Hi everyone,

Well Matt asked me how things were going in Arizona so here I go again.

I've been undergoing heavy metal chelation for two months now, Edta IV once a week for high lead levels. I was retested (Edta and DMPS provocation) and now also have high levels of merury. The lead which was at 27mcg went down to 20mcg after two months chelation! It means to bring my levels down to 2mcg or below 5mcg, it will take four months!!! And then there is now 12mcg mercury.

With the Edta, all heavy metals levels decreased (aluminium, antimony arsenic, barim, beryllium, bismuth, cesium, gadolinium, lead, nickel, palladium, platinum, tellurium, thorium tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium); the only ones that increased were mercury and thallium - chelated by DMPS.

So the new protocol is Glutathione + Edta + DMPS every week. But the doctor blackmailed me into getting one colonic a week in order to excrete more. If I don't get one colonic a week, then she said this is too much. I positively hate colonics - they hurt like hell and also, according to TCM, deplete Qi. I will try because i want to keep this protocol, and get the hell outa here; but I doubt I'll do the colonics - even under coercion.

However, I have noticed one major major progress with the chelation and the whole detox process am going through: the immune system has been totally boosted again. Before I never could get rid of a cold (it would turn into eternal bronchitis); but I just beat one without too much difficulty. I also feel that the more detox I get, the more dysbiosis will be easily healed because immunity has a big part to play in dysbiosis.

This restoration of the immunity I attribute entirely to the detox of heavy metals. Even if there is still high levels of lead and mercury, a lot of the heavy metals have just vanished from my system! That can only mean health benefits - I just don't notice everything right now but they will become apparent as I go.

I had to take the chemical drug for the cryptosporidium - nitazoxanide - for three days as herbs didn't work. Am still waiting to see if the bugs are gone; protozoa leave cysts which cause recurrence. There is a Plan B if the crypto recurrs - tincture of chaparro amargo (Crucifixion thorn a bush growing in the Sonoran desert) - Mexican use it for amoebiasis. But Chaparro amargo is also a powerful antifungal so for those with candida, it is very useful.

My anti-candida protocol involves VSL#3, saccharomyces boulardii, 3 cloves raw garlic a day and some Cellfood. Also hoping to avoid parasite recurrence with this.

Keeping a kind of low carb diet too - but having a little german bread and rice cakes and blue corn chips.

For the leaky gut, they have prescribed a product called Gastro Complex (Integrative Therapeutics); personnally I think leaky gut heals once all infections are cleared out. And I take aloe gel straight from the leaf on an empty stomach in the morning to repair the gut lining - 'cause I don't believe in these capsules. But I must admit, leaky gut is far from healed as my skin problems are still very much there. So am open to any suggestion to heal leaky gut.

Also, a bonus of chelation and detox (with hydrotherapy) is my energy levels have gone way up - from 50% to now 75%-90%. Not completely perfect but starting to feel like a human being again. I can however trust my body, can go places on public transportation or out without the fear of nearly passing out.

So its all worth it. I never thought I would say that, but am beginning to see the light at the end of this endless tunnel. And enjoy life once again.

So anyone who is very sick on this website - don't lose hope and by all means, get yourself in the hands of excellent naturopathic doctors. Health is too

Hi Dechen,

Great to hear you are doing better and \"seeing the light at the end of the tunnel\". It's not so long ago you were at the edge of despair!

How are your heavy metal levels being measured? Are they all blood levels? All metals tend to accumlate in specific tissues such as the kidneys, brain or adipose (fat) tissue so the fact your mercury level has gone up is probably a sign the chelating agents are pulling it out of these tissues and into the blood. This can be a good thing so long as it then goes from your blood into your bowel movements and urine and out of your body. Colonics might help here but I don't think they are absolutely necessary for success. Eating a high fibre diet and maybe taking a soluble fibre supplement like psyllium will help bind the mercury and other metals excreted into your GI tract in bile and remove them from your body.

Are you taking nutrient minerals as many of these displace or help in the detoxification of toxic metals - I'm thinking selenium and zinc mainly here?

For your gut you need to make sure you have plenty of zinc (again - also vital for immune function), vitamin A, l-glutamine and essential fatty acids...along with your VSL#3. These nutrients are all vital for tissue growth and repair and are especially important for the GI tract as its cells are replaced every 3 days! Sulphur-containing compounds are also important as they produce glucosaminoglycans (GAGs) which for the protective mucus barrier of the gut. Sources of sulphur for GAG synthesis include MSM, N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), and N-Acetyl-Glucosamine (NAG).

The formula Perm-A-Vite by Allergy Research and Seacure (specially pre-digested white fish protein) are recommended by expert naturopathic doctors including Dr. Leo Galland in the book Optimum Digestion. Perm-A-Vite contains many of the nutrients I've mentioned above.

It's fantastic how much better you are feeling and that you feel less toxic and that your immune system is regaining some strength and balance. Keep us updated on the parasite situation. Hopefully the meds followed by the herbal regime will do the trick and prevent recurrence!

Thanks for posting about your progress. We need more positive stories of improvement in the forums and I hope you will stick around to advise others in trouble (despite the recent site problems - they will get fixed!) <br /><br />Post edited by: Maff, at: 2010/02/27 21:54

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your advice. I will mention Seacure and Permavit to my GI doctor. In the meantime, am still taking the ones they prescribed, but I don't know why thei medicinary doesn't sell the best.

They measure the levels of heavy metals through Edta-Dmps (+glutathione) provocation test. The blood test (pre-provocation) only shows CURRENT EXPOSURE. My blood test showed exposure to arsenic, and a couple others, can't remember which ones.

The measurement of heavy metals is done through a urine test. First they gave me Edta and DMPS and also Glutathione in an IV; then urine has to be collected for the next six hours. From that they measure the levels excreted in the urine. DMPS was not given on my first test, hence the higher levels of mercury. So of course, the heavy metals mobilized in this kind of testing are the ones stored in fat, tissues, brain; since the chelators are intraveinous and pervade blood circulation.

I don't believe oral chelation can mobilize heavy metals stored in fat and tissue - doctors told me it only clears out the GI tract - a very small amount of total body load of heavy metals.

My IV protocol contains DMPS-Glutathione-Edta and a cocktail of vitamins-minerals elaborated by the environmental doctor. So I assume that my minerals are being seen too. This is the nice thing about having a naturopathic doctor worry about that.

And exactly what I am saying on these internet health forum: in case of serious healh problems, we cannot do it alone. Self-treatment is dangerous and quite useless.

I am planning to start taking the chaparro amargo though because I really don't think crypto is gone. Maybe adult parasites have gone, but the oocysts are virtually undestructible. I came accross this a couple days ago:

When the host’s immune system is healthy, the body eventually fights off the parasite, the intestine heals and symptoms subside. For those whose immune system can’t kill off the parasite, cryptosporidium infection can be virtually endless.

I know for a fact that my immune system is nowhere near normal. Yet.

I can only explain the fact that I still have huge leakage of godknowswhat from my intestines is due to the ongoing presence of cryptosporidium and/or candida. The tropozoites (adults forms I guess) practically merge with the gut wall and attach to the villi in the small intestines. Candida was low levels, but if I know that increasing carbs in my diet also increases itchiness in my skin.

Or maybe leaky gut goes on long after the infections are gone, who knows. But according to my previous experience, leaky gut heals AS the overgrowth decreases. Sometimes it feels as if my gut will never be ok.

I think the reason I am more optimistic, is my energy levels increased and I can actually function. And this increase in the energy levels are for sure a result of the chelation.

I feel sad that this kind of intensive therapy is only accessible if you have some money. As much as I would have wanted to invest my money in something actually interesting - like a home in Malaysia or UK (I love England!), I must admit that the health benefits are really worth it. And the whole chelation trip will probably avoid me cancer a couple years down the line. The way things wre going, it was unavoidable.

Here's a super inspiring video - that guy Dr Rubin, is a a genius and graduate of the SCNM:

Hi Dechen,

That's great that you're being tested using the most accurate methods and treated accordingly. I really want to visit Arizona and drop in at SCNM but my university schedule has changed so my plans to go in May have bitten the dust!

Where do you think your immune dysfunction originates from? Have you had any testing on white blood cell subsets, antibodies, cytokines etc? In my case the immune dysfunction is clearly due to ME/CFS but I have not had these tests as yet. I plan to give myself a full workup using tests from Genova et al once I am qualified as a Nutritional Therapist!

I agree partially about self-treatment but it depends on the extent of an individual's problems. Many people have successfully self-treated. I overcame MCS by myself and others have too. I do agree that medical help is often required though, especially when toxic metals and stubborn parasites are involved as in your case. As you have found the problem is that treatment costs a fortune and if it is not covered by insurance or offered by a country's state health care system people simply can't afford it and have no choice but to self-treat. Until these illnesses and treatments are recognised by the medical establishment the sharing of information and experiences goes a long way in guiding such self-treatment.

Funny that you wanted to buy a home in the UK as I would much rather be in a warm US state, preferably California!

Good luck with your treatment, I hope you continue to see benefits. I'm really happy for you

Oh and thanks for the link - will watch as soon as I have a minute.

Hey Maff,

The care I get at SCNM is outstanding - it is equivalent to naturopathic physician private practice - but at half the cost!!! So of course, the chelation is done according to the most accurate procedures.

Too bad you cancelled your plans for May - I may still be here - and we have a free room in the house you could have rented... There is a swimming pool at the back. Am sure you'd love it here - the climate is hot and dry, although from May onwards it's over 40C, the vegetation \&quot;interesting\&quot;, and maybe the lifestyle is more chilled than in England.

In terms of my immune dysfunction, I can't exactly pinpoint a cause. I know it is getting better with the the chelation of heavy metals - definitely. As for other factors, my environmentalist doctor said that POP - permanent organic pollutants like pesticides, solvants, all the crap we are exposed to 24/7 - have more of an immune depressant effect than the heavy metals. But hey, I can't do everything.

The other factors I blame are just excessive travelling (one time, 19 flights in 6 months!!!), emotional stress and trauma - that's a biggie am planning to adress as I firmly believe emotions and traumas are stored in the physical body and produce continuous effects. They have a mind-body specialist there - he's extremely in demand but I got an appointment next week.

You're right about some circumstances - mostly financial ones - forcing us to self-treatment. And it can sometimes succeed; but in my case, it was really a question of life or death. I shiver to think what would have happened if I hadn't had those life savings or if I do run out.

But also the fact is we are dealing with diseases which are new and the result of our foul toxic environment. So there are not many treatments and physicians around and these are not mainstream.

I feel very sad thinking about the number of autistic children who are doomed for life, people with cancer, etc. who lose their life for want of proper diagnosis.

When are you going to graduate as a Nutritional Therapist?

Hey you may find a job at the SCNM, as they seem to be lacking on that side... I haven't gotten any nutrition advice from anybody - apart from the mineral supplements for the chelation...

Oh by the way, would you know how long it takes to heal severely leaky gut? My symptoms have decreased, but not gone -I will continue with antiparasite herbs and aloe. I just wonder if gut wall that has been so damaged can ever repair itself...

have you improved? please let us/me know how you are doing. i am about to undergo iv chelation for thallium, lead and mercury as well. very concerned about the thallium removal, did this work for you? i have very similiar issues to yours including hair loss. thanks!