Mercury

Let's talk a little bit about the mysterious part of my sickness. I want to talk about Mercury. Not as in Freddy but as in mercury poisoning. How many of you grew up with those lovely silver fillings in your mouth? Or maybe you were a lucky one who has perfect teeth. Yes hubby, I'm talking to you :)

I grew up with so much silver in mouth, I am surprised I didn't get signals from the aliens above. Then when I grew up and still need fillings, the silver is cheaper, so I went with them. To be all Fancy Nancy, it is amalgam or the silver fillings. Here is what dentists are putting in your mouth when they put in the cheaper, amalgam fillings. They have about 50% mercury, 20-32% silver, 14% tin, 8% copper and other trace minerals (Thanks,  Jack Ferracane for this info found in your 2001 publication Materials in Dentistry: Principles and Applications). So, you may be asking, what is the big deal about mercury?


Let me tell you.... Here are some of the symptoms that I had: 

• diarrhea/constipation
• weight loss (40 lbs over 4 years without trying!)
• nausea
• fits of anger (I was a bitch on wheels - look out!)
• mood swings (again, my witch showed her ugly side)
• anxiety
• fear (food scares the hell out of me)
• chronic tiredness
• apathy
• dizziness
• irregular heartbeat
• lack of concentration
• sinusitis
• inflammation
• allergies (environmental, food, animal, etc)
• hair loss (my shower drain was quite hairy)
• skin problems (weird red spots that showed up and some would itch - gross!)

Guess what these are symptoms of - mercury poisoning. Sure they are also symptoms of other things  like PMS, dehydration, or maybe just a certifiable, crazy, stressed out mom.

Mercury is a toxic metal. Dentists are required to dispose of amalgam (silver, mercury, zinc, tin, copper, etc) in biohazard waste containers yet it is ok for us to have this in our mouths.

Did you know that when you have amalgam fillings, that they are constantly giving off toxic fumes which your body is absorbing and others are inhaling? When you chew or brush your teeth, the amount of mercury vapor coming off your teeth increases. If you want to see it in action, check out the video by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (www.iaomt.org) on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2VCen1vCMY.

So why do I think that I have mercury poisoning besides the symptoms? I had all of the amalgam removed by January of this year. Within a week of having it removed, I started to gain weight. Something that I have been wishing for for the past 4 years. I also have more energy, my anxiety is less, my irregular heartbeat is gone, my hair is growing in thicker, my skin is improving, and I feel like I am healing. It takes about 6 -12 months to rid your body of the mercury. I am even thinking that I should do some colon hydrotherapy and then detox my body with nutrition to completely heal. It is amazing what we put in our bodies and don't even think of the consequences. I would never eat a plate of mercury or want it in my drink, so why would I want it to be in my mouth for years and years?  I only wish I knew this sooner. The great part is that I am learning and changing and continuing to heal. The best part though, is that I can teach my son how to live healthier and hopefully not have to deal with everything that I have gone through. I am truly thankful for that. What a life lesson!