Vitamins Galore or Less Is More?

Once again there has been a bit of dead air on here…sorry!  At least the reasons for my "blog breaks" usually end up making good topics for my comeback blog posts!  For quite a while my doctor has been urging me to start chelating (drawing out) the heavy metals from my body.  To give you a little background info…for people with chronic illnesses it is important to look at many factors to see just what is keeping them sick.  One of the possibilities is chronic (not to be confused with acute) heavy metal toxicity.  For me we performed a hair test.  It showed that I have heavy metals in my body, but not in my hair, which suggests that I do not excrete (or detox/get rid of) the metals on my own.  My bod needs some assistance.  You may be thinking…heavy metal toxicity?  How does that even happen?  Most of us are exposed to heavy metals every day.  It all comes down to the amount of exposure and how well our bodies get rid of them.  For systems that are already overburdened with chronic illness it is even more challenging.  For example, one of my highest levels of metal was Barium, and in my lifetime I have done 2-3 (that I can remember) contrast x-ray tests (hence guzzling the chalky white stuff).  The most recent being about 7 years ago, but it's still hanging out in there.  Guess what else has Barium?  Chapstick!  Back in the day I applied that gunk like every 5 minutes!  I can't even think about the pounds of petroleum, dyes, Barium, etc. I ate while doing so!  YUCK!  To learn more about other sources of heavy metals, check out these articles:  "32 Surprising Sources of Toxic Heavy Metals" & "Heavy Metal Toxicity Depression & Anxiety."

It's a whole other subject (worth its own post), but I cannot write about heavy metals without at least mentioning vaccines.  I am not trying to stir-up a highly controversial topic here, but they are part of the heavy metal toxicity puzzle.  Have you ever looked at the ingredient list for any given vaccine?  It's not pretty (straight from the CDC - Vaccine Ingredients - keep in mind that where you see "thimerosal" = mercury, and I think you probably have an idea of what formaldehyde is).  It makes me so sick to think about injecting my son with those toxins, but I did it.  I agonized over my decision, but I also didn't want my son to get some horrendous disease, because I would never forgive myself.  Also, unless things change, if he ever wants to go to college he will be forced to get them at that time (and all at once no less).  However, if I was going to do vaccines (against my better judgement) I was going to do them my way.  I had them administered on a delayed schedule, and only 1 shot at a time (with many weeks in-between).  Thank God, because my son had scary reactions to 2 of the vaccines, and if he had 4-5 in one visit (as suggested) we never would have known to which ones.  Do I think vaccines cause Autism?  Not entirely, but I do believe they are part of the toxic-overload for a child that contributes to things like ADD/ADHD and Autism.  Our children are born with a disgusting amount of toxins already in their bodies from maternal exposure alone (environment, personal care products, pesticides, etc.), but then add to that what they are exposed to after birth - what they put in their mouths, what they crawl around in on the floor, what they play with (yes, toys and art supplies - see "Heavy Metals"), what they eat, and what we inject them with!   A child's reaction depends on the strength of their immune system and what they have already been exposed to (as well as genetics).  We all have a toxic "limit," but it is different for every body, and children are way more susceptible.  That is why I think many parents blame a vaccine for their child's Autism, ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity, allergies, etc., because they see the change in their child occur following the shot(s).  I see it as a child reaching their "toxic limit," and it presents differently for each one…for some it's Autism.  So sad!  There HAS to be a better way to make vaccines (and all the other junk in our environment)!

In my current situation I could think, "Why me?!"…but I know why.  Contact lens solution from the tender age of twelve (mercury), antiperspirant as my bosom buddy (aluminum and other nasties - see "It's The Pits!"), pesticides in my food and environment, and of course the bazillions of toxins I never was (and never will be) aware of.  (I am SO thankful I never had a cavity and needed a filling!)  I can't go back, but now I am armed with awareness to protect myself and my family...which is why I am sharing all of this with you.  It is not for us to go completely nuts and be afraid of every little thing, but instead to use our knowledge to reduce our inevitable exposures.

Well, apparently "less is more" does not apply to my writing style, because I am JUST getting back to the original subject!  Whoops!  :-)  Sooooo…it has been a good, long while of me staring at the bottle of Zeolite (mineral that binds to metals and toxins), waiting for the perfect time to "try"it.  With my track record of sensitivity I am always a little reluctant to start something new.  I also know that it is important to have your digestion in an optimal state before starting something like this (which I have still not reached).  This week I just got to a point of feeling like I have to "dive-in" if I really want to get completely better.  My doctor feels that some of my lingering symptoms (hypersensitivity/allergies, digestion not healing, etc.) could be from the heavy metals.  So earlier this week I popped my first Zeolite pill around mid-day.  That night, two hours after going to bed, I was wide awake like I had never fallen asleep.  Then the rest of the night consisted of 15-30 minute way-weird-very-vivid dreams that made me jump awake and toss and turn…over and over and over…then I couldn't go back to sleep past 5:00AM…one reason being that I was starving beyond belief.  Ugh!  I took the pill again the next day, and that night the same thing.  Then again one more time before calling my doctor to explain the whole thing.  There was a lot of "Hmmm, that's strange…that shouldn't happen," which I am used to at this point.  The final verdict was to stop taking the Zeolite, but that wasn't enough for me.  In my true fashion I had to find out "why."  Based on my symptoms the first things that popped into my head were "serotonin" and "neurotransmitters."  I went into full-on research mode, and I learned a lot, but I didn't make what I found to be the perfect connection I was looking for…the one that would make me say "that's it!"  I had noticed that my bottle of pills listed "Calcium" and "Vitamin B-12" (to the tune of 1000% daily value) in addition to the Zeolite.  I started to wonder if one of those was the real problem.  Back when I first got really sick my blood work showed a crazy-high level of B-12, but I was told that was no big deal.  Ok, but it still stood out to me.  Maybe I have some sort of issue with B-12?!

This morning after giving up on sleep I pulled out my computer and got back to my research.  Then I hit the "jackpot."  The e-mail I sent to my husband and mother was actually titled, "Bingo!"  Though extremely sleep-deprived (and feeling psychotic) you couldn't wipe the smile off my face!  There is nothing like an ANSWER!  It usually doesn't bring back what you have lost or damaged (in this case sleep and my body/mind), but it sure makes you feel less crazy when no one else can figure out what is going on…or worse yet tells you nothing is "wrong!"  The golden nugget I found and MUST share: "Are Vitamins Triggering Your Anxiety?" by Dr. Timothy Marshall.  READ IT!  Just as I suspected it connects B-12 to neurotransmitter issues!  Dr. Marshall states, "Like B6, high doses of B12 (>1000 mcg) increase neurotransmitter levels, and as a result, has stimulating properties."  Yup!  And this isn't the first time a vitamin and/or supplement has made my body go haywire and my mind feel crazy, and now I know WHY!  I also love these genius points from the article, "The thing you want to keep in mind is that ALL vitamins are metabolic activators...As you increase the dose, vitamins begin acting more like a drug. Since everyone is a little different in this respect, it's always best to start out at a low dose to see how your body responds, and how you feel. Only makes sense, right?"  It is a very important reminder that the exact things we are doing/taking FOR our health can be part of why we can't get better.  Every BODY is different, and we need to keep the whole picture in mind.  Trust me…as I sit here as the poster child of "tired but wired" (more like utterly exhausted).  Who needs "Speed" when you can just OD on Vitamin B-12?!

With each trial-and-error step on this long healing journey I am convinced more and more that our bodies hold the greatest wisdom.  They know what they need, and we need to listen and be very selective with what we put in them and on them…even if it claims to improve our health!  With a healthy diet, exercise, good sleep, and stress management, we should have most of what we need to be healthy.  And don't forget...YOU know YOUR body and mind BEST!  Keep your navigation of them simple…less is more!

(Disclaimer: This post was written at a time of extreme exhaustion and restlessness, please excuse typos and things that don't make sense!  :-)