What Are the Treatments for Mercury Toxicity?

Mercury toxicity is a serious condition. Mercury, a heavy metal found in some old dental amalgams and in some fish---particularly tuna, swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico---can cause severe neurological problems. Because it can remain in the body for 15 to 30 years and cause untold damage, many sufferers seek treatment for the disorder.

DMPS and DMSA

• All treatments for mercury toxicity focus on removing the mercury from the patient's body. Many procedures are known as chelation therapy. In this therapy, doctor use various substances to help with the removal process. DMPS---an acid-molecule with two free sulfhydryl groups---forms complex molecular structures with heavy metals. DMPS, developed in the 1950s in the former Soviet Union, has been used for the treatment of metal toxicity since the 1960s. Mercury in the body attaches to DMPS, which is then removed from the body as part of the regular cleansing cycle. DMPS was manufactured under the brand names Heyl and Dimaval.

  According to Dietrich Klinghardt, founder of the American Academy of Neural Therapy, the dosage for DMPS is estimated at 3 to 5mg per each kilogram of body weight. Treatments take place once each month. The DMPS is injected intravenously and is completely excreted in approximately eight hours. Some professionals warn that DMPS should never be used on patients with amalgam fillings, which contain mercury.

  A second solution---DMSA---also attaches to mercury in the body. Patients orally ingest DMSA. It is one of the few agents that penetrates brain cells. This characteristic is particularly notable given that some research, including a 1992 study by the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has concluded that the brain is the most critical target for treating mercury exposure. DMSA removes mercury via bile and the kidneys. DMSA appears to remain in the body for longer periods of time, and takes longer to attach to mercury molecules. In fact, a 1994 study published in "Human Experimental Toxicology" noted that mercury concentrations were only marginally affected by the use of DMSA.

Chlorella and Cilantro

• Some plants soak up trace amounts of minerals, including metals. Chlorella absorbs mercury, which then is excreted through the stool. Essentially, it eliminates mercury mainly from the digestive tract, including the intestines. However, chlorella causes gastrointestinal distress in some patients.

  Cilantro, the leafy part of the herb coriander, also helps in treating mercury poisoning. It does not excrete mercury from the body, but it is capable of pulling mercury from the brain and spinal cord. It moves the mercury to other cell areas, where DMPS or DMSA can then remove it.

Antioxidants

• Vitamin E, vitamin C and selenium help to remove trace minerals such as mercury from the body. In fact, some doctors prefer to use vitamin C instead of DMPS or DMSA, injected intravenously in doses of 25 to 100g. Many other over-the-counter health supplements are recommended by individuals for the treatment of mercury toxicity, but few of them are recommended by doctors.