Victims of Mercury Poisoning & Their Stories
Victims Statements and Letters sent to ADA about ADA web site and other information desiminated by the ADA.
Wednesday
June 14, 2000
Dear ADA,
Please read my attached story. February 2000 marked 20 years since my
illness began. Each day presents another challenge physically and/or
emotionally that I have to fight to endure life's situations before me!
My Story
February 1980, after awaking and looking into the mirror, the right side of
my face showed signs of paralysis.The doctor said it was similar to Bell's
Palsy and should be better within time. Six months later I lost the vision in
my left eye gradually followed by uncoordinated movements, numbness and
tingling of the hands and feet, weakness of one leg and then the other,
lack of balance, etc.
In 1981 the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis was established and the
search for a remedy or cure began. I spent years of countless visits to
neurologists (5 of the best-known hospitals in the Chicago
area), nutritionists, kinesiologists, chiropractors in conventional and
non-conventional practices, also reading book
after book on various theories of MS and any closely related topic,
including Candida Albicans.
In 1987 was the first time I ever entered a hospital. The massive doses of
various medications were now ineffective and the only option offered was
chemotherapy in conjunction with other therapies. I was released confined to
using a walker and wheelchair.
In 1989 another exacerbation left me in the hospital for 1 1/2 months with
overall generalized weakness and, at times, slurred speech. I was released
confined totally to a wheelchair and a hospital bed...a paraplegic.
In 1990, after ten years of continuous exacerbations, two to three times each
year, ten years of massive doses of medication and three hospitalizations, my
search for an answer ended. Through research I discovered my symptoms of "MS"
and mercury poisoning were similar and that silver fillings are made up of
50% mercury
along with copper, tin, zinc, and small amounts of silver, etc.
A dentist performed a test measuring the amount of mercury vapor being
emitted from the silver fillings. The levels of the test results were high
and removal was recommended. A blood test also confirmed I was "reactive" to
the heavy metals in the fillings.
Even though I had much opposition from the medical and dental community, the
fillings (16) were completely removed by September 1990. Two weeks after the
fillings were removed, improvement began. My slurred speech began to
disappear (this had been the last symptom to occur). April 25, 1994 test
results confirmed "a
degenerative disease and toxicity."
I'm out of the hospital bed now and in a regular bed and have experienced
considerable improvements. I'm still in a wheelchair and have been doing some
form of physical therapy. I have been at the Rehabilitation Institute of
Chicago, a spinal cord injury program in California and a continuous
exercise program at a health facility with limited home physical therapy.
This has brought me continuing improvement with a long way to go. Since the
amalgam removal I have not had any exacerbation's of Multiple Sclerosis
symptoms since 1989 and have not had any medication for Multiple Sclerosis
since 1990.
Please understand, I'm not saying that all MS is caused by silver amalgam
fillings nor am I saying that silver amalgam fillings cause all MS. What I am
saying is there are people out there who may have a sensitivity to MERCURY
like I do and may exhibit MS symptoms.... MERCURY IS A POISON. Public
awareness could prevent years of suffering.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
Sincerely,
Linda M. Brocato
Prospect Heights, IL
Diana from Kansas here:
I have had fibromyalgia for about 11 years now . While I believe that there are some hormonal and viral issues also involved, I did have a significant amount of dental work done preceding and during pregnancy. I also have a 10 year old autistic son, whom I believe was somewhat impacted by the mercury amalgams placed while he was in utero.
Bye-bye............from Di ;+) (Special Ed. teacher & Mom to 10 year Eric)
My letter to the ADA:
I have been informed that your organization
claims that fewer than 100 adverse reactions to
dental amalgam have ever been reported.
You people frighten me. More than I can say. So
now it's 101. Read on...
Amalgam stole my life. I'm 33 and I haven't
begun to live. I've been sick for 20+ years and
it wasn't until the spring of '97 that I
understood why. At that time I had 7 cracked
amalgams removed and on instinct, having heard
they contain mercury I decided to replace them
with composites. Thankfully I had a parent who
could afford to help me do this. The amalgams
were removed in three appts spanning three weeks.
After having this hazardous waste (according to
you) drilled out of my teeth at high speed and
breathing in the vapor I fell completely apart.
I did it as a pre-emptive measure, I didn't
expect adverse affects from the removal. But by
week two I was twitching like a lab rat. I
couldn't stand to be touched, couldn't stand the
sound of a human voice -- couldn't be around
ANYONE at this time when I needed help the most.
I broke into a sweat like I'd never known, drove
my car into a pole, and tried to take a shoe off
my foot that wasn't there. When the phone rang I
didn't know what it was or what to do about it.
My head hurt so bad I thought it would implode.
I lived half-alive in a haze of absolute and
utter terror for the next two years. I slept 2
hrs a day on a good day. I screamed at God and
begged for an end, any end, and I attempted,
finally to take my own life. Now, 3.5 years
later, after 300+ hrs of sauna therapy and $5000
of supplements to keep myself - LITERALLY --
alive, I am finally able to see a light at the
end of the tunnel. I went through it alone.
Because of your greed. Period. I used to hold
onto the kitchen counter for HOURS on end --
drooling on the burner and howling like an animal
so I wouldn't kill somebody, or kill myself. I
was diagnosed as manic-depressive, medicated for
7 years (quit all the meds 2 years ago), treated
like a crazy person and everyone I know believed
that. Now, since all fillings have been removed.
they are horrified at how wrong they were. I am
slowly returning to the person I used to be. I
am kind and patient and tolerant. I am no longer
depressed or fearful. I look forward to the
future and am a pleasure to be around. The
result of my DMSA chelation challenge indicated
that 2 years ago I had a body burden of 8.3 on a
scale of 1-9 of...you guessed it...mercury.
If I didn't have a parent who could have taken on
the financial burden your amalgam would have
killed me. My fillings were a Cu/Hg amalgam.
Funny, isn't it, that when tested for allergies
these are the two metals I was allergic to? Try
to tell me they're bound. When I add copper to
my supplements I get very toxic very quickly.
THESE FILLINGS CORRODE AND LEAK. PERIOD. In the
1840's dentists lost their licenses for *using*
amaglam.
SHAME ON YOU for letting your brothers and
sisters suffer so horribly. SHAME ON YOU!!!
I have a list of 60 symptoms that resulted from
the toxicity of these fillings. Among them,
cognitive difficulty (an understatement),
allergies (they started the same summer I got my
first filling), neurological problems (tripping
down stairs, stuttering, running into
doorframes), depression, anxiety, rage, anemia,
severe PMS -- YOU NAME IT, I'VE HAD IT. I was a
chubby healthy NORMAL child until I got that
first filling, then I lost weight, became
hyperactive and hitting puberty was the beginning
of the end.
I am the girl next door. I'm not some radical
raised in a teepee wanting to undo every
governmental institution I can. I trusted you,
but it's clear now that other governments have
declared this material unsafe that I am not alone
anymore. Face the music, people. We're out
here. We are your sisters, you daughters, your
fathers...we don't put two and two together
because we can't. Mighty convenient for you.
Everyone I tell about my story says, "There isn't
mercury in them any MORE is there???"
AT LEAST tell us the truth about what's in them,
make it public so people can decide for
themselves.
MERCURY IS THE MOST TOXIC NON-RADIOACTIVE
SUBSTANCE IN THE WORLD. TESTS HAVE PROVEN IT
ISN'T BOUND. GET IT OUT OF OUR
MOUTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The dentist who removed those first 7 fillings
asked me when I told him how ill I'd become that
week and asked if amalgams could be the cause,
"On the record or off?" He told me when I
promised silence that he wouldn't put them in his
own child's mouth.
Do the right thing.
Do it.
Please.
Jennifer Lasher
June 14, 2000
To the ADA:
You have a huge responsibility not only to the American people, but to a higher standard of being protectors of the truth in your field. The Association, I assume, is made up of "experts" in the field of dentistry, is it not? How then can you claim that fewer than 100 cases of adverse reactions to dental amalgam have ever been reported? Perhaps you choose to be limited in your criteria of who they reported them to, or the exact nature of the problem being reported. This, however, does NOT convey the truth. This is deception, clearly and simply. Maybe you need to restate your "facts", or better yet, do some honest research into the mercury poisoning issue and become more "expert" in your field. The truth is that mercury is one of the most poisonous substances on the planet, and does not belong in the mouth of a human being, or any being for that matter. You look pretty silly maintaining the position you do, when science has shown evidence to the contrary. I had mercury amalgam fillings, but wasn't aware of the dangers, because I trusted my dentists. I trust them no more. I now take my dental health and protection of my total health into my own hands. Having the "ADA stamp of approval" now means nothing more to me than that your members are puppets, that they are the "blind leading the blind." I was tested for heavy metal toxicity after becoming extremely ill--visual disturbances, concentration difficulty, extreme fatigue to name a few symptoms. I was found to have high levels of mercury in my body. I don't know where the mercury came from, but certainly it would be logical to conclude that my amalgam fillings were involved more than any other possible source. I have had my mercury amalgam fillings replaced, and had to undergo therapy to remove the source of mercury, and continue the process of healing from my poisoning. I shouldn't have had to go through this! My husband will be next to go through the removal and replacement process. When it comes to health, I believe it is better to err on the side of caution. When it comes to protecting the health of all people everywhere, the ADA has the responsibility to do so as well. You have a huge burden on your shoulders now, don't you? By not erring on the side of caution, you are carrying the weight of the responsibility for having caused hundreds of thousands of people to suffer needlessly, even causing death from possible mercury poisoning. You can never change those facts, but you can do what is right and reverse your position on the dangers of mercury. Be standard bearers for the truth. It will stand in the end anyway, and you will either be vindicated through your dedication to the truth or vilified for your greed and dishonesty. Which do you choose?
Sincerely,
Patricia Faussett
Tuesday
June 13, 2000
Dear ADA,
Please read my attached story.
My Story
February 1980, after awaking and looking into the mirror, the right side of
my face showed signs of paralysis.The doctor said it was similar to Bell's
Palsy and should be better within time. Six months later I lost the vision in
my left eye gradually followed by uncoordinated movements, numbness and
tingling of the hands and feet, weakness of one leg and then the other,
lack of balance, etc.
In 1981 the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis was established and the
search for a remedy or cure began. I spent years of countless visits to
neurologists (5 of the best-known hospitals in the Chicago
area), nutritionists, kinesiologists, chiropractors in conventional and
non-conventional practices, also reading book
after book on various theories of MS and any closely related topic,
including Candida Albicans.
In 1987 was the first time I ever entered a hospital. The massive doses of
various medications were now ineffective and the only option offered was
chemotherapy in conjunction with other therapies. I was released confined to
using a walker and wheelchair.
In 1989 another exacerbation left me in the hospital for 1 1/2 months with
overall generalized weakness and, at times, slurred speech. I was released
confined totally to a wheelchair and a hospital bed...a paraplegic.
In 1990, after ten years of continuous exacerbations, two to three times each
year, ten years of massive doses of medication and three hospitalizations, my
search for an answer ended. Through research I discovered my symptoms of "MS"
and mercury poisoning were similar and that silver fillings are made up of
50% mercury
along with copper, tin, zinc, and small amounts of silver, etc.
A dentist performed a test measuring the amount of mercury vapor being
emitted from the silver fillings. The levels of the test results were high
and removal was recommended. A blood test also confirmed I was "reactive" to
the heavy metals in the fillings.
Even though I had much opposition from the medical and dental community, the
fillings (16) were completely removed by September 1990. Two weeks after the
fillings were removed, improvement began. My slurred speech began to
disappear (this had been the last symptom to occur). April 25, 1994 test
results confirmed "a
degenerative disease and toxicity."
I'm out of the hospital bed now and in a regular bed and have experienced
considerable improvements. I'm still in a wheelchair and have been doing some
form of physical therapy. I have been at the Rehabilitation Institute of
Chicago, a spinal cord injury program in California and a continuous
exercise program at a health facility with limited home physical therapy.
This has brought me continuing improvement with a long way to go. Since the
amalgam removal I have not had any exacerbation's of Multiple Sclerosis
symptoms since 1989 and have not had any medication for Multiple Sclerosis
since 1990.
Please understand, I'm not saying that all MS is caused by silver amalgam
fillings nor am I saying that silver amalgam fillings cause all MS. What I am
saying is there are people out there who may have a sensitivity to MERCURY
like I do and may exhibit MS symptoms.... MERCURY IS A POISON. Public
awareness could
prevent years of suffering.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
Sincerely,
Linda M. Brocato
To whom it may concern:
I was born in 1958. In my early and especially teen years I had a number
of mercury fillings implanted totalling about eight or more fillings. In
my teen years my vision became short-sighted, a condition which has
continued to the present and for which I wear glasses. In 1998 I began
experiencing unusual eye fatigue and eye irritation after periods of two
or three hours work at my job as a software developer. A nutritionist
advised regular breaks from the computer screen a few times per hour and
recommended nutritional supplements. I followed these directions as well
as other directions for ergonomic work practices and experienced some
relief but the symptoms were not eliminated at all. I needed a solution
as this was impacting my work by forcing me to shorten my work hours.
Late in the summer of 1999 I began having persistent headaches added to
irritated and tired eyes. A yearly visit to the dentist in the autumn
turned up a cracked mercury filling although I had not experienced
any symptoms with my teeth which have been trouble free since my teen
years. I had that filling and a number of others replaced with composite
in October 1999.
The headaches stopped the day after the fillings were replaced.
I therefore resolved to have the remainder of my mercury fillings
replaced as soon as financially possible. In the meantime, in the winter
of 1999-2000 I experienced severe eye fatigue and irritation during
computer work or any activity involving concentrated focussing. I was
advised by a nurse to get a humidifier since the air is very dry in
Canadian homes during the winter. This helped a bit but I was still
forced to shorten my work hours due to continuing eye irritation.
I consulted an ophthalmologist who after examining me found no signs of
disease other than eye fatigue and recommended, as did the nutritionist,
frequent breaks. He also prescribed antibiotic drops for a 10-day period
as a lubricant, and in case there might be some infection although
he saw no evidence. The drops had no effect that I observed and the
situation continued.
I went ahead in February 2000 and had the remainder of my mercury fillings
replaced. It is now about 4 months later and the symptoms of eye fatigue
and irritation have gradually been eliminated so that now I can work a
full day and overtime with little eye fatigue.
I firmly believe there is a link between the symptoms I was experiencing
and the presence of mercury in my body. The body cannot be expected to
function normally when continually exposed day in and day out, year in
and year out to such a toxic substance.
Nicholas Strathy 13 June 2000
Montreal, Canada
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