ALA is fine if you have more mercury situated in the brain rather than body. Cutler ultimately requires the user to use DMSA first to clear out the body burden before tackling the brain with ALA. I know that Cutler says that ALA can be used on it's own without DMSA, but would still prefer using the DMSA first to clear out as much mercury/lead as possibe from the body. How effective the usage of ALA is overtime without DMSA is unkown. If I could tolerate DMSA I would still use DMSA with ALA when that time came to remove mercury from the brain, once the heavy metal burden of mercury/lead had been reduced in body rather than the brain. It's possible that IV's will be the route that I'll have to take. I suspect that EDTA/DMPS IV's will have to be administered for myself considering that finding the neccesary treatment here in the UK is rather difficult for such a medical procedure. You live in Japan don't you Eric, can you get IV treatment out there or is the same as the UK?.