Methylfolate and mercury detoxing

[Mary]

Okay - I'd been taking 1600 mcg. (two 800 mcg.) of Solgar metafolin for 3 or 4 years with good results - it boosted my energy noticeably, although I had to start taking potassium as my potassium levels tanked (currently take 400 mg. as maintenance dose), and I've been fine ever since, Also have been taking 5,000 to 10,000 mg. sublingual methylcobalamin, just fine.

So last week I read about someone who boosted their folate a lot - to 5000 or 6000 mcg. and it helped with crashing. I still crash, still have PEM, though I feel better in between crashing since starting the methylfolate so roughly a week ago (I think), I doubled my folate to 3200 mcg. (yes, I should have gone more slowly), and a few days later - last Sunday to be precise - bam! Not low potassium, but a very strong spacey feeling - felt like I had taken a psychoactive drug of some type. I did up my potassium just in case the increased folate increased my need for potassium and I think my potassium had tanked a little, but the extreme spaciness persisted.

I actually felt halfway decent on Monday but the spaciness returned with a vengeance on Tuesday and yesterday is hard to describe. I could function but definitely was impaired. By Tuesday night I had figured that the only thing I was doing differently was the increased folate (which I started roughly a week ago, cannot remember) so yesterday cut out all folate and was some 50% better today.

This afternoon I went to see my muscle-testing chiropractor and voila! my toxin point was very strong and what came up was mercury. So it appears that somehow the increased folate released mercury that had been stored in my body tissues (the testing indicated tissues in general). The remedy is something called Spanish black radish by Standard Process, which helps with detoxing, which I have taken before with no problem.

Has anyone heard of this before, the relationship between folate and mercury? Or does anyone have any sort of explanation of what's going here? I'm still a bit spacey and extra tired, though quite a bit better than yesterday. I have read about mercury interfering with the utilization of B12 and have done some mercury detoxing, though obviously not enough, but have not read anything about folate and mercury. I had 9 or 10 fillings which were removed in the late 1990's. (and am extremely grateful for my chiropractor! would be lost without him)

Any ideas?

Mary

 

[minkeygirl]

I think someone here talked about that. I can't remember the thread but look for something with me there. I think they said it releases mercury.

 

[Mary]

Thanks minkeygirl. I did a quick search and could not find anything but when I'm feeling better will look some more.

Mary

 

[minkeygirl]

@Mary I looked too and couldn't find it but I know someone said it. Maybe @Martial or @caledonia. It just sounds familiar to me.

 

[minkeygirl]

Oh and I'm on 600 mcg metafolin and am upping to 800 tomorrow. I had my mercury amalgams removed and then did chelation after that in 2009 I think. I may have some mercury under a crown but I have no idea but so far I'm feeling ok.

 

[ahmo]

Increased methylation can easily push detox. In fact, it's to be hoped that as our methylation improves our ability to detox improves. So, on that score it's a positive sign.

 

[jepps]

Methylfolate and MethylB12 indirectly Releases heavy metals. Viruses and bacterials are in a deep bound with heavy metals, bacterials with Aluminium, and viruses with Mercury and other heavy metals.

As you increase your methylation, you mobilize infects of your cells, and also the metals bounded to the infects.

So it´s very importand, when you increase your methylation, to take chlorella, or EDTA (as Yasko suggests) or anything else.

 

[Mary]

ahmo and jepps - thanks for your replies! I had no idea that increasing methylation would increase detoxing and indirectly releasing heavy metals. I have been taking 1600 mcg. of methylfolate and methyl B12 with no detox reaction for 4 years as I said so was completely taken by surprise this week! I'm now taking the Spanish black radish my chiro gave me.

The chiro did say that once I get back to "normal" I can increase the folate gradually as long as I take the Spanish black radish with it. So maybe this is a good sign as you say ahmo. It has been a strange week though! I ended up buying a smartphone which I had wanted for quite awhile but could not quite bring myself to buy, but in my spacey condition I had no problem doing it .... (I'm glad I have the phone though )

Mary

 

[caledonia]

Has anyone heard of this before, the relationship between folate and mercury? Or does anyone have any sort of explanation of what's going here? I'm still a bit spacey and extra tired, though quite a bit better than yesterday. I have read about mercury interfering with the utilization of B12 and have done some mercury detoxing, though obviously not enough, but have not read anything about folate and mercury. I had 9 or 10 fillings which were removed in the late 1990's. (and am extremely grateful for my chiropractor! would be lost without him)

Also @minkeygirl

Yes, as you restart methylation, you will increase your ability to detox, and all the metals stored up in your body will start to come out. The metals come out in a certain order.

You must not have had much mercury left if it took that much folate to trigger symptoms from metal detox. I'm just taking a couple of micrograms because I get flu like aches and extra tired, which are "my" metal detox symptoms. Mercury can cause a wide range of symptoms, so spacey is not out of the realm of possibilities.

Technically, you've been detoxing this whole time, just not at a level that makes you feel worse.

This should also help your energy as mercury can mess up MTHFR and MTR, and thus methylation, even if you don't have those mutations.

 

[minkeygirl]

@caledonia I never got more energy after the mercury was removed and I had DMPS chelation. I feel fine with my metafolin which is at 800 mcgs today.

Hey, not feeling like crap is ok by me!

 

[caledonia]

@caledonia I never got more energy after the mercury was removed and I had DMPS chelation. I feel fine with my metafolin which is at 800 mcgs today.

Hey, not feeling like crap is ok by me!

As you found out, just removing metals may not be enough. I've the same experience.

 

[minkeygirl]

@caledonia. yeah but you have to try. I will say the DMPS got rid of most of my MCS and my balance issues.

 

[Mary]

Thanks Caledonia - I hope you're right, that I don't have much mercury left. I did a couple of months worth of a mercury detox using dmsa and Andy Cutler's protocol several months ago. But this week, the detox symptoms were so strong. I haven't taken any folate for 3 days, have had major detox symptoms for 6 days, but do feel like the worst is over. I've been taking the Spanish black radish and also took some charcoal today.

Mary

 

[vortex]

Yes, absolutely you will begin detoxing metals. The whole point of taking methylation supplements is to boost the low glutathione in the cell that is at the heart of CFS, glutathione does many things but one is it is your bodies heavy metal detoxifier, so once glutathione comes up you will be detoxing heavy metals that started to accumulate when your glutathione was low.
I dont know any heavy metal or mercury chelation properties of black spanish radish, but I would stick with known mercury chelators like Dr. Cheney recommends chlorella, which I use. I like it because it chelates through the bowel and not the kidneys, also it detoxes a bunch of other stuff that are strictly heavy metal chelators like edta etc.

 

[jepps]

Mary, as your methylation cycle is functioning, and you are detoxifying metals and microbes, don´t forget to support your gut and bowel with probiotics, cultured foods or kefir (if possible because of histamine). The metals are for your gut antibiotics, also the microbes suppress your gut flora, and trigger candida and parasites.
Regards, yepps

 

[Milford]

Also @minkeygirl

Yes, as you restart methylation, you will increase your ability to detox, and all the metals stored up in your body will start to come out. The metals come out in a certain order.

You must not have had much mercury left if it took that much folate to trigger symptoms from metal detox. I'm just taking a couple of micrograms because I get flu like aches and extra tired, which are "my" metal detox symptoms. Mercury can cause a wide range of symptoms, so spacey is not out of the realm of possibilities.

Technically, you've been detoxing this whole time, just not at a level that makes you feel worse.

This should also help your energy as mercury can mess up MTHFR and MTR, and thus methylation, even if you don't have those mutations.

What is the "certain order" that the metals come out in ? Dumping Heavy metals has been the biggest problem for me with starting up the methylation process. 2 years in, and I still cannot take more than 200mcg of methyl folate. 30 minutes after taking that I get the metallic taste in my mouth, but at this level it is tolerable. I have a LOT of Lead in me. I am, at this stage doing DIY chelation with DMSA and EDTA caps..... I "use" naturopathic Doctors occasionally for testing etc., but am frightened by how many of them don't have much knowledge of Chelation beyond the basics, and certainly don't know about Methylation Genetics.

 

[caledonia]

@Milford This is what Yasko says:

Patterns of Metal Elimination
Metals do not all leave the body at the same rate. Think of them as cars lining up at a toll booth, waiting to go through. When we follow the test results, in person after person, we’ve seen that the following sequence typically occurs:

Cadmium precedes lead, usually. We also tend to see nickel excreted before mercury, generally, but again, this may vary with the individual. Some individuals show no signs of getting rid of aluminum, yet once the other metals have begun to leave, aluminum will start to flow. Similarly, you may not see any mercury excretion, and then suddenly high levels start to show up as the sequestered metals are released.

She also says to work on the gut first because the gut bugs hold onto metals and the gut is also where most of the metallothionine (MT) is. MT helps the body detox metals and also manage metals, such as in the balance of copper to zinc. The bad gut bugs will hijack MT and use it to hold onto metals.

I'm taking way less than 200 mcg. My mercury is out, and I appear to working on lead. I've previously chelated that out, but more is showing up. Not sure if I've had more exposure, or if it's coming out of my bones?

William Walsh in Nutrient Power says taking calcium and zinc will help get the lead out of your bones. The chelators will remove it from the blood and soft tissues but not so much from the bones. Lead has a 22 year half life

 

[vortex]

@Milford This is what Yasko says:



I'm taking way less than 200 mcg. My mercury is out, and I appear to working on lead. I've previously chelated that out, but more is showing up. Not sure if I've had more exposure, or if it's coming out of my bones?

are you sure it is lead that is giving you the metallic taste or is it mercury ?
have you tried chlorella,

 

[Mary]

Yes, absolutely you will begin detoxing metals. The whole point of taking methylation supplements is to boost the low glutathione in the cell that is at the heart of CFS, glutathione does many things but one is it is your bodies heavy metal detoxifier, so once glutathione comes up you will be detoxing heavy metals that started to accumulate when your glutathione was low.
I dont know any heavy metal or mercury chelation properties of black spanish radish, but I would stick with known mercury chelators like Dr. Cheney recommends chlorella, which I use. I like it because it chelates through the bowel and not the kidneys, also it detoxes a bunch of other stuff that are strictly heavy metal chelators like edta etc.

Hi vortex - Andy Cutler doesn't recommend chlorella for mercury, here's why:

"Some people really swear by chlorella, but it has caused major problems for others. Cutler doesn't recommend it as it's sulphur food which can cause mercury to move about a lot, ie in and out of the cells and drop the mercury without actually excreting it. It's not a true chelator as it contains just one thiol (a molecule that binds to mercury). A true chelator should contain two thiols (so bind to mercury much more tightly and escort it out of the body) so alpha lipoic acid, dmsa and dmps (all contain two) are the only true and thus safe chelators to use according to Cutler."

Here are a couple of links about the Spanish black radish (Standard Process) my chiro has me taking. I've been taking it for 2 days now, plus I took a little charcoal yesterday, and think I am finally getting back to my normal self:

https://www.standardprocess.com/Sta...duct-Detail-Sheets/spanishblackradish7520.pdf

https://www.standardprocess.com/Products/Standard-Process/Spanish-Black-Radish
https://www.standardprocess.com/Sta...ntific-Literature/spanishblackradishL4921.pdf

Because I had no detox symptoms on 1600 mcg. of folate, I was completely unprepared for what happened with 3200! The muscle testing did indicate that once my symptoms abated, I could go up to 2400 mcg. as long as I took the Spanish black radish with it, so am going to try that next week.

Mary

 

[Mary]

Mary, as your methylation cycle is functioning, and you are detoxifying metals and microbes, don´t forget to support your gut and bowel with probiotics, cultured foods or kefir (if possible because of histamine). The metals are for your gut antibiotics, also the microbes suppress your gut flora, and trigger candida and parasites.
/Regards, yepps

thanks, yepps! Will do -