[I] hit the “stop alarm” button on my tablet Friday night at 1:45 am and went back to sleep without taking my chelators. When I woke at 4:15 AM and realized the mistake I was mad as a hornet! This was my first round after taking a break for nine weeks and I was experimenting to try to find the perfect, magical dose schedule. Friday night was my fifth night and I had not yet found the magic so it was a great disappointment to end prematurely. Here’s what I learned:
- 2 hour intervals work well for me during the day, but not at night! During the day, my energy level is much smoother on 2 hour dosing.
- I can get through 2 hour night intervals and survive the next day but just barely.
- There is a great risk of screwing up at night with 2 hour dosing and ending the round prematurely and during the days there is a great risk of screwing up in any number of ways due to sleep deprivation.
- Low, safe dosing was uncomfortable and I think I prefer to be moderately challenged by my dosing. I don’t know to what degree this is because I was sleep deprived versus attributable to my response to low doses. This is not the first time I’ve experienced this low dose phenomenon. Low doses give me apathy and slow thinking without the energy surges and occasional euphoria that I get with larger doses.
- I should not be searching for the perfect magical dosing and instead search for something that works just well enough to tolerate. I believe there’s still room for me to address the rough spots with tweaks to my antioxidants and methylation supports. Specifically, increasing Lipo-C and SAM-e at the right times could smooth out my chelation experience a lot.
Next round, I’m going to increase the doses to 50mg ALA / 25mg DMSA every two hours during the day and three hours during the night. I expect it will be difficult because it was the last time I tried it.
These are my notes from the round:
Round 17 (4.5 days) – 25 mg DMSA, 25 mg ALA every 2 hours , total chelation days to date: 73
- Monday, November 4: started at 7 AM but haven’t slept well for two nights so my ability to sense impact of chelation very diminished… Got a good nap. Mild headache around dinner time, exhausted in evening. longer night doses: 2′ 45″, 2′ 45″, and 2’30”.
- Tuesday, November 5: Woke up feeling a little rough so I think I will try shorter night doses tonight. By 11am feeling rocked by poor sleep. First night on 2 hour intervals.
- Wednesday, November 6: Slept through my first alarm last night but fortunately woken by wife and daughter. Woke up feeling a little better in spite of two hour intervals. Still, same pattern repeated today, functional until around 11 AM. Lips are dry and cracking even with constant Chapstick application. Again, feeling much better after nap. Second night on 2 hour intervals.
- Thursday, November 7: woke up very early and attended an all morning business meeting – that wasn’t smart! but I survived it. Third night on 2 hour intervals.
- Friday, November 8: After three nights one two hour intervals I think I can say it’s not working well enough for me. Going to try 2’30” tonight using: 11:15 PM – 1:45 AM – 4:15 AM – 6:45 AM – 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- Saturday, November 9: I missed my 1:45 AM dose and ended the round. I had almost no redistribution effects on Saturday, presumably because my doses were low in this round.
- Sunday, November 10: felt a little slower than usual on Sunday, possibly from adding 5htp and Gaba-R or sleep or maybe because my redistribution was delayed for the first time.
I shall see. Fingers crossed, I am still cautiously optimistic.
Yeah it is pricey. I did find food grade sodium alginate on Amazon. Just not sure of its purity. I am going to continue to experiment with the supplement, you know n=1.
Yes I take salted water daily. I started doing this way back when I started supplementing with iodine.
If you started using saltwater back when you started iodine it sounds like there’s no chance it’s the salt in the alginate that is helping you feel better… that’s great! Will put it on my list to try.
I am using the algin on and off round. I just feel so good when I take it that I continue to do so even off round. I do bump up the dosage to 3 pills, 3x/day for 2 days post round. I will post a link below where I purchase it. Unfortunately, you have to get it from a sunshine4helath distributor. This is the cheapest I have been able to find.
http://www.sunshine4health.com/algin-100-p-597.html
I am interested in the alternative protocol linked below. I do not participate in that forum though. I may add in some of his recommended supplements once I get 50 rounds of chelation completed.
http://orbisvitae.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=64142#Post64142
I am anxious to see how things go for you. Keep posting your progress!
Thanks Kelly, like many of my supplements it’s pretty pricey… is there any chance it’s the sodium that’s helping you? Do you have adrenal problems? Ever tried drinking saltwater before?
Hi Eric,
I have been following your story for a while. I cannot remember how I found your blog though. I too have been supplementing with high doses of iodine for approximately 2 years. I worked my way up to 100mg Iodoral. Now, I am taking a daily 50mg maintenance dose. I am also chelating following the Cutler protocol. I am on round 17, 37.5mg ALA and 10mg DMPS. 3 hour dosing schedule. I did 8 rounds of DMSA alone. I had to disctontiue the DMSA though. The yeast issues were way too much for me to handle.
I hope to add DMSA back in once I lessen the metal load. I decided on the Cutler protocol after doing lots of reading/researching. I had 7 amalgams. All have been replaced years ago. My first amalgam was placed when I was under the age of 10. I am 43 years old now. In hindsight, I now believe I have been dealing with symptoms of mercury toxicity over the years.
Anyway, the reason for my post, I recently added in algin and it has been a complete game changer for me. I take 3 capsules 2x/day. I first heard about it over at the orbisvitae forum. I have completed 2 rounds using it and I have been almost symptom free on and off round. I have had fantastic energy on and off round, no brain fog or signs of redistribution. I take it 1.5 hours (on an empty stomach) after my dose of ALA. Members on the Yahoo group claim that it doesn’t work. Maybe that is so for some.
Chelation is different for everyone. So far, it has been the one supp that has had the most dramatic impact on me while chelating. Anyway, it may be worth a try for you.
Thanks for writing Kelly, we do have a lot in common! I’m finishing round 18 today and still not understanding it all well. Feels like it would be easy if I didn’t also have lead to worry about. because I do, I need to figure out how to work DMSA into my schedule. I don’t think I have yeast issues, but the DMSA doesn’t seem to diminish the effects of ALA for me as some people say.
I appreciate you mentioning the algin – congratulations on finding something so effective! are you using it off round also? what brand and where are you getting it?