I had a heavy metal test done last spring. It was less than $100. My lead levels were a little high. The test was done using DMSA as the chelator to pull heavy metals from body tissues. The Dr. put me on a chelation therapy using DMSA, 2 days on DMSA (5 100mg capsules/day - 1 capsule every 4 hrs), 7 days off, for 10 weeks. Since then I've found DMSA can be purchased via the internet.
DMSA is a sulpher bearing compound that binds with heavy metals. It's perfectly safe to take, but will make you feel a little 'toxic' at first because it pulls out the accumulated heavy metals and your system has to deal with them. The only knock I have on DMSA is that is does unbalance the digestive system slightly, so it's important to do it in cycles 5-10 weeks of therapy followed by a month or so off. It also chelates out beneficial minerals, which need to be replaced with supplements. Some internet vendors will say it's safe to take every day, and it probably is, but I personally would not.
Searching for information can be frustating, as there is conflicting research, especially since mercury amalgums are considered "safe and effective", and there is an industry desiring to keep it that way, and a large number of natural/alternative practitioners stating otherwise. I have little interest in that debate, but some time ago I read an extensive research paper documenting research done with DMSA on autism patients with high heavy metal test results. Unfortuanely, I can't find it now, but it compared a number of chelation therapies for removing heavy metals from the body, and referenced other research about the impact of various therapies on the body.
There are a number of links that can be googled, but here is a short article that is interesting:
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0091-6765(200006)108:6<575:ACOPMM>2.0.CO;2-Y
And another with a decent explanation of DMSA therapy. (My thoughts about the Zapper this guy promotes are similiar to other "electrical" health systems first promoted over a 100 yrs ago, and I think they will share the same future)
http://zap.intergate.ca/dmsa.html
Here are my initial test results:
DMSA is a sulpher bearing compound that binds with heavy metals. It's perfectly safe to take, but will make you feel a little 'toxic' at first because it pulls out the accumulated heavy metals and your system has to deal with them. The only knock I have on DMSA is that is does unbalance the digestive system slightly, so it's important to do it in cycles 5-10 weeks of therapy followed by a month or so off. It also chelates out beneficial minerals, which need to be replaced with supplements. Some internet vendors will say it's safe to take every day, and it probably is, but I personally would not.
Searching for information can be frustating, as there is conflicting research, especially since mercury amalgums are considered "safe and effective", and there is an industry desiring to keep it that way, and a large number of natural/alternative practitioners stating otherwise. I have little interest in that debate, but some time ago I read an extensive research paper documenting research done with DMSA on autism patients with high heavy metal test results. Unfortuanely, I can't find it now, but it compared a number of chelation therapies for removing heavy metals from the body, and referenced other research about the impact of various therapies on the body.
There are a number of links that can be googled, but here is a short article that is interesting:
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0091-6765(200006)108:6<575:ACOPMM>2.0.CO;2-Y
And another with a decent explanation of DMSA therapy. (My thoughts about the Zapper this guy promotes are similiar to other "electrical" health systems first promoted over a 100 yrs ago, and I think they will share the same future)
http://zap.intergate.ca/dmsa.html
Here are my initial test results: