Many here swear by Andrew Cutler and his protocol.

ALA comes later in the protocol, DMSA comes first. Also, consistency in dosing is more important that high dosing once or twice. I started here: http://onibasu.com/wiki/Cutler_protocol


It basically talks about chelating with DMSA first, or DMPS, depending on response at regular intervals. ALA comes into the picture later. Breaks in between chelation are important too.

I can't really give out any sure-fire advice cause everyone's different and I've never done the protocol.

I suggest you don't completely trust metals tests. They are not known for their reliability. I would be careful believing what most doctors say too since there seems to be widespread ignorance on the topic of metals and chelation.

The first key question is: Do you have or have you ever had silver fillings? If you have any now, you will need to replace them before you begin chelating.

Second question is: Any idea what metal you may have been exposed to? It makes a big difference for what protocol you follow for chelation. Mercury and lead are the two most common, but there are others too.

Like UchihaMadara wrote, you definitely need to use the ALA systematically and frequently in order for it to work. Taking it every 3 hours, including waking your self up at least once in the middle of the night to take it again. This will keep the effect going long enough for it to do any good. If you have silver fillings, you should wait until a few months after you replace them to begin using ALA.

This is an overly simplified description of Cutler's Protocol. If you are going to use ALA, you should use the protocol to do it. Cutler recommends you use DMSA too, but there are people who only use ALA.

Definitely don't go into chelation without finding out as much as you can about how to chelate. It's not 100% risk-free and a little knowledge will help you understand how to minimize possible risks.

Sounds like you have a severe mineral imbalance. Likely culprit is metals which screw up all things from hormones to mineral transport derangement. I would certainly look at Andrew Cutler mercury protocol to get started but you can do some things to manage your symptoms so that they are tolerable enough for you to function. If you look at the supplements suggested on his protocol it should help to get you back into balance.

There is no way anyone can guess about what you need more of or less of until you start to balance your equilibrium with respect to minerals to make up for the mess the metals are causing. There is information here about a salt push or salt loading. Not to be confused with a salt flush. You need to drink some salt water but the salt cannot be basic table salt . Info here:

//www.curezone.org/faq/q.asp?a=13,281,2962&q=578


There are other things in addition to that salt loading that helped me. I started taking this:

http://www.evitalhealth.com/SpectraMin.html


You can shop around, I am not suggesting you buy from that vendor just wanted to show you what it is.

Potassium/salt/magnesium are the biggest 3 things you need. What you might need more of or less of can only be figured out by you. Folks do taste tests to see what tastes good or sweet. Buy some fake salt that has potassium something or other in it. Taste a little of it. If it tastes semi good or sweet in any part of it, you need potassium. The basic assumption is that EVERYONE needs magnesium so you'll have to figure out what form works best for you and start taking lots of it. There is info around this site to talk about amounts.

Good luck and I hope things calm down enough so you can then focus on what you need to do to get metals out.

Pretty much all of the symptoms you listed are symptoms of a benign parathyroid tumor (99% chance it is benign)

I know this as I recently found out I may have one due to the results of a pth hormones blood test and then seeing I had several high pth test results when going back into my blood work from the past.

I have 23 of 28 symptoms and had more radiation than normal for cancer and was told at the time, that it could affect the glands in my neck (also have a goiter discovered when I began having a lump in my throat that was even causing diffulty eating and swallowing at times that was located right where the 4 parathyroid glands generally are.

Just cause an endocrinologist says you do not have it does not mean you don't and many people have to go to multiple doctors to finally get help. Most find it when changing doctors in fact. doctors may often not believe you and o nothing or the wrong things or go down the wrong track. Very frustrating.

I suggest THOROUGHLY reviewing this site and here are the symptoms (SEE LINKS BELOW)`

Also here extreme thirst is one of the symptoms along with severe fatigue and a host of other things. I know that is as saw it somewhere and that causes the frequent urination that is listed. I am dry as a bone often when I jst drank something.

The calcium is taken from the bone due to the parathyroid glands all shutting down when one gland has a tumor and goes in the blood which leads to things like osteoporosis, cramping and joint and bone pain. but some people never get to the very high levels of calcium on blood tests that doctors want to believe you and you can have as many and even more symptoms with lower calcium than higher

If you have this benign tumor and it is removed ALL the symptoms go away. It often affects the brain with things like depression, anxiety, lack of concentration, memory problems and sleep problems. I have all kinds of brain malfunctions going on in a complex way. I feel I finally have the answer the brass ring but cannot get it the cure as noone is believing me either. The tests are not the optimal what they look for due to most doctors inexperience and wrong thinking with this disorder.

A lady on here said in that forum that she has been to about 17 doctors and another who they actually found the tumor on a scan (only 20% are found according to Dr Norman in patients he removes them from which mostly were told you do not have one but yet he takes them out of people every day told this, but the regular doctors think they are totally accurate these scans) they refuse to remove ti saying oh we are sure that is not your problem even though she has a lot of symptoms.

Patients often say they feel better immediately upon awakening from surgery..within 6 months all symptoms are reversing and gone. Their lifespan has been extended by several years cause they got rid of this devastating tumor that wrecks havoc.

Unfortunately, it is often hard to diagnose and doctors do all the wrong things because it is relatively rare. I developed 22 of the 23 symptoms AFTER my radiation 17 years ago and never even knew of this until recently.

A small subset of people are difficult to diagnose as their calcium levels are not too elevated or elevated not enough for anyone to take them seriously.

I, too, have often considered suicide due to all the suffering.

The sestamibi scan is often inaccurate according to parathyroid expert Dr Norman whose says he removes tumors from people every day 80% of which the other doctors and the scans found negative and also from people with lower, normal or moderately elevated calcium levels.

Here are the symptoms

http://www.parathyroid.com/parathyroid-symptoms.htm


and here

http://www.parathyroid.com/parathyroid-symptoms-cartoon.htm


Dr Norman who invented the minimally invasive parathyroid surgery runs this site and he said there are only 10 exports and total 60 experienced surgeons in the USA today. One does run risk of them cutting vocal cords etc. Up to 5% especially if the surgeon is not good. this is one thing you want an excellent surgeon for as the area is rich with blood vessels and nerves and sometimes if they have to explore can take several hours and a much larger incision.

He says most surgeons only do one or two surgeries a year but at his office in Florida they do about 15 a day so they are the ones to learn form in case you identify with these symptoms

I have every single symptoms you listed (including up all night except for bloating) and a lot more.

I recommend doing a calcium and pth hormone blood test and an oxidized calcium test and maybe a 24 hour urine test and if anything looks out of order maybe a parathyroid scan but they are often inaccurate but that is usually the first thing the average doctor does if both calcium and pth are elevated.

I would also check my vitamin d levels. Often it is very low mine was I think 3 deficient not even insufficient. This both causes low Vitamin d and low vitamin D can cause elevated pth s(or so I was told by doctor here) so often they go down the wrong trail with vitamin d supplements.

Norman says this is good for most people but if you have a parathyroid tumor it can cause a stroke but I am taking it till at least my levels are more close to normal but not sure if this is right.

Not much info in the forum on here. but you sure sound familiar as far as what you are experiencing.

This can mess up your life and cut it short and is one of the few ills that surgery can really cure if they check all 4 glands and remove the tumorous one/s (most of the time it is just one of the 4)

If the symptoms resonant be sure to thoroughly look over the site and even xerox some so you can get doctors to hear you which is proving hard.

If both your calcium and pth is high you have better odds of them correctly diagnosing you I hope you are not in my straights with an elevated but only slightly calcium level. good luck getting help then. I am currently awaiting results of a 24 hour urine and more tests.

I would do anything if I have this and they find it as it could drastically change my life if I got rid of 23 symptoms (many of them diseases like even diabetes) with one stroke that have plagued me so long and causes untold suffering

http://www.parathyroid.com/diagnosis.htm
for more on diagnosis but you sound like you have a good bit of the symptoms..most people have 5 or 6 but if you had a long time can have more like I have.

I hope this has been of help to you as I wrote it rather than prepare for thanksgiving with dwindling hours to get things done as I know how this feels.