Has Dextroamphetamine ADHD treatment for 10 months caused higher inflammation, Costochondritis?

[Ringleader]

I (late 20s Male) was diagnosed with adult ADHD last year and prescribed Adderall. I have currently been taking 10mg-30mg near daily for almost a year. I am prescribed 20mg 2x/day which I usually only do 10mg 2x/day or 20mg AM-10mg PM or even just 20mg AM, depending on what I have going on.

I was never diagnosed before, but I did have typical "symptoms" of ADHD as a child and teen. However, it never particularly affected my performance at school even if I didn't pay much attention. I was just smart enough to still do very well academically with little effort. This continued in college, but I did take some stimulants a small handful of times during grad school to push through some more intensive projects. I had mixed results even then, but I was also dealing with different forms of stims, rather than a consistent form and dosage. Sometimes, they would help, other times it was like I couldn't focus even more (but faster). I was always against stimulant medication, particularly for children, and I am thankful that I was not dosed up with it just for being a rambunctious boy. I say that to say that being "treated" for ADHD was never on my radar until I began a job that I felt that backed me into a corner. I still have conflicting views on it even now, but I have found that it has been useful these past several months in my current job which is a 9-5 desk position that any ADHD symptoms of lack of motivation/focus/etc. are very pronounced.

There are a lot of aspects of this that I will likely post about, and I look forward to contributing to the overall discussion on ADHD as we all search for truth. This particular post is focused on what I have noticed since about month 3 of taking Adderall, which is very uncomfortable/painful chest tightness around the top of my sternum. From what I have researched, this seems like it may be Costochondritis. It began as a feeling of tightness that was just uncomfortable--if I stretched enough, my sternum/ribs would even give a loud pop that seemed to relieve the issue for a period.

However, it has progressed to where I have ongoing pain and tightness in the area almost all the time, along with my right shoulder being in major pain as if it is radiating out. A bit more background is that I have had a chronic pain issue with my right forearm/wrist/elbow for almost 10 years now which I have struggled immensely with trying to treat and find the root cause of--so I must have some baseline susceptibility to inflammation that I would think must be implicated. This issue has waxed and waned over the years, but frankly, I still feel likely I'm practically at square one in terms of figuring out a root cause. I know plenty of things that make it worse that I do my best to restrict, i.e., seed oils, posture issues, etc., but I've never been able to get back to a real sense of normal. Now that I'm having this issue with my chest as well, I've started to become concerned that I will only get worse. Currently for the Costochondritis (if that's what it is), I've been trying to use the Backpod stretching regularly. I think it may be providing some relief, but it's hard to say.

Could Adderall be exacerbating these issues? I haven't found anything that specifically links them, but I wonder whether my already inflammatory state is being agitated more one way or another by it. I have had the gut feeling that my chronic inflammation/pain was linked to my mental symptoms (if my body is more inflamed, surely my brain is more inflamed to some degree, right?), but I still don't know what the right answers are.

I know this is a bit of a broad question, but hopefully this thread can be a place for some good discussion for possible links between ADHD causes and chronic inflammation causes. Thanks for your time

 

[Regina]

I (late 20s Male) was diagnosed with adult ADHD last year and prescribed Adderall. I have currently been taking 10mg-30mg near daily for almost a year. I am prescribed 20mg 2x/day which I usually only do 10mg 2x/day or 20mg AM-10mg PM or even just 20mg AM, depending on what I have going on.

I was never diagnosed before, but I did have typical "symptoms" of ADHD as a child and teen. However, it never particularly affected my performance at school even if I didn't pay much attention. I was just smart enough to still do very well academically with little effort. This continued in college, but I did take some stimulants a small handful of times during grad school to push through some more intensive projects. I had mixed results even then, but I was also dealing with different forms of stims, rather than a consistent form and dosage. Sometimes, they would help, other times it was like I couldn't focus even more (but faster). I was always against stimulant medication, particularly for children, and I am thankful that I was not dosed up with it just for being a rambunctious boy. I say that to say that being "treated" for ADHD was never on my radar until I began a job that I felt that backed me into a corner. I still have conflicting views on it even now, but I have found that it has been useful these past several months in my current job which is a 9-5 desk position that any ADHD symptoms of lack of motivation/focus/etc. are very pronounced.

There are a lot of aspects of this that I will likely post about, and I look forward to contributing to the overall discussion on ADHD as we all search for truth. This particular post is focused on what I have noticed since about month 3 of taking Adderall, which is very uncomfortable/painful chest tightness around the top of my sternum. From what I have researched, this seems like it may be Costochondritis. It began as a feeling of tightness that was just uncomfortable--if I stretched enough, my sternum/ribs would even give a loud pop that seemed to relieve the issue for a period.

However, it has progressed to where I have ongoing pain and tightness in the area almost all the time, along with my right shoulder being in major pain as if it is radiating out. A bit more background is that I have had a chronic pain issue with my right forearm/wrist/elbow for almost 10 years now which I have struggled immensely with trying to treat and find the root cause of--so I must have some baseline susceptibility to inflammation that I would think must be implicated. This issue has waxed and waned over the years, but frankly, I still feel likely I'm practically at square one in terms of figuring out a root cause. I know plenty of things that make it worse that I do my best to restrict, i.e., seed oils, posture issues, etc., but I've never been able to get back to a real sense of normal. Now that I'm having this issue with my chest as well, I've started to become concerned that I will only get worse. Currently for the Costochondritis (if that's what it is), I've been trying to use the Backpod stretching regularly. I think it may be providing some relief, but it's hard to say.

Could Adderall be exacerbating these issues? I haven't found anything that specifically links them, but I wonder whether my already inflammatory state is being agitated more one way or another by it. I have had the gut feeling that my chronic inflammation/pain was linked to my mental symptoms (if my body is more inflamed, surely my brain is more inflamed to some degree, right?), but I still don't know what the right answers are.

I know this is a bit of a broad question, but hopefully this thread can be a place for some good discussion for possible links between ADHD causes and chronic inflammation causes. Thanks for your time

I know nothing about adderall.

But I have had costochondritis, as well as thoracic outlet syndrome, pinched nerve in neck, frozen shoulder and a subclavein blood clot. Oh and my sterum was sinking into my chest.

Eating Peaty and supplements have completely changed that whole composition. I can't imagine throwing my neck out just shampooing my hair. Or any of the problems I had growing up. My sternum now seems completely normal.
I think the best supplement for me was Kuinone. High dose vitamin K.
Have you had a comprehensive male blood test? Full thyroid panel? DHEA: cortisol ratio?

Pregnenolone, inosine (for adrenaline issues) and T3 (tyronenne) have all been great for me.
I also way upped my calcium intake.

I used to be rail skinny, waifish, wiry and hyper--who used to rock in my chair a lot in class. I had report cards all through grade school along the lines of , "Regina is a lovely and creative child with many interests unrelated to her coursework. If only she would direct some of that interest and excitement into her schoolwork, she would be doing much better...."

The Peating and supplements have turned me into a calm solid-boned hardy woman.

 

[mostlylurking]

I know this is a bit of a broad question, but hopefully this thread can be a place for some good discussion for possible links between ADHD causes and chronic inflammation causes. Thanks for your time

Links between ADHD and chronic inflammation: thiamine deficiency/functional blockage

links:

Neuroinflammation as a possible link between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and pain

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and pathological pain are two complex syndromes of multifactorial origin. Despite their prevalence and…

www.sciencedirect.com

Frontiers | Neurological, Psychiatric, and Biochemical Aspects of Thiamine Deficiency in Children and Adults

Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an essential nutrient that serves as a cofactor for a number of enzymes, mostly with mitochondrial localization. Some thiamine-depen...

www.frontiersin.org

It All Comes Down to Energy - Hormones Matter (read the Comments too)

 

[mostlylurking]

I know this is a bit of a broad question, but hopefully this thread can be a place for some good discussion for possible links between ADHD causes and chronic inflammation causes. Thanks for your time

I found something. Aderall (sp) has amphetamine in it. Amphetamine can cause hyperlactatemia which equals lactic acidosis. Thiamine deficiency also causes lactic acidosis. It makes sense to me then that if you are thiamine deficient or have a thiamine functional blockage that the Aderall would make symptoms worse because of the amphetamine component.

I've had lactic acidosis caused by thiamine deficiency; it really hurts. 300-350mg of thiamine hcl resolved my inflammation within 45 minutes and showed me that my problem was related to thiamine.

Anion-gap metabolic acidosis

CONTENTS Diagnosis Causes of elevated anion gap Evaluation Evaluation of elevated anion gap Evaluation & treatment of elevated lactate Treatment Podcast Questions & discussion Pitfalls Anion gap should be evaluated on every electrolyte panel. Ideally the computer will do this automatically...

emcrit.org

hyperlactatemia​

• Inadequate oxygen delivery (“type A hyperlactatemia”)
  • Profound shock
  • Regional hypoperfusion: ischemic limb, mesenteric ischemia
  • Muscle hyperactivity: seizure, extreme exertion
  • Extreme anemia or hypoxemia
• Adequate oxygen delivery (“type B hyperlactatemia”)
  • Liver failure
  • Malignancy (usually leukemia/lymphoma)
  • Thiamine deficiency (e.g. due to persistent critical illness, poor nutritional status, or gastric bypass surgery)
  • Beta-2 receptor stimulation
    • Exogenous administration of epinephrine, albuterol, or terbutaline
    • Endogenous epinephrine secretion (including any type of shock – including septic, cardiogenic, obstructive, or hypovolemic; pheochromocytoma)
  • Lactic alkalosis
  • Severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
• Medications
  • Beta-agonist excess (e.g. epinephrine, albuterol, terbutaline)
  • Linezolid
  • Metformin
  • Nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (e.g. used for treatment of HCV or HIV)
  • Propofol (propofol infusion syndrome)
  • Propylene glycol intoxication (e.g. due to high intravenous doses of lorazepam, diazepam, nitroglycerine, esmolol, phenytoin)
  • Nitroprusside (due to cyanide accumulation)
  • Valproic acid, topiramate
• Poisoning
  • Acetaminophen poisoning, massive
  • Alcohols
    • Ethylene glycol (some assays will misidentify glycolic acid as lactic acid).(31418093)
    • Methanol.
    • Ethanol poisoning.(31474479)
  • Cyanide, Carbon monoxide.
  • Salicylate.
  • Sympathomimetics (cocaine, amphetamine, cathinones).
  • Toluene.
  • Iron.

-edit-

Severe lactic acidosis reversed by thiamine within 24 hours

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Ringleader]

Eating Peaty and supplements have completely changed that whole composition. I can't imagine throwing my neck out just shampooing my hair. Or any of the problems I had growing up. My sternum now seems completely normal.
I think the best supplement for me was Kuinone. High dose vitamin K.
Have you had a comprehensive male blood test? Full thyroid panel? DHEA: cortisol ratio?

That's awesome to hear. Glad that you are doing better!

I have not hear of the Kuinone version of vit K, so I will definitely look into that. For a long period of time, probably 2017-2021 I took high dose vit D (anywhere from 15,000ui to 30,000ui daily) after reading that vit D deficiency could be a cause of inflammation. I also knew that I had a vit D deficiency from an autoimmune disorder that developed as a child, Pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta, "PLEVA" that the doctor put me on tetracycline for. Unfortunately, I took tetracycline for probably close to 2-3 years until I finally ditched it after my family and I decided it wasn't healthy to be on such a strong antibiotic for so long, and it wasn't even helping. Shortly after, I learned that PLEVA had a connection to vit D deficiency, so I began supplementing that at a regular level. It wasn't until my arm pain in 2017, that I began the vit D mega-dosing. Within the last couple of years though, I learned that large vit D dosage with K2 was dangerous, so I began to only take a regular vit D dose, always with K2. However, I have not regularly taken either for while after becoming discouraged over whether it was helping at all. All that said, I will definitely look back into vit K supplementing for these issues.

I have had some blood tests within the past couple of years, but I am not satisfied with my doctor's review of them with me. He's knowledgeable about a lot of unconventional medicine, but in many ways he's still just a typical western doctor. I remember asking him to check for estrogen levels, and he declined to order that on the test because "I didn't need it" and then just told be my testosterone was "normal." But from my understanding, testosterone can show within a "normal" range and yet there still be an estrogen imbalance. So I plan to request my prior blood work results and look over them myself. And also have another comprehensive test done.

On the thyroid panel, like most doctors, he only checked the basic T3 I think, which from my understanding does not provide a full picture for the majority of thyroid issues. Don't you have to have the radioactive T4 reuptake test to really know if there's something abnormal? I do not know my DHEA:cortisol but that has also been on my radar because I am sure I have had chronic stress for probably the last 3 years with the last 2 being particularly bad.

I used to be rail skinny, waifish, wiry and hyper--who used to rock in my chair a lot in class. I had report cards all through grade school along the lines of , "Regina is a lovely and creative child with many interests unrelated to her coursework. If only she would direct some of that interest and excitement into her schoolwork, she would be doing much better...."

I was definitely hyper as a young child, but, relatively early on, I became decent with being calm when necessary in social situations. Somewhere around the time the PLEVA issue came about in 2nd grade or so, I gained a good deal of weight to the point of being on the edge of obese, and I have never had any physical hyperactivity since then. There was a lot going on in my life at that time that I think was a good deal of environmental cause, though. It was that way for about 3 years, and then I both really shot up in height and lost a lot of weight through a concerted effort. In some ways, I think I have just sublimated any physical hyperactivity, and now I just have the mental hyperactive issue, an inattentive type ADHD I guess they call it now.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I really appreciate it. I'm really hopeful that I'll be able to make some progress.

 

[Ringleader]

Links between ADHD and chronic inflammation: thiamine deficiency/functional blockage

Thanks for your response and these links! I will look into them. I actually just ordered some thiamine after seeing others mention it in connection to ADHD, so the fact that it could also be involved in inflammation is encouraging to me.

I've had lactic acidosis caused by thiamine deficiency; it really hurts. 300-350mg of thiamine hcl resolved my inflammation within 45 minutes and showed me that my problem was related to thiamine.

That's amazing thiamine could have such a quick effect. I'm looking forward to starting it.

It makes a lot of sense that the adderall could be contributing the the thiamine deficiency, but I do wonder what the baseline deficiency is being caused by..

I don't see a lot in the list that could be a probable cause. I did acetaminophen some for the chronic pain, but very rarely because my father was aware of it's dangers. I did take ibuprofen and naproxen-sodium regularly for a long time, however.

But overall, the lactic acidosis makes a lot of sense. Even recently, I will wake up and just be stove up like I've been hit by a train. Do you know of any common causes of thiamine blockage or deficiency? Could my chronic inflammation itself just have cornered my body into it?

 

[Ringleader]

I did take ibuprofen and naproxen-sodium regularly for a long time, however.

Ah ha, I see on the Anion-gap metabolic acidosis link that NSAIDs can be another cause of the elevated anion gap. So there may be something there. I just haven't taken any regularly for a long time now. But, if my body has already developed the deficiency, it would make sense that it is having difficulty to get back to running at the correct baseline, even with cessation of NSAID use.

 

[mostlylurking]

But overall, the lactic acidosis makes a lot of sense. Even recently, I will wake up and just be stove up like I've been hit by a train. Do you know of any common causes of thiamine blockage or deficiency? Could my chronic inflammation itself just have cornered my body into it?

It hurts to roll over? Having trouble walking a straight line? I've been there. Thiamine was a life saver for me. I had the symptoms of Wenicke's Encephalopathy. I was running into walls and hurt all over and my head was so foggy I couldn't do anything. I got into that situation due to a thiamine deficiency caused by heavy metal toxicity with a dose of Bactrim antibiotic on top. Nearly finished me off. There are lots of prescription drugs that block thiamine function.

Thiamine is needed for oxidative metabolism (making cellular energy). Thiamine deficiency/functional blockage is a huge deal and the underlying cause for many chronic illnesses.

I like to use a pure bulk thiamine hcl like this one. Other types of thiamine are available and you could consider them. Take it with water only, never with anything sweet as the sugar will cancel it out. Space taking it from sweet/starchy things by 30 minutes. Get a little gram scale to weigh it out if you choose to use this bulk type. I also supplement with magnesium glycinate, niacinamide, and riboflavin (+a few others).

links:

How Can Something As Simple as Thiamine Cause So Many Problems? - Hormones Matter

Is thiamine deficiency too simple to explain the devastating nature of the systemic adverse reactions to some vaccines and medications?

www.hormonesmatter.com

The impact of oxidative stress in thiamine deficiency: A multifactorial targeting issue

Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, the underlying cause of Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome, is associated with the development of focal neuronal loss in vu…

www.sciencedirect.com

 

[mostlylurking]

Do you know of any common causes of thiamine blockage or deficiency? Could my chronic inflammation itself just have cornered my body into it?

First comes the thiamine deficiency/functional blockage, then comes the inflammation from the thiamine deficiency. As I look back on my life, I believe I've been dealing with a thiamine deficiency since I was a little kid. The dentist put mercury amalgam fillings in my teeth from age 8-12. I had 8 big ones. Mercury bonds to sulfur in the body. The thiamine molecule has a sulfur component so the mercury rips the thiamine molecule apart when it binds to the sulfur, resulting in a thiamine deficiency. Coffee and black tea block thiamine; sugar uses it up.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Modern Thiamine Deficiency

Thiamine or vitamin B1 is an essential, water-soluble vitamin required for mitochondrial energetics—the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is a critical and rate-limiting cofactor to multiple enzymes involved in this process, including ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Ringleader]

First comes the thiamine deficiency/functional blockage, then comes the inflammation from the thiamine deficiency. As I look back on my life, I believe I've been dealing with a thiamine deficiency since I was a little kid. The dentist put mercury amalgam fillings in my teeth from age 8-12. I had 8 big ones. Mercury bonds to sulfur in the body. The thiamine molecule has a sulfur component so the mercury rips the thiamine molecule apart when it binds to the sulfur, resulting in a thiamine deficiency. Coffee and black tea block thiamine; sugar uses it up.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Modern Thiamine Deficiency

Thiamine or vitamin B1 is an essential, water-soluble vitamin required for mitochondrial energetics—the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is a critical and rate-limiting cofactor to multiple enzymes involved in this process, including ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Did you have your mercury fillings removed? I don't have any of those, but I have lived in old homes all my life, so I have wondered what my heavy metal toxicity is. I recently tried to do an online hair test, but never received the results back. I need to follow up on that.

 

[mostlylurking]

Did you have your mercury fillings removed? I don't have any of those, but I have lived in old homes all my life, so I have wondered what my heavy metal toxicity is. I recently tried to do an online hair test, but never received the results back. I need to follow up on that.

My mercury amalgams crumbled out of my mouth over several years when I was in my 20's (50 years ago). Each time one disintegrated, my new dentist replaced it with a gold inlay. It was not done the safe way and having gold and amalgam in my mouth at the same time set up an electrical charge in my mouth which facilitated the other fillings to disintegrate too. So I got a big dose of mercury into my system.

There's LOTS of sources for mercury.

Sources — Mercury Free Kids

www.mercuryfreekids.org

The list starts off with amalgam fillings and if they were removed safely, then these other sources follow:
Imported cosmetics - Especially eyeliner
Imported cosmetic bleaching agents Skin whitening - Wikipedia
Antiseptics Be highly suspect of any odd sounding ingredient. Thiomersal - Wikipedia

Eating predatory fish - Methylmercury is readily bioaccumulated by top predators. That means you.
http://mercurypolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/mppoverthelimit.pdf

Coal - This includes coal miners exposed to coal dust and those breathing the emissions of coal plants. Incidentally, coal is the basis of the pharmaceutical industry. Any big-pharma product may be tainted with mercury. Since mercury causes brain damage, why let it into our air and water?

Clock Pendulums - Old clocks that have pendulums will most times have mercury contained withing. Do NOT lay the pendulums on their sides, they will leak mercury.
Elemental Mercury Releases Attributed to Antiques --- New York, 2000--2006

Sheetrock - Fabricated gypsum contains as much as 2 parts per million of mercury. If I did the math right this could mean a 600 square ft apartment might have 2 grams of mercury. Let me know if I'm wrong. Mercury contamination of drywall
The EPA says this is safe. EPA Finds Coal Fly Ash Safe in Concrete and Gypsum Wallboard
Coal Fly Ash Home Products
The concern for me is that the more surface area, the more porous a product, the more likely it is to off gas dangerous chemicals and toxins, especially mercury. Mercury is an incredibly volatile element, add a lot of surface area to it like in the case of carpet backing, and then add the friction of people walking on it, and we have a real problem. No one that I have found is measuring how much mercury is being released.

Buyers Beware: Coal Ash In Building Products

Shortly after HBN published this newsletter, the US EPA released a new report, Coal Combustion Residual Beneficial Use Evaluation: Fly Ash Concrete and FGD Gyps...

www.healthybuilding.net

Sheetrock|
Golf Balls
Park benches made out of composite wood
Composite wood on your deck or favorite seashore boardwalk
Ebonite bowling balls
Snow and ice melt
Vinyl flooring
Plastic utensils and tool handles
Composite kitchen counters
Dog houses
Cattle feeders
Sheetrock/drywall
Paint
Carpet backing
Fertilizer
Cosmetics
Toothpaste
Mold - Mercury laced mold from gypsum products and cement walls. This is my newest theory. Mercury is bacteriostatic, not bacteriodical. That means moldew, mildew, viruses, and bacteria live where mercury resides; they just don't propagate.
Mining - Many communities and not just individuals are being poisoned by elements from mining including sulphur, cobalt, mercury, copper and lead. Many bring these contaminants home in their laundry, as well as contaminating their vehicles. This has lead to the contamination of their communities, homes and family. Imagine how many people have been poisoned from mining; it may be billions of people.
Old housing in the Barrio - Mercury is commonly used in Santeria religious rituals. It may be sprinkled throughout the house and is often sold at the local botanica. I believe the almost complete destruction of the Bronx is a result of Santeria mercurial poisoning. http://newsarchive.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news-219201.html

Dentist Offices - and buildings that contain them.
Castner-Kellner Process
Through this antiquated industry mercury contaminates minimally 20% of the following products, some severely. I believe this industry is purposely disposing of mercury in end products rather than deal with toxic waste. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castner-Kellner_process

High Fructose Corn Syrup - HFCS
Citric Acid - It's in almost every big company canned food, either this one or sodium benzoate.
Sodium Benzoate
Caustic Soda
See mercury contamination of these products here:
MERCURY FROM COCA-COLA PRODUCTS AND THE CASTNER-KELLNER PROCESS

Microcrystalline cellulose - Be careful of binders or fillers added to your food or supplements. Mercury tainted caustic soda may have been used to 'digest' wood fibers to make the filler contained in your 'healthy' supplement.

The Castner-Kellner Process also produces chlorine.
Chlorine is used in municipal water systems, and to fumigate big grain silos, all of them, even giant silos filled with Monsanto product. Our wheat allergies may be mercury poisoning.
Chlorine is used to produce bleach.

Bleach - Clorox does not use bleach produced from the Castner-Kellner Process. V.P. Jim McCabe of Clorox reveals some bleaches are certainly tainted with mercury. Disinfecting Lowdown | The Clorox Company
Bleached products including
White Rice
White Flour
White paper towels
White toilet paper
White napkins
White paper plates
Anything bleached white
Marcal's paper products appear to be the only big name paper products not tainted by mercury. A Shopper’s Guide to Home Tissue Products

Old lumber - Mercury used as an insect repellant and killer. I learned this from Dan Olmsted's Age of Autism.
Acrylic sealant paints for mold and mildew
Plastics - That interior new car smell and oily sheen is the off gassing of the coal industry's mercury tainted plastic.
PVC - Plastic piping. Any plastic that has a feeling of breaking down, like it's oiling up your hands. like it's disintegrating back to oil. They aren't going to remove mercury from such a cheap-throwaway product.
Vinyl chloride - linoleum. Vinyl floor tiles.
http://chej.org/2013/05/the-vinyl-p...of-the-biggest-users-of-mercury-in-the-world/
Cement/Concrete - mercury is a naturally occurring element in limestone. http://californiawatch.org/environment/calif-cement-plant-has-one-nation-s-highest-mercury-emission-levels-14723
CFL light bulbs - do not break them and stay away from places where they may have been broken!
Red Colors - Cinnabar has been used through the ages as a red coloring for inks and paints. Tattoo ink and inks or paints colored vermillion may have mercury.

---

 

[mostlylurking]

Did you have your mercury fillings removed? I don't have any of those, but I have lived in old homes all my life, so I have wondered what my heavy metal toxicity is. I recently tried to do an online hair test, but never received the results back. I need to follow up on that.

I think that lead toxicity is likely from living in old homes. I renovated a couple when I was in my twenties and got a dose of lead to go with the mercury. Lead is easier to get rid of though. I think that my high dosing thiamine has helped a lot for the lead.

Thiamine reduces tissue lead levels in rats: mechanism of interaction - PubMed

Lead (Pb) toxicity has been a serious concern in industrialized societies because of its association with functional deficits in nervous, haematopoietic and renal systems. Several studies have shown beneficial effects of thiamine on Pb toxicity. It is speculated that Pb chelation by thiamine may...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Ringleader]

@mostlylurking Thanks for such a detailed list. I was able to get my hair test results and turns out that several things appear out of whack.

Lead shows .21 Mg/% which the results are saying is into the red of a range where 0.0 - 0.9 is optimal, .09 - 0.175 is elevated, and >0.175 is out of range.

Mercury is at .019 mg/100g which is in the elevated range of .001 - 0.025

Cadmium is .021 Mg/% which is red and out of range >.01

Arsenic is on the edge of optimal at .008 Mg/%

& Aluminum is 2.48 Mg/% in the red out of range >0.49


Additionally, it's showing my electrolytes at

Calcium 36 Mg/% in the low end of the optimal range of 32-64

Magnesium 9 Mg/% in the optimal range of 4-10

Sodium at 165 Mg/% in the red out of range > 44.5

& Potassium at 114 Mg/% in the red out of range >18.5


It says that none of my mineral ratios are in the optimal range. I've attached the report if you are interested in taking a look. My Thiamine came in today as well as some activated charcoal I ordered, so I plan to start that in earnest. I've seen activated charcoal recommended by other Peat students, but what's your opinion on it? I see that coal can be a mercury source, but does that extend to a quality activated charcoal?

 

[mostlylurking]

@mostlylurking Thanks for such a detailed list. I was able to get my hair test results and turns out that several things appear out of whack.

Lead shows .21 Mg/% which the results are saying is into the red of a range where 0.0 - 0.9 is optimal, .09 - 0.175 is elevated, and >0.175 is out of range.

Mercury is at .019 mg/100g which is in the elevated range of .001 - 0.025

Cadmium is .021 Mg/% which is red and out of range >.01

Arsenic is on the edge of optimal at .008 Mg/%

& Aluminum is 2.48 Mg/% in the red out of range >0.49


Additionally, it's showing my electrolytes at

Calcium 36 Mg/% in the low end of the optimal range of 32-64

Magnesium 9 Mg/% in the optimal range of 4-10

Sodium at 165 Mg/% in the red out of range > 44.5

& Potassium at 114 Mg/% in the red out of range >18.5


It says that none of my mineral ratios are in the optimal range. I've attached the report if you are interested in taking a look. My Thiamine came in today as well as some activated charcoal I ordered, so I plan to start that in earnest. I've seen activated charcoal recommended by other Peat students, but what's your opinion on it? I see that coal can be a mercury source, but does that extend to a quality activated charcoal?

OK. I read through the test yak-yak. I dunno. Seems like a lot of mumbo jumbo, then "Buy our supplements!!" Although I had a hair analysis test done maybe 29-30 years ago (really sick at the time, long story), I do not remember my doctor (detox specialist) paying a lot of attention to it. He focused instead on my EDTA IV challenge test results; it was a 3-4 hour IV, followed by a 24 hour urine collection.

I'm a little skittish myself about taking a zinc supplement. I know I had some on hand for Covid and I do remember I did take one or may two of the pills when I was getting sick. I remember Ray saying that zinc blocks copper and thyroid function needs copper. I'm a follower of Ray Peat when it comes to supplementing trace minerals; I eat smoked oysters and calf's liver once a week for the minerals.

That said, I do supplement with selenium now. It's supposed to help with the mercury and lead, although now I can't tell you how. I do seem to do better when taking it. I also take 3/4 teas. of magnesium glycinate, divided into 2 doses, daily and I also try to get enough calcium in me daily via ground eggshell and milk. I think that calcium and magnesium aren't like trace minerals because the amount needed is a fairly large amount.

Selenium in the treatment of heavy metal poisoning and chemical carcinogenesis - PubMed

Selenium (Se) has been shown to counteract the toxicity of heavy metals such as cadmium, inorganic mercury, methylmercury, thallium and to a limited extent silver. Although not as effective as Se, vitamin E significantly alters methylmercury toxicity and is more effective than Se against silver...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I looked at the company's heavy metal detox supplement. I personally wouldn't be interested in taking it myself. Here's a download about heavy metals detoxification that might shed some light. There is discussion in it about the importance of eating foods that contain sulfur because heavy metals are attracted to sulfur and bond to it, thus making it easier for the body to excrete the heavy metal. Thiamine also contains a sulfur component in its molecule and works the same (or similar) way. Dr. Lonsdale has said that thiamine chelates lead very effectively:

(paste)
SB: That’s great, and I also recall that TTFD I believe there were some studies you mentioned – or in some of your research where it had protective capabilities against lead and some heavy metals if I am recalling correctly?

DL: That’s correct. Yes. It’s interesting because thiamine actually the mechanism is not by any means clear, but it clears the lead through the liver. It goes through the bialary system. So the lead comes out in the stool. Not in the urine, and what people are looking for is lead in the urine and they should be looking for it in the stool if they use thiamine. Well of course nobody is using thiamine because they don’t know about it, but I would have loved to have got in touch with the people in Flint and tell them that the kids that have lead poisoning all they need is 100 milligrams of thiamine a day and that will ease the lead out of their systems.
(end paste)

I'm pretty sure Dr. Lonsdale means 100mg/day of the TTFD type of thiamine. I think the same would hold true for thiamine hcl but more would be needed because of the poor absorption rate of thiamine hcl in the intestine. I take 1 gram 2Xday of thiamine hcl.

You could use this search engine and search for the different trace minerals (one at a time) to perhaps gain better understanding about them: Bioenergetic Search

I hope you find this helpful.

 

[mostlylurking]

I've seen activated charcoal recommended by other Peat students, but what's your opinion on it?

I really don't know much about it. I think that if it is pure it can absorb toxins in the gut but if it isn't pure and has been exposed to toxins before ingesting it wouldn't be a good thing? It's not going to help for heavy metals toxicity. Better if you use it for something you ingested that is toxic.

 

[Ringleader]

@mostlylurking Thanks for all your help. I'll definitely be implementing the thiamine and continuing to learn. God bless!

 

[mostlylurking]

@mostlylurking Thanks for all your help. I'll definitely be implementing the thiamine and continuing to learn. God bless!

You're welcome. I'm glad to try to help.

 

[Ringleader]

Hope everyone is doing well. I have some updates from over the past couple of months.

I have been trying to supplement Thiamine regularly. At first, I was only taking about 100mg because I forgot about the megadose recommendation. When I remembered that, I started taking 300mg before bed. I do think that it has helped some. It seems like the costochondritis is not quite as bad on mornings after.

I also went to the doctor again and tried to discuss the issue further. He seemed kind of over it, unfortunately. Prescribed more Flexeril which he had given me a small scrip of earlier in the year. Honestly, I have a hard time telling whether it helps at all. I think it does make me pretty fatigued waking up in the morning though. And beside that, I do not care to have another band-aid on the issue. Would much rather try and find the root cause. So I asked him to order more bloodwork. At first he wasn't going to check my testosterone, but I insisted.

"Why do you think you need your T checked?" "Well Doc, I've got fatigue, muscle weakness, and chronic inflammation, all of which I've read can be made worse from low T" He just said okay and ordered the test. I also asked to have my thyroid checked, so he ordered the basic TSH and TPO tests. He is still against checking my estrogen, but from my understanding, I can have an in-range T level but still have an out of whack estrogen level. Is that right?

About a month or so ago, I took a week off from the adderall to see if my symptoms improved, and I think they did some (focus did suffer some though I suppose). I need to try it again and do a better job of logging it while I do.

I have attached my blood work that has some notable out of range results:
My TSH is low and almost a third of what it was a year ago, right around the time before I started taking adderall.
My phosphorous was flagged as high.
My Sedimentation Rate blood test was 2 which is on the low end of the range and from what I understand a good result. However, my inflammation/pain is worse than ever. So I'm not sure what this means.
Testosterone was 680 which is in range according to the test.
T4, Free was 1.52 which was in range according to the test but seems like it could be on the high end.

The TPO test should that my result was <9 which from what I understand means that I may have a thyroid issue. From these results does it seem like I have a thyroid issue? Should I ask to be referred to an endocrinologist?

Haven't talked to my Dr. about the results yet, so I'd appreciate any insight I can use in my discussion with him.

Thanks!

 

[Ringleader]

Hi @mostlylurking I hope you're doing well. I wanted to give you an update on some bloodwork in my prior post that shows I have low TSH among some other issues.

When I went to my doc after this test, all he did was acknowledge that I was a bit hypothyroid, said it wasn't a big deal and prescribed low dose Naltrexone (LDN). I haven't taken that yet since I wanted to do a bit more research to see if it is safe and helpful for my issues, so I can't yet report on its effects. From what I've read on the forum and elsewhere, it seems like LDN may be a decent medication for these types of issues, so I may start it soon.

Any insight you could provide is greatly appreciated.