any recommendations for heavy metal tests?

[anniekim]

I've been doing some reading for heavy metal tests and i'm finding it very confusing. Some recommend the provocation test, whilst elsewhere I've read these give erroneous results and are not recommended.

I've also seen the urine porphyrins test mentioned. Any opinions would be most welcome.

Many thanks in advance

 

[caledonia]

My naturopath had me do a provocation urine test. Some people do hair testing.

 

[Sushi]

I've been doing some reading for heavy metal tests and i'm finding it very confusing. Some recommend the provocation test, whilst elsewhere I've read these give erroneous results and are not recommended.

I've also seen the urine porphyrins test mentioned. Any opinions would be most welcome.
Many thanks in advance

Another thing to consider is that some people react very badly to whatever is given to "provoke" heavy metal excretion. And, even if provoked, some heavy metals may not be excreted for other reasons--for instance they are bound up with viruses in some way. So that their true levels will not be shown by the test.

It is a hard thing to test accurately. I've tried several methods and, for me, a practitioner who was an expert at muscle testing against vials of the metals seemed to work best. Others will say this method is completely unreliable!

Sushi

 

[anne_likes_red]

Annie I had hair testing - a sample was sent to the USA by my integrative doctor. I'm not sure how reliable it was but it was part of the chelation treatment protocol I did after having my amalgams replaced years ago.

I'm currenty revisiting the whole chelation thing. My treatment was pre Andy Cutler's study and resulting protocol and I think it's likely I may have redistributed some metals.
3 1/2 months into methylation treatment which has gone relatively smoothly, I'm now dealing with some nastier stuff and I'm considering adding in some chelators and upping antioxidants to see if that helps.

It's a mission and a half trying to work all this stuff out isn't it!! :In bed:

Anne.

 

[Vegas]

DDI Hair Elements or a low-dose DMSA trial

I've been doing some reading for heavy metal tests and i'm finding it very confusing. Some recommend the provocation test, whilst elsewhere I've read these give erroneous results and are not recommended.

I've also seen the urine porphyrins test mentioned. Any opinions would be most welcome.

Definitely not a challenge test; they are simply not worth the risk of a major redistribution. Unprovoked blood and stool tests are not reliable indicators of body burden, and urine porphyrins commonly results in false negatives, although it would be one more piece to the puzzle.

A hair test is relatively inexpensive and reasonably accurate, and it provides some other useful information about mineral status. Although it doesn't provide good information regarding your level of toxicity, it will allow for a confirmatory diagnosis in most cases...just make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing provide the analysis.

If you don't have amalgam fillings or other very recent mercury exposure, consider just doing a single round of low dose DMSA chelation...the presence of symptoms will tip you off to your toxicity. Of course if you opt for this route, you need to read up on chelation.