FDA pulls DMSA and hope from children with autism and ADHD
If you have or know an autistic child you might be interested in reading what the DAN (Defeat Autism Now!) Doctors have to say about DMSA oral chelation in the treatment of autism.
“…we prefer to use the one chelator that has been extensively tested and used for years in children — that is DMSA.”
Amy S. Holmes, M.D.
Click Here to read their full report!
Dr. Kurt Woeller – What Has Worked
Why Use DMSA To Treat an Autistic Child? (note: the proper treatment protocol is given below)
These are informative videos from NBC’s DateLine explaining The Mercury Autism Connection.
(If you get a warning page just say ‘ok’, these videos are from YouTube and are safe to play.)
Part 1:
Part 2: “It Saved My Child!”
If you’ve done any research using the internet or other resources, you may have come to the same conclusion that a child developed autism as a result of mercury poisoning (possibly from vaccinations or other sources). CNN and many other trusted sources talk almost daily about the link between mercury and autism.
What this page is NOT intended for:
- to explain or define Autism.
- to convince you there’s a link between mercury exposure and Autism.
- to convince you how to treat an autistic child.
The treatment that you have chosen for your child is the only safe and effective way to remove (kelation) mercury and other toxins from a child. DMSA is the only FDA approved product.
“Natural Remedies” such as chlorella, vitamin C, food pads, etc. have never stood up against scientific scrutiny and are NOT FDA approved treatments. DMSA is scientifically proven to work and is finally available without a prescription.
What this page IS intended for:
- to tell you DMSA is the ONLY FDA approved treatement to remove mercury from a child.
- to show you where to buy DMSA from a trusted source without a prescription.
You can get a DMSA prescription from your doctor however the cost will range from $2-$3 per pill. The link provided at the top and the bottom of this website will allow you to buy DMSA for less than half the price of prescribed DMSA. It should also be noted that DMSA Synergy products are a formulation of DMSA, Ascorbic Acid, and Glycine. These 2 additional ingredients will increase the excretion of mercury which makes DMSA Synergy more effective than prescribed DMSA alone. “DAN” doctor’s report specifically mention how Ascorbic Acid makes DMSA more effective.
You may also want to give your child Alpha-Lipoic Acid, which is available at most pharmacies and is relatively inexpensive.
Course of Treatment
Dosage
Dosage is based on body weight as follows:
20-30 mg of DMSA per kilogram of body weight per day
(to a maximum of 2 gms per day)
(if you prefer to calculate in pounds, its approximately 9-13 mg of DMSA per pound of body weight per day)
source: doctorsdata.com
1 kilogram equals 2.2 pounds therefore to figure this out in pounds do the following:
Divide your childs weight in pounds by 2.2
example: a 70 pound child weights approximately 32 kilograms and would require 640 to 960 mgs of DMSA per day, this is 6 to 9 capsules for one day.
Monthly Treatment Protocol
This dosage only taken for 3 days, then one day of rest (nothing taken). Followed by 9 days of supplement replacement (high quality multivitamin such as Greens Plus) then another day of rest (nothing taken). Now repeat this procedure. Below is a monthly summary.
Monthly Summary (days 1 to 30)
Days 1-3
Calculate and take the correct dosage of DMSA, 1/3 of the total daily dosage 3 times during the course of the day.
Why the range? Every individual tolerates the DMSA differently. Using the previous example of a 70 pound child (approximately 32 kilograms) requiring 640 to 960 mgs of DMSA per day, if the child develops symptoms then use the lower range of 640 mg. If the child develops no symptoms, then use the higher range of 960 mg. When first starting, use the lower range until it is determined how well the child’s body tolerates DMSA.
How To Administer DMSA
Depending on the child, it is sometimes difficult to administer medications to an autistic child, therefore it is recommended that the entire daily dose be combined in a favorite beverage (do not put into milk products or grapefruit juice), and 1/3 of this drink to be given in the morning, 1/3 to be given at lunch, and the final 1/3 to be given at dinner or in the evening.
Ideally, DMSA should be given every 4 hours as it has a 4 hour half-life inside the body.
Day 4
Rest. Child does NOT take any DMSA.
Days 5-13
Child does NOT take any DMSA.
Child is to follow a supplement replacement therapy treatment that is determined by yourself or your health care practitioner, using a high quality multi-vitamin is recommended.
*A high quality diet is critical for autistic children, this cannot be emphasized enough.*
High Quality Diet tips:
- Completely avoid ‘man-made’ products such as artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sorbitol, splenda etc) and the processed food found at typical fast food places, and microwave dinners etc. Simple whole foods are best and will help your child get better sooner.
- It is STRONGLY suggested that your autistic child eat real butter as is contains arachidonic acid and linoleic acid, both of which are necessary for vital brain function. The addition of real butter into a child’s diet has been shown to greatly help children with attention deficit disorders. Avoid all butter substitutes such as margarine. If you can afford organic butter (approx $8 per pound) it’s even better.
- Avoid ‘bad’ fats such as vegetable oil, corn oil, canola oil and ALL products that contain these oils. Alternatives are olive oil, coconut oil, and hemp seed oil (very close to the perfect ration of 4:1 omega 6 to omega 3).
- Avoid sugar, including ingredients that are converted into sugar such as grains (white bread), white pasta, and corn syrup.
- Become a label reader. Always read the ingredients of everything your buy.
Day 14
Rest. Child does NOT take any DMSA.
Day 15
Start taking DMSA again. Repeat days 1-15.
Summary
This completes the one month treatment protocol. Follow this protocol for 3 month then do the 24 hour urine challenge (Email for details about how to do this and cost) to measure the levels of heavy metals, specifically mercury that may still remain in your child.
Note: DMSA cannot cross the blood brain barrier by itself without alpha-lipoic acid (which is very inexpensive and can be found at any pharmacy or walmart, walgreens etc). Once all the mercury has been removed from the childs body, THEN you can start the final stage and start removing it from the brain. Do not add alpha-lipoic acid at the start of the DMSA treatment, this is a final stage only.
Overview of Mercury and Lead Poisoning
Everyday our bodies are constantly exposed to an onslaught of various environmental toxins, including lead and mercury, which do not naturally occur in the body and are highly toxic. Lead and mercury, known as heavy metals, interfere with how your nerves communicate and are the two most common toxic heavy metals found in people. Mercury is considered to be the second most toxin substance on the planet (uranium is #1) and the negative effects of lead exposure are well documented.
Meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) is a compound that was approved by the FDA in the 1960’s to remove (kelation) heavy metals from the body, and is the preferred agent for the kelation of heavy metals in both adults and children. It is also known as succimer and is sold as a prescription drug under the trade name Chemet. It should be noted that Chemet contains sucralose, a known neuro-toxin, and something you probably don’t want to give your child. DMSA, which has a somewhat strong sulfur smell, is a chemical that is particularly suited to kelate (remove or excrete) mercury and lead from the human body, as well as over 15 other heavy metals.
There are several other kelation agents but DMSA has so far as been proven to be the safest and most effective.
How Did I Get Heavy Metals (Mercury and Lead) In My Body?
There are several possible ways that heavy metals got into your body, the more common exposures discussed below. Please note that there is no safe levels for heavy metals in your body.
Mercury
There are 4 main sources of mercury poisoning:
- In Vitro, passed from mother to baby. The level of mercury in the tissue of the fetus, newborn, and young children is directly proportional to the number of silver fillings in the mother’s mouth.
- Vaccinations are the #1 source of mercury exposure in infants, and the #2 source in adults. Mercury is used as a preservative in vaccinations to extend shelf life, and is currently a hot topic of debate with possible links to Autism.
Shocking Facts:- 25% of vaccines today still contain mercury despite it’s known toxicity.
- Flu Shots still contain mercury, also used as a preservative. According to the EPA, the average child can tolerate 0.3 micrograms of mercury. A 2 month old infant that receives all 4 scheduled vaccinations (DtaP, Polio, Hib, Hepatitus B) will have a mercury level of 62.5 micrograms, 125 times higher than the EPA ’safe’ level!
- When mercury is removed from flu shots, it is replaced with other heavy metals such as aluminum and formaldehyde.
- Dental Amalgams or ‘Silver Fillings.’ Amalgam fillings leech methyl-mercury into your body, and is particularly dangerous because it is attracted to tissues and organs and can cross the blood brain barrier.
Fact: Most major countries (other than the U.S.) have extensive bans and health warnings regarding the use of amalgam fillings. This includes Austria, Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Fact: In 1988 scrap dental amalgam material was declared a hazardous waste by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). - Contraception Pills and Contact Lense Solution. In the 1980’s Mercury was used in both of these products. Although it has since been discontinued, any women who may have used these products would have passed the mercury to their children if they’ve conceived since then.
The following is a quick, informative video explaining how mercury from dental fillings gets out of the filling and into your body:
As the movie clearly shows, common activities such as brushing your teeth and drinking hot liquids can increase your exposure to methyl-mercury (mercury vapor) from 10 to 100 times.
What about fish? There is inorganic mercury in fish but the amount that actually ends up in the human body from fish consumption is very low and has been blown out of proportion by the media.
Lead
Our parents were part of the “Lead Generation.” We call it the “Lead Generation” because lead was found in many everyday items such as:
- paint
- gasoline
- dishes
- toys from China
- candy from Mexico
- children’s jewelry
- canned food
Important Lead Facts
- Lead is one of the most prominent metals found in our bodies.
- It takes 4 generations to eliminate the exposure of Lead that is passed down through In Vitro (passed from mother to baby).
- Lead is particularly toxic to children. Chronic and acute lead exposure negatively impacts their growing nervous systems and is linked to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Hyperactive Disorders.
- If Lead is in your body (and it is), you need to get it out. DMSA is able to effectively and safely kelate lead from the human body.
DMSA has been shown to be safe for use in children. It is recommended that the 24 hour urine challenge should be done before and after a DMSA kelation program. During the Urine Challenge, DMSA is used as the provoking agent to measure the level of lead in the body.
DMSA Kelation
The chemical process behind how DMSA works to kelate heavy metals such as mercury and lead from the body is somewhat technical and beyond the scope of this article. The basic mechanism is that DMSA has receptor sites that the heavy metals bind to. New research suggests the following:
- Heavy metals reside inside the body’s cell but DMSA cannot enter the cells.
- Glutathione (the body’s natural kelator) which resides inside the cell, pushes the metals out, which then is picked up by DMSA and excreted.
- Naturally occurring glutathione levels are 100 higher inside the cell than outside, but glutathione supplements only circulate around the outside of the cell and are not effective in increasing heavy metal kelation. N-AcetylCysteine (NAC) is a chemical that allows your body to produce it’s own glutathione, which is why it’s found in the DMSA Synergy product.
DMSA should be taken in “on again” and “off again” cycles, ideally 3 days on and 11 days off, so the body can regenerate it’s glutathione levels. The fastest and safest way to use DMSA to kelate heavy metals from your body is three days on and 11 days off.
DMSA and the Blood Brain Barrier
As previously stated, unlike heavy metals, DMSA can NOT cross the blood brain barrier. While one study exists with lab rats wherein the DMSA did cross the blood brain barrier, the animals were so toxic that their normal functioning were greatly impaired and the results have never been duplicated. Repeated tests have shown that DMSA must be taken in conjunction with alpha-lipoic acid to cross the blood brain barrier. Once you have kelated the heavy metals from your body (know as ‘lowering your body burden’) you should then add alpha-lipoic acid with your DMSA to pull the mercury and other metals from your brain.
DMSA is taken in capsule form. Other competing forms of kelation, namely ETDA (suppositories) and DMPS (intraveniously) are more dangerous and less effective. DMSA is thought to remove small amounts of beneficial minerals, therefore a vitamin and mineral supplement such as a high quality multi-vitamin should be taken in conjunction with DMSA.
