Today at the park, I was once again overrun by both gratitude and pain. A child of four or five years old was watching my littles on a see-saw and we invited him to join. No answer. “He’s non-verbal,” his mom explained. As she skillfully helped him to navigate the playground in spite of his major sensory issues, I tended to my own children and observed with awe. She was a master of her craft. Did her son have autism? Perhaps not, but it is certainly the most likely diagnosis. Not every child with special needs is blessed with such a loving mother. My heart ached for both of them and for my own family not so many years before.
I remember those days. Our struggles were different and less but still similar and intense. My children have all learned to communicate at least reasonably well as babies, which is a gift I am tremendously grateful for, but still didn’t make life normal because of all of the sensory and other issues we have dealt with. As many parents can attest, a child with sensory issues needs to be able to communicate the things that are troubling him, otherwise his life is almost unbearable. Seamus’s life was often almost unbearable even though he was an early talker and would very clearly tell us, with screams if words didn’t suffice, that a place, or smell, or clothing item, or music, or feeling, or person was overwhelming for him. Just being able to communicate that you want something doesn’t mean you can have it, though – I didn’t have a smell-eliminating wand and couldn’t let him go naked everywhere.
When he was an infant, I remember another mom helping me realize that his intolerable behaviors became even more intolerable when I ate dairy or when he tried grains. I say “intolerable” because it was, but there is something cold about that word. I was perfectly miserable with lack of sleep and a mind-blowingly demanding child and lots of unhelpful advice. But Seamus must have been so much more miserable than I. What could make a child scream for so many hours on end even in his mothers arms?
If I couldn’t soothe him, it is needless to mention that he could not soothe himself. Ever. As he got older it could take hours to “get over” the smallest issues. People say “obsession,” as in obsessive-compulsive disorder. People use the word “fixation” when discussing autism. People even use the more positive term “hyper-focus” to describe a common experience of people with ADHD. It doesn’t really matter what word you use or how you distinguish these similar phenomena if the result is a whole morning derailed all because a favorite shirt was dirty or because an errand interrupted playtime. Nothing like a forty-five minute violent tantrum to put the family in the right frame of mind to start the day.
I also remember people politely asking, “Is he autistic?” Sigh. He wasn’t. He had decent eye contact, was verbal, and hit all his milestones in a timely fashion. He certainly wasn’t average, though, endlessly observing other children at the park, only interacting occasionally and without naturalness. He had a habit of talking at people instead of to them, major sensory and sleep issues, constant gut trouble, and crazy behaviors in response to certain foods. No, he never would have scored as “autistic,” but reflecting back, he must have been. What had masked it? Or prevented it? Or mitigated it?
A few different things. Firstly, Seamus has been having an abundance of good fats, including fermented cod liver oil, since since he was in utero. I had also been gluten-free and dye-free for years before conception in a desperate attempt to get my own health under control. It helped me so I stuck with it. We have never tried food dyes or other “junk,” no kid needs those things, but we had tried gluten and with terrible results. After lots of healing he does fine with dairy, but as an infant and on and off as he got older it gave him awful colic and behavior issues. What dietary things do parents of children with autism swear by? Omega 3s (like in the cod liver oil) and avoiding gluten, dairy, and food dye. What would have happened if he had been eating the “standard American diet?” I never tried, but I think I would have had a fully autistic child. At one point, when some chlorinated pool water wiped out his gut, I recall that his behaviors went from 7/10 to 10/10 on the “unbearable” scale. After a couple of weeks that felt like decades, I decided to try the GAPS* diet for him and within 24 hours he was he usual self; he was still demanding, sleepless, etc, but back to his baseline and even somewhat better. . . not the post-pool over-the-top level. The GAPS diet was literally developed to treat autism, but I didn’t connect the dots.
We somehow survived until Seamus was about three and we took him to a chiropractor. Immediate results. At the time I simply observed that he could better cope with life, risks, and changes. Within the framework of autism, I would phrase it differently: he could better process with sensory input, was less anxious, and had the executive function to better adjust to change. The words used are beside the point. He was so much happier, quite literally more comfortable in his own skin, more able to learn and to fit in. Needless to say, chiropractic care became part of our regular routine. I see many families of children with autism come regularly to our chiropractor; they try it, they find it so helpful it immediately becomes a top priority as it did for our family. It still didn’t occur to me that my son might be have autism.
Even when both of Seamus’s little sisters developed non-febrile gran mal seizures it still did not occur to me that autism could be the issue. I didn’t know that about a quarter of people with autism are diagnosed with epilepsy. I hardly noticed the fact that both girls also had sensory issues. Having become accustomed to things like entire days ruined by requiring Seamus to use the scented soap available in a public bathroom, I had learned to navigate the world differently and had different expectations of kids. My girls’ sensory troubles were fewer and less intense than Seamus’s, anyhow. Maybe because of regular chiropractic care and super strict diet, maybe for some other reason. They also both had gut trouble and food sensitivities – not shocking since I did, too, though with all of my vigilance and how much I had learned about diet, I certainly had hoped my younger children would have happier bellies.
Somewhere in the midst of the drama of sorting out my second daughter’s belly/food issues–Maeve was well past 12 months before she could tolerate anything except breastmilk–I decided to try heavy metal testing. I wish I knew who to credit with the excellent idea of doing a heavy metal hair test but I was so exhausted from taking care of three sleepless children (sleep issues are also common in autistic populations!) that I don’t remember much from that year, but I digress. . . After a decade of eating a mostly organic diet, using non-toxic body care and housekeeping products and growing a lot of our own food, my 14-month old was in the 99th percentile for overall toxicity. The test showed her hair was especially high in arsenic, aluminum, and antimony. I got my own hair test with similar results, additionally showing lots of mercury. No wonder my kids had so many health problems and no wonder my many physical and mental health issues had improved even as I was well into my thirties . . . I had been their source of heavy metals and I had been unintentionally and steadily detoxing into my children.
After reading the test results, I remember nursing my little Maeve with tears pouring down my face. She couldn’t tolerate food. The only thing I could feed her was my own, heavy-metal tainted milk. But God is faithful. Maeve was his daughter much more surely than she was mine. Little by little I wrapped my mind and my heart around the issue. Little by little, Maeve began to tolerate first a few and then some more foods. Getting rid of our Smart Meter and Wi-Fi sped up her belly healing quite a bit, allowing her to eat more and more solid foods. I scoured the internet for months, not finding any particularly promising solutions to the problem of heavy metal toxicity until I ran across the “Andy Cutler Protocol.” It was developed by a chemist who got mercury poisoning from dental work and then developed a protocol to treat himself. The more I read about it the more it made sense to me. I even bought one of his books and looked up the specific metals that showed up on our hair tests; it seemed as though someone had been watching our family and writing down all of our idiosyncrasies and troubles. A characteristic pimply rash that cut short our enjoyment of supple baby skin with each of my kids; my obsession with hot drinks; anxiety; seizures; miscarriages; autoimmune issues; yeast; sleep issues; adrenal fatigue; painfully good hearing. . . it was us! It was at once, both terrifying and validating. But countless parents had used this protocol it to cure their children of autism. I had long since been convinced that autism was at least largely a result of the heavy metals. . . How could my kids have heavy metal poisoning or autism or whatever you want to call it if they had decent eye contact and good verbal skills?
Now it seems so obvious. They had been on the GAPS diet for much of their lives. They all had been receiving omega-3s (as fermented cod liver oil, salmon, and sardines) pretty consistently since conception along with lots of other good fats. We had a pretty strict screen-free policy and we home schooled, two things that can go a long way to empower “high functioning” autistic kids to socialize well. I also actively worked on eye contact with my two kids who struggled with it, attributing it to COVID policies (sigh!) and myself being often distracted taking care of a sick baby. Yes, they had “decent” eye contact and good verbal skills. I know a lot of homeschool kids who eat real food and have minimal screen time – it is, as you might expect, a recipe for optimal eye contact and verbal skills. My kid’s should have been doing great, not “decently.” Just how much these things have helped and what troubling symptoms we have avoided by our screen-free, strict-diet, and home school lifestyle I cannot say, yet I am sure that they are much better off because of doing these things. God bless whoever introduced me to these varied but helpful ideas. Oh yes, and there was the chiropractic care that helped their behavior symptoms so much.
Well, the proof would be trying the protocol and seeing what happened. Dr Cutler said that results were apparent pretty quickly if, indeed, heavy metals were the issue. We decided to try it for Seamus first and see what happened. I kept notes and within six weeks of starting I find the note, “Seamus is completing more schoolwork in less time than ever before. Meltdowns are fewer and farther between and require less intervention. He can “self soothe. . .” As a nine-year-old, he hadn’t been able to calm himself down previously. Within a few more weeks the nine month gut flare, caused by contact with our wheat-containing chicken feed, melted away. All of the broth and fermented foods and anti-inflammatory herbs I had used for months had barely helped the flare at all; suddenly it totally resolved, leaving Seamus able to touch wheat with no reaction. Someday I may be brave enough to let him try eating it.
So we started the girls on the Andy Cutler Protocol, too. A year and a half later, we have seen only one small seizure in each of my girls. Seamus’s writing skills, always a point of difficulty, are soaring. I rarely need to remind anyone to look me in the eye and when I do, they comply easily. My four-year-old’s cheeks suddenly became lovely and kissable not pimply as before – they all still have rashes in some places, but the patches are shrinking and I am sure cherishing those cheeks! They can eat most wholesome foods without reactions. Our lives don’t revolve around the bathroom. My kids sleep. No joke; typically, they fall asleep when they are tired and then stay asleep, often until well past daybreak. They wake up rested. They can cope with changes in the plan without major meltdowns. A note I recently took says, “Seamus – able to see the point of view of others.” Until the change happened, I hadn’t realized that he lacked that ability. I thought it was some obstinance or selfishness. No, it was simply that his own sensory issues and anxiety (or maybe something else I can’t identify) made it too difficult to comprehend anything other than his own perspective. Virtue that we had been working toward for years suddenly blossomed in him. Not “virtue” that was a memorizing of how to handle a million different situations, but an organic, thoroughly natural, human virtue rooted in wholeness and health. Thomas Aquinas is often misquoted as having said, “Grace builds on nature and nature builds on grace.**” Quote or misquote, it is what is happening in our house!
My child–the one who, as an infant would typically wake every 45 minutes at night, the one who would scream bloody murder in the car, floor, bed or anywhere except my arms, and who demanded to be outside, to be bounced, and to be nursed constantly–that child is peaceful. Active and intense, yes, but peaceful. He is well rounded. He is cheerful. No, really, he is actually habitually cheerful. Even when something goes wrong, even when there is–horror of horrors–a bad smell, he can be calm. This child who had gut reactions to countless foods and tantrums after eating countless others: tomatoes, dairy, grains, peppers. . . This child now eats my home-made pizza. . . in whatever quantity he wants. . . and washes it down with a glass of milk. And then he goes to bed, sleeps well, and rises excited to be alive. Five years ago, I literally did not even dream that it was possible. Five years ago I was still wondering if requiring him to submit to hair washing would slowly but surely ruin our relationship.
To be sure, we are not all the way “there” yet. There are still many smells that really bother him. He still is often overwhelmed by things that shouldn’t be overwhelming and still struggles with transitions and with focus. He just walked out of his bedroom at 9:50PM because he heard a noise no one else can hear. There is still sometimes a “disconnect” between him and other children or between him and the social situation, but most often, there isn’t. He is so normal, so well liked by family and friends. He is happy. I never expected to call Seamus “happy” without qualifying it carefully. Now I say it unqualified. My son is happy. It is amazing what having a brain free of neurotoxic poisons can do for a person. We still have at least a few more months of this protocol, and I can’t wait to see how my kids continue to progress as we go.
Not only do I know what was plaguing my children, I am able to help them heal. That is a huge gift. Deo gratias. How my heart breaks for the families still searching for their answers. Heavy metals can hardly be the underlying cause of every health problem or even every child on the autism spectrum or with ADHD or sensory issues, but I can’t help but wonder if it is a much bigger problem than we realize. I also have a lot more patience for people than I used to: maybe all of those cranky, rude, or clueless people have mercury or arsenic in their brains. The Andy Cutler Protocol has given my family health, joy, even wings. There have been so many helpful tools along the way: diet, chiropractic care, tuned-in parenting. . . But this protocol is actually making them well. The poisonous elements that made them miserable for so long are coming out safely and permanently. Dr. Cutler passed a few years ago–may he be richly rewarded in heaven for every person healed by his protocol!
In my next article (coming in November), I will talk more about the Andy Cutler Protocol and about other options for testing for and addressing heavy metals in the body. If you think heavy metals might be at the bottom of your health problems, I would encourage you to read The Mercury Detox Manual by Dr. Cutler available at andycutlerbooks.net or Fight Autism and Win: Biomedical Therapies That Actually Work! by Jan Martin and Tressie Taylor available at gendetox.com, which also has other resources. Cutler’s book explains for the principles behind the protocol and how to treat adults. Martin and Taylor’s book gives directions for treating children and is very easy to read, even for the a very sleep deprived parent.
*The Gut And Psychology Syndrome diet was developed by a Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to treat her child with autism. This diet helped me address my own out-of-control health issues when I was in my twenties. I’ll talk more about it in the November post.
**The actual quote from Aquinas is from the Summa (Part I, Question 1, Article 8) “. . . grace does not destroy nature but perfects it,” and is part of a discussion about sacred doctrine.
The million dollar question. There is no simple answer but this post should illuminate your situation enough to know the next steps to take. At the Edge of Autism shares our story of getting to the bottom of our seemingly endless health struggles (heavy metals!) and may give you some more keys for making sense of your own story. This post is intended for informational purposes – I am not a doctor and not qualified to advise you about your health : )
Sadly, there is no “gold standard” for testing the presence of, the type of, or the amount of heavy metals that may have accumulated in a person’s body. Blood tests are helpful for recent exposures, but, because they are so toxic, the body moves heavy metals out of the bloodstream quickly and “buries” them in different body tissues – not ideal, but better than being in the bloodstream. The one exception is lead, which may show up on a blood test months or years after exposure.
One situation in which you can easily self diagnose heavy metal poisoning is if you have amalgam fillings. Scandalously, these fillings contain over 50% mercury which will slowly leach it into the body, including the brain. The body cannot rid itself of mercury or other heavy metals and since mercury tends to make a person absorb other toxic metals, you almost quite likely have found a root cause of your troubles. Since mercury is well documented as being deadly even in tiny amounts (a couple of drops on the skin of a grown man in a matter of hours!) those tiny fillings can take decades off of your life and health as the mercury slowly is absorbed into the body. If these fillings are removed improperly, that can cause trouble, too, pushing lots of mercury into your system at once. If you have mercury fillings, I recommend reading the book The Mercury Detoxification Manual: A Guide to Mercury Chelation by Dr Andrew Cutler and finding holistic dentist to help you. This is not the easiest diagnosis, but from one mercury-poisoned person to another, I assure you, the work is worth it! Vaccines are a much less straightforward situation than amalgam fillings, especially because they have many toxins that are not heavy metals, but the more vaccines a child or adult has received, the more likely they are to have accumulated heavy metals in the body. Additionally, a vaccinated or otherwise heavy-metal poisoned mom like me can unwittingly give her babies heavy metals through the umbilical cord and breast milk. Sigh.
Some doctors will administer a “challenge tests” in which he gives a large IV or oral chelating agent (something that pulls out heavy metals – check out Getting Heavy Metals Out for more information on chelation) and then tests the person’s urine to see if heavy metals are coming out. These tests certainly can help to diagnose the presence and type of toxic metals in the body, but at a high price. Very often a “challenge test” will move toxic elements from tissues where they were causing minimal damage, perhaps adipose tissue, to the brain or another key organ, often causing a long-term exacerbation of already debilitating symptoms or even altogether new problems.
So heavy metal poisoning is often a puzzle to put together rather than a “positive” or “negative” on a lab report. Physical and mental health symptoms are generally key pieces of the puzzle. Many heavy metals cross the blood-brain barrier and are deposited in the brain tissue and though they cannot be detected there, they can wreak havoc on a person’s mental and physical health. Once in the brain, these toxic substances settle in permanently, often disrupting hormone regulation and thereby causing problems with the sleep/wake cycle which ultimately drains the adrenal glands and affects the sex hormones. Any trouble sleeping or with feeling awake during the day, low libido, or menstrual cycle irregularities such as severe PMS and PCOS can be caused by heavy metals. Many of these toxic elements are potent neurotoxins, so in addition to hormone disregulation, they contribute to a whole host of mental health issues – from anxiety to brain fog to bipolar disorder to AHDH and other learning disabilities.
Heavy metals also depress the immune system, often causing a person to be seemingly always sick, or in some instances, never sick, but with pathogens ruling the roost in the body because the body never “gets sick” and fights the pathogens off. Because of their tendency to depress immune system combined with their ability to cause DNA damage, heavy metals contribute in a big way to cancer formation. Interestingly, while they depress good immunity, heavy metals also trigger autoimmunity in those who are genetically susceptible. Celiac, Hashimotos, lupus, type I diabetes, eczema, psoriasis, asthma, and any other autoimmune disease can be caused by heavy metals. Parasites and yeast are best friends with heavy metals, causing the heavy metal poisoned person to suffer from all sorts of digestive complaints including IBS, SIBO, parasites, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, and food allergies/sensitivities. The heavy metals themselves cause inflammation throughout the body and, when combined with body inflammation related to the gut troubles, the person often lives with a variety of skin, joint, eye, and ear conditions which can make life unbearable – especially when compounded with the gut and brain issues.
Certain metals tend to lodge in certain organs. Mercury often ends up in the pancreas, causing diabetes or other blood sugar issues while lead is deposited in the bones, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Mercury and lead and many other heavy metals cross the blood-brain barrier and cause seizures, irritability, sensory issues, learning disorders, and mental health issues as discussed above. . . and the list goes on and on. If you are thinking that these clusters of symptoms sound like autism, you are on to something! Countless parents of autistic children report major or even total healing of their children’s autistic symptoms by means of heavy metal detox. Not everyone with heavy metal poisoning is autistic, but they are almost invariably miserable and unable to get truly well, even if they can eat a certain way, use certain supplements, or take medications to reduce their symptoms.
The difficulty with diagnosing based on symptoms is that other things can cause these same symptoms. For just one example, a diet heavy on processed carbohydrates and sugars can cause gut problems, diabetes, irritability, adrenal issues, PCOS, and can even contribute to mental health issues. So is the trouble heavy metals or diet? If you are still sorting things out, I definitely encourage you to eat well! That will make things much more clear. There is more info about food at the end of this post. Additionally, there are plenty of toxins in our food supply, water supply, air, and body/cleaning products that can cause health problems but are not heavy metals. So, symptoms they can help us solve the puzzle, they aren’t always necessarily enough for a diagnosis.
For those without amalgam fillings, lead, or recent exposure, the most helpful test, and honestly the only safe test our medical system offers, is a hair mineral analysis test like this one https://drjockers.com/hair-mineral-analysis-test/ . Often, toxic elements in the body will show up on these tests. But often, they don’t show up, especially with mercury, which one of the most likely culprits here in the US. Hair tests also can have “false positives.” For example, these toxic metals can be absorbed into the hair from shower water or hair products, rather than from the stored toxic metals in the body as happens in cases of heavy metal poisoning. Yet, for such a low-cost and painless test, I recommend it anyhow. Combined with your symptoms, hair tests are often very informative and if the symptoms line up with the hair test, that seems like a pretty certain diagnosis to me. Note that you may need to order two separate tests, one for toxic elements and one for mineral analysis.
Be aware that some of these hair tests come with commentary that can be very unhelpful, telling about obscure sources of heavy metal poisoning and not mentioning more likely sources. The fact fact of the matter is that dental work, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, treated wood or fire-resistant pajamas, some non-organic foods, and most municipal water are common culprits. For more helpful commentary on the sources and symptoms of various heavy metals, I like Dr. Andrew Cutler’s Hair Test Interpretations: Finding Hidden Toxicities. The first part of the book explains how to look at the balance of good minerals in the hair to identify underlying heavy metal poisoning. Mercury in particular causes with what Cutler calls “deranged mineral transport” which will show up as irregular hair mineral analysis results. This section of the book isn’t an easy read but can be helpful if you have symptoms pointing to heavy metal poisoning but the toxic metals don’t show up on the test. I wouldn’t try to diagnose deranged mineral transport without Cutler’s book – it is not intuitive at all.
If toxic elements showed up on your hair test, I recommend the later part of the book where he lists each specific heavy metal and discusses symptoms it causes and exposure sources. There, you can look up which metals showed up in your hair test and ask yourself: does this sound like me? Do I have many of these symptoms? When I did this for my family I was blown away by the accuracy. It was uncanny how accurately our symptoms were described in his descriptions of aluminum, arsenic, antimony, which were very high in our hair. If your experience is like mine you could start looking at treatment options – I talk about the options we’ve liked in Getting Heavy Metals Out!
If the hair test doesn’t show obvious toxicities or didn’t coincide reasonably well with your symptoms and health history, that is frustrating! I’d advise thinking and praying and then doing one of three things:
First option: As discussed above, read the first section of Dr Cutler’s Hair Test Interpretations and use the info to analyse your hair test.
Second option:Trying one of the treatment options described in the postGetting Heavy Metals Out!and seeing if helps. this is quite safe as long as you do it carefully. Please read the post (or Dr Cutler’s work if you are going that route) before you try anything.
Third option: Looking into other possible causes of your health troubles such as gut damage. Gut damage can cause a host of physical and mental health issues. If you have autoimmune issues, major gut trouble, or other symptoms such as food allergies, then the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) or Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet are good places to start and could be just you need to start thriving. I recommend reading the original books, not just internet summaries or cookbooks. If you aren’t in a position ready to commit to one of these diets or have babies or very small children, check out Fully Alive for help deciding where and how to focus your efforts. Perfection isn’t a realistic goal – especially for moms – but improvement is and my book can help you find just that.
AIP: The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne
Note: This book and her other early work is much more helpful and clear than her later work.
GAPS: Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
If you go with GAPS, The Heal Your Gut Cookbook by Hilary Boynton and Mary Bracket is so helpful as to be a must-have:
These diets are designed to heal you so that you progress though the protocol and eventually you are able to eat at least a little of most good foods. If, after a few months you are “stuck” on a super-strick version of the diet, I would suspect heavy metal poisoning even if the hair test was negative. It is very a typical for people with heavy metal poisoning to experience substantial improvement of symptoms on a healing diet but be unable to add foods back in.
If you looking for guidelines for eating good, nourishing food, not a diet, I love the recommendations and books of the Weston A. Price Foundation. You can check out www.westonaprice.org . Their podcasts are great, too. I love the host and you may find some answers to your health troubles in the podcast archives.
My book, Fully Alive: A mom’s toolkit for nourishing your family (and your soul) as you navigate tummy troubles, colic, sleep issues, food allergies and more is a great companion for any family walking this road of uncovering the bottom of health troubles. I actually wrote it before discovering heavy metals as the source of our issues (the tummy troubles, the colic, the sleep issues, the food allergies, along with anxiety, behavior issues, seizures. . . ), so in addition to empowering you with a an arsenal of practical tools for addressing symptoms and know-how for caring for your family, it can help you to know that you are not alone in your struggles. For more info, click on “Book” in the menu above. Also, feel free to shoot me an email; I’d love to help if I can and certainly to pray for you by name. My Avoiding Antibiotics booklet and workshop or videos (coming 2026) might help you, too.
Whatever struggles you are and whatever the underlying causes may be, I hope this post was helpful to you as you sort things out. I write this as I recover from breaking my arm. I have four kids including a young toddler who is totally breastfed. We just discovered that parasites is why he can’t tolerate anything other than my milk and why he can’t tolerate a whole host of good foods (like dairy!) in my diet. I am kicking myself for not thinking more seriously of parasites before. . . Life and bodies are not going to be perfect here on Earth. It is a very good thing to strive for bodily health, but even if you don’t find reasonable health, Christ is still carrying you. Mybody, too, abides in peace. . . you will not abandon me. . . but show me the path of life, fullness of joy in Your presence. (Psalm 16:9-11) If He loved you even unto Calvary, surely Psalmist speaks the truth. So hang in there and don’t forget to seek a healthy soul and Him who made both soul and body and I hope to meet you here on the road and later as we rest and rejoice in God’s presence.
“[He] will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.” Philippians 3:21
This is a very down-to-business post. There is more information about heavy metals in my other posts At the Edge of Autism and How do I Know if Heavy Metals are the Problem?For more about our journey from intense health troubles to thriving you can check out my book Fully Alive. You’ll find practical help for the many of the various ailments that heavy metal poisoning causes – especially gut issues like yeast, parasites, SIBO, and brain-related health issues like sleep problems, colic, tantrums, and adult mental health troubles. The things I share in Fully Alive allowed us to begin to thrive even before treating our heavy metal poisoning.Feel free to email me with questions: FullyAliveFamilies@protonmail.me and may you be fully alive for the glory of God!!!
I have divided this up this information according to different treatment methods that I think are safe enough to try. There is no reason not to mix-and-match as we have done if that makes sense for you and your family, but whatever you do, remember that heavy metals are super dangerous! That is why they make people so sick. However you choose to address heavy metal toxicity, please do your research, think, pray, and go slow – no point in making yourself or a loved one sicker when trying to heal. This post is just a starting place. I am not a doctor and not qualified to give medical advice : )
Before we begin: What is chelating? You have probably heard this term before. In chemistry, it has a very specific meaning but in this context, chelating simply means pulling heavy metals from the body with some substance and it is often used interchangeably with heavy metal detox. Chelators are things that bind to and pull out heavy metals. Homeopathy and sweating are ways of detoxing heavy metals without chelating.
Heavy Metal Detox Options
Dr. Leland Stillman
Dr Stillman uses minerals to push heavy metals out of the body. He started off as a PCP and slowly developed a method which involves repeated hair testing and tailored supplemental minerals and to displace heavy metals. His patients get permanently well. I have heard Dr Stillman speak and he graciously spoke one-on-one to me and dozens of other people after his very enlightening presentation. His science is sound, he treats the whole person, he has no dollar signs in his eyes, and he has great results for his clients! https://stillmanmd.com/
Our experience: None : ) The only reason we don’t go to Dr Stillman is that we were already well on our way and seeing great results with Dr Cutler’s method (next) so flying the whole family to Florida to initiate a change didn’t make sense. His practice has grown since then and has more locations that might be closer to you than Florida was to me. Or, you might be in a better position to travel than I was – I think Dr. Stillman is the best of the best in terms of both healthcare in general and heavy metal detox.
Why not try high doses of good minerals at home? It seems so safe, but even necessary minerals can quickly become toxic if you have too much – Dr Stillman knows how to interpret your hair tests, symptoms, and progress to know how to give you the minerals you need to push out toxins without having the good minerals become toxic. It is too complex and personal for a one-size-fits-most protocol. But, a mineral rich diet provides protection from heavy metal poisoning (or from further heavy metal poisoning) if your body is full of good minerals, it is harder for bad ones to find room. Additionally, a nutrient-rich, antioxidant-rich diet can alleviate symptoms and minimize cellular damage in people with heavy metal poisoning.
Low-Dose High Frequency Chelation Therapy (Andy Cutler Protocol)
Dr Andrew Hall Cutler, PhD, was a chemist who became mercury poisoned because of dental fillings. After having the fillings removed, he figured out how to treat himself safely and, once the cat was out of the bag – mercury poisoning could be cured safely! – countless people reached out to him for help and he slowly developed a protocol. Dr. Cutler’s method of chelation is quite different from traditional chelation therapy. Traditional chelation therapy uses large amounts of a chelating agent at once and displaces huge amounts of toxic metals and then drops a large percentage back into the system as the body process the chelating agent, often with disastrous consequences. Dr. Cutler’s method uses very low doses of chelating agents which are typically given every 3-4 hours around the clock to maximize heavy metal excretion and minimize the metals being “dropped” back into the blood and body tissues as the body processes the chelating agents.
Dr Cutler has several helpful books. I definitely recommend reading The Mercury Detox Manuel before trying his chelation method. This website is also very helpful: https://andy-cutler-chelation.com/ . Dr Cutler also provides a lot of information about addressing mercury-amalgam fillings and why not do do traditional chelation therapy (more on traditional chelation at the bottom of this post). For chelating children, the book Fight Autism and Win: Biomedical Therapies That Actually Work! by Jan Martin and Tressie Taylor available at gendetox.com, which also has other resources. NOTE: I recommend starting with a much smaller dose of chelating agents than Dr. Cutler recommends (more like in the Fight Autism and Win), perhaps 50-100mg; I don’t see a reason to use higher doses than can be comfortably tolerated. Slow and steady wins the race.
Our experience: Awesome! It definitely requires organization and commitment and sacrifice, but so does most anything worth doing. Needing to give the kids doses of chelators during the night is definitely hard, and probably not possible for everyone, but it is a small price for the leaps and bounds of improvement we’ve seen doing this protocol. Cost is very reasonable. We order from the UK at https://livingsupplements.com/ . We chose to start with dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and the added in alpha lipoic acid (ALA) but some people use dimercaptosulfonate sodium (DMPS) instead of DMSA or use ALA alone. ALA is often used as a supplement for diabetes or other conditions, but it is vital for those with heavy metal poisoning to follow Dr Cutler’s dosing directions.
Bentonite Clay
Also called montmorillonite clay, bentonite clay is a controversial option that many people, including my family, uses regularly. Bentonite clay is a super-absorbent, mineral-rich negatively charged clay that is readily available from health food stores and (more affordably) here: https://www.specialclay.com/ . It can absorb toxins including heavy metals. So what is the controversy? It is often labeled as possibly containing lead. Does it actually? Good question! The State of California and some other authorities have required similar warning labels on many items – including organic coffee – while leaving truly poisonous “foods” laden with dyes and flavorings that are proven neurotoxins or carcinogens without warning labels. Does this mean there is no lead in bentonite clay? No, but it does push me to see what other people think. There are many opinions out there. So many people report good results. In Be Your Child’s PediatricianRachel Weaver, a master herbalist, relates a reduction of her child’s autistic symptoms from regular clay baths. It seems to me that either consuming or bathing in clay would get out the toxic substances in blood stream, skin, and subcutaneous tissues, so while it wouldn’t necessarily detoxify other tissues and organs, it could still be very helpful. This post by Dr. Axe is very informative: https://draxe.com/nutrition/bentonite-clay-benefits/
Note: Some clay really does have lead or other toxic elements! Do some research, buy from a reputable source, and start slowly. Also, I would not consume clay within two hours of any medications, lest it absorb the medication.
Our experience: We have chosen to take clay baths rather than consuming clay. For clay baths, we start with a dry bathtub and then mix 1/2-1 cup clay with at least 2 cups Epsom salts and maybe ½ cup sea salt in the bottom of the tub. Once it is well mixed, we fill the tub and stir in the clay and salts upon hopping in. The clay will eventually sink to the bottom and need to be re-incorporated into the water with a quick stir. The real question, though, is: has it helped? I definitely and probably say “yes!” We began doing clay baths at almost the same time as the Andy Cutler Protocol. I think I have seen slow and steady improvements in symptoms during the times times (like after Baby Liam was born) that we continued baths but paused the Andy Cutler chelation, but I can’t say for certain. Kids also grow up and grow out of things. . . But because we do Epsom salt baths for magnesium, anyhow, it is easy enough to add the clay. My skin is certainly lovely after a clay bath or clay face mask.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a very slow but also agentle and easy route to take. Though with just a little know-how, acute issues can be treated safely and effectively with homeopathy, chronic issues are a different story. You would definitely want to work with a qualified homeopath for heavy metal poisoning. I have slowly learned quite a bit of homeopathy but I am unable to make heads or tails of how homeopathy works for for heavy metal detox so I can’t hope to explain it to you. In general, the goal of homeopathy is to encourage the body to do what is needed (in this case, expel heavy metals) but I really don’t understand how it can work because according to all my authorities, the body isn’t capable of expelling heavy metals except by itself except via sweat. My not understanding doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, though. So we hired a homeopath to help us.
If you chose this route I would definitely look for a Christian homeopath. Although homeopathy is natural (and by “natural” I mean works in the natural order that God created, so “natural” in this sense also means “good” or “from God”), there are a lot of very weird homeopaths. Any talk of “energy” or “crystals” is an immediate red flag. I was hesitant to trust homeopathy until I heard Fr Ripperger give it a “thumbs up” in a Q&A after a conference.
Our experience: We are currently working with a homeopath who says that she can treat both the nursing toddler and me safely. I think that my brain fog and sleep troubles have improved. . . I’ll update whenever there is something concrete to report. It has only been a few months and homeopathy isn’t a quick-fix, not that there are any quick-fixes in heavy metal detox.
Sweating
The age-old option! Sweating can get out heavy metals as well as micro plastics and all manner of both water-soluble and fat-soluble toxins. Saunas are increasingly popular in recent years, and though not always accessible and surely not appropriate for everyone, they certainly do help us to get toxins out. Here is a great post about sauna therapy from one of my favorite bloggers: https://mommypotamus.com/sauna-benefits/ . If you choose to sweat out your toxins, please be careful not to over heat or dehydrate.
Our experience: Excellent!! Because the Andy Cutler chelation isn’t safe while nursing, I took a few dozen super-hot baths over the course of a few months. I would drink coffee and ginger tea and bundle up in cotton clothes after to keep the sweat coming. I invariably felt very good after and I made huge leaps in my overall health during those months. My autoimmune issues decreased dramatically and permenately, my gut health improved and my gluten sensitivity lessened: I can now touch gluten without an autoimmune flare, though I cannot eat even a bit. This is huge improvement for me. My mood and sleep also improved for good. I am sure I could have seen more improvement with more sweating but we wanted to have another baby – overheating is not safe during pregnancy and at least theoretically could damage a woman’s eggs in the last stages of development (meaning, it could be wise to avoid saunas, hot tubs, etc for a couple of months before conception).
Seeing my good results with sweating, my husband eventually bought a used sauna and has used it as much as dad life allows with great success. His skin and mind are both clearer and his bio-rhythm is much stronger: his body is ready for bed by ten and he wakes more easily in the morning after being a “night owl” his whole life. Seems to me he is getting those metals out! He is currently taking a break because we are hoping for another baby in the coming months.
We don’t do saunas or sweat baths for out children, instead we avoid air conditioner use as much as we can and try to get our kids plenty of exercise and have them bathe after to wash off any heavy metals or other junk they sweat out. Not using the AC sounds harder than it is. We get hot and sweaty even inside in the summer and end up taking a lot of sponge baths but it seems very normal, now. We do cool the house before bed because we all sleep better in a cool house.
Zeolites
Zeolites are porous crystals that are composed primarily of aluminum and silica. They are often used in air and water purifiers as it can bind to a whole host of toxins. Zeolites are commonly sold as a treatment for cancer, gut troubles, and autism and a promise that the zeolite provide the body with good minerals while pulling out toxic ones. They have been pushed aside vehemently by the FDA (just try to internet search it!) but many parents, including some I’ve met, think that it has been helpful for their children – even saying that it massively improved speech in non-verbal or minimally verbal children. This article https://www.itjfs.com/index.php/ijfs/article/view/2325/913 is quite dry, and actually doesn’t address heavy metal poisoning, but gave me the confidence to try zeolite for our family. Breathing in dry zeolite can cause lung damage.
I have concern about using the “nano” zeolite that is on the market. The idea is that the “nano” size can provide detox throughout the whole body, but I wonder if it might have some negative side effects, perhaps getting in the brain or some other organ and not coming out. I wouldn’t use “nano” sized zeolite without seeing some solid research about its safety.
Our experience: Coming soon! We are on a break from the Andy Cutler protocol because I broke my left arm (ha!) and in my new found spare time I did some research and decided to order some zeolite. We will be trying it first on our preschooler and then on other members of the family. Why is my preschooler my guinea pig?!? Because zeolite is considered quite safe and because she is my big kid with the most troubling symptoms right now. I always like to try new things on just one child at a time anyhow – better for one child to have a bad reaction than for three children to have a bad reaction. It is always possible that something good and safe and nourishing, like wheat or eggs or dairy or zeolite, won’t suit a certain person and because of genetics, it isn’t uncommon to have family members have similar reactions to things. We are trying Zeotex brand because it doesn’t have fulvic acid, humic acid, or preservatives in it. The zeolite particles are “micronized,” which means they are small, but not uniformly “nano” sized.
Popular but Potentially Dangerous
Fulvic Acid and Humic Acid
These increasingly popular mineral supplements pull out heavy metals and seem to be very helpful for many people and are often included in zeolite supplements. But, since they are processed by the liver (zeolite is not) I would be hesitant to use them – I believe they would pull out heavy metals and “drop” them back into the bloodstream; they would need to be dosed similarly to the Andy Cutler chelation, but I don’t know what the right interval and dose would be. I wish Dr Cutler were living – we need a good chemist to answer this!
Cilantro and Chlorella and Glutathione
I wish I could recommend these popular, all-natural chelators. According to Dr. Cutler, they do chelate heavy metals, but as with traditional chelation therapy, they get some heavy metals out and but also drop a significant amount of heavy metals back into the bloodstream, so there is a high potential to make the person slowly or quickly much sicker. The same is true for glutathione supplementation. Glutathione occurs naturally in good quality bone broth / meat stock and many people, including my family, has seen huge benefits from consuming lots of broth. I have never heard of a serious reaction to it, except in cases of food sensitivities (such as sensitivity to the meat the bones are from. . .) I would not consider taking glutathione supplement.
Our experience: Before I read Dr Cutler’s work, we tried chlorella for a few days but discontinued it because it was giving my daughter a bad headache. Was it pulling heavy metals from somewhere where they weren’t causing too much damage and dropping them in her brain? I can’t prove that, but it seems like a likely theory. I also know people who have many health conditions who say that they are extremely sensitive to chlorella and/or cilantro. One friend experienced months of worsened symptoms after drinking juice with some cilantro. I can’t prove what Dr Cutler says, but it is enough evidence against these two otherwise good foods for us to avoid them. Now that we’ve gotten a lot of the heavy metals out, we do use just a little cilantro, but don’t eat cilantro-heavy dishes. I miss them! But I’d hate displacing mercury or arsenic into my breast milk. . .
Traditional Chelation Therapy
Sadly, traditional chelation therapy has made many many people much sicker by using a high oral or IV dose of a chelating agent that pulls out a lot of metals and then drops them back into the bloodstream to be redistributed. Dr Cutler is adamant that, even if someone had one good experience with traditional chelation, the next dose could go very badly. Like Russian roulette, I suppose. The same goes for “challenge tests”where high dose of oral or IV chelators are given and then the urine is tested to see if heavy metals are displaced. They may provide information about the toxic load in the body, but are quite dangerous, even just one time. The only way to safely dose the chelators these methods use is according to Dr Cutler’s protocol.
In Closing
The Divine Physician has provided many, many ways for us to heal. Sweet Jesus, intercede for each of us before the Father that he will send us the Holy Spirit and show us the next best steps that we may be fully alive to serve You!
If you have had success detoxing heavy metals using these or other methods, I would love to hear about it and of course feel free to reach out with questions! May God send healing swiftly! FullyAliveFamilies@proton.me