Mercury affecting thyroid?

Hi Joegrane. I have been a big fan of your posts in the past. They have been extremely helpful to me as I'm sure they have also been to others. Thank you. Hair test for me showed high mercury, so I have been following the Cutler protocol to get it out for the past 9 months. I did 4 months of DMSA alone, upped it gradually, and got it up to 75mg. I then added ALA and got it up to 150mg. I have had noticeable improvements along the way (it's been 9 months now),
but recently I've had some issues that are concerning me. One is that I have developed a very deep itch in my joints, mostly hands but also toes. It reminds me of when I broke my leg as a child. When the healing started, there was a deep itch under the cast just like this. I'm wondering if you or anyone else out there knows if this is related to the healing process as mercury has been eliminated or is this possibly an allergy I've developed? Other things that I've noticed are that my skin is SUPER dry. I've aged like I can't believe in the past 6-7 months, and I have gain weight (about 20 pounds now) that I just can't seem to lose. I'm a swimmer. Always have been fit and active, and I can't even believe what I see happening. Your post here caught my eye, because all along I've thought that some of my biggest issues (terrible fatigue, fingernails that don't adhere to their beds, dry skin, extreme muscle aches, and weight gain) could be related to the endocrine system. I am taking selenium 200mg daily. I am not however, taking iron. I have ordered another hair test to see where I am at this point and am planning on taking this coming week off from detoxing. I sure hope you can help me in some way. It's so hard when everyone's body is different and there's no 'one-size-fits-all' with that awful devil, mercury. Any help or suggestions would be very appreciated.