Symptom Sheet

Symptoms of Chronic Mercury Toxicity

(Reproduced from DAMS, Inc)

The symptoms of mercury toxicity depend on your individual makeup. It finds your weaknesses and attacks. For example, if you have a genetic tendency for an illness such as asthma, but you don’t have asthma, mercury toxicity can bring it out in you.  It tends to strike the brain first, as it is an easy close target. Below is a partial list of some symptoms. If you have mercury toxicity you may experience some of these symptoms.

Mental and Neurological    Inability to concentrate, brain fog, insomnia, dizziness, migraine and other headaches, forgetfulness, emotional instability, irritability, unprovoked anger, fearfulness, anxiety (nervousness, panic attacks), exaggerated response to stimuli, electrical sensitivity, insomnia, tremors/trembling of hands, feet, lips, eyelids or tongue, ataxia (clumsiness), vision problems, numbness (tingling in hands, feet, legs, etc.), facial paralysis, loss of self-confidence, shyness/withdrawal, drowsiness, indecision, depression, mood swings, a feeling of being disconnected, suicidal tendencies, Bell’s palsy, damage to the blood-brain barrier.

Oral Cavity   Bleeding gums, metallic taste, foul breath, burning sensation in the mouth, excessive salivation, mouth ulcers, leukoplakia (white patches), oral lichen planus, gingivitis, burning sensation in mouth or throat, periodontal infection, oral galvanism (electrical currents and voltages in the mouth, the currents being conducted by saliva, food and nerves).
Ears/ Eyes    Dizziness, vertigo and ringing in the ears, hearing problems and deafness. Glaucoma and restricted or dim vision.
Gastrointestinal     Yeast overgrowth (infections), leaky gut, food sensitivities, indigestion, malabsorption, constipation, diarrhea, cramps, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis (colon inflammation), Crohn’s disease (which includes severe diarrhea).
Immune Function, Autoimmune Disorders       Mercury depletes vitamin C, selenium and other antioxidants such as glutathione*, your body’s main antioxidant and detoxifier, weakening your immune function. In the brain, mercury can overly activate microglia (the brain’s immune cells), causing free radical damage and over production and release of glutamate and quinolinic acid, which kill brain cells at high levels. Bacterial (Lyme Disease), viral (colds), fungal (athlete’s foot) infections are more difficult to overcome due to the effects of mercury and other metals used in amalgam fillings. Some cancer is now believed to be related to Candida fungal infection and mercury strongly promotes Candida albicans infections. Thus, it is considered to be one of the triggers for cancer. Mercury contributes to all allergic disorders and to all autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s disease, hyperthyroidism and Grave’s disease.
*By depleting glutathione, mercury makes it harder to detoxify anything else; so, it is believed to be a factor in multiple chemical sensitivity.
 Cardiovascular / Blood      Mercury interferes with the porphyrin pathways in the production of heme, which is needed to produce hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the body by way of red blood cells. Thus, mercury deprives the body of necessary energy, causing fatigue. Mercury also interferes with energy production in mitochondria, the little energy furnaces found in all of our cells. Mercury causes red blood cells to clump or stick together, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It causes abnormality in white blood cell counts (too high or too low), sluggish lymph flow making lymph vessels clog. Other symptoms include Irregular heartbeat, heart palpitations, rapid heartbeat; feeble or irregular pulse; high or irregular blood pressure; pain or pressure in the chest; Idiopathic myocarditis. Mercury acts synergistically with other heavy metals – such as cadmium, lead, iron, tin and copper – multiplying their toxic effects.
Endocrine (Hormonal)     Mercury from amalgams concentrates in regions of the brain such as the hypothalamus and the pituitary, disrupting the neuroendocrine system and resulting in mood disorders. Adrenal function is adversely affected, with mercury adding to stress levels and depleting vitamin C. Ovarian effects include stress responses and infertility problems. Mercury disrupts thyroid function in numerous ways. It disrupts T4 to T3 conversion, causing low thyroid function – hypothyroidism – the symptoms of which include cold hands and feet, subnormal body temperature, weight gain, obesity, sluggish metabolism, slower intellect, depression, loss of libido. It can also cause hyperthyroidism (rapid heartbeat, elevated temperature, high blood pressure) and Grave’s disease.
Reproductive    Reproductive disorders caused by mercury include lack of sperm mobility, toxic sperm, endometriosis (an autoimmune disorder), PMS, infertility, miscarriages, cleft palate and other birth defects, loss of libido (sex drive), poor sexual performance.
Bone and Connective Tissue   Mercury damages collagen throughout the body, harming bones and connective tissue and accelerating the aging process.
Depletion of Important Vitamins and Minerals         Mercury depletes vitamin C, the B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and other important minerals. It depletes glutathione, the body’s main antioxidant and detoxifier. The mercury poisoned person may suffer some malnutrition despite eating a good diet. Mercury tends to disrupt mineral transport, so the mineral levels seen in hair, urine or blood tests often do not reflect the levels in the body. Kidney function is typically reduced and the kidney’s ability to regulate minerals and salts and filter toxins may be impaired. Kidney problems (possibly manifesting as pain in lower back), elevated porphyrins in the urine and liver function can also be impaired causing congestion, gall stones and a lessened ability to detoxify the body. Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity/ environmental illness, joint pains, muscle weakness, wasting away with loss of weight, hypoglycemia, metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes can also result.

Reproduced from DAMS (Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions). To learn more visit http://amalgam.org and http://amalgam.org/education/dams-fact-sheets/

Teresa R. Franklin, Ph.D.
teresafr55@gmail.com
Blog: mercury4dummies.blogspot.com


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