How I Recovered from Mercury Toxicity
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Wondering about mercury toxicity? Here's a story about how one woman recovered from apparent mercury poisoning. Some of the info in this post just might help you.
Horrible Health Problems
I struggled for many years feeling badly, so I was used to being tired. Sadly I was also used to being unable to keep my house clean and never catching up with anything.
But, I wasn't used to the debilitating headaches, insomnia, and generally feeling awful that rendered me unable to function.
I resorted to eating a lot of frozen pizza in an effort to “survive” and my house became even worse as I was having a hard time keeping up with even regular chores much less deep cleaning.
I know it sounds crazy, but it had to get that bad before I realized that something was seriously wrong.
I had grown used to the fact that sometimes I just didn't feel very well. Since doctors had never been able to help, I chalked it all up to stress. I went to quite a few doctors and got quite a few diagnoses and recommendations, and I improved some by addressing PCOS, liver health, infections, and candida.
Some supplements helped to improve my sleep and energy levels, but I knew I wasn't totally well. I still had weird abdominal bloating and fatigue (even though I had been treated for candida and infection), and my sleep and weight still weren't the best. I continued to skip periods and have other signs of hormonal dysfunction. So, I continued to research.
I read many stories of mercury toxicity and many of the mercury toxic people reminded me of myself: adrenal fatigue, hormonal dysfunction, anxiety, insomnia, liver problems, thyroid-type symptoms, candida, and chronic fatigue.
After a lot of research and prayer, I decided to have my mercury tooth fillings replaced with composite fillings.
I chose a dentist who specialized in removing mercury fillings and spent a lot of money to have my fillings removed. I didn't know 100% if this was “the answer,” but I went in the faith that I had done my homework and had peace from God that I felt I needed
Since removing my mercury fillings and detoxing, I improved by leaps and bounds!
For example, I had been eating a healthy nourishing diet and taking good care of myself for a few years, but I hadn't been able to lose the extra weight that I had. After I had my fillings removed, the weight just fell off. I wasn't “puffy” anymore.
My Experience with Recovering from Mercury Toxicity
Mercury does damage to the body in many ways. But there is hope! I recovered from chronic fatigue, polycystic ovarian syndrome, anemia, metabolic syndrome, headaches, and insomnia. Here are the steps I took to recover.
It's important to add that these steps may not be the ones that you need to take. Mercury can be very tricky, and each person's body is different. Yet, I do I feel that the way I chose to handle mercury was a very safe way to detox. I was concerned about damaging my body further so I chose to be thorough in the steps that I took.
First Things First
This is what I did to get my life back from mercury toxicity:
- Find Practitioners
I found practitioners who could address my mineral status and deal with the other medical problems that I had. Before I had my fillings replaced, I had already been treated by an integrated doctor for a gut infection. I had also been on bioidentical progesterone to help balance my hormones and had quite a few vitamin C IVs. Additionally, I was on a targeted vitamin and supplement program. - Choose Mercury-competent Dentist
There are reports of people getting very sick from having a dentist improperly remove a mercury filling, so it's important to carefully choose your dentist. Never let a dentist just “drill out”an old filling.Once those two things were taken care of I started working on helping my body get rid of the stored mercury, and heal from the mercury damage. Here are the 4 different areas that I addressed.
My Recovery from Mercury Toxicity
Mineral Support
This is best addressed way before the removal of the fillings. I had testing done through Metametrix Labs along with some blood testing. My practitioner put me on optimal vitamins and retested periodically so that I would know which vitamins were needed.
Minerals are vital and deficiencies can cause a lot of symptoms. I believe that many of the terrible symptoms from my mercury toxicity were due to the mercury displacing minerals. Most mercury-damaged people seem to do well on high quality B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium (sometimes calcium also), vitamin D, trace minerals, and vitamin E.
Safe Mercury Removal
The day I had my fillings removed, I had an appointment with my integrated physician to have a vitamin C IV within hours of my filling removal. Vitamin C has been shown to alleviate mercury toxicity (source).
I swished activated charcoal around in my mouth when I got home to absorb any particles of mercury left in my mouth. I brushed my teeth with activated charcoal and swished and spit a lot. Then I took an activated charcoal pill and later on took another detox product. I also took liposomal glutathione to improve liver health, because having optimal liver function is important for supporting detox.
I did clay foot baths. I am now juicing and should have done this a long time ago! Juicing is wonderful for detoxing.
Address Candida
If you have issues with mercury, it's extremely likely that you have issues with candida. Some people will not be able to overcome candida problems until they work on ridding themselves of mercury.
Of course a real food diet is important. High quality meat, eggs and vegetables are helpful for detox. I avoided sugars and yeast. Vinegars can also aggravate yeast. I took anti-fungal supplements and rotated them.
Heal the Gut
Some people work on this while working on detox, but I found that I was really able to concentrate on my digestion after I had worked on detox for a long while, perhaps because my mercury symptoms were so much better. Finally, I could pinpoint what foods were bothering me.
I tested positive for Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth (SIBO), so I began a protocol and diet to treat that. Then I started supporting my liver with food and eventually juicing, and cut out food groups that I was intolerant to.
Other helpful therapies for healing the gut include l-glutamine, turmeric, probiotics, licorice, garlic, and of course candida fighting foods and supplements.
I know this list looks long, and it is! For me it was a very long journey back to health but I'm glad I did it!
Not All At Once
I didn't do all these things at once. In fact detoxing often happens in cycles. I would sometimes be actively working on something pertaining to detox. Other times I would just take my regular vitamins and minerals and eat well. I also want to mention that some people will not have to address all these areas. Sometimes, simply having a safe dentist remove the fillings can be the catalyst for healing.
I personally needed to address all these areas, but it has all been worth it.
No longer do I feel sick and exhausted.
I'm at a healthy weight, sleep well, and am able to keep up with my responsibilities.
Most importantly, perhaps, I am able to enjoy life again!
{Please note that neither Kristie nor Adrienne are medical professionals and the above is not medical advice. Please consult your physician prior to making changes to your diet, supplements, or exercise program}
Have you heard about Mercury Toxicity before?
What do you think about this?
Kristie has had the privilege to be a stay at home wife (and then mom) for 18 years. Homeschooling became a passion for her after the blessing of her first daughter arrived. In 2010 Kristie's chronic health problems became serious enough that homeschooling was becoming very hard to keep up. Her prayers and research led her to health and then to blogging! Nowadays you can find Kristie busy in the kitchen making family approved allergy-friendly meals. Unless she's busy researching her next health topic or homeschooling!
Adrienne, Your article gave me hope. I just found out I have high levels of mercury in my system. Can I ask you what detox supplements you used? The functional medicine doctor that I am working with wants o do a protocol that seems very aggressive and has told me could make me very sick before I get well. I am already tired, and struggling I don’t think an aggressive treatment plan would be good for me. I will inform my doctor about any of the detox products you mention to make sure she is ok with them. Thank you in advance. So happy to read your article and hear that you are healthy and doing fantastic now.
Hi Lisa. So sorry for the delay. I don’t remember everything I used then, but things have changed a lot since that post. It wasn’t until 2019 that I finally started feeling a whole lot better. Turned out I had Lyme and mold toxicity going on as well. What is he wanting to do? I personally don’t think it is smart to do things that make you feel significantly worse. Seems to me that means your body’s detox pathways aren’t open? I mean some worse — ok, but sounds like you are worried. “Very sick” doesn’t sound good to me.
I am hoping to have a list on my site soon of things that I / we are doing that are helping and have helped – Here is a short version of our story that might help you have perspective. I hope to update this soon as well – https://wholenewmom.com/about-me/
I really love this article thank you so much. I am 75 from the UK and like most of my generation grew up just accepting that we would have a mouthful of mercury fillings. Over the years my teeth have deteriorated and I have had a lot of them extracted and not too many left now but I am happy with a metal free denture. This last year I have puzzled everyone, myself included because I seem to be on top of my life, full of energy, no more depression, actually doing some serious housework (!) etcetc. It just dawned on me that for the last year i have had all my previously mercury filled teeth removed. What I have left are intact. I really think this is the reason i feel like I am 21 again! A positive outlook and the energy to actually enjoy life. To think I loved my whole life with a mouthful of that poison and now i am totally free of it…Just had to tell my story. Thank you for yours…..Mary
Oh wow. Thanks for sharing! I’m so so sorry to hear that you had so many dental issues. They are not fun! However, so glad you are feeling better.
My story has continued and so has that of my family. I hope to share a lot more soon. A bit of it is here – maybe we can connect again in the future. wholenewmom.com/about-me/. I’m thinking about ways to do that.
I’m looking to heal my body from mercury poisoning caused by improper amalgam removal. This is not really recent, but was only recently found to be the probable cause of symptoms. I’m looking for gentle oral chelation and/or supplementation as possibilities. I would like to have medical support, especially to start.
Do you have any recommendations for doctors or hospitals familiar with mercury poisoning detox? Preferably familiar with gentle detox methods.
Anywhere in the country is fine.
Thanks
Hi there. I don’t have any recommendations–sorry. This is a complicated topic. Perhaps someone else will have ideas.
I have some questions for you about this subject as I’m going through the same thing right now and I’m working closely with a naturopathy doctor to get healthy again.its taking alot of time.very slow.but I have mercury fillings in my teeth and I need to know some things if you could please write me back and answer some questions I have about this .I would forever be greatful.. I’m on the verge of losing my job rn because of this illness and what it has done to me.
Oh my I’m soooo sorry to hear this. I’ll drop you a line. I can’t medically advise but I can share things that have helped me. Hang in there.
You should eat walnuts, which have a lot of Alpha- Lipoeic Acid. ALA is a powerful chelator for mercury poisoning. However, when you eat the walnuts, make sure to eat them every 3-4 hours because that is the half-life of ALA, so half of the ALA that picked up the mercury will dissolve and the free mercury molecules will settle in other parts of your brain and body. Eating the walnuts every 3-4 hours will ensure that your body is protected against free mercury molecules. I hope this helps you.
Thank you so much for your article! Those are the exact same symptoms I had (and still have). I was initially tested via hair analysis for heavy metals in 2014 when even more bizarre symptoms showed up (huge bruising, miscarriages, random hive breakouts, unable to heal from minor injuries/illnesses, etc.). At times, I literally felt like I was dying (went from doing sprint triathlons, to no activity in a few months due to injuries and fatigue. I was only 26!). Came up positive for mercury toxicity. I’m better now (especially since going gluten/dairy/soy free, but I still suffer from adrenal, gut, and hormonal issues that I’m working on. I work in healthcare, and of course, everyone I told thought I was crazy (especially doctors!! “Oh have you been playing with old thermometers? Hahahaha!” Insert massive eye roll…). Even alternative practitioners glaze over the topic. I never nailed down a cause, but I’m wondering if it was a combination for mandatory flu shots plus Trader Joe’s “wild caught” salmon (when I found the results out, I immediately cut out all fish) or some other environmental factor. I was retested about a year later and the level was still present, but hugely decreased. From my understanding though, it’s not so easy to get rid of so I’m excited to try zeolite. It’s weird to be happy to see that someone else has gone through similar issues, but I am very grateful that you have shared your experience!! Thanks again for posting!
You are so welcome! I’m so sorry for all you have been through! So you worked on diet alone? People just don’t understand–it’s so hard!
The multi-dose flu shots do have mercury / thimerosal in them sadly and too much fish can be a huge problem. I’m so happy to know that my struggles can help others! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
You may want to consider doing a parasite cleanse. You would be shocked to know that millions / billions of us are infected with intestinal parasites which are causing us major health problems. ( digestive problems and disorders – gas, bloating, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, brain fog, insomnia,
Anemia, irritability, anger, muscle weakness, skin problems, teeth grinding, joint aches & stiffness even shortness of breath. Testing is often inaccurate or flat out fast to detect. Best thing you can do is a parasite cleanse. I’ve been on one for 3 weeks and am shocked at what’s come out ( yes I checked with a magnifying camera ). There are many natural ways of doing this. There’s a forum on curezone that’s very helpful as well.
I personally have done them a few times and there are so many options. Here’s one kit that’s pretty reasonable that I liked (affiliate link that also gives the buyer a discount) https://www.iherb.com/pr/renew-life-parasmart-15-day-targeted-cleanse-2-part/7141?rcode=RUR466
I’m curious what mercury testing you had done and what your mercury level was? I was diagnosed with mercury toxicity in March and am in the process of the same steps your shared above.
Hi – we had a hair analysis done. I’m confused about the accuracy and interpretation of such tests but that is what we did. How were you diagnosed?
I had a blood test but am going to have the hair analysis done to verify. What were your mercury levels?
Hi there. I would have to go and look up my results. Did you have mercury in your blood? I have heard that it will show up in the hair first since the body tries to keep it out of the blood so I am concerned if yours is showing up there.
Yes, mine was a blood test.
And it showed toxic levels? I have heard good things about the Cutler protocol. I haven’t done it myself.
After my mercury filling was drilled out in April, I’ve had five ear infections, gained 10 pounds, have episodes of memory loss, and low energy. My naturopathic doctor diagnosed mercury poisoning and is aggressively treating me for mercury toxins with chelation therapy. Two injections this week, major probiotics, and my mouth tastes like car parts (metal) so I know it’s working.
When the dentist removed the filling (did not inform me first) I smelled, tasted and inhaled the metal. Then I caught a tooth infection during the root canal and took antibiotics strong enough for malaria. But now, months later I knew something was not right with these ear infections.
Even with the aggressive detox I am already feeling better and seeing major body changes. Because of the ear infections I could not smell food, so I was craving and eating salt and sugar foods (weight gain). The mercury was looking for places to bind. Normally this will eliminate in a few days from the body (per my doctor) but in my case the metal stayed with me.
If I don’t rid these metals I could end up with autoimmune diseases, hearing loss from ear infections, and health problems from being overweight.
A primary MD would have probably given me another round of antibiotics for the ear infections and never connected mercury with my symptoms. Or put me on allergy meds (I was already taking these and not getting results).
Grateful for the healing! #newgirl ?
So glad you are doing better!
Thank you for your article! I am suffering from the same symptoms. I hope to feel better after my amalgam is removed.
You are so welcome. Hope you do better as well!
Add 15 more bad symptoms(3yrs) and this is where i am at! 1st round of Mercury detox w/safe amalgum removal. Hopefully addressing candida soon as well. I am a stay at home mom and homeschool.
So sorry. I just prayed for you. It can all be a long road!
Hi a very interesting article
I’m a 53yr old man and have been reading so much about mercury poisening from dental amalgam fillings. I’ve had chronic fatigue for ages prostrate issues then a yr ago two of my teeth with large fillings fell apart I felt so I’ll then not long after apendixitis instant removal caused by nasty bacteria infection ct scan showed a fatty adenoma left adrenal gland tests show non productive but actually low hormones from adrenals I improved a little after months but after have teeth prepared for crowns to fill gaps two teeth had large fillings I felt I’ll quickly again esp my gut I them had rest of fillings removed before crowns fitted I felt I’ll again but some improvement
If I’d known more information I’d of taken a diff route but too late so any advice to aid recovery plse as now I’m sure my fillings have been causing my issues for many yrs
Mark
I really wish I had known all these things a long time ago 🙁 I got a number of amalgams drilled out by a dentist who said it was totally safe. I got very sick ! I’ve had the last two out by a biodentist and am now working with a functional doctor on regaining my health and detoxing. I’m grateful I’m still here – I wasn’t sure I would be.
I’ve cautioned all my friends and family. Mercury poisoning does scary scary things to your brain…I never want to feel that way again! Thank GOD He saw me through and is with me always – he spoke to me 3 John 1:2 – Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. Don’t we serve a gracious and loving GOD!!
So glad you got your health back!!!!