My Dental Fillings Poisoned Me

Hi amcgovern,
Thanks for your comment - sounds like you have a plan, hope it works out.
I don't know if a link has been made between the generations with regards to the effects of amalgam toxicity, so I'm not in a position to comment either way. You'd be surprised where human exposure to mercury happens, it's not just amalgam fillings. The pharmaceutical industry puts it in vaccines (as some sort of stabiliser or preservative) and children are still routinely injected with this stuff directly into their body tissues. So far as I know, no large-scale studies have ever been done to identify what the long-term effects might be. Even if only 0.01% of children are adversely affected in a low-level chronic way, that's still tens of thousands of people whose lives are reduced in quality as a result, and possibly even ruined. But such a small figure is usually dismissed as being 'not statistically significant' in medical research, so no-one takes any notice of it. If you compare this attitude to road accidents, only one or two component failures in a new car model will result in instant large-scale recalls by the manufacturer to have the defect remedied to prevent injury and harm. Shame the same logic can't apply to the hazards of mercury in its medical applications. Mercury is already classified as a highly toxic substance by Health and Safety legislation...and is classified as an ecologically dangerous substance by natural science. But somehow in medical applications it's deemed to be OK.
Best wishes and good luck with getting your fillings changed, and hope everything goes well.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi berylmay (Ms Omowale),
Thanks for your appreciation - it's always good to know that my story is of interest to others, and sometimes of help too.
Sorry to hear you are having sinus problems - you'd be amazed how common these are!
Your symptoms are recognizable as post-nasal drip. The foul taste could come from this and/or from the amalgam. With sinusitis there is commonly a rosy-cheeked appearance with a flushed, hot face, and perhaps a low-grade fever as you describe. The increase in pulse rate could also be due to the low-grade fever, but also disturbances to heart rhythm have been described in some accounts of chronic mercury toxicity.
In my case I developed a serious heart arrhythmia over twenty years ago which put me in coronary care! I was prescribed tablets to control it, and although it improved dramatically after I'd had my amalgam removed, I still have to take the tablets as a precaution. I'm not suggesting this might be the case with you, but would be wise for you to be aware of this possibility and seek medical advice if you believe your are suffering any symptoms of heart arrhythmia such as irregular pulse, tiredness, fainting.
Chronic sinus problems are part of the symptom-cluster that is characteristic of chronic mercury poisoning. So far as I understand these things some people may have chronic sinus problems unconnected with any reaction to their amalgam fillings (if they have any such fillings).
If you do have amalgam fillings, though, there might be a connection.
In my case, I have a long history of chronic sinus problems going all the way back to the mid-1960s. The problems started around four years after I had my first amalgam filling, but perhaps more significantly shortly after I'd had my nose broken whilst playing rugby around 1965. I've had lots of surgery to try to alleviate the problems, which has worked only to a small degree. There was a significant improvement after I had my amalgam fillings removed around eight years ago. But although the intensity of the symptoms receded to some extent after I had my amalgam fillings removed, I continue to have chronic sinus inflammation and infections, which yet more surgery has failed to stop. I was once, around fifteen years ago, put on antibiotics for several months, which after many weeks got the problems under control and I was very well for around three months after the antibiotics were stopped, then all the problems started again.
My advice is that you should consult your GP (family physician) and explore ways of managing your sinus inflammation problems. He/she might acknowledge that your amalgam fillings might be contributing to the problem, but I doubt it, unless he/she is very enlightened. In the short-term another course of antibiotics may be advisable, because sinus infections are notoriously difficult to clear up with only a short course. I still take several courses of antibiotics a year for my sinus problems (under medical supervision) - if I don't I end up with chronic bronchitis and then pneumonia (this is because I'm asthmatic as well...another component of the mercury toxicity symptom-cluster).
Another thing that might help is antihistamine medication - your sinus inflammation may begin with an allergic reaction and then proceed to infection (this is the path I commonly follow). As a result I've taken daily antihistamines under medical supervision for several decades, otherwise my sinuses are permanently infected and even antibiotics don't help because the inflammation allows re-infection to take place.
I hope the above information is of help to you.
Best wishes and good luck.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi djinanna,
If the onset of your symptoms post-dates having your fillings replaced with amalgam then there's a significant possibility that they are amalgam-related.
I'd advise consulting your GP (physician) as a precaution in case he/she feels that medical investigations into other possible causes are indicated.
If you decide to have the fillings replaced, please be sure to use a dentist who knows how to take the necessary precautions against the absorption of even more mercury into your body as a result of drilling out the amalgam.
The good news is that the human body naturally loses mercury (albeit very slowly) and if the cause of your symptoms is the amalgam, having your fillings removed will result in your symptoms receding (although perhaps not immediately - the mercury is transferred between a succession of body tissues before it is excreted). Using natural chelating agents will speed up this process.
Best wishes and good luck,
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi lady7295,
Your intuitions are entirely wise. If the tooth is crumbling and your mouth has a metallic taste and this is associated with the onset of headaches of a kind that are atypical for you, then there is a significant probability that there are microscopic fragments of the amalgam filling breaking free and entering your lungs and gastro-intestinal tract (the mercury will travel from there to your brain).
If you opt to have the tooth rebuilt using a non-mercury-based filling I suggest you ask your dentist to take every possible precaution to prevent further ingestion of mercury into your body whilst the old filling is being drilled out.
The good news is that the human body does lose mercury (albeit very slowly) through natural physiological processes (unlike lead, which once absorbed is inside you for good). So, unless these recent developments have taken place within a context of long-term mercury toxicity, your symptoms should subside naturally once the mercury is removed.
Hope all goes well - good luck and best wishes.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi ChicaBee503,
Thanks for your query - apologies for the delay in replying, I've been bedridden with a chest infection!
I did have a simple serum mercury level done around a decade ago, which came back as normal. Then, after doing a lot of reading, I discovered that such a tests is worthless - it is simply not a reliable indicator of how much mercury is in your body, or where it is deposited, or whether the amounts you have are causing harmful effects.
There is a more sophisticated test based on blood levels which checks the body's capacity to release deposited mercury to a chelating agent, and the blood samples are taken over a period of time and the results plotted on a graph. From this it is possible (so they claim) to calculate how much mercury you have in your body. Still doesn't tell you where it is or whether it is actually the cause of any symptoms you might have.
So I never bothered with getting a chelation test carried out, partly because the reading I did (from various sources, including medical) indicated their reliability was not good, and partly because the chemicals used (powerful synthetic chelating agents) have been associated with reports of adverse reactions (which I've had a lot of from pharmaceuticals) and partly (I must admit) the expense.
Another issue here is that the sensitivity to mercury displayed by the human body varies from individual to individual, just as some people respond well to some drug treatments and not to others. It is a feature of pharmacological idiosyncrasy - we don't all react the same way. The sensitivity to both the intended action of a drug or chemical and its side-effects will be a distributed along a normal distribution curve (at least in theory, and quite likely in practice).
So your result does not necessarily indicate that the level of mercury in your body is harmless to you. Given how much lower it is than the 'normal' range, you'd have to be very sensitive to it to have detrimental effects, but this can't be ruled out.
Given your recent diagnosis of MS (sorry to hear about that) it would be worth searching the web to see if you can find any reports of associations between MS and mercury sensitivity. I'd be very interested to hear from you again on this, I don't have the time myself at the moment to fit any more into my schedule!
Ultimately the decision is yours about amalgam removal, and if you are to be happy with it you need to feel that you've based it on the best and most comprehensive information and advice you can obtain. So you are very wise to do some more research - the time will come when you will know you are ready to decide.
Best wishes and good luck - please let me know how you get on.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi realscientist,
Thank you for your comment.
Amalgam is a physical mixture of elemental mercury with other metals - it is not strictly speaking an alloy and is certainly NOT a chemical compound like table salt, as you claim.
You claim that 'mercury VAPOR' is not elemental mercury. If it is not elemental mercury it must be chemically bound up with some other element - which, so far as I understand the composition of amalgam, is not the case. So what exactly is the composition of 'mercury VAPOR' then?
The mercury in amalgam is not bound chemically in the mixture in the way it is in a chemical compound or even physically as it would be in an alloy. In some alloys the constituent metals exhibit different chemical properties than in their elemental form, but not all, so far as I understand (some aluminium alloys being a good example).
It is not justified, therefore, simply to assume that mercury amalgam is safe in humans, and thus far (for reasons best known to those who sponsor and fund such research) very few credible studies have been carried out on the long-term effects of amalgam in humans.
If you want 'good' science you aim for good research design and try to replicate your findings - I haven't found much evidence of this when it comes to the possible long-term toxic effects of mercury amalgam on humans.
If you know better, perhaps you could supply some references.
The dental and medical industries have claimed that amalgam is inert ever since its therapeutic convenience was first identified in the 19th century (when the health risks of mercury were not even considered), and since then very little research has been done on humans (using the sheep as an animal model may turn out to be inappropriate - who knows?).
The results of what little research has been carried out are hotly disputed by the anti-amalgam lobby, whose own research is in turn rubbished by the pro-amalgam lobby. It has all got very nasty indeed (and, in some cases, personal and abusive).
Yet, despite the claims by the pro-amalgam lobby, and the proponents of the 'trust us we're scientists' view, serious concerns about the safety of amalgam are being accorded more credibility, and a precautionary approach is being increasingly advocated at a political level.
It took Professor Sir Richard Doll many decades to demonstrate conclusively (using statistical analysis) the link between cigarette-smoking and lung cancer, by means of a large-scale longitudinal study (the longest in history) where small-scale studies had previously failed to demonstrate such a link. Maybe this is what is needed with amalgam poisoning, who knows? But simply claiming it's safe is no longer credible to those who, like me, suffered serious ill-health and then recovered after amalgam removal.
For many years now The World Health Organization has recommended against the use of mercury amalgam in pregnant women and children under 7 years of age. Have WHO and their medical advisers been hoodwinked by 'bad' science?
In England the NHS does not use mercury amalgam in pregnant women and children under 7 - 'bad' science again?
Mercury amalgam is already banned in a number of countries and a vote on an EU-wide ban is likely to take place later this year. 'Bad' science again?!
Mercury in fish certainly was a serious issue some years ago - I don't know whether it is now - I'm a vegan so don't follow this issue. Your advice may be accurate and beneficial - but the claim that mercury exposure is greater from eating fish than from a lifetime's exposure to the mercury in one small amalgam filling is disingenuous rhetoric and not backed up by any evidence.
In my own case, I only resorted to taking matters into my own hands when years of medical interventions had failed to diagnose the cause of multiple and complex symptoms. These symptoms declined and, in most cases completely disappeared, after I'd had my amalgam fillings removed. That doesn't constitute scientific proof, of course, but there was no explanation offered by my GP for the improvement in my health.
People who suffer serious and disabling symptoms which medical investigations fail to diagnose, still less offer treatment for, are understandably interested in alternative approaches - who can blame them?
Whether this constitutes getting 'mixed up in bad science' is debatable. There are many health claims made made by alternative medicine that are not scientifically-verified or supported by reliable evidence - on the other hand, some alternative approaches seem to work very well for some people (acupuncture, for example; which, according to western science, should not work at all).
Unfortunately the claim that mercury amalgam is safe is not backed up by scientific evidence either - instead the claim is based on a supposed lack of evidence that it is injurious to health, and this claim is resorted to because there is no reliable evidence that it is actually safe to use.....!!!!
Systematic large-scale longitudinal studies have never been carried out into the safety or otherwise of mercury amalgam. The evidence-base does not exist, because the data has never been collected and/or collated.
Therefore anyone like yourself who is concerned about the distinction between 'good' and 'bad' science would be ill-advised to simply repeat the complacent mantra that 'amalgam is safe' that is trumpeted by the pro-amalgam lobby. It is based itself on poor and inadequate science. You obviously don't wish to call it 'bad' science, but you can't claim that it is supported by a body of well-grounded scientific evidence, because such an evidence-base doesn't exist.
Instead, there is a long history of dental and medical professionals simply dismissing their patients' claims of ill-health as having nothing to do with having mercury fillings.
As with all other fields of human inquiry, if you don't look, you won't find.
I'm only a humble (retired) philosopher, of course, but I do know enough about logic to identify know when the term 'science' is being mis-used (be it 'good' or 'bad'!).
Best wishes.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Real scientist,

you clearly have no respect for yourself, the earth and people who have had numerous health complaints due to mercury poisoning. The FACT there are thousands of books, articles, videos, blogs, films, documentaries and personal accounts about the absurdity of what having mercury in your teeth can do, you think it is all just hocus pocus. When dentists remove mercury from your teeth (in the uk) they have to wear gas masks and chemical face protectors. If the mercury is spilled or dropped on the floor then the room and possibly building has to be evacuated for the safety of people within the room and building. A clean up operation must then start due to the toxicity of mercury. This is something we currently think is safe in the teeth but highly dangerous when immediately removed. Most pro amalgam people claim its not dangerous when correctly fitted in the teeth, but its been proven time and time again that the vapour is released constantly. This constant stream of mercury will need to be detoxified constantly by the body. Due to us all having inidividual capacities to detoxify so much on any given day (taking into account stress, immune system, gut system etc) the system can get overloaded. There is no where else for the mercury to go apart from in the body. The brain, the muscles, the testicles, the spine etc. Some people have numerous fillings and report no health concerns. I can only hypothesize that these people have very good detoxifying capabilities and their bodily functions and immune system have not been compromised. Some people have 2 fillings and suffer immensely. Whatever the 'real science' is, the fact is that it is being banned all over the world and will be here soon in my life time for certain. I don't want to wait until i have early onset dementia at 40 because i listened to people like you and the NHS who say 'its perfectly safe' (in your teeth). Pathetic. Do us all a favour and do some proper research. Try and help your fellow humans, family and friends by rejecting amalgams and protecting our future children from this medical negligence.
Peace

Hi jonnyenglish88,
Thanks for your comment - and the rhetorical flourishes, which I found very uplifting!
The problem with the 'scientific' claim that amalgam is safe is that there is no evidence for it, as the appropriate research has never been carried out. Conversely, there's very little unanimously-accepted research into the adverse effects of amalgam in humans. This hardly surprising, since the costs of carrying out large-scale studies are prohibitive unless there is a significant prospect of the results supporting a change in government policy that will save the taxpayer money in the future (economic considerations seem to be paramount with this kind of research...).
Meanwhile, the majority of dental and medical practitioners continue to parrot the conventional wisdom that there's no evidence of ill-effects, a claim that is put out by the amalgam industry based on the lack of any evidence at all, which itself is the result of dental and medical practitioners, and scientists, being told during their training that there are no ill-effects resulting from amalgam. So when their patients complain of symptoms and relate them to their fillings, their dentists/doctors dismiss their concerns as being 'unscientific'...so the data doesn't get recorded. You can see the circularity here.
The idea of using sheep as an animal model for amalgam poisoning (mentioned by 'realscientist') always causes me much amusement. Has anyone ever managed to get an intelligible answer from a sheep when asked questions about headaches, psychological problems, visual disturbance, digestive problems, personality changes and the like? For an animal model to be valid it must capable of providing data on the significant health issues under research. Using sheep for amalgam toxicity studies will at best only reveal adverse physical consequences that would be devastating in humans (thus concealing the more subtle but sometimes equally disabling symptoms) and at worst give the impression that the substance being tested is totally safe. Maybe that's why sheep were chosen....!
If mercury were not already in widespread use, I cannot imagine that any proposal to the medicines approval system to use metallic mercury in patients would be accepted. The problem facing reformers is that it is always difficult to ban a substance for which there is a long history of existing use - unless people display severe symptoms which can easily be traced back to the use of the substance. With mercury the picture is much more complex, but the wealth of personal testimony attesting to the beneficial effects of having amalgam removed is becoming larger by the day, so governments and health authorities are beginning to take notice.
You're right, it's only a matter of time before amalgam is banned in the UK, and a wonderful day for humanity that will be. I'd like to see its use banned all over the world.
Best wishes.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

I would also like to see it banned in all vaccinations. The link between autism and mercury is very scary. There is just no need to have this toxic unecessary element flowing through us. I'm reminded of the story behind the discovery of scurvy being caused by a lack of vitamin C. The British government were told by scientists that it can be cured/reversed by eating fruits and fermented vegetables that contain vitamin C. I think it took the government another 50 years to act on this information and start supplying ships with the right foods. During that time hundreds of thousands or millions of sailors died a painful death due to scurvy.
What about thalidomide? What about tobacco? The list is endless. People blindly think because the so called 'association of whatever .....' say its harmless than it must be true. Its the same with mental health problems and diet and nutrition. The link between them is scientifically proven and there are people all over the world with books, articles, etc etc all claiming to be symptom free or almost symptom free after discovering the root cause of their illness. Most people (and its not entirely their fault) just don't keep looking for answers and we have to find out the hard way. The medical establishment is very arrogant and corrupt due to all the rubbish they get taught by their governing body. Most of this is just rubbish that the pharamaceutical companies want them to learn.
Psychiatry is a fantastic example. I think before you become a consultant psychiatrist you may have spent at least 7 or 8 years at uni, med school, psychiatry school.... during that time the amount of information digested on pharmaceutical drugs far far far outweighs any information on diet and nutrition. They just don't clue about the role of vitamins, minerals, amino acids. Its embarassing, i have met consultant psychiatrists that are paid by us who know nothing about nutrition. Just drugs for everything.
Have you seen the ITV tonight program on mercury amalgams? i think it was 2009? Im waiting for the andy cutler book i ordered recently as well.

Hi jonnyenglish88,
Yep, it's very scary that mercury is put into vaccines - supposedly as a preservative or stabilizer of some sort. But, hey, the scientists say it's all right! They say this without having done the kind of large-scale longitudinal studies based around the appropriate research design that would actually test for the toxic effects so many people complain about...then they say there's no scientific evidence that the mercury in vaccines does cause problems. They're right, of course - there isn't any scientific evidence, but the lack of it is because the right studies haven't been done. So they tell us it's safe, but in fact they don't actually know, because they haven't searched for the evidence, and they refuse to believe there's an association between the kinds of symptoms people complain about and the use of mercury in dental fillings and vaccines. Funny old world...
There's a lot of 'thinking on rails' in medicine (and dentistry, and science generally) where the conventional wisdom is taught and accepted and no-one going through the training is allowed to question it. By the time they've become important and powerful in their careers they have a vested interest in keeping it that way. So they ignore all the anecdotal testimony about the harmful effects of mercury in amalgam, which if there was any scientific curiosity in them you'd think they'd act on and do the research that's needed to see if there is actually a link, or what the real cause of the symptoms might be, and instead they just keep on telling us that mercury amalgam is safe. Now, is that 'good' science or 'bad' science, I wonder?
No, I didn't see the ITV prog (I don't watch TV) but I heard it was very good. The Cutler book I do have, and I highly recommend it. The author is a biochemist who had the symptoms of mercury poisoning but the medics wouldn't listen to him, so he did his own search through the scientific literature and found a way of curing himself. Then he wrote the book - very detailed, and very helpful, empowering for the reader.
Good luck with your search for a solution, and best wishes for the future.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Thank you for your comments and story Paul. Its nice to hear of your suffering coming to an end and you passing on your knowledge and help to others. I had my amalgams out yesterday and i know its too early to say if anything will change (im yet to receive my metal toxicity report back from Biolab that i sent off last week). I have noticed that my muscle jerks have dramatically decreased. I usually have 20 - 50 uncontrollable jerks, like i'm being slightly electrocuted, a day. I've had a couple yesterday and a couple today which is very rare. The truth is out there!! I can't wait for my reports. Then i have some chlorella to do some serious detox.

Thanks Paul

First of all, your assumptions about what I respect, and what I don't respect reveal your propensity for emotional rhetoric and emotional arguments, not scientific ones. My viewpoint is based solely on published research and practical experience in this matter. I would never personally attack you or Paul regarding your opinions. I am not even discounting the fact that your specific ailments are not due to toxicity to certain metals. I am simply stating that there is simply not enough evidence to make global restrictions on the use of amalgam based on your personal experience. If that was the case, every drug and medical material on the market would be banned for one reason or another. There are millions of amalgams placed with no health consequences whatsoever. That is the undeniable truth. I admit that your personal experience may be very different.

As with all things, toxicity is a matter of dose. You can die from drinking to much water, for God's sake! If amalgams were harmful, we would know it by now! You bring up excellent points regarding smoking and thalidomide. People who smoke, overwhelmingly have a higher incidence of cancer, COPD, emphysema, arteriosclerosis, periodontal disease, etc. etc. than people that don't smoke. Pregnant mothers who took thalidomide overwhelmingly had a high incidence of children with devastating birth defects. People with amalgams do not have a higher incidence of ANY health maladies than those without amalgams. The term "Mad as a Hatter" originates from hatters leveling brims of hats using mercury as a level. The mercury (elemental, not in an alloy form) was absorbed in their fingertips over time and eventually affected their brain. I have no evidence, but I'm quite certain the dose that hatter's were exposed to in one day's work was significantly higher than the exposure experienced by a dental patient. In fact, using todays technology, the dentist or his assistant is not exposed to elemental mercury. The mercury and the other powders are mixed in a capsule, then opened after trituration. Your claim about mercury spillage resulting in building evacuation is simply inaccurate.

It's interesting to hear the argument that there is not enough research in this area. From 2004 to 2008, there were 433 articles published related to amalgam safety. There are numerous studies using children and pregnant women, not sheep, which conclude that there were no safety concerns. This includes the aforementioned physical and psychological disturbances. By the way, the studies using sheep were conducted by groups that wanted to prove amalgams toxicity, not unbiased researchers. I can email you a list of these studies, but listing here is beyond the scope of this forum. In return, could you please send me a listing of the "thousands" of books, articles, blogs, videos, documentaries that you referred to in your post. I can't find any reputable research conclusively proving a patients symptoms are from their amalgams. Please keep in mind, random posts from patients who have self diagnosed their ailments isn't necessarily good empirical evidence. UFO blogs, posts, videos come to mind. As far as the WHO is concerned, it can be concluded that many European countries fell victim to a political movement, not a scientific movement or revelation. Major reviews by the FDA, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Public health service have confirmed the safety of amalgam. Major consumer and patient advocacy organizations—including Consumers Union, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases Association—have concluded that there is no association between amalgam and human illness. Toxicity is always related to dose.

I'm sure there is some opinion that dentists or the dental industry is trying to hide the fact that amalgam is harmful. This is simply unfounded. This isn't cigarette manufacturers or pharmaceutical industries trying to protect their livelihood. If amalgam was proven harmful, dentists and dental product manufacturers have the most to gain. Amalgam alternatives, such as composite and porcelain restorations (such as Cerec) are better treatment options but considerably more expensive to place. They are better because they actually bond to the tooth structure, which is not the case with amalgams. Again, look at the research. Amalgam is disappearing from dentistry. I guess we will have the benefit to study future generations and see if the reported incidence of various health concerns, like scurvy, disappear as well. At this point, to assume amalgams are the cause of a whole host of unrelated ailments is scientifically irresponsible.

I sincerely wish you luck with your quest to find the cause of your health issues. I just don't think the answer lies in 2 amalgam filled teeth. Will your dentist retest your hair in 6 months to see if your toxicity levels are changed? I would demand it! The only thing you have to lose is money and potential tooth problems down the road from having additional procedures performed.

Good luck

Hi realscientist,
Thanks for your response.
Since some of your reply was directed at my response to your original comments, I'll address those points.
Your confidence that the published scientific research on the possible toxic effects of mercury amalgam demonstrates that there are no harmful effects is somewhat misplaced. What it demonstrates is that the research that has been published did not find any evidence of harmful effects - but whether that was all there was to find depends on the research design, methodology, and so on. In other words, if you aren't looking for something, you won't find it. The quality of the statistical analysis is also crucial.
My own experience at the hands of the medical and dental professions (during which I have been misdiagnosed on numerous occasions, given appallingly bad advice, inaccurate (blatantly inaccurate) prognoses, and so on, all in the name of 'science' and supposedly based on the body of evidence derived from scientific research, has resulted in my being very skeptical about any claims concerning scientific research 'finding no evidence' being used to justify the inference 'therefore does not exist'. Science has been wrong about many things in the past, some of them being treated as 'certain knowledge' which have subsequently been found to be erroneous.
My point about Professor Sir Richard Doll's research into smoking being the cause of lung cancer was about how difficult it was to establish the link prior to his research, and it took many decades and a very large sample size (10,000 people or more) to demonstrate the statistical connection. NO such study, so far as I am aware, has been carried out with amalgam. It may turn out that such a study would reveal such a connection.
Anecdotal reports from people whose health has improved following amalgam removal does not constitute scientific research, obviously, but for the people concerned it is evidence enough for them to attribute a connection, even if they don't understand the processes involved. And there are many, many such reports (my own included) where medical science had nothing to offer for very serious symptoms (mine included heart arrythmia, high blood pressure, gastro-intestinal problems and a host of other issues) all of which improved and eventually resolved themselves, with no medical explanation offered whatever. Make of that what you will, but I'm sticking to the view that the mercury in the amalgam is a strong contender for what happened to me!
As for the WHO, EU, etc., falling victim to political pressures, you may be right. The EU environmental advisory committee is advising the banning of amalgam on the grounds of environmental concerns (not human health) because the levels of mercury vapour released into the air from crematoria is apparently getting into the eco-system and having detrimental effects on wildlife, most of whom have it in their body-chemistry for considerably less time than humans (because they don't live as long).
Humans alone amongst all the life forms, it would appear, have this marvelous capacity to have mercury put into their body with no ill effects whatsoever!!!
And you wonder why people don't trust 'science'.....
The 'precautionary principle' alone should be enough to prompt caution in making any claims that putting mercury amalgam into the human body was harmless. And, by the way, you did not respond to my point that the mercury is not chemically bound in the amalgam but is simple physical mixture, it is not even an alloy.
It may be that the effect is not one of toxicity but of sensitivity - which would produce a completely different pattern of incidence and much more varied symptomatology. More research is needed, but with so many people in the amalgam industry saying amalgam is not harmful, and so many believers in 'science' saying there's no evidence, there's little likelihood that such research will be carried out. Complacency is a wonderful thing, especially when it is exercised on behalf of others.
But hey, if you're one of the lucky ones who doesn't absorb the stuff (and some people appear to be far more sensitive than others...) than that's all right then.
Best wishes,
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Visited sutcliffe dentistry today. Met daniel sutcliffe. Very nice chap. He actually lectures at seminars and talks on the dangers of amalgam fillings. I can have mine replaced at a cost of £250 plus a £40 for a good hygeine clean. I have sent off to Biolab in london for a hair mineral toxicity test to find out my levels and then i'm booking in to have them out.
I also found out through my NHS practice that my fillings were definately mercury alloy mixed. Ar**holes.

Please have a look at his site. There is a lot of interesting information on what he does and his passion behind why he thinks we should all have them removed, replaced and never fitted again. Nice sales pitch huh?

http://www.sutcliffedental.co.uk/treatments/holistic-dentistry/

Hi jonnyenglish88,
Glad to hear that you are making progress and have found a dentist who you believe in. I thought I'd responded to your earlier post - but it must have gone astray...or my memory is playing tricks on me. My apologies for this - please be assured I'm not ignoring you!
I hope that when you've had your amalgam fillings replaced your health issues resolve themselves - only time will tell.
Best wishes and good luck!
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi lightchaser66,
Thanks for your comment and appreciation - and sorry to hear that having your mercury fillings did not result in the improvement you'd hoped for. Your description of your symptoms is consistent with mercury sensitivity, and my understanding of the pathology (as an amateur) is that ingesting mercury during the removal of amalgam fillings can give rise to the symptoms you describe.
Good luck with your mission to discover exactly what is going on with your health - there's a lot of detective work you can do and I wish you well with it. If you feel able to share news of your progress I'd like to hear how you get on.
Best wishes and kind regards,
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi Healthyliving101,
So far as I am aware there are no diagnostic tests specific to amalgam illness. There are chelation tests available at private clinics, but these are very expensive and carry associated risks of adverse reaction to the powerful chelating agents that are used. Even than they cannot reveal for certain that the cause of your symptoms is the mercury in your fillings.
You could try hair analysis - raised levels of mercury in the body may be reflected in the deposition of mercury in the hair. If you google 'hair analysis' you should be able to find someone who offers this service (all you do is send in a hair sample). Again, all this shows is that your body has raised levels of mercury, not where it is deposited.
But, if your levels are raised, and you have amalgam fillings, the most likely origin of the mercury in other body tissues is your fillings (mercury does not occur naturally in the human body except through contamination from external sources).
As to convincing your parents, I suggest searching the internet for everything you can find on 'amalgam illness' and 'chronic mercury toxicity' (there's lots out there!) and then try to relate what you discover with whatever signs and symptoms you have detected in yourself.
Please be aware that some of the signs and symptoms you may experience may have causes other than the mercury in your fillings.
Probably the best approach is to view your condition in terms of a 'symptom cluster' as the range of possible symptoms of amalgam illness is wide and some of them can seem apparently unrelated. The symptoms can also be quite subtle yet adversely affect your quality of life and general functioning, so even if your symptoms are not severe it is worth doing something about resolving them, purely on the basis that your entire life will be affected negatively by them, so getting rid of them can only improve things.
Best wishes and good luck - please let me know how you get on.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Thanks for your appreciation, spunks - it's good to know that my efforts are worthwhile! Best wishes and good luck.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi FranzFan,
Thanks for your comment. If you google 'list holistic dentists UK' you'll get loads of interesting things come up, and you can narrow the search from there. Sorry that I can't help with individual recommendations - I live in Bristol!
I have read that chronic Candida efflorescence may be associated with amalgam illness, as can chronic yeast colonisation of the lungs. The latter I treated myself for many years ago, with some success, the symptoms finally disappeared after I'd had all the mercury removed.
Best wishes and good luck.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi Chantally,
It's great to hear your story - and thanks for your recommendation. I've heard so many people say that having their amalgam fillings changed for non-toxic ones has transformed their lives for the better that when I hear doctors and dentists say that this is all anecdotal and there's no scientific evidence I struggle not to laugh at them. One day I suspect there will be evidence available that is accepted by the scientific community, and then they will change their tune. In the meantime those of us who have suffered and found our own solution are dismissed as cranks. Still, it's great to hear another good news story!
Best wishes and good luck,
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi georgiegent,
Thanks for your comment. You're right, dentistry is about money, and NHS dentistry is a political issue. None of the political parties wants to be landed with the fall-out from any admission that mercury in fillings is toxic. Neither do the professional bodies or insurers. So, no-one will go on record about it. Amalgam illness can take the form of psychological changes, so it's possible your emotional state is being affected. I had lots of psychological effects - irritability, poor concentration, mood changes, and so on. All gone now (well, I still get a little irritable at times....but that's probably normal). As to the cost - I don't know of any way of getting mercury fillings replaced with non-toxic ones on the NHS. There might be a way, but I don't know of it. You could try raising the issue with your dentist and your GP. My guess is they'll not be able to offer anything. In my case, my wife and I paid for it out of our savings (when we still had some). The EU is going to have a vote on banning amalgam next year, but even if they do vote for it the ban won't come into effect until around 2018. Sorry I can't be more helpful on this - amalgam illness is almost totally ignored in the media and in academia. Keep searching for dentist whose charges are more reasonable - and don't give up hope.
Best wishes and good luck.
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Thanks liz54 - I hadn't heard of this book, I'll check it out. I wonder how many people who suffer from these three conditions (sufferers probably number into the millions) are actually mercury poisoning victims. Until the people who have the power to change the way the science is done are prepared to alter their approach, we'll never know ('if you don't look, you don't find' is as true in science as in any other form of inquiry!).
Best wishes,
Paul (mercurysurvivor)

Hi Paul - there is lots of evidence to suggest that all disease is caused by either microorganisms and/or toxicity, up to and including the big ones like cancer. The book is not just about ME etc and although I've got to go out now I will post an abridged version of the protocol for before and after amalgams and the names of another couple of excellent books I've read later on tonight. I did a massive post last night detailing all of this but managed to lose it and couldn't face doing it all again! Agree with what you say about those in power but they are very unlikely to change their approach. The NHS would be bankrupt if it admitted the dangers of mercury, so it's up to the rest of us to get the word out....Be back later

Hi Laura,
I seem to remember it was white ceramic material - no mention was made of flouride - I would have declined if that were the case.
A small percentage of the population are allergic or sensitive in some way to flouride (there's lots of material on the web about this, it's a few years since I last searched on this so I can't remember which sites are best) and if you happen to be one of these, then you face the prospect of potentially serious ill-health whilst you wait to get the fillings changed again! I have no idea about the risk (if any) of developing allergy/sensitivity to fluoride following initial successful exposure but there are certainly cases of people who develop allergies/sensitivities to other things later in life where previously there wasn't (or didn't appear to be) a problem. You may like to consider these issues very carefully when making your decision.
It is so easy and cheap to obtain flouride toothpaste that if you still want to have flouride in your teeth you can do so, whilst retaining the option of stopping it if you feel the need.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Paul

Thank you so much!

That was really helpful. My mercury free dentist spoke to the alternative doc and they both agreed that removal should be done prior to the detox.

All this is going to be so costly :(. The joys of mercury fillings!

Keep you guys updated...