Hi,

Thanks so much for replying, sorry for my delay as I have been awaiting my test results. I hope you guys can give me some advice.

Hair mineral analysis shows high levels of lead and mercury, moderately high for cadmium, nickel, arsenic and aluminum. Essential trace elements normal/low. Most of the essential minerals are borderline low, apart from copper which is normal - (Weird)? Copper is also raised in my urine analysis after DMSA challenge, which follows;

----You should post this on the Frequent Dose Chelation yahoo group so I and others can analyze your hair test and give you a lot of information that would be helpful. High lead and mercury means ALA+DMSA would be appropriate for you. ALA can't be used for 3 months post exposure.

Urine test at rest shows high levels of arsenic, barium, mercury and nickel. Moderately high levels of cadmium, lead and aluminum and tin. High calcium and magnesium (although I'm told this reflects good intake). All other essential minerals are normal apart from cobalt and manganese are borderline high.

----The hair test would be more informative and easier to read. Post that on the FDC yahoo group and send your test to livingnetwork to post and allow us to analyze.

Urine test after chelator (DMSA) shows high levels of arsenic and barium (almost the same as rest figures for rest urine). There is a substantial increase in lead. Also the same for mercury, a substantial increase after chelation. I suppose this goes to show how good DMSA is at removing metals. The other toxic elements are the same as the urine rest figures.

----ALA actually removes arsenic from the brain as well as mercury. Lead needs DMSA. It seems that you should be using DMSA and ALA instead of ALA alone or ALA + DMPS.

Maybe this whole thing explains why I can''t tolerate zinc above a certain point, I also cannot tolerate Iodine, I used to use it at around 25mg but the same thing happened when I used zinc, bad lower back pain, headaches etc.

I started chelation yesterday with DMSA, 250mg a day, every four hours for three days, then four days off, as per Andy Cutler protocol. Getting some pretty bad headaches, could this be because my liver isn't working properly? I normally have to take dandelion and milk thistle 3 or 4 times a day to get rid of the headache (thats without chelation). But now I have trued this and the headaches persist. I saw a post about Cutler recommending glycine and taurine for bile secretion. I have always have a problem with bile secretion, high fecal fat content etc so I have been taking Ox bile and pancreatin for some years. DO you think it is worth trying glycine/taurine?

----250mg per dose or per day? I hope per day. Dandelion is BAD for your liver and you should stop it immediately. Andy has said numerous times that it stresses the liver and should never be used in someone with mercury who will already have a stressed out liver. I take ox bile and milk thistle personally. I haven't tried glycine/taurine/lecithin but Andy suggests trying all of them. I would get off the dandelion and try the glycine/taurine and possibly lecithin/phosphatidylcholine.

Thanks.