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hi everyone. For the past couple of years ive not been able to tolerate ALA at all. Well last week i purchased a different brand name and amazingly i dont seem to get that awful feeling i had before. What i do get though is the strangest sensation. It almost feels like theres sand in my head which is being moved around very slowly and im grinding my teeth like crazy. Are these typical symptoms on ALA? I just dont want to think im making myself worse here, i do get the usual zoning out thing going on which i think is typical but the sand in my head situation is really freaking me out. My mind feels S...L....O...W.
Finally if there is anyone else out there whos had trouble with ALA. Change the type youre using. I tried one for 3 years and i couldn't handle it. Now ive swapped no more candida flares up..wierd?!

Hi Stuart,

From what I recall from what others have said and what I have experienced myself, what you are getting sounds like a pretty good response. Though it's probably not fun to go through, I have indeed heard the description of feeling like something is being moved around. And the other one is the mind slowing down, which I had on DMSA alone.....so not sure how, when DMSA is said not to chelate brain mercury. I really would like to know how that happened.

Not only would I get brain fog, but my thinking would slow down to where it was very annoying. My thoughts became almost non existent because of it. I'd sit in a state of fogginess without thought.

Another one is an increase in emotions, sometimes upsetting. There is also strange euphoria that can occur, which apparently is not so unpleasant! But not always easy to handle either. At any rate, depression, anxiety and other things can increase. You are not just removing mercury from the brain, you are removing it from the organs. So you can indeed get some symptoms that feel psychological, but sometimes this can apparently be mercury being removed from elsewhere, not always the brain.

I have heard people also say that they can almost FEEL the mercury being moved/removed and sometimes the sensation is so strong, they have to keep taking breaks. I used to find that my chelation even with DMSA would cause symptoms that would increase as the round went on. I'd seem ok at day one, by they would gradually get worse until I felt really sick and would have to stop. They were not out of control though or dangerous, which I used to get on other random protocols or products.

What is the brand of ALA you are using? Perhaps others may want to know so they can order it. Who knows why the other brand/s made you so ill and yet you can handle this brand? That is odd. Is the dosage different or the same as the other brands you tried? I had horrible candida flare ups on the one I tried last year. But sadly I had no sensation of mercury being chelated. I am really not wanting to try ALA again regardless. I was using super high doses and it was from a lab, a really good quality one and still no sign of mercury being moved/removed. Just candida getting MUCH MUCH worse and I had to battle a worse case of it from then on.

Teeth grinding is apparently a classic mercury symptoms. If ALA is causing this, it sounds like it maybe re-creating those symptoms as it's getting more mercury out of you.

Hi Bex. Thank you for your response. The brand of ALA i was using was from Holland and Barrett basically their own brand and was 30mgs. I tried their own ALA several times and couldnt tolerate it, i was a mess.

Im currently in the USA and went to wal-mart of all places and picked out the Spring Valley brand of ALA 100mgs. I split it up into the lowest doses i could(like the other brand) took some and waited for the tears and the regular'i cant take this anymore' response and there was none! I did a full round and im fine.

It is real strange as im using a type of ALA which is 100mgs instead of 30, ok im still splitting it up, but its like im taking a different chelating agent altogether. Theres no candida flare ups, just that feeling of my head being full of sand thats being moved around. It's a truly wierd feeling, like sludge.

I'm glad you mentioned the whole mind slowing down thing and that its a typical symptoms. It's like im slow motion all the time.

For once im optimistic about getting better. Im just going to take it real slow, which i can't really help right now, and see what happens. I could not tolerate DMSA by day 3 of each round i looked like death.

As for my candida i take Formula SF722 and drink Pau Darco tea. Those two things never fail me. Ive tried all the other stuff and none of them worked, just made me feel terrible.

Thanks for replying!
Stuart

Anytime I mercury Detox I feel like my brain is spewing so to speak and grind my teeth like crazy! I get those symptoms anytime I get rid of metals from my body, so yes that is normal. I feel very slow too, and shy around people.

When I cleans I get bad Candida symptoms as well! Hell Algin and Chlorella are actually giving me symptoms now! I know Algin is not a chelator so to speak, but the teeth grinding is there after using it and when I use Chlorella it gets worse! I know both are very safe when used together though, as I have tolerated Chlorella WELL for years. I have to wake up or take a anticandida herb late at night though, usually GSE or Pau Darco tincture which works really well for me and symptoms subside (They never fail me). I get like you guys thugh, really hot or teeth grinding and a feeling of my brain spewing so to speak! It just feels so weird.

hi stuart : how long have you been amalgam free ? and what mg of ala are you taking and how often ?

Hi Stuart,

You're welcome. Like yourself, I too would get to a certain point in the round from taking DMSA and would also look (and feel) like death. But at least I could chelate that way without going almost insane. But for sure, even the detox from that was often very strong and I had to stop rounds early quite often. I would only make it to about 3-4 days (like yourself). I tried hard to reach a week, but barely ever could. I was a mess by a few days of it. I welcomed the breaks inbetween. However, I did not chelate on a regular basis. My breaks were VERY long and I only chelated if I felt like it. I kind of regret that because I believe I could have quickened my healing from mercury substantially had I been regularly chelating. However, even the best protocol and being regular, does not always guarantee fast results. It's never a race and the body can only handle so much at once anyway. It is also about giving the body breaks and a chance to gather strength and heal a bit also. However, it's a two edged sword. Not removing mercury or enough mercury can also prevent proper healing. So chelation is necessary for most of us, unless a person isn't so poisoned and/or has a great ability to eliminate this poison.

Sounds like you are onto a good ALA and I wonder if it might be to do with the other things contained in supplements that are sometimes added? It's an unusual thing, but hey, I guess some brands we just don't tolerate as well as others.

But yeah the brain fog and slow thoughts are not fun and I used to sometimes cry a bit during it. I actually could barely stand it sometimes. And again, that was only with DMSA! So imagine what I would have been like on ALA? I really do believe that shows you are on the right track! Because though it's unpleasant to say the least, I do recall the slow improvements after going through all this. It's a case of battling on.

Eat as healthy as you can, because your body will also be trying to heal and it needs as much help as you can give it. Sugar lowers immunity and feeds candida, wheat/gluten products can act as a poison as well (in many of us who are already sick). yeast aint good either for those with candida. I felt these three foods were the worst culprits for me and without fail made me feel poisoned everytime I consumed any of them. In fact, i remember consuming wheat products and almost immediately feeling poisoned. It was strange, but somehow it either made the poisoning I already had much worse and perhaps blocked my body's ability to eliminate my daily onslaught of mercury and/or it actually added more mercury (I believe wheat is treated with mercury fungicide). and that's not even counting gluten which is something that can cause illness in people who cannot digest it properly.

Those three would be the first things I would eliminate immediately off my list. From there? I'd just work on reducing carbohydrates in case I had a bad enough candida problem. But not everybody does, so some can do just fine on them.

Anyway, keep us posted on how you do with the ALA. Because according to Cutler, this is the key chelator for reducing organ mercury, which is exactly what you want to do. DMSA is great also, but it's apparently better with reducing blood/tissue mercury (extra cellular mercury - mercury on the outside of cells). It's not so strong with intracellular mercury (mercury on the inside of cells).

However, some may argue with that. I feel personally that it's stronger than many believe. There are a number of people who have used this chelator alone and gotten well. I felt personally cured by DMSA alone (or near enough to). Though in hindsight, ALA would have been wise to do to finish off with. And certainly the ongoing symptoms DMSA kept causing was evidence it was always chelating mercury in me. Until finally I felt no more problems when using it and my improvements went along with that.

Interesting about the teeth grinding thing - I have been a horrible teeth grinder for about 20 years now and as time has gone on it has created many symptoms for me - headaches of course, nausea, brain fog and TMJ problems. It is probably the main reason I found out about mercury because I went to a holisitic doc to try and get help for the daily headaches and he tested me. So I got amalgams out last month and have gone to the sauna almost every day and no nausea, no jaw pain and only mild headaches more of a detox than from grinding. Last week I missed about 4 days in a row due to starting school ( I am a teacher) and by the 3rd day I felt all of the symptoms come back. I know I am grinding more and I have had horrible nausea and headaches the past several days. I am back to the suana but it may take several days to decrease the mercury load. I haven't started chelating yet because I am doing a parasite cleanse and wanted to wait until the 3rd month after removal. Today I feel very detoxy - tired, nausea, joints hurt, headache - time to rest.

Bex: Anyway, keep us posted on how you do with the ALA. Because according to Cutler, this is the key chelator for reducing organ mercury, which is exactly what you want to do. DMSA is great also, but it's apparently better with reducing blood/tissue mercury (extra cellular mercury - mercury on the outside of cells). It's not so strong with intracellular mercury (mercury on the inside of cells).

Jeanie: Hi Bex, may I ask your opinion and/or anyone elses who wants to chime in. I have never tried just using ALA, but that sounds like more what I need. If my mercury is definitely in my glands and, I suspect, brain....would the ALA, then, be more effective? Can you give examples of what is involved if the mercury is intracellular vs. extracellular? (What conditions either would indicate?) Thanks much!

I have to admit, I have been slipping. I've had more sugar since really working again (in the form of "health food chocolate, but more hungry, too, for some reason - I know chocolate is not my friend....seems to affect cortisol levels - I don't do well with stimulators) but also discovered chinese "rice" noodles for salad (but they also have some wheat). My hormones are all over the place, too. Just stopped an over 2 week period, (finally tried my progesterone cream... hadn't used it cause I had no idea where I was in my cycle) so it could be partly that, but I want to cry more..... No doubt a contributing factor.... Its interesting to note how I react, though. (And I've been more aggressive on here *as if* you hadn't noticed...in a negative way). It is a full moon tomorrow, too, and there are other outside mitigating factors, but just the same - I myself am more reactive. I need to go very very slow if I do start to chelate. (And I am afraid of losing my mind.....

Hi Jeanie,

The ALA (alpha lipoic acid) can be used safely when you are 3 months post amalgam removal (or 3 months post any recent mercury exposure). The reason for the 3 month waiting period, is because the blood levels of mercury are apparently still high.

If alpha lipic acid is used whilst the blood levels are high, then because ALA can cross the blood brain barrier and get into the brain, it may also take mercury with it on its way and may increase brain mercury. Though continuation of use will usually get it back out, some have been made extremely ill by doing this and sometimes apparently "irreversibly". It's not something to fool around at all, let alone early on in amalgam poisoning.

This is why it is better to wait it out, OR take DMSA (which chelates blood/tissue mercury, but does not appear to have the ability to cross over into the brain to any clincial degree). So it is safe to use early on. However, it should be used according to cutler's protocol to avoid random movement of mercury. Because mercury itself, when stirred up can go anywhere (brain being one of those place). Mercury crosses easily into the brain.

So if you are 3 months or more post amalgam removal or mercury exposure, you can (according to Cutler), safely start using ALA. You can use it WITH DMSA, or you can use it by itself. Some who do not like DMSA or cannot afford it, may choose to wait out the 3 months using no chelater and then simply go onto the ALA. Others may use DMSA for the first 3 months (or more if they choose), and then add ALA later, OR stop the DMSA and just use ALA.

ALA is very powerful and should be used at very low doses to start off and MUST be used at frequent intervals (every 3 hours). This is the half life of ALA. If one takes it less often, they risk redistribution because of unsteady/random levels of ALA in the blood stream, causing unsteady/random movement of mercury. You want to keep the levels of ALA constant/even. WHich allows the movement of mercury to be the same. Though symptoms are not usually avoidable regardless.

Good idea therefore is to start at a very low dose. E.g. 12.5 mg (or even 6 mg in some cases). Then you can test out your reactions and see if you can tolerate this dose. If all goes well and you've done a few rounds of this low dose, then you maybe able to safely increase it. A round means however long you take the ALA for every 3 hours. It could be 3 days on and 3-4 days off, or longer. ALA should not be taken non stop for more than 2 weeks. Most take it for 3 days at a time and take a break and continue this cycle. It seems to be the easier way to do it. You can chelate on weekends then, starting on Friday (or late friday). It is not really feasible to do it whilst you work (unless you work from home). Though I guess it could be done if you take a little alarm clock and your pills.

About the differences between body V brain mercury? I would recommend saving clicking on this link INDEX POSTS TO ANDY CUTLER and saving the page to your documents or favourites to refer to. This is an excellent page of information by Andy Cutler and hopefully will answer most questions in a nutshell. He mentions brain V body symptoms under the title EFFECTS OF MERCURY TOXICITY. Near the top of the page. I hope this helps.

Thanks for all that Bex. I'm very safe since I'm several years post amalgam LOL. Hadn't ever heard the difference (or understood or heard for some time) the whole intracellular/extracellular thing, though. Sorry....could've looked for it myself, but too lazy. I will, however, note that bookmark. I did bookmark all his other references.

I appreciate it.

Hi Jeanie,

No problem. You may well have stubborn remaining organ/brain mercury. If that is the case, the ALA should help you. Brain mercury has a lot to do with every other function inside the human body. Hormones and immunity are altered by a poisoned brain. Yeast infection (stubborn ones) are often a signal of brain mercury too.

Yeast can also cause hormonal imbalances, so it's a two edged sword. I hope you can get back on the diet. Don't give up if you slip up. Just get back on track and try again. Find ways of giving yourself some foods when you are on a massive craving mission. When I could handle it (back then), I was able to get away with fruit and potatoe chips. Probably because neither contained the same bad sugar, nor wheat/gluten....maybe you will find the same.

The worst culprits are direct sugar, wheat/gluten and yeast products. If you can stay away from those, you maybe able to get away with other foods. Depending on how serious the yeast is. These days I cannot even eat fruit or potatoes, but back then I could. But I would definitely steer clear of the other stuff. Noodles and breads and things were a nightmare for me.

If you have a healthfood shop and can afford it, you maybe able to find some sugar free carob or something (which is not chocolate, but similar apparently in taste). Other non wheat/gluten/yeast grains/breads that you can have as an alternative. The key is getting emergency type foods in case the cravings are unbearable. They may act as a stop-gap. Though i wouldn't overdo them either.

I do know how it feels believe me. I just hope that the ALA might be the key in removing some possible deeply stored organ mercury. Let us know how it goes if you decide to try it.

Thank you Bex....for everything : ) I'm going to hit it for tonight. I will definitely be on here should I attempt chelating again. Maybe I'll start just doing a weekend go here and there. It seems most people use to say you needed to go at least 3 days....What is the shortest time you can chelate, I wonder? For me to do it and still function it will have to be in short bursts. Night.

;-) No problem Jeanie.

The shortest time recommended to chelate is three days. Though I have done two days before when I simply couldn't go any longer. I felt way too toxic and perhaps that was indicative of a dose too high for me. Mostly I was able to go about 4 days, or 5 on DMSA, but even then I was pushing it. I was taking 50 mg at that time because I didn't know enough about lower doses. NObody mentioned it back then. It was only later that Cutler began to recommend lower doses after realising 50 mg was far too much for many people. I did 25 another time I was poisoned and did well on that dose.

Each time you stop a round, there is always some risk of redistribution. It is unavoidable because at some point we have to stop and take a break. Stopping means the level of chelating agent in the blood drops. So the mercury that is still in the process of being moved/removed, is then left in mid flow/movement so to speak and is then reabsorbed again until the next round. Hence the symptoms that often occur at the end of each round.

Similar can be said for ALA. Both require frequent dosing and both will cause symptoms during/after chelation. Some oddly enough can do better ON round than off.....some do worse on round. It's really hard to know how it's going to work for each person. Sometimes the frequent chelating can actually help symptoms because it's continually grabbing mercury. Yet for others, it can CAUSE symptoms because of this.....odd eh?