[I]n December I was like the walking dead but I’m back in the land of the living after increasing my hydrocortisone and taking a 3 1/2 week break from chelation. I read a lot of war books because when I read about the atrocities happening to innocent 18-year-old kids, I feel lucky to be alive, no matter what physical state. It reminds me that lady luck is really the master of all – in health or in business, she rules.
In round 21, I was delighted to experience the old energy surge from chelation again. It was unexpected because of my experience in December. From this I learned not to start a round if I’m not feeling relatively fresh. I think it’s important for me to have a few nights of good sleep under my belt when starting a round. Also believe that hydrocortisone is a linchpin for me. No doubt in my mind I need it to get through chelation.
One particularly exciting note – round 21 was an increase in total chelator dose for me but I still experienced almost no moodiness or depression.
So now I feel little bit like I’m driving a tank again, slow and steady, guns blazing at the enemy. Today, I’m starting round 22 with 75 mg of ALA only, every two hours.
Oh, and I’ve been off Facebook all year so far!
Round 21 (5.5 days) – 37.5 mg ALA and 50 mg DMSA every two hours, total chelation days to date: 89
- Thursday, January 23: Energy surge in the morning lasting most of the day, with some brain fog and slow thinking. Strong frontal headache starting around 5 PM. Dry sensitive lips. Feels like a relatively average pattern but better than December rounds. Was able to nap.
- Friday, January 24: still energetic and productive all day, fairly clearheaded, still cramping, eating a little less than normal? overall very few side effects, no moodiness, no headache just a hint around dinner time, no aches and pains. Very light nap
- Saturday, January 25: feeling much more relaxed today where energy surge is balanced by sleep loss, still very functional and in good mood, slept deeply during my nap, warm in the evening.
- Sunday, January 26: still working all day, exercised in the morning, able to nap but wiped out after 3 PM – exercise bad idea!
- Monday, January 27: drove kids to school in the snow, wanted to nap afterwards but unable, worked all day, wired and exhausted but happy about being wired, no moodiness or other side effects, still ongoing cramping.
- Tuesday, January 28: still working but very slow and muggy headed in afternoon while shopping, unable to nap, chapped lips, skin and hair very dry all week, still cramping, last dose at 5 PM.
- Wednesday, January 29: better energy and clarity than expected today during redistribution!! Unable to nap, worked all day.
Eric,
Been reading your blog for awhile now; it is definitely one worth keeping tabs on. Thank you.
Just wondering why you decided to drop DMSA for this round? Also, how would I know if I’m a good candidate for methylation? Any thoughts?
Sean M
http://mercurymanifesto.blogspot.com/
Hi Sean, congratulations on your blog and welcome to the club! my little brother was an Air Force pilot too and flies for Southwest now.
Your question is a really good one. I think if you suspect heavy metals, methylation support is worth a try, because you really can’t have mercury poisoning for example without methylation dysfunction in my opinion. This symptom list might be worth reading also.
I need to do one round every month with DMSA, but this month I’m planning two rounds so I wanted to do one with ALA only. I like to know how the chelators affect me separately and I like to know my tolerances separately. This gives me a chance to push my ALA tolerance independently. I don’t really know if it makes sense or not, just my intuition that if I’m always mixing ALA and DMSA, I get less information about my situation…
The first two days were pretty hard, but that’s probably par for the course for a 25% increase!
Wow, small world! This problem is keeping me from commanding the skies right this minute…as you can imagine!? I’ll have to keep satisfied with the desk in the meantime, but right now I am just feeling lucky that I found a out what’s wrong and I have halted the progressing downward spiral.
I haven’t started ALA yet, but your system seems like a very good one to get a gauge on where you should be at with each supplement. That’s another thing I’m stealing from you.
That symptoms list you linked looks pretty in line with the way that I’m feeling…in regards I am leaning towards starting methylation. I would like to keep it slow though. I still have yet to read the phoenix rising link to titrating up, so much to read. I do know that I’m not going to jump in head first without due diligence, you make that mistake once and you learn…DHEA was the first mistake for me. I am slowly building my notes on personal experience. Your supplements section is awesome…I’m keeping track in a similar fashion, although I have taken much of the advice I’ve seen here, in AI and other forums.
That being said, I don’t know if this is too much to ask but is there anyway that you could link the actual supplements (company/brand) you are currently taking to your supplements page. The research it takes to find a supplier/supplement that works is tireless in itself, I also don’t like reading reviews from people that aren’t dealing with the same problems as us.
Also wondering if you have a running lessons learned tab anywhere on your blog. I know one size doesn’t fit all, but it would be nice to know where you’ve hit roadblocks.
Thanks and take care Eric, good luck with the increase.
-Sean M
http://mercurymanifesto.blogspot.com/
I’m glad you’re finding my blog useful and I will try to link my supplements for you. You took a large amount of DHEA. Might’ve been helpful in smaller amounts. I use a 25 mg at breakfast and a 10 mg at lunch:)
I don’t have a lessons learned page but I guess I should, thanks for the suggestions.
Supplements are linked now. You’ll get $10 off I think on your first order with iherb if you use those links.. I added up my supplement expenses yesterday and was really surprised. Includes my wife’s supplements also, but currently spending around $730 a month!
Eric,
Thanks for the quick response! The supplements addition is much appreciated. I was reading about Magnesium Theonate a few days ago based on your post, I wasn’t aware that form of magnesium existed. Have you noticed a difference when you do take it? When you do take it do you exclude other Mg supps? I’ve been taking Mg Aspartate for awhile now, and after some reading I am making the switch to Mg Glycinate.
http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Encapsulations-Magnesium-glycinate-capsules/dp/B0017HYB2I
I just picked up this one but it was pricy; I figured I’d splurge since its one of the supps I take the most of. Have you had good experience with any other brands? I’ll try and give you a rest after this post. Enjoy the week.
-Sean M
http://mercurymanifesto.blogspot.com/
Yes, I feel more relaxed but also foggy when I take the magnesium threonate so I’m convinced that it does do something very different. I used it in addition to my 2g of mag glycinate. Now, I’m just keeping it on my shelf for when I feel I might be getting a migraine.
I use magnesium glycinate from Kal but it is not available on iherb so I get it at the local store.
“currently spending around $730 a month!”
Yes, it does add up! I think that I have been around 300 USD a month but is down to maybe 150-200 now. I also use IHerb.
But it is still small change if you compare it to running to doctors!
I started using iherb because of you and was pleasantly surprised. It’s a very efficient operation and when you spend a lot they start giving you healthy discounts, so very satisfied with them. The price is small change if it heals you. Going to the doctor is so expensive because it’s like burning money for the privilege of staying sick at the same time…
By the way I wanted to comment on your blog but don’t have an anonymous Google account set up yet… I will work on it one of these days. Anyway congratulations on getting started with chelation and finding the source of your problems, looks like you have a very clear-cut case of mercury poisoning.
Hi Sean,
I had a quick look at your blog and it really does sound like mercury problems. It may be a small comfort, but be very thankful that you found out so fast! Many of us have been suffering for decades before we understand what has happend to us.
Anyway, I read that you had some issues with tinnitus and just wanted to say that I got that as well during some chelation rounds. Like all other side effects, it went away with time in my case. Without looking at my notes, I would say that I had it to some extent for maybe 10 rounds.
Viking,
Thanks for the encouraging words. In the absence of the trail of crumbs left behind by guys like you, than I’m sure it would have taken years to come to this conclusion. Having the retainer was a blessing as well, having that evidence made the light bulb come on and stick.
The tinnitus comment is a load off my shoulders, thank you. With anything, it’s good to hear that others have had the same issues, especially when you hear that it does get better.
I’ve read a lot of posts on this blog by you, just wanted to say that you and Eric have a positive attitude that is refreshing, even in light of the crap…
Cheers,
Sean M
http://mercurymanifesto.blogspot.com/
“I’ve read a lot of posts on this blog by you, just wanted to say that you and Eric have a positive attitude that is refreshing, even in light of the crap…”
That is a very kind thing to write! Thank you!
For many people, this is a very solitary experience. Not only are you sick, but it is really very difficult to talk to others about it and that very much includes most doctors. So we need to try to help each other! But this is also difficult, since all each of us really knows is very much based on our personal experience and everybody tends to have different issues and reactions in this game.
Still, it is fantastic to be able to read FDC and blogs like this! When I took out my fillings 20 years ago (no safe protocols then…..) it was very difficult to find any info, not to mention support. It all makes sense to me now, but at the time it was very frustrating and confusing.
Best of luck and I hope that chelation works out for you!
As a bonus, here are two great nonnfiction books on WW2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitzkrieg:_From_the_Rise_of_Hitler_to_the_Fall_of_Dunkirk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighter:_The_True_Story_of_the_Battle_of_Britain
Congratulations on staying off Facebook! Well done!
Your round also sounded relatively pain free. It seems clear that you are progressing at a fairly good rate. Maybe 2014 will be the big breakthrough for you? As you know, I am all in favor of trying higher doses of ALA once your side effects on lower doses are tolerable and that clearly seems to be the case for you, so good luck at 75 mg!
Interesting comment about the war books. I did exactly the same for the same reasons! I have one book on World War I that I read several times when things seemed more dark than usual but I have read a lot on the topic, both fiction and nonfiction.
If you also like war movies. I can really recommend “Beyond Enemy Lines” . It is mainly in Swedish but you should be able to get it with English text. Apart from being a great film, it is also 100% historically accurate. I guess that you have seen Band of Brothers (also great) and if you liked that, this will not disappoint you.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377935/
It was your comment Viking, that gave me the push to turn off Facebook, so thanks.
I’m really hoping for a big breakthrough this year and had a strong feeling last week it was going to come. Sometimes when I see myself in the mirror I’m sure I look healthier even though I can’t quite put my finger on what it is!
I’ll pick up both of those books – I read tons of World War II books when I was a kid, so this is kind of like a homecoming. The movie is not available on Netflix but I will check on Amazon later today… I have not seen band of brothers so I’ll look for that too.
Recently I finished the guns of August which was pretty good, although the writing a little bit of a letdown after running through all of the awesome Robert Massie books. I’m currently halfway through An Army at Dawn, which is a trilogy, so it’s gonna take me a while to get on to the Deighton books.
Thanks for the suggestions!
World War 2 tends to be a popular topic for young boys, and that was the case for me as well. And then it may lead you back in time, i.e. it is very difficult to read about WW2 and not get interested in WW1 and so on. I actually read a fair amount about the US civil war since it kept coming back as beeing the first modern war.
I will have a look at Robert Massie. It sounds like he is a serious historian that also writes well. In my experience, that is a rare but wonderful combination.
Finally, since we are talking books, I have been reading up on weight loss. There is so much crap written on this topic that it is really hard to find anything meaningful but I just read something that I found really interesting:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Calorie-Myth-Exercise-Weight/dp/0062267337
It is a very easy read but there are several really interesting new aspects in it that makes sense to me.
Through Robert Massie I’ve read a decent amount of World War I history, really interesting to see how it all ties together with what came before and after – his books are extraordinary, and you’ll be hooked for sure if you start with Peter the Great. I’m sure you already know the history of war with Sweden, but it is told so well in this book, really a joy to read.
I’ve enjoyed every single one of his books but since we’re talking about war, Castles of Steel and Dreadnought are fantastic too.
I’m glad the calorie myth is a Paleo book because that’s my diet. At this point, my weight problems stem only from inability to exercise. But I will remember this link, maybe good for my daughters to read someday.
“At this point, my weight problems stem only from inability to exercise. ”
This is one of the most interesting aspects of this book, it turns everything about exercise around 180 degrees! I have already started it and it is VERY different! You only exercise 10-20 minutes per WEEK, so it may be of interest to you as well. Anyway, I am doing it, so I will let you know how it goes.
It is true that the diet is similar to Paleo, but the reasoning is different from anything that I have read before.
Last year I got really interested in the short high-intensity exercise strategy and it worked really well for me for a few months until I got tendinitis. I found three 30 second sprints was enough to change my physiology for the rest of the day. Your comments reminded me I really need to get back to that, so I started this morning with three sets of jumping jacks. Really tough to do while chelating – it immediately increased my brain fog. Anyway, I look forward to hearing about how it works for you.
Had never heard of eccentric exercise before. I’ll look into that more one of these days.