== Reply below. Joe

Can Zinc and Selenium Counteract Mercury's Effects on ADHD and Autism?

== I have no doubt that they are helpful. Selenium has been almost a magic pill for me. I have a history of adult-onset inattentive ADD and many other symptoms of lead and cadmium. After 1.75 yrs of detox my bone density was back to normal and my functional medicine doctor took me off my ADD medication. I've been using a handful of supplements at his suggestion. The supplements initially allowed me to substantially reduce my dose of Adderall. For example
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/add-studynutrients-perform-as-well-as-drugs/

== Se warms my cold hands and helps with motivation.

== Zn does not have an obvious short term effect on me except when fighting a sore throat--cf lef.org for more on that.

== Various amino acids have been helpful as well.


On the flip side, chelation therapy can be dangerous, especially for children,

== Hmm, then why is heavy metal detox, chelation the highest rated intervention by parents of kids with autism and Aspergers in this large survey.
Autism Research Institute treatment parent ratings 2009
http://www.autism.com/index.php/treatment_ratings_asd
"Detox. (chelation)" 74% report "got better", 3% report "got worse", 23% report "no effect"
The 74% rating is the best of the many dozens of listed interventions.

== Dr Amy Holmes reported encouraging results in a little study of her patients while using a oral chelation--a variation of Cutler's protocol. In the adult detox groups it often takes a year or two to get gains that young kids can get in 6 months.
http://www.healing-arts.org/children/holmes.htm#results

== She also reported encouraging results in her own son.
Fecal test while on round. http://onibasu.com/archives/am/6608.html
"... used DMSA on my child with great results. My son was very high in lead, aluminum, and antimony, but I suspected that the real culprit was mercury. He has been on DMSA chelation - 3 day "on"/ 11 day "off" for about a year. His clinical improvements have paralleled the drop in his urine lead and mercury levels. He has gone from an essentially non-verbal 4 year-old to a very talkative (very bossy, I might add!) 5 year-old. His GI problems have completely disappeared. He is no longer pale with dark circles under his eyes. His receptive language has gone from the 5th percentile for age to the 45th percentile...." http://onibasu.com/archives/am/950.html

... due, in part, to the fact that the chelating agents are often non-specific for their target metals.

== That is not so true for the dithiol chelators used in Cutler's protocol-- Lipoic acid, DMSA, DMPS. For example:

== Results of DMSA Treatment Study, James Adams,et al
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15120628/Results-of-DMSA-Treatment-Study
Conclusions - benefits
•DMSA greatly increases excretion of lead, and some increase in excretion of tin, mercury, thallium.
•1 round of DMSA dramatically normalized glutathione levels for at least 1-2 months, and
helped normalize platelet levels (marker of inflammation) for at least 4 months
Conclusions - safety
•DMSA increases excretion of potassium and chromium; suggests need for more vegetables/fruit
and modest chromium supplementation during chelation
•DMSA had little effect on other essential minerals
•DMSA had no adverse effect on liver enzymes, kidney function, or complete blood count (CBC)
•DMSA possibly raised triglycerides – concern to watch for
•Check cysteine levels, since 90% of DMSA is excreted bound to 1-2 cysteine
•Severity of Autism Scale. Significant improvement in both groups

This highlights a classic problem in medical research, the rift between theory and practice.

== Actually there is plenty of both in this area. Check out youtube videos of Boyd Haley, former chair of chem dept at the U of KY. Big Pharma and mainstream medicine stand to loose too much $ if parents wise up and stop treating doctors like benevolent medical gods.

== For example, Survey Suggests Unvaccinated Kids are Healthier
//www.curezone.org/forums/am.asp?i=2266430

For example, some versions or derivatives of EDTA can "pick up" or remove significant amounts of the important mineral calcium (which, in addition to its role in skeletal function is an extremely important mineral in regulating heart rhythms, and optimizing nervous system function, among other things) along with the desired heavy metals lead and mercury.

== Yes, this is well known. It also affects zinc and other essential elements. EDTA is not used in Cutler's protocol.

Cases of deaths due to this chelation therapy for autism have been reported,

== I recall one case where a supplier sent the wrong form of EDTA to a doctor resulting in a death. That obviously does not suggest a trend.

and recent clinical trials for chelation therapy for autism have been halted.

== I'd be grateful for a link to this information.

== "Chelation" is a general term. There are so many different methods--doses, dose timing, supporting supplements, etc-- even when the same chelator is used!

== For example, the mice in the Gregus study that received lipoic acid incorrectly--in Cutler's opinion--excreted more mercury than control mice. However the treated mice actually ended up with *more* Hg in the brain and organs. Cutler explains why this happens when chelation is done incorrectly.
http://onibasu.com/archives/am/74605.html

Enzyme systems: Nature's alternatives to organic chelating agents?

...

metallothionein is also expressed in the brain,

== So take zinc and other types of MT support.

glutathione reserves need to be high (whether there's chelation or no)

== As seen in the Adams study above, DMSA improves glutathione (GSH) levels.

== People sometimes get focused on the aspect of increasing production of GSH; however, after heavy metal detox you will conserve more GSH. Also lipoic acid and some other antioxidants can help to recycle GSH.

Most nutrients kick up Hg to begin with (for example, iodine, zinc, sulfurous nutrients (thiamine, MSM), Vitamin C, Cobalamine).

== Yes, this is a very important issue. Kicking up--mobilizing--heavy metals will increase oxidative stress, causing damage. Mobilization must be done carefully, with plenty of antioxidant protection on board. Also excessively high doses of mobilizers might overwhelm the body's excretory pathways to urine, stool and sweat.

== Cutler's detox method uses low doses of chelators, time off in between rounds of chelation and all three excretory pathways for those who can tolerate them.

== Cysteine and glutathione have only one SH/thiol group (mercury magnet). In contrast lipoic acid, DMSA and DMPS have two SH groups to better grasp Hg.
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/othernuts/la/lastructure.html
http://www.worldofmolecules.com/life/cysteine.htm

== Detox can be wonderfully powerful when done in a safe and effective way. Unfortunately it can be devastating when done incorrectly.