NO HIVES!

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting to make this post because I did not want to jinx myself. Well I think I can now officially say I did not get hives with this latest round. This is really good news to me! I will continue at 10mg DMPS from here on out until I am brave enough to raise it again. :)

Round 6: DMPS Ends

I went a full 5 days and decided it as time to call it quits for now. No reason in pushing this too far. So far, I have no hives but that means nothing. They can literally pop up out of no where, so I am just getting ready. I have been taking my hives regimen throughout this entire chelation round to see if that makes a difference.

My vision is definitely changing. The glasses I wear are pretty old. I've had my contacts prescription changed several times since I got the glasses. Glasses just get so expensive to replace, so I've kept these as my lounging eye wear. Well now I am not seeing the same out of them. I think in my right eye I am seeing better. My left eye still seems quite blurry. When I put my contacts in, I am also not seeing the same out of both eyes. This one is significantly harder to figure out, so I'm going to be heading to the eye docs soon enough. I am due for more contacts and my eye exam is over a year old so I have to get a new exam to get new contacts. I am curious to see what has happened with my eyes. They have been getting worse every year. In the past 3-5 years, my eyes have gotten quite bad. My right eye is -5.75, left eye is -5.25. If anything, I think my right eye is about the same and my left eye is catching up to the right. haha The left eye has the "we think it's a torn vitreous but we aren't sure" and something called "white without pressure". However most places say both are benign. Still makes me wonder about it all at times with my other health issues.


The heat has just been terrible. This is a bad summer for all POTS sufferers out there. I definitely had heat exhaustion the other day and my temps have been well over 99. Earlier today I was pushing 99.2 and that was after getting a cold bath.

I just keep chugging along here. Lately I've been putting almost all of my energy into singing. I want to get really good and possibly make some music. That's been my life's dream for many years now. Now that I am feeling a little better, I am motivated. I think my voice sounds a lot like Sharon Den Adel from the band Within Temptation. She's more comfortable with her head tone, but I'm working on it. My singing has come a long ways over the years, which is mostly self-trained. Those few lessons I took years back were nothing.

Mercury Hives: What Can I Do?

When I started chelating in 2008 with DMSA, I got hives and did not understand at that time what was going on. I thought I had just developed food allergies or something because they lasted for so long. I stopped chelating for about 2 years because I felt really sick and eventually the hives went away on their own. I had changed my diet and part of me thought that was why the hives went away.

Then I decided I needed to start back up on chelation and the hives came back full force. 

I knew this was no a coincidence and the hives are indeed directly caused by chelation. In a desperate attempt, I decided to try DMPS to see if it was caused specifically by the DMSA. Much to my dismay, after 3 rounds of DMPS the hives started to show up once I went off-round. This time even more severe than before if you can even imagine that looking at some of the old pictures. In yet another  desperate attempt to stop them, I went on Diflucan and took probiotics, but neither of those did anything to stop the hives. In my case they are NOT caused by a yeast flare up or anything like that.

What does this mean? What am I to do?

Hives caused by chelation

I sit here tonight with hives galore. They are so very itchy it is hard to concentrate on anything. Taking benedryl barely touches them and the only thing I feel is deliriousness and completely drugged out of my mind. The last time I had to get a dexamethasone injection and take prednisone for them to stop. Even still, the hives continued on for days while on 60mg of prednisone. This is a serious allergic reaction and I do not know where to go from here. I cannot keep doing this.

With DMPS there is a risk of developing a potentially fatal condition called, Stevens Johnson Syndrome.


"Signs and symptoms of Stevens-Johnson syndrome include:

• Facial swelling
• Tongue swelling
• Hives
• Skin pain
• A red or purple skin rash that spreads within hours to days
• Blisters on your skin and mucous membranes, especially in your mouth, nose and eyes
• Shedding (sloughing) of your skin"

Now to be fair, any medication can cause this it seems if the body reacts in such a way, but there have been a handful of cases people have come down with it specifically with DMPS. I guess I am concerned that I may be setting myself up for this because it is an autoimmune disorder and clearly my immune system is confused. I have no other symptoms of SJS, so please do not freak out in the comments!

My next step is to take EDTA and see what happens. The Cutler folk will have you believe that I'm going to kill myself with EDTA, but at this point I need to see if the hives happen on EDTA as well. If they do, then I seriously have no idea what I'm going to do. With the amalgam tattoo gone, I thought this would stop. No such luck in my case.

I may start the EDTA tonight and see how I do.

Update On Tooth

Well the weird pain I am getting is not from the tooth with the metal post. It seems that either 1)I have brushed my gums so hard in the past 2 months that I have caused gum recession or 2) getting the amalgam tattoo removed did indeed cause some gum recession or 3) chelation is doing something to the gums.

I guess it could be a combination of all of those things. I just find it SOO strange that my dentist used to say how GREAT my gums looked and now I have severe recession in the exact same area where the gray tooth and amalgam tattoo was removed.

I still have a metal post in that tooth that needs taken care of and that can only be resolved with a crown. That's $1200 I don't have.

I just keep on going I guess. I have hives tonight and it is NOT looking good. I feel no need to put more pictures of the hives on here because there's more than enough already. haha

Hives Got REAL Bad, REAL Quick

Hives from heavy metal chelation

Author's Edit Jan 2015: This post still gets hits from google, so I wanted to let everyone know who is reading this that I no longer chelate and completely gave up on it all after multiple episodes of dangerous hives.  

Yesterday the hives got really bad. Like I thought my life was in jeopardy because I started to have trouble swallowing and speaking. I went to the urgent care and was given a mega dose of Decadron (Dexamethasone) and told to take high doses of Prednisone for the next 15 days. Part of me was really worried about all of this and the injection, but I had little to no choice. My throat was starting to swell up on me and I was scared to go to sleep like that. Benedryl, zyrtec and some other type of antihistamine had no affect on the hives and I was freaking out.

Hives Are Not Fungal or Yeast

Now that I have been on the Diflucan and the hives have returned again (after stopping DMPS round), I think I can assume it is not from a fungal or yeast overgrowth. Right now they are not too bad, but we will see how the next few days go. I'm thinking longer rounds are the way to go for me since I have no symptoms while on round and the hives only start 2-3 days after I stop. Could it be metals resettling?  I will never really know.

One weird thing I have noticed is in some areas of my body, my skin looks shiny. I have no idea what that is about. Maybe I'll try to take a picture, but I have a feeling it won't show up on my old camera.

Hives Have Calmed Down

The hives are better.  The skin is still discolored where they were, but I'm not feeling itchy.  Thank goodness.

I'll probably start chelating again tomorrow.  I just want to give it another day.  I am still taking the Diflucan and will continue to do so.  It will be interesting to see if the hives come back.  Did the Benedryl or the Diflucan help?  I won't really know unless the hives show up again.

Update: Later in the day I had some more hives show up around my neck.  Still keeping an eye on this.

Diflucan: Will It Stop This?

I woke up and immediately called my doctor and the message on his machine scared the hell out of me.  It said he was going to be out of the office for a whole week.  I nearly vomited when I heard this, but decided to leave a message any way.   Thankfully I got a call from one of the receptionists/secretaries and she said she would contact the doctor and get back to me.  I told her she was a lifesaver and was extremely thankful for this because the hives are getting to the point where I might have to see an urgent care soon for high dose predisone. 

Hives on neck-Monday night

I got a call back a few hours later and my doctor agreed to have me try Diflucan.  Since the hives are not responding to zyrtec, he thought it was a very good idea.  I told her (the secretary) that this is my last attempt before I give in and go on prednisone.  The hives are really getting that bad.   This picture above is quite tame compared to the hives on my torso and lower abdomen, which you can see below.   

So itchy!

As soon as I got word it was available at the pharmacy, we ran over there.  I got the prescription and took my first one in the car. haha  Now I wait and see what happens. I don't expect miracles because I may have already reached the point of no return.   I don't want to go on high dose prednisone.  I'm going to be out of my mind if I have to though and that scares me.  I might need to buy a cage for my husband to lock me in...lol J/K!!!  I really do not do well at all on large steroid doses...

Fingers crossed this works.  I am not starting my round today obviously.  I was due to start back up again, but I need to get these hives under control first.

And It Begins...Hives

Tonight out of the blue, with no other symptoms or issues I started to get hives everywhere.  I do not know what to do now.  DMSA and DMPS now both are causing hives?  Here's the weird thing though...I am not on round.  I quit late Thursday night, so it has been 3 days.

Terrible Itchy Hives on Neck and Scalp

Very large, hard hives near elbow

The hives were out of hand, so I took a zyrtec.  I got some nice picture of the hives, so all of you can see what I go through now.  I've got no idea what to do.  The only things you can use to chelate cause me severe distress.  I still find it odd that it took 3 rounds for it to show up.

Well I have to let this all soak in and see what I want to do from here.  To say I am frustrated is a huge understatement.

Update: I woke up Monday morning and the hives are still here.   Wow!  I'm thinking this must be a candida/fungus flare up or some type.  I also have tinea versicolor on my neck now and it is starting on my chest.  You can see a spot of it (if you know what you are looking for) in the picture of my neck.  I'm not sure what to do, but studies I've read suggest taking Diflucan to control the fungus.  We will see what I want to do because I did not really want to do that right now.  Blah...never dull when chelating!

Update 2: It is now Monday night I see no end with these hives.  Zyrtec surprisingly isn't working.  I don't know whether it is because my Zyrtec is 1 year past expiration (haha) or if these hives are just not responding.  Ugh I really did not want to go on an anti-fungal, but I might have to give it a shot to see if it clears up.

Chelation Round 16?

I lost track of what chelation round I am on right now. haha Anyway this time around I decided to do something a little bit different. First I wanted to control the hives/rashes better because they really bother me. Taking benedryl makes me feel groggy for hours, which is not an option. What's the point in taking something which then gives me such incredible fatigue I can't do a damn thing? The last time I took 1 Benedryl I could not move my legs. That is how incredibly tired it made me feel.

My husband found out that the itchiness could be an issue with sulfur. I had come across this before in the past, but the only solution people had was to avoid sulfury foods. Well I cannot avoid the sulfur in the chelation drugs, so that wasn't of much use for me. I began taking Pantethine and L-Histidine along with some Molybdenum to see what would happen.

I was a little scared because Histidine was high normal in my NutrEval test, so I did not know if this would be good. Histidine is converted to Histamine and I was worried. haha Anyway, to my surprise I did not have rashes nor hives this time around. I continued to take the Quercetin along with the others.

There is some evidence that supplementing with Histidine can increase zinc excretion, so I started taking more of that to be on the safe side. I have to take my zinc with a big meal or I will vomit it all right back up. Yuck! I am very pleased with this round of chelation. I felt a little run down yesterday but overall, I felt pretty much my normal self with POTS. My plan is to continue using DMSA until I get the DMPS from my local doctor.

My appointment is March 4, so that's not too far away!

This round I also took 50mg of DMSA every 2 hours during the day. Then at night I increased it to every 4 hours because I needed to get some more rest. Every 3 hours at night was killing me and I would wake up every hour thinking I missed the pill. It was a nightmare.

The Rashes Have Begun

When I chelated the first time around around late 2008, I started to get these horrific rashes that just made me want to jump out of my own skin. At the time, I wasn't sure what was going on and thought maybe it was a food allergy or something. Well I can now say without a doubt that it is either the actual chelation itself, the metals coming out of the body or DMSA. Maybe even all of the above! They show up even on days where I'm NOT chelating, so I'm not 100% sure what's up.

When I had these rashes the first time around, my eosinophils were through the roof. I suspect they are this time too. Like the last time, I have Dermatographic urticaria. If I scratch an area then 10 more hives pop up and it's a never ending vicious cycle. The itching is so bad that it makes me twitch at times...

So what to do?

I really do not know what to do. I cannot live on benedryl or zyrtec every day of my life. Benedryl isn't even an option unless I'm about to go to sleep. It makes me soo sleepy. If I can find the camera, I'm going to include some pictures of the rash and edit my post to include them.

Today I feel very tired too. I woke up and just felt exhausted which is not normal for me at all! My face even feels puffy too. I'm trying to work but it's pretty tough. I am not on round either. I think I stopped 2-3 days ago because the headaches were getting out of hand.

I really wish I could try DMPS and give up on DMSA. Makes me wonder if it's doing more harm than good.

Yeast Overgrowth Causing Itchy Rash?

I don't even want to say this out loud, but my rash may be from candida. Oh no...No one that I have known has EVER been successful in treating "candida". Some of these candida websites are out of hand. Every single symptom is from candida! Hang nail? Candida of course! Toe nail fungus? Candida! Okay I'm being a little sarcastic and nutty, but in all seriousness, a lot of documented mercury toxicity symptom is on this so-called candida list. It is a little ridiculous to say the least. Maybe a lot of the people who suffer from candida also have mercury toxicity? That makes more sense to me.

What do you do if you have candida? I have no idea. The things most people say you have to do is totally non-realistic. It would make me even more psychotic when it comes to food. Why make myself even more OCD about my food rituals and habits. I am a recovering anorexic from 8 years ago...Those of you who have suffered from anorexia know you are never completely recovered. It is much like what an alcoholic deals with.

Most websites say you have to eliminate all carbohydrates and sugar. This includes candy (okay easy), fruit, wheat, potatoes, carrots, rice! Basically anything that has carbs in it even if it is good carbs. Some people say this works, others say it doesn't do anything. With a diet like this I don't know what I'd eat and would likely starve to death. What is a person supposed to eat to make themselves feel full? I do not find any enjoyment when eating meat. I basically eat meat because I have to live.

Let me just list what 1 website says are the symptoms of candida. You will understand what I mean when I say total ridiculousness. A lot of these are mercury toxicity symptoms. Sounds like someone whoever reported all of these symptoms has multiple problems going on. Stuff in ( ) I added in.

• Fatigue or lethargy
• Feeling of being drained
• Depression or manic depression
• Numbness, burning, or tingling (b12 deficiency)
  
• Headaches
• Muscle Aches (mineral deficiencies)
  
• Muscle weakness or paralysis (mineral deficiencies)
  
• Pain and/or swelling in joints
• Abdominal Pain
• Constipation and/or diarrhea
• Bloating, belching or intestinal gas
• Troublesome vaginal burning, itching or discharge in women
• Prostatitis in men
• Impotence
• Loss of sexual desire or feeling
• Endometriosis or infertility
• Cramps and/or other menstrual irregularities
• Premenstrual tension (can be from copper toxicity, mineral dificiencies)
  
• Attacks of anxiety or crying
• Cold hands or feet, low body temperature (hypothyroid)
  
• Hypothyroidism (I still don't understand why this would be listed...makes no sense)
  
• Shaking or irritable when hungry (hypoglycemia-Adrenal issues)
  
• Cystitis or interstitial cystitis
  
• Drowsiness
• Irritability
• Poor coordination (mineral deficiencies)
  
• Frequent mood swings
• Insomnia (mercury?)
  
• Dizziness/loss of balance (possible B12 deficiency, low bp, dehydration)
  
• Pressure above ears...feeling of head swelling
• Sinus problems...tenderness of cheekbones or forehead
• Tendency to bruise easy
• Eczema, itching eyes
• Psoriasis
• Chronic hives (urticaria) (Food allergies?)
  
• Indigestion or heartburn
• Sensitivity to milk, wheat, corn or other common foods
• Mucous in stools
• Rectal itching
• Dry mouth or throat (diabetes insipidus or regular sugar diabetes)
  
• Mouth rashes including white tongue
• Bad breath
  
• Foot, hair, or body odor not relieved by washing
• Nasal congestion or post nasal drip
• Nasal itching
• Sore throat
• Laryngitis, loss of voice
• Cough or recurrent bronchitis
• Pain or tightness in chest
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
• Urinary frequency or urgency (possible diabetes insipidus)
  
• Burning on urination
• Spots in front of eyes or erratic vision (mercury?)
  
• Burning or tearing eyes
• Recurrent infections or fluid in ears
• Ear pain or deafness
• Inability to concentrate (mercury?)
  
• Skin problems-hives, athlete's foot, fungus infection of the nails, jock itch, psoriasis-including of the scalp or other chronic skin rashes
• Gastrointestinal symptoms-constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, gas, or bloating
• Symptoms involving the reproductive organs (mercury?)
  
• Muscular and nervous system symptoms-including aching or swelling in your muscles and joints, numbness, burning or tingling, muscle weakness or paralysis.
  
• Recurrent ear problems resulting in antibiotic therapy
• Respiratory symptoms
• Lupus (possible mercury toxicity link)
  
• Hyperactivity/Attention Deficit Disorder (fake disorder used to get children on meds)
  
• Recurrent vaginal yeast infections in women
• High sugar foods drastically increase symptoms
• Inflammation of the hair follicles (candidiasis folliculitis) of various parts of the body (feet, legs, arms)
• Extreme lethargy
• Diarrhea, chronic gas, abdominal cramps alleviated by bowel movements. Perhaps labeled with the term "irritable bowel syndrome"
• Lactose intolerance
• Anxiety
• Allergies and allergy symptoms, chemical sensitivities
• Panic attacks
• Sinus problems
• Eye fatigue
• Muscle weakness and bone pain
• White tongue coating
• Psoriasis/seborrheic dermatitis/dandruff, dry, itchy skin
• Rectal itching
• Swollen lips/face
• Symptoms worse after waking
• Facial rash
• Avoiding food helps to alleviate symptoms
• Hives
• Chronic inflammation and irritation of the eye and conjunctiva
• Feeling of being intoxicated which leads to a "hangover feeling" (due to fermentation and alcohol production by yeast)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Do I have yeast/candida overgrowth? I don't know, but I surely won't use one of these websites to tell me. Everything under the sun is caused by candida...Give me a break!

More Hives Developing

This small allergic reaction I thought I was having has turned into a major ordeal. I don't know what to do at the moment. I feel terrible. My head hurts. I am very shaky. The lymph node on the back of my neck is really hurting. I noticed today I couldn't look straight up in the air at a plane because it hurt so bad. Oh man, I just feel like everything is falling apart.

I HATE THE DMSA BREAKS!

Now that I got that out of my system, I need to get the hives under control. However I really can't stand taking Benadryl. It knocks me out and makes me feel like I'm drugged. At this point though, I don't think I have a choice. As I was writing this, no joke I went into the bathroom and there is a hive developing above my eyelid...*immediately pops a Benadryl* What was I saying? LOL I love Benadryl.

This is why I am blogging about my detoxing experience...It's unbelievable what the mercury is doing to me on its way out.