How a body naturally detoxes mercury

[Claire]

EXCELLENT article on metals excreting from the body through 3 main pathways, liver, kidney and skin. It explains why I was getting rashes after introducing glutathione lotion recently (better absorbed than oral) and being lax on my fiber. It also explains why my son's sweat smells like metal lately (no kidding), also after introducing glutathione lotion recently. (we both switched).

 

I need to get my amalgams removed soon! (For newcomers, both my son and I tested high for mercury. His recent test shows normal, but it was a blood test and I am not convinced. His symptoms are definitely improved).

 

 

http://www.toothwisdom.net/detox.html

 

This is just an excerpt, worth reading the article.

 

"The major organs of detoxification are the liver, the kidneys, and the skin. The liver is the major player in this scenario. One does not have a healthy liver unless one has a healthy colon. Because most Americans live in urban areas, their livers are under constant stress from the toxins in the air, water, and food that most urban Americans are exposed to. Add to this burden the mercury from fillings and soon the liver can be overwhelmed and congested. The liver dumps its toxic waste into the colon for removal from the body, in fact, 85% of the mercury ordinarily is excreted through the feces. If the colon is not healthy, particularly if one is constipated and incapable of moving the feces efficiently out of the body, the mercury can be reabsorbed from the colon and recirculated back into the body. This makes the detox process long, often difficult and frustrating. The best way to get a colon healthy is to have ozone colonics (see web link). This, in turn, greatly assists the liver by allowing the liver to purge toxins so it won't become overloaded with toxic waste.

 

The kidneys usually account for the other 15% of the body's mercury excretion. Mercury usually is complexed to large molecules when it is processed for excretion but the kidneys can't handle molecules that are too large. Many detox agents are referred to as chelating agents and are large molecules to begin with so this singles them out for liver processing. When detoxing for mercury it is important to drink large amounts of pure water.

 

When neither the liver nor the kidneys are capable of handling all the mercury, the skin often is called on to excrete toxins through its pores. This may cause rashes, itching, and eruptions such as zits since once the toxins escape through the pores of the skin they sit on the surface of the skin and act as an irritant, thus the itching and rashes, etc. The mercury also can be reabsorbed back through the skin's pores if it remains on the surface too long. By this discussion it is easy to see that mercury detoxification can be quite problematic."

 

 

By the way, I post on mercury, but Dr. Walsh says the 3 worst metals are cadmium, lead and mercury, not in that order. I don't know if the pathways for each are different, e.g cadmium is closely correlated with zinc.

 

--Claire

[kim]

I bet I'll be up all night agian! This information today was really interesting to me because my 12 year old son has been taking Bonnies's vitamins and marine Lipids in varying amounts since late Jan. His tics are minimal-2, head shaking, and bruxism which results in sharp points on his lower front teeth which he will run his tongue over, resulting in a very messed up and painful tongue. So while his tics are minimal and usually one or the other, they are both painful. I am starting to wonder if metals are more of an issue than I thought. After reading Andy and Claires posts, about itching and rashes; two things that resulted in my reducing the vitamins, because I thought they may be contributing, and a trip to the peds. office.

I'm wondering if the combo. of vitamins and the zinc, did cause mercury or one of the other metals to come out of hiding. When I stopped the vitamins on a Monday- by Wed. he was totally out of control emotionally, and the bruxism thing was back with a vengence. That is what happened for the 3rd or 4th time when we have reduced the vitamins due to stomach flu and bad cold-no appetite, couldn't take the vits on an empty stomach (bruxism returns in 24 hours). I gave him 9 of the TS PLUs and 1 fish oil every day since. Bruxism gone, head shaking minimal, itching still there, but managable without benedryl. He stated at Grandma's house the night I stopped the vit/supp. with no itching,(Tues) so I don't know if it was something in our home or the lack of the vit. I wonder how many people think they are getting a "bad result" when they work up to a level of the vit/supp programs, when actually they are just starting to help the underlying problem. Let's say the vit. were pulling at least a small amount of the metals into his blood stream, and causing the itching and the whelty rash on the side of his face and down the side and back of his neck,

(he was taking 16 TS Plus and we had just gone from 2 to 3 of the marine lipids) when I stopped them, is there a possibility metals could have started settleing. He finally said "I need the vitamins, to heck with the itching". By the next day he was fine and the brux. over the next two days resolved. We are just doing the yeast testing this week, the same one immuno labs does, but my Ped ordered it for me reluctantly and I'm wondering if this is bad timing since the sugar intake was high over the Easter Holiday? Could this give us an artificially high reading? The Ped said the itching is winter dry skin, although his skin does not look dry. He said something about a carotone? rash and asked if Dad had anything like it. Runs in families? I didn't think it made any sense but now I have to look it up to see what I can find on this and if it could play any part in this puzzzle. If anyone knows of a reason why none of my reasoning makes any sense, please tell me. So many of you are so much farther along, and I really value your thoughts. Thanks, Kim

[Claire]

Hi Kim,

 

I wouldn't worry about an artificially high yeast reading from high sugar intake. If your son has yeast issues, sugar can make it worse certainly, but if he doesn't have yeast issues, then there is nothing for the sugar to make worse. The important thing is just to know whether or not there is overgrowth. The actual level is not critical in terms of what treatment to do.

 

As for the rash, certainly that is a possibility re the metals or some detox effect. I have been thinking how to get past the rash issue and am going to try epsom salt baths and a loofah. The salts draw the moisture and thus the toxins out of the body, so it should help the skin become an excretory organ. You might consider epsom salt bath for your child. If you put in just a cup, you can't even tell it is there--though I think 2 cups is supposed to be ideal.

 

The fact that your son got a rash brings the question--are his bowels pretty regular? I will let you know if increasing the fiber resolves my rashes (I now have 2 areas of rashes instead of one).

 

In the meantime, switch to Ivory Snow or some 'natural' detergent from Whole Foods or whereever and Basis soap for sensitive skin. They can make a huge difference if the skin is sensitive to itching. Things like Tide are just torture if your skin is itchy. And turn down the heat in the bath--more tepid than hot, as hot makes itching worse. Central heating can aggravate it, maybe a humidifier too?

 

Thanks for the amalgam link. I had read just recently that dentists are prohibited from mentioning any risks of mercury amalgams, and was completely shocked. I chew xylitol gum 1/2 the day on the computer and now I read that chewing can release more mercury. Ugh.

 

Claire

[kim]

Hi Claire,

 

After reading a couple of the links last night, I kind of think it would be unlikely metals would be the source of the problem, if the skin is the last to excrete due to kidney and liver overload. I can't see where the level of zinc (20 TS PLUS is max, which we've never reached) and at that, he would only be getting 20 mg zinc. but I guess you never really know without all of the tests and challenges. I really need to switch the fish oil to a different combo to see if that makes a difference. I looked at WalMart at the Spring Valley? line and I couldn't find evening primrose, I did see a fish oil/borax.

 

I really don't know much about the bowel habits, except he doesn't complain. I would be afraid to even go there ,because he gets pretty sick of me watching, and asking questions about how he feels at different levels of vit. and how he's feeling being off corn products, red pop, slurpies etc. Is the air cleaner in your room helping? Most days he's willing to try just about anything, but he really doesn't like to talk about any of it much. I get pretty short answers, which is fine for now.

 

The salt bath is something I have thought about before too.

 

Thanks for the response on the yeast. I will have the labs done tomorrow morning. I think I read here, that is supposed to be first morning urine? The lab order does not state that. Kim