR feeling surprisingly good, no ACE, energy levels very decent. Redistribution doesn’t feel so bad, other than some tinnitus and irritability but handling it with CBD, Theanine. Attributing this to Bupleurum & Peony, liver yang clearing herbs and more salvia during day time. Very possible extra energy is from Codonopsis and Zizyphus taken one cap at night after waking up (not sustainable due to side effects after a few days). Day 2 OffR – decent energy, a bit rougher in afternoon but recovered after a nap. Next night was rough – could be because of salicylates (olive oil, mint tea) or high thiol food – asparagus or perhaps because did not take AH. 05-10-2018
[10] DMPS/ALA 12.5/37.5
Started with same dosage as wanted to see whether it’ll be as rough start but it isn’t. 1st day OnR feeling pretty good and in good spirits, night was decent. 2nd day a bit slower and slightly more fatigue but feeling like coming down with cold virus. Possibly what’s causing less fatigue is the liver clearing herbs (liver yang formula), better appetite due to Bupleurum & Peony formula. First day coming off of round was full of energy, got a ton of work done around the house, second day fatigue was much worse, very slow day, had to take some ACE. Third day energy levels are decent and getting better. Because of cough took more days off round. 05-16-2018
NOTE: Overall my lower back pain has significantly improved. Sleep has significantly improved and if I eat right and manage things I sleep through the night and wake up refreshed. Digestion seems to have improved as well with a returned appetite and that sense of fullness has almost gone away. Looks like high histamine foods are not that big of an issue. Very nice gains overall. Thiols continue to be an issue, mostly manifest through increased fatigue and poor mood but only for about 24 hours of consuming them.
[11] DMPS/ALA 25/50
After almost a month’s pause due to cough virus and lung infection started with arger DMPS. Felt plenty of energy but too amped up, could hardly sleep, was just too much. Finished the round but not sure what happened and whether the effect was due to a long pause in chelation of DMPS is just too high for me in this dose 06-18-2018
[12] DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Kept the increased ALA does and had a uneventful round, sleep OK, not much difference in fatigue. Noticing reduced sensitivity to thiols ON round. Also better digestion.
[13] DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Had a another pause for almost a week due to getting sick – cold virus. Bumped up ALA as I feel like this is the most tolerable chelator for me to experiment with overall. First day seems fine – no noticeable effects. Second day fine but third day got sick – nausea, high fever, no appetite. Knocked me out for a week. Was sweating profusely at night for a few days. 07-14-2018
[14] DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Went back to smaller dose without consequences, did fine OR as well.
[15] DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Again same dose to make sure I can handle it. Seems like had almost no side effects or post round fatigue.
[16] DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Went fine for a while but third day happened as before with higher ALA dose – digestion stopped, high fever, nausea. Lots of sweating at night, especially around the upper wait (liver?). Seems like this ALA dose is just too high for me. Blood work showed inflammation (High rbc) but the doc had no idea what it was.
[17] DMSA/ALA 12.5/50
Went to DMSA and decreased ALA to stay just in case, again. I is possible I’m dumping now as the fatigue is constant with heavier legs. General sense of heaviness for almost three weeks now. Round started off with heavier fatigue but then leveled off and felt OK. Side effects: hot and sleepless at night but manageable. Waking up at 1AM irritated and hot – liver overburdened again? Able to fall asleep and rest. Second night was even worse. Worst effect: bloated stomach, really bad… low appetite, feeling stuffed and uneasy. In general though feeling pretty good, calm. DMSA seems like a bad fit for me. Started taking Lauric Acid to try ease bloating but best is to avoid all sugars and high FODMAP items. First day OR feeling heavy and tired. 08/27/2018
[18] DMSA/ALA 12.5/50
Taking caprylic acid so bloating seems to be better but not sure if its due to that. Also drinking Celery powder and Bupleurum and Peony combo, seem to help with bloating and appetite a lot. First day OR seems fine, feeling better than OR but harder to fall asleep. Next night was even tougher – could not fall asleep or stay asleep, could feel tension in the heart, tooks half a dose of antihistamine and that seemed to help. Feeling rather warm at night, there was no issue with this with DMPS. Looks like DMSA does something that either stir up histamine or messes with methylation. Still manageable and will wait to see whether I will tolerate this better with time. Sleep seems to improve with heat clearing herb formula form the heart. Did sauna again on the first day OR, felt pretty good. Moderate levels of fatigue first day and second day OR. Sleep OR is rough, waking up many times and early in the morning. 09/03/2018
[19] DMSA/ALA 12.5/50
Third round with same dosage was the easiest. Worst symptom is still the gut – lots of bloating, gas, low appetite, DMSA is really not the best fit but continuing on in hopes that I also need to detox some lead and I’m willing to live with bad symptoms. On the positive note, OnR I am less warm at night, able to sleep better (but falling asleep is still difficult), I have better energy during the day and able to tolerate foods without major side effects. This third round proves that I’m able to handle the dosage but will not raise it just yet. Supporting myself with Bupl and Peony formula, heart tonics at night and all the usual supplements. Off round experienced way less fatigue than during previous rounds.
[20] DMSA/ALA 12.5/50
Very few symptoms on or off round other than the gut bloating and gassy. Feeling pretty good on round, more energy, especially when drinking celery juice in the mornings. NOTE – drink more celery juice for better energy.
[21] DMSA/ALA 16.6/50
Upped DMSA as last round felt stable. Feeling some general improvements in mood and emotional stability. Perhaps coming out of the dump period, not sure. Entire round felt smooth and had very little fatigue during or after. Didn’t feel much change with higher dosage but the got issues were just as bad if not worse. DMSA is not for me at this point.
[22] DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Regular round with almost no symptoms on or afterwards. Still lingerings effects in the gut from DMSA: gassy, bloated, no hunger. Doing much better when it comes to gut with DMPS.
[23] DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Regular round and felt really good after traveling to Crete. Climate really does help a lot as I felt great after the trip 09/27/2018
[24] DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Stayed with this dosage because caught a cold virus and felt sick, didn’t want to push it because was already experiencing fatigue and weakness.
[25] DMPS/ALA 12.50/50
Stuck with dosage as was not completely recovered from cold. With Fall I started experiencing Yin excess and had to dial down on things like Vit C and Milk Thistle in the evenings. Had three nights of real poor sleep off round. Had to quit both Bupl and Peon as well as Bupl and Cyperus. Once I started the round I felt better and slept better. Looks like my thyroid or liver cold issues are not gone yet and I have to watch my diet and supplements to keep a balance and not feel cold feet or chills at bedtime. 10/11/2018
[26] DMPS/ALA 12.50/50
Had some fatigue after past round but only for one day so decided to keep at it for a while. Not eventful round after all but these chills at bedtime are so annoying. I realized if I didn’t take anything that cools liver like Milk Thistle or Bupleurum/Cyperus I was doing OK. Also had a few really poor sleep nights in a row – was too hot but now I think this is dues to eating gluten food (rye bread, some cake) and of course looks like thiols add to the misery too. If I avoid these foods and meat for dinner my sleep is much better. 10/18/2018
[27] DMPS/ALA 12.50/50
Did a longer round for about an extra half a day. Had more fatigue a day afterwards and feel longer rounds may not be so beneficial at this point as body needs time to heal. 10/24/2018
[28] DMPS/ALA 25/50
Raised DMPS dose to see how it goes and whether I’ll have similar levels of fatigue or more. First day OR was pretty tough but it could have been because I took a sauna in the morning and further exhausted my adrenals. Or the DMPS dose is a bit too high but second day was easier and I had more energy. Only symptom was low appetite, slight nausea, gut a bit unhappy and more sluggish. Third day seems to be about the same with no new issues and enjoying decent energy levels. Perhaps because been drinking Celery Juice and able to tolerate Bupl/Peony formula? Gives me enough reason to give 25 mg DMPS dose a go next time. Still dealing with being hot at night, guessing this has to do with the season Autumn = Digestion time in TCM or I’ve stirred up yeast and SIBO with that month on DMSA. First day OR not bad, some usual fatigue, tinnitus. Surprisingly, second day still pretty bad when I usually feel pretty good; this could mean there was more redistribution or the body took a bigger hit. Now I’m wondering whether this dosage is as ‘easy’ as I thought it was. Will meed to tryagain and see how I do. 10/31/2018
[29] DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Went back to previous dose to mop up the previous redistrubution as it just felt too much for me. Round felt great, post round hardly any fatigue, also felt pretty good. A couple of really good days after all with lots of energy and good mood.
[30] DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Decided to up the ALA this time and see how I do. Rough round and was abandoning it after 24 hours as was developing this heavy feeling with low apetite, slugish feeling but continued on and quit early at 72 hours. First day OFFR felt rough with fatigue, looks like immune system took a hit too as caught a cold virus. Supported myself with celery powder, CBD, ox bile, Bupl & Peony, some Bupl and Cyperus, Milk Thistle and Cour Four. Later days the fatigue lingered. This was too much and my immune system is not ready for this ALA dose yet. 11/14/2018
[31] DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Lowered the ALA dose but was progressively getting more sick and weaker, finished the round half a day early just to be safe. Off round recovery is very rough – more insomnia, more fatigue, looks like an adrenal crash which I haven’t had for a long time. Although this type of fatigue could be coming from liver/spleen – possible causes had some wine during Thanksgiving or took probiotics which exacerbated SIBO symptoms). 11/21/2018
NOTE: Took a week off chelation to recover my energy levels and sleep becomes more stable. During this tried Magnesium L-Threonate which made me too stimulated and made sleep even worse.
[32] DMPS/ALA 18.75/50
Slightly upped the DMPS dose to go slower this time, kept ALA the same to keep immune system happy. Seemed fine when it comes to DMPS but also similar but lighter symptoms of reduced immune function (sore throat, weakness, runny nose) and increased lowe back pain. I might be experiencing light adrenal crash. On days off I worked hard on remodel and experiencing lots of heat day and night (another thyroid and adrenal deficiency symptom). Tried Lecithin to improve liver function but that turned out a total disaster for me sleep – made me very alert with this buzzing in my head, taking a few nights to wear off). Going to take another break from chelation. 12/01/2018
NOTE: Took a week an a half break, feeling better, also noticing some sort of improvement in digestion, less heat after meals. Took some Sunflower Lecithin but that turned out to be a disaster – caused very poor sleep, made me all amped up.
[33] DMPS/ALA 18.75/50
Regular round, still felt some sore throat aftewards, medium fatigue, lethargic, heavier feeling but probably from weather. 12/16/2018
[34] DMPS (6hrs) 18.75
Did a DMPS only round EVERY 6 hrs. Wanted to test whether I’d get the same weakened immune system issues and lower back pain. OnR felt a bit heavy, sleep really took a nose dive. Off round felt some medium fatigue, some lower back pain but different but no other issues. It seems doing ALA every other round in winter might be an OK strategy to keep the immune system in balance. 12/24/2018
NOTE: In general, I’ve started to experience a bit better appetite and improved digestion – some gurgling noises, perhaps bile moving more freely. Sleep has not been good though. Tried to quit melatonin but it took too long to fall asleep without it so started back on (wrote an article about it). Winter has brought the usual set of symptoms but seem this year I’m able to better tolerate supplements of Yin nature. As long as I don’t take Vit C, Bupl/Peony or Bupl/Cyperus or Milk Thistle in the evening I do not experience those chills. Also what seems to have helped with chills is Vit D – need to remember to take this during winters but I can not take it long term as it causes insomnia.
35 DMPS/ALA 18.75/50 (01/02/2019)
Seemed like a pretty easy round with normal fatigue levels afterwards. Towards the end felt a bit of immune response, sore throut, sneazing but for one night only.
NOTES
During last round I tried taking Shilajit but because sleep is so disturbed I couldn’t gadge the response but it seemed like I was too warm at night. Will try again later. Learned that high Vit D can cause insomnia which is probably what affected my sleep so much. I completely stopped Vit D + K and will give it a few days for things to even out (wrote a blog post about this). ALSO had to quit all cooling herbs and formulas as those chills intensified with outside temperatures – definitely still feel the weather.
36 DMPS/ALA 18.75/50
Felt fine during the round, hardly any symptoms. Took a sauna mid round. The night of finishing the round took charcoal which felt beneficial. Post round first day felt good, worked around the house full day and thought this was an easy OfR but the next day fatigue set in and did hardly anything. Heavy and lethargic. Sleep was still awful. Could be because I was getting sick. I took flax oil and feel that Omegas help a lot with how well I can handle chelation. I really need to keep taking it.
NOTES: I feel like it is imperative to take an good balanced Omega supplement (in my case I do flax and hemp oil mix) as this seems to lessen the neurological effects of chelation therapy. Charcoal on the night of finishing the round seems to work like a good binder to mop up the left overs in the gut. IMPORTANT: When I seem to experience that “empty damp heat” where I just feel hot in the evening and at night (not sure what triggers it – QiGong standing tree meditation for 40 mins clears it!)
37 DMPS (6hr) 18.75
Doing DMPS only round because everyone around me are sick, didn’t want to impose on immune system with ALA. Some usual fatigue furing the round but worked through it, was active around the house. Off round was pretty easy. Decided to take a break but those days were not too good, felt lots of fatigue in my chest/liver area, OfR is definitely not fun. This feel like a dump phase for sure. Only positive sign was there was not lower back pain due to adrenals.
38 DMPS/ALA 25/62.5
Increased DMPS because I felt I was doing fine with slightly lower dose at 6 hour interval (higher dose overall), increased ALA as 75mg felt a bit too much but I want to push it just a bit with smaller dose in between to see whether I can manage this for a few rounds. First day OnR feeling a bit agitated, rough night – amped up. Entire round functioning OK but just feel sluggish, not like it was before in the summer. 25mg DMPS is definitely making me more agitated, amped. No lower back pain from ALA, only somewhat OfR. Overall, I can manage this dose OK but it takes its toll. Also, I probably did relatively well because during this round I took a Level 2 course in qigong which gave me more energy to deal with any bums of the round.
39 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
Had company party I had to be ready for without fatigue so I started a round a bit early, lowered the DMPS dose just to be sure recover takes less time. Pretty smooth round overall, OfR days are usual fatigue, especially in afternoons – those are brutal, I’m hardly functioning here in the winter. Feels like this ALA does is definitively here to stay but given that I have less agitation I’m figuring DMPS does is too large to function properly so may need to keep raising ALA but keeping DMPS at 12.5, especially since I’m not sure when it becomes available again.
40 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Round done on vacation. Thought the sun would be enough to take care of that liver fatigue but it wasn’t and doing a round made me feel better. Off round fatigue was minimal, hardly felt and effect.
41 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Started a round when I got back but caught a virus and had to quit a bit short of target.
42 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Missing records for this one as I did not record for a while.
43 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
DMPS every 6 hours, raised ALA dose to see how I feel – lots of fatigue during and off round, difficulty speaking for longer periods as usual.
44 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
DMPS every 8 hours as last round felt rough, stuck with same dose ALA but man it’s still rough, sore throat at the end of second day, feeling like about to get sick… going to reduce dose. Just too rough like this to work and function properly. Still not able to take any liver support of Vit C because of the chills. Perhaps this is a dump after all as it feels like progress has stalled. So did end up getting sick with very soar throat, runny nose, fatigue but no fever. Very strange because was blowing my nose and spitting up some greenish mucus, extra fatigue from the chest level but then when it was over suddenly started to feel better and more energetic than before. This is definitively a gain but time will show whether this is due to the weather (all sunny/dry days ahead) or end of dump.
45 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Did a reduced round just to stay safe and hardly felt anything on round. Very strange as I was struggling even with this dose not so long ago and now there’re hardly any symptoms, only light fatigue on first day off round.
NOTES: Off round had a high Thiol day (some yoghurt cake in AM and heavy lunch with a ton of strange food and sauce (vegan wedding) that included peas, chickpeas, spices, etc. This knocked me out good. Bad brain fog and fatigue three days in the row. Also before this had a high gluten day (wife’s baking) – bad depressed feeling next day, apathetic, disconnected. Awful, still big time food sensitivities, especially to gluten, thiols and high histamine foods. Liver seems overwhelmed and toxic.
46 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
Took a higher ALA dose as was feeling energetic, weather has improved a lot too. Felt great on round, just a bit of fatigue in afternoon but would get better later in a day. Hardly any fatigue afterwards, some just headache, lethargy but nothing major.
47 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Since last round went so good I upped the dose and again felt good on round, good energy and mood, some fatigue in early afternoons but hardly any symptoms as before on this dose. Encouraged to continue.
48 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Relatively easy round, had not much to note.
49 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Developed lower back tension towards end of round, seemed like the ALA dose might be a bit too hard on the adrenals. Took a break after this round for almost a week but had to start again because it seemed like things were getting worse with time, symptoms increasing, just did not like it. Felt better right away after starting next round – dump could still very much be in progress.
50 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
(DMPS every 6 hours) Feeling better on round but still kind of heavy. Lowered the dose because had a party and some alcohol that seem to have hit the liver and adrenals, feeling weaker in general. Really feeling run down so not sure whether it’s the dump continuing or lowered tolerance. Dose is tolerable at this stage but I’m sluggish, brain fogged and depressed.
51 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Went back to 75 ALA but felt as if it was too rough. Ended up with 68 hours, didn’t want to push it. Not sure what’s happening so gave it a longer break but seems I do no feel three days into OR, symptoms creep in. Still very sensitive to thiols. Barley grass seems to be helping (Folic acid), need to always remember the Flax See oil.
52 DMPS 12.5
Every 8 hours DMPS only. Wanted to give adrenals a break. Tried to do a longer round for a week but quit after 4th day, just started feeling too wiped and dysfunctional. OfR wasn’t too bad, some fatigue but waked a lot and that could have contributed as well. Overall felt pretty good on round, just calm and functional, good energy levels.
53 ALA 75
Decided to try an ALA only round and see how I’d do and whether DMPS was too rough overall but on the first day feeling sluggish, heavy. Second day kicking butt – dose too high on its own. Perhaps still too high in general. Will lower next time.
54 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Did a combined round again after the ceremony retreat as it felt like redistribution symptoms, insomnia, stimulation, tinnitus – just like the old times but the round evened everything out. Recovery was a bit tough.
55 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
Upping the ALA dose to check again for tolerance. First day rough, lots of fatigue. Seems like I’m still experiencing symptoms even at this dosage.
NOTES: Still very sensitive to GLUTAMATE (excitatory neurotransmitter). Alcohol free beer has malt barley. Totally kicked my butt with insomnia – yet another hidden source.
56 DMPS 12.5 (06/30/2019)
Weekend trip with the office, just wanted to reduce some burden and take DMPS alone. Had some regular fatigue afterwards but nothing too bad. Had a decent amount of alcohol – symptoms seem to be lighter, some lower back pain, some fatigue but feeling almost normal hangover, without too many consequences.
57 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
First day OR was rough, some fatigue, perhaps this dose is still too high. Second day is still kicking but – too hard to do anything. Will have to revert back to lower dose.
NOTES: Got sick with some stomach virus that really knocked me out and weakened adrenals. Took two weeks off to rest and recover. Noticed still very sensitive to glutamate. Ate some mushrooms and couldn’t sleep for a few nights. Lithium Orotate helps to calm the nervous system from glutamate. Still need to try B12 and Lithium in hopes they can balance each other out.
ANOTHER NOTE: Discovering the connection between low sulfate/high cysteine levels. Need to avoid high cysteine foods that seem to aggravate symptoms: Chickpeas. Couscous. Eggs. Experimenting with chondroitin sulfate (bypasses the sulfation pathways)
58 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Started with lower round after the break but feel too much. Could be I’m still tired from a company party and not sure whether it is the alcohol effect or the dump that keeps me pretty fatigued and depressed throughout the day.
59 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Pretty easy round overall and first day OR. Did feel the symptoms though but was able to work through it without much discomfort. Perhaps just need to stick with this for a while. Messed up at the end by forgetting the 17:00 dose towards the end – took another dose of ALA an hour late and took a couple more and stopped. Full round anyways.
60 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Same dosage till I feel no symptoms.
NOTES: Found this note from Brian B on forum which might explain why I had to lower the dose after a longer break: Many report that after a break of some duration (a few weeks and longer), they had to drop the dose to reduce symptoms. This is so commonplace that many mods here recommend dropping the dose to 1/2 to 2/3 after longer breaks. I assume in time the redistributed mercury in cells leaks out and some of us take 9 months or more to clear half of the extracellular mercury. It will be easy to chelate so the same dose of ALA could easily chelate more mercury resulting in more symptoms.
61 DMSA/ALA 12.5/50
Did a DMSA round just in case I’m dealing with some lead. Decided to do these once a month. I really felt it and two days later the bloating/distention started despite the GSE and barberine but I think this is not yeast but liver related. Tried to take Molybdenum and Sulfate and that worked better to reduce the bloating – probably different type of sulfur. Off round was not too bad and the bloating went away during the next round. Will do an even higher dose next time. Timed it together with ALA.
62 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Pretty easy round but felt some fatigue for a good day afterwards.
63 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Easiest round of all, hardly any fatigue on or off round. Ready to up it again.
64 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
Upped the ALA. First day no problem, second day fatigue, third day about the same. Off round no bad.
65 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
First day no problem again, second day fatigue, third day about the same. Off round no bad.
66 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Regular round with no issues, easy off round and recovery. Went back to 50 ALA because had to take a little break.
67 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
Upped the dose as last round finished with no issue and minimum fatigue. Feeling more tired on third day, also experiencing glutamate/Vit D issues. Probably Vit B6 issues as took it last night.
68 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
Regular round, some fatigue afterwards but not too bad. Will do one more and move on to higher ALA dosage. Still experiencing symptoms from my supplements, still not sure which one is the culprit but right now it seems to be B6, perhaps also Zinc if taken twice a day. Will cut both and see if it stabilizes.
NOTE: NO food with Vit D or glutamate! Tired of stepping on this same landmine! There is no doubt that these two currently are my worst enemies. So tired of lising sleep over this.
69 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
Some fatigue afterwards, could definately feel it so not sure it is best time to move up. MAGNESIUM EPSOM SALT baths or foot baths seemed to reduce lower back pain.
70 DMPS 12.5
EVERY 6 HOURS. Gave adrenals some rest and just took DMPS this round. Not feeling much except for sleep the first night. Now in general, I am sensing a slight better tolerance to milk products and thiols but I also take micro doses of molybdenum.
71 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Upped the ALA to see how it goes. Tried various new supplements like Raw Thyroid, also doing epsom salt baths. Round went pretty smooth, some decent fatigue but epsom salts seem to help, although still tax the liver. Raw Thyroid turned out too stimulating for the night as it contained some adrenal tissue in it so can’t take it but it did the job of alleviating the fatigue off round.
72 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
6 HOUR DMPS. Recovery seemed like it dragged out after last round, just felt like needed more rest but started another round with less ALA but 6 hour intervals of DMPS.
73 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Missed one week because got sick – virus, coughing but no fever, nice rest at home. Started lower not to overwhelm the immune system.
NOTE: Got sick with lung infection that lasted a long time. Had to take antibiotics and coughed for weeks.
74 DMPS/ALA 12.5/50
Started with lower doses after a pretty long brake. Hardly any fatigue afterwards.
75 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.50 (01/06/2020)
6 HOUR DMPS. Bumped up after a last round and will try increasing with next rounds.
76 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Regular DMPS round, upped ALA, overall round went well, chaga seems to be really helping with bile and digestion. Off round was a bit rough but has some qi drainage so that contributed to low energy.
77 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Regular DMPS, will try to ride with 75 ALA a few rounds to see whether this dose becomes easy. So far, two days into it and feeling good.
78 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Third round on 75 ALA and seem te be tolerating relatively well. On round was still pretty rough but mainly because of sleep issues and the amanita debacle. Off round seems to be very tolerable. Fatigue felt for two days and then lifts nicely.
NOTE: Amanita experiment two weeks ago really messed with my sleep. Have had a buzzy, stimulated head for two weeks now and not letting up. Antihistamine is helping but also making me groggy and tired. Seems to be related to some sort of glutamate response.
79 DMSA/ALA 16.5/75
Switched to DMSA for a while. Finished all round, tolerated pretty well and no bloating. Can think of only one reason – chaga! Next round will do with 25mg DMSA but will keep ALA dose at the same level as the on round symptoms are still very noticable – increased brain fog, lethargy, fatigue levels. Off round feeling decent fatigue but indicative off needing to stay on this dose for a while. Having a feeling that I can handle higher D chelators so will keep bumping those up.
80 DMSA/ALA 25/75
Can certainly feel higher DMSA – more fatigue but also more relaxed, sleep is much better, makes me wonder how much of a role lead is playing now. 2nd day OR feels heavy, dosage could be slightly too high. Suprisingly not feeling hot as I used to, perhaps because the sleep is deeper. All three days post round are pretty rough, sleep gets worse, redistribution pretty serious. Body seems like needs more time to recover.
81 DMSA/ALA 25/75
First two days ok, third day feeling heavy, almost as if needing to quit early round, just like previous rounds.
82 DMSA 25
Wanted to give adrenals a rest and not lower immune system so did DMSA only but it was a much heavier round. All days OR pretty tough, struggling. First day Off round is also very tough and fatigueing. Totally kicking my butt. Not sure DMSA is best for me or the dose is too high at this point. Seems like a combo with ALA is easier on the system. Also need to note I took DMSA every 4 hours, when on ALA round I took it in 2.45 hr intervals.
83 DMPS 12.5
Did DMPS only round in hopes not to overburden the immune system. Felt rough on and off round, not sure what’s going on but feeling like my tolerance to chelators has gone down a bit. Recovery lasts longer too. Perhaps because it’s still winter and need some sun.
84 ALA 75
Did an ALA only round in hopes that would be easier and would improve my sleep. Round is going rough, feeling the strain on the system, not sure this is the best idea to do right now, perhaps will shorten in a bit to quit sooner.
85 DMPS/ALA 12.5/62.5
Nothing to note. Still felt like a rough round but Off round was pretty easy
NOTE: TWO important things to note: It turned out that the stimulating effect I was suffering from was from magnessium citrate (citrate in my product was corn derived which adds to the glutamate load) Another: VITAMIN D madness – stayed in the sun for an hour and it hit me again with very poor sleep quality and this feeling of overstimulation. Absolute madness how this happens. Very upsetting. Must take FLAX seed oil – seem to help with symptoms and ALA tolerance.
86 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Justed bumped ALA up to see whether I can build up. Decent round, still rough, PR was OK enough to repaeat again.
87 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Rough round, feeling weak. Very frustrating.
88 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Took a week to recover. On round seem to be doing fine but had lots of time in nature. Last day of round was rough but OR was not bad.
89 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
First day always feels rough but I wonder if its from ALA or DMPS. Might be the last round on 75 ALA and try 100 next time. OfR was rough.
90 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Regular round. Worked a lot in the yard and hardly felt any symptoms, OfR was pretty easy. Started experimenting with more fiber. Perhaps that lessened the redistribution. Had a strange crash a couple of days later, perhaps related to hard labor or ate some bread. (I think the crash was related to either higher fiber from psyllium of chaga mycelium supplement, no clue right now, will need to experiment.
91 DMPS/ALA 12.5/75
Was still recovering from that previous mysterious crash. Interestingly, things improved as days went on chelating but hard to say whether this made the difference or simply time and QiGong. Last day of round feeling the impact but not too bad at all. Ready to bump it to ALA 100.
92 DMPS/ALA 12.5/100
Felt good enough to start a round with higher ALA. First few rounds were 75 but then (against the rules) bumped it to 100 within the first 24 hours. Can certainly feel it but not too bad. Decent energy levels, sleeping pretty good. Rounds certainly take care of that stimulatory feeiling (like histamine/glutamate) which comes back in OfR time.
93 DMPS/ALA 12.5/100
Surprisingly it was a very easy round and off round. Very encouraging and sleeping better too but not sure whether this is due to Xu Mintan lecture and practices about synchronizing the brain and heart practice.
94 DMPS/ALA 12.5/100
Wasn’t doing so well upon the start but the round is going well. Messed something which seems to have stimulated my glutamate levels, reduced apetite, etc.
95 DMPS/ALA 12.5/100
Very uneventful round where I hardly felt either the round or redistribution. Very exciting! I even extended a round by half a day and still felt fine. Later on though I started developing this usual stimulation that feels like either histamine/glutamate related and also inflamation in the piloric valve area/gall bladder. Very poor health, no energy, fatigue like during the bad days. Not sure what could have tirggered this but perhaps need more time on this dose to check whether things ares stable.
96 DMPS 12.5
4 day DMPS only round in hopes to mob up that inflamation and it helped which means it is mercury movement related, perhaps stirred up more. Stimulation didn’t go away but increased, needed to take antihistamine, sleep tanked badly, mood is very very poor, flat emotions for a week. At the end of the round remembered to take more Flax oil and tried Vit B6, more relaxed and tired duing the day. hopefully this will do the trick. READY TO INCREASE DMPS.
97 DMPS/ALA 12.5/125 (07/02/2020)
First 125 ALA round ever! Round went pretty smooth but was becoming difficult last two days. Considerable fatigue afterwards, perhaps beyond comfortable levels. Will try again but if it is just a s brutal on the second go will have to reduce to 100 or do something in between. Perhaps it is more rough because last round was without ALA. That stimulation is definately related to histamine as once I don’t eat high histamine foods like fish, avocado, strawberries, citruses that feeling goes down.
98 ALA 112.5
Feel hardly anything on round.
99 DMSA/ALA 12.5/112.5
Some bloating but nothing major, pretty easy round overall.
100 ALA 112.5
Had some of that stimulation so did a lighter mop up round with ALA only. Not sure whether it’s the D chelator or my supplements but I suspect Magnessium and Zinc.
101 ALA 125
Easy round, low redistribution. Looks like Sporbiotic is helpful with more energy and less fatigue after the round.
102 ALA 125
Another relatively easy round….
NOTE: Major experiment with soil based biotic went wrong. Really bad insomnia, increased gut issues, figured out this is a mast cell issue MCAS but can not figure out the action on how it is getting triggered. Had to pause chelation and wait for symptoms to subside. Learned a lot and started to support my gut with Bentonite clay, calcium d clucorate tu support the liver, etc.
103 ALA 112.5
Wanted to test whether I kept my ability to chelate with this dosage, all seemed to be fine. Round went easy, had hardly any PR fatigue or symptoms
104 ALA 125
First night on round was hell, could hardly sleep, was hot… got better afterwards. Round went retty easy, hardly any symptoms afterwards. Feeling like I can go on to next dosage.
105 ALA 150
First round on this dose. First day no issues, second day some fatigue and sleepiness in afternoon but could be because of benzos last night. Benzos help with that first night heat and stimualtion. Third day was easier but off round was rough, really rough… lots of fatigue.
106 ALA 132.5
Lowered the dose because last round was too rough and have a company event so instead of waiting I used a lower dose. New ALA product by Solagr plus quarter of capsule from 50 mg tablet. First day no issues, hardly feel anything, nitght was fine, no difference…. still taking anti histamine but did not use any benzos for the first night.
107 ALA 145
Dose because one of my ALA caps this time is 120mg so aded another 25mg from a tab. Smooth round, hardly any redistribution afterwards. GINGER seems to help a lot.
108 ALA 150
Some light fatigue first and second day, managed sleep without antihistamine and benzos! Some light fatigue next day off round.
109 ALA 150
I just realized this is my double body weight dose already! Still on 150 to make sure I have no fatiguee off round before I move on. Have a plan to be at 200 maximum dose by New Years. Got a cold during the round, hard to judge redistribution but it felt minimal.
NOTE: Now, in general happy to report that I’m feeling noticeable improvements in key areas: my body temperature is much more stable and I’m warm at night or in the morning. I am slightly less reactive to thiols which is also very welcome. Sleep is improving so much that I sleep through most of the nights but still need to half of antihistamine on many days. I don’t feel as hot at night too. My regiment is ginger caps (works great to relieve headaches and redistribution), Black seed oil, MCT oil, Zinc Carnosine, Calcium D Glucorate, Bentonite Clay and just started Sodium Butyrate.
110 ALA 175
First 175 ALA round ever. First day hardly feel anything. Second and third day were a bit rough bu I was home on vacation so it didn’t bother me much, I could function. Off round was not too bad at all.
110 DMPS/ALA 12.5/175
Adding in DMPS in hopes to have easier ALA rounds and mop redistribution as well as increase mercury detox – combined rounds remove more mercury. Pretty decent energy levels, some fatigue during round but not too bad, could definately feel DMPS the first night (diificult to sleep) and also off round nights were a bit rough but CBD took the edge off. Have a feeling will stay on this ALA dose for a while because I really feel the effects both on and off round.
110 DMPS/ALA 17.5/175
Bumped up DMPS and plan on doing so till I get to 25 mg full capsule. Could really feel extra DMPS and fatigue during and after.
111 DMPS/ALA 17.5/175
Decided to keep going till get comfortable with extra DMPS and this round dose in general. OR was pretty smooth some fatigue, some sleep issues, OffR decent fatigue but not feeling like I have tolerance to this dosage yet, will need to keep going.
112 DMPS/ALA 17.5/175
Relatively easy round other than that strange stimulation which I think is a mast cell issue. Had to take antihistamines and some benzo to make it through those nights but minimum discomfort from fatigue. Post round hardly even noticed. Time to up the dose.
113 DMPS/ALA 17.5/200
First 200 ALA dose ever! Maximum dose – scary and exciting. OR felt pretty heavy but still quite functional. Could definately feel the stress my body was under. Off round was ok, it helped that I was home. Couple days later developed some adrenal fatigue symptoms, feeling fatigued. Could have overdone it overall but also going through more stress than usual so this adds to it too. Poor mood, weakness lasted for a while.
114 DMPS/ALA 17.5/175
Took a break to recover after last round. This round was back to 175 ALA but still felt rough. Post round was decent but feel like I need to stay with this dose for longer.
115 DMPS/ALA 17.5/150 (01/13/2021)
Did a lower ALA does as it is deep winter and feeling a bit weak in general, didn’t want to stress the system due to high Covid cases. OR and OF was pretty easy, hardly felt it.
116 ALA 175
Doing only ALA round to try ease the stimualtion from DMPS. Have a feeling DMPS is a bit too rough on the kidneys, mast cells or digestion and it might ake sense to take some breaks. Pretty rough on round and especially off, adrenals are really struggling, lasted for days, took longer break, amazing how my dosing has to decrease in winter. Will go back to 150 mg
NOTE: Looks like winter time I have to reduce chelators. Low energy, lower adrenal function, able to take less supportive supplements just more fatigue in general. The environment plays a role in body functions. Constant deep throat pain, probably something to do with immune system. Definately still problems with gluten – get a bad inflamation right away from any wheat flour products. Also tried Mega SporeBiotic again – 1/4 a day and instantly felt those nasty symptoms – restless at night, hot, etc. still a no go.
117 ALA 150
Lowered ALA to prevent a crash afterwards. Need to work without interruptions. Still a pretty rough round, lower back pain. Not taking any additional supplements because they make me too chilly in the evening. Off round wasn’t too bad.
118 ALA 150
Took a little longer to recover, felt pretty good. Really need to work on strenghtening the lower back.
119 ALA/DMPS 120/12.5
Reduced ALA, reduced DMPS. Rough off round, adrenals week, lots of lower back pain.
120 DMPS 12.5
Did a 6 hr DMPS round to see if I can mop up any stuff from past round. Tolerable round but off round felt more glutamate and histamine issues, head preassure, less back pain but poor sleep, poor mood, rough going
121 ALA 100
Heck, lowered even more in hopes it will kick up my liver function, clear my head but first day os very rough, lots of fatigue.
122 ALA 50 (03/19/2021)
(ABANDONED) Took a long break because felt really exhausted. Started the round, felt better right away but then hit that brick wall. Feeling drained, weak and depressed. Lots of weakness in abdomen.
AT THIS POINT I QUIT ACC.
I am dealing with many of the same problems as you and the further I move along in this process the more I begin to believe it is mercury related. I am having my fillings removed and I intend to pursue some detox in the next few months. I have an issue with low bile production. My liver is fine based on tests and a scan, but nothing is being produced. What have you found that works? The only thing that has worked consistently for me is Hawthorn, but I have had withdrawal issues if using it for than a week or two.
Hi Jeremy, congrats! You have found your root cause. It took me way too long to start taking mercury seriously. Now, first of all please make sure to remove your amalgams SAFELY. Hope you read about all that, right? Then don’t just do a random detox because you will make yourself worse and I’ve met online a lot of people who got really hurt. Join that Andy Cutler Forum (ACC Forum) on Facebook before you do anything else and read through the files. This is very serious stuff and you have to approach very careful and methodically. OK, now that this is out of the way, the liver… YES! The liver and kidneys get hit the most from mercury toxicity and I too had very poor bile production (still do) but it took me forever to figure out. Hawthorn is more for the heart, not your liver but the two are very interconnected so it makes sense taking tonics for both. There are a few things you can try to help your bile flow: Ox bile, milk thistle, some do very well on Taurine (helps sleep too), sunflower lecithin, etc. When you start chelating mercury you will use ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid) which helps a lot too BUT don’t do it before you have your amalgams out and wait three months or you’ll make yourself worse with ALA! Keep in touch.