This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Hi all,

As.part of very complete (and expensive) testing for lyme (which unfortunate was inconclusive), I had a heavy metal test done on a pubic hair sample.

There a whole host of forums and groups dedicated to heavy metals testing and chelation, and its another area ive been researching with regards to MS. Specifically because I have high mercury and very high lead. the lead in particular is astronomically high. Its not hard to then make the link between lead toxicity and demyelinating lesions....its actually all quite worrying.

As usual my neuro pays no attention. to.this.because basically his careers is based on working with big pharma and he has paid virtually no interest. in this, although clearly heavy lead levels cause neurological. problems.

Am . I the only one to have looked into this issue with heavy metals? In one of the chelation groups, one of the admins actually joined the groupal as someone with MS only to find that her lesions were greatly reduced after propwr chelation. Her diagnosis of MS was actually withdrawn. I know that is just a one off, but im sure shed still be an MSer now had she not looked into her problems with heavy metals....

I had a toxic metals urinalysis done several years ago using the chelation agent DMSA. The results were fairly unexciting (except for very severe constipation a few days afterwards). However, one interesting thing was that it showed that I still had gadolinium in my body despite the fact that it had been 10 years since my last MRI.

Anyways, be careful which chelation agent you use. Many people have had severe reactions to DMPS.
See the links in this old post of mine.

http://www.thisisms.com/forum/post208560.html#p208560

I had the blood panel done and the hair analysis. Both showed nothing alarming. How do you get lead and how do you get rid of it? Maybe that's why painters used to be the highest MS profession, besides elementary school teachers

Usual sources of lead are old plumbing/soldering and lead paint. I honestly have no idea how my levels are so hi gh, but the fact that I hace detoxification issues may mean that I simply am.not getting rid of it naturally, and it has accumulated over time. Cant explain it otherwise.

high lead is definately not good for any any MSer. Now I just have to figure out how to chelate.

Andy Cutlers frequent dose chelation protocol suggests using DMSA and ALA to chelate lead and mercury, but there are a few things that need to be taken into account before diving in.

I have been getting hair analysis test done since 2004. My first test showed lead at 5 times the upper limit. Every couple of years I will get this test done so I am aware of what is going on in my blood. 2004 was the only time I showed high on lead. I had a urine test for mercury done thinking my amalgam fillings might be a problem but it didn't show above the limit they had set. Just because a toxin is within their limits does not mean it is not harming you. The fact is mercury and lead do not belong in the body in any amount. How much it takes to make you sick is different for everyone and I am sure where the toxin is in the body effects how bad it is. The body will normally store these toxins in the fat but if it get in the brain or other organs it can be a problem. The hair analysis shows what is in the blood for the last 3 months of hair growth. It does not tell you what is in your brain, heart or any other organ. I have never done a chemical detox program but the body is detoxifying all the time. I did a detox program which consist of taking vitamins, minerals and supplements which allows the body to detoxify and it worked for me. When you exercise you sweat which is the bodies way of getting rid of toxins. When you sleep at night you are fasting which allows the body to get rid of toxins. Your liver and kidneys are the bodies way of getting rid of toxins. It you eat the raw fruits and vegetables you give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to detoxify. You practice healthy habits your body is made to detoxify itself.

http://www.healthylife-healthyplanet.com/detoxify.html

all very true want 2bike, unless you have mthfr mutations and your bodies detox pathways are compromised. That might explain how my hair analysis shows lead at 59 when it should be below 1.8...!?

If you are seeing high levels of lead you might consider a reverse osmosis water filter. If you are getting the lead from your water that will filter it out.

I have to analyse the water. I switched to drinking bottled water since joining the CIS club 11 minths ago. ive also seen contradictory advice about RO water. not to mention that I don't have enough space for it. Nevertheless the water in Madrid is said to be of very high quality , but I will get my water tested anyway.

The CBC they did on me turned up negative for mercury. Lyme Disease would have been a convenient and easy diagnosis.

zjac020 wrote:Usual sources of lead are old plumbing/soldering and lead paint. I honestly have no idea how my levels are so hi gh, but the fact that I hace detoxification issues may mean that I simply am.not getting rid of it naturally, and it has accumulated over time. Cant explain it otherwise.

high lead is definately not good for any any MSer. Now I just have to figure out how to chelate.

Andy Cutlers frequent dose chelation protocol suggests using DMSA and ALA to chelate lead and mercury, but there are a few things that need to be taken into account before diving in.

Sometimes lead can come from supplements and/or herbal products. Here's an example citing ayurvedic products.

http://www.thisisms.com/forum/natural-a ... ml#p197566

You can always check consumerlab.com to see if some supplement you're taking might be high in lead. Note: that site requires a paid subscription.

I was taking some chinese medicinal supplements.for about 2 months or so. They were plant based....will have to double check them.

Some papers discussing lead contamination of supplements...

Buyers beware: lead poisoning due to Ayurvedic medicine.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22476953

Lead poisoning in pregnant women who used Ayurvedic medications from India--New York City, 2011-2012.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22914225

Lead poisoning from Ayurvedic medicines.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23799386

Acute abdominal pain and constipation due to lead poisoning.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24364054

A case report of adult lead toxicity following use of Ayurvedic herbal medication.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24083830

Chronic Arsenic Poisoning Following Ayurvedic Medication.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24696169

Herbal supplement use and blood lead levels of United States adults.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19575271

Lead encephalopathy due to traditional medicines.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18690981

I have taken supplements produced in China but will not do that anymore. All the information I see from China suggest it is unsafe to take anything produced by them. If you want to test your water for purity you might be interested in a PPM meter. It will not tell you if lead is in the water but it will tell you if the water is pure. In my country I can buy distill water from walmart. I do not trust the bottle water since I do not know where it comes from.

http://www.uswatersystems.com/tds-3-hm- ... -case.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/039195_organ ... tmare.html

Unfortunately here in spain supermarket dont sell distilled water and making it myself is not an option for me.

When I say chinese supplements i meant based on chinese medicinal.practices, I don't think they were manufactured in china. The other supplement are from Now foods and Swanson so I don't think they are the problem.

not a fan of RO or distilled water; just using tap for the time being. it's still subject to softening, though, which i'm not a particular fan of either. but i ate my greens and took my mag like a good girl, so that's something i guess.

http://www.lenntech.com/processes/softe ... er-faq.htm
A water softener collects hardness minerals within its conditioning tank and from time to time flushes them away to drain.
Ion exchangers are often used for water softening. When an ion exchanger is applied for water softening, it will replace the calcium and magnesium ions in the water with other ions, for instance sodium or potassium. The exchanger ions are added to the ion exchanger reservoir as sodium and potassium salts (NaCl and KCl).

the systemic aspects of this kind of thing occur to me more and more frequently over time.. eg consider the possible consequences of crop irrigation using softened water... i'd like to see studies of the nutritional composition of crops grown in hard vs soft water. i clearly don't have a handle on the right search terms for this sort of study yet, though.. can't find a thing!