posted
I am looking for an independant lab to test my dirt for heavy metals.
Wondering if anyone has had any experience. My whole family is off the charts for all but a couple of metals.
Our tests are all identical so Dr says we have same contamination source. So it has to be something at home.
Water has already been extensively tested. I am open to other suggestions. Thanks, lyme x 9
Posts: 399 | From Texas | Registered: Apr 2005
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Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
I presume you're not in an old house with lead paint?
Also, wood decks can contain arsenic.
When I was symptomatic with Lyme but didn't know what it was, I presumed it was heavy metals or something toxic and had a very expensive consultation with a toxicologist at a university-associated medical center. He of course never figured out Lyme.
But if you contact a toxicologist at a medical center or even through a police dept/coroner's office (yes, disgusting, but I was trying all sorts of approaches to try to find a toxicologist), you might get some recommendations on how to test dirt. They test all kinds of things.
Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
Thanks so much for your response. Did the toxicologist you hired ever find any source of contamination? Or do you feel there wasn't any? But that it was your lyme?
I am going to call poison control tomorrow for some referrals. I know those toxicologists work for free.
no lead paint
no wooden porch, swing set, etc.
My oldest children who spend the most time outside are the most toxic. I have a baseline on one of my oldest children from 9 years ago and he was only very high on Aluminum then.
We are careful and eat organic whenever possible, don't drink our well water (which is free of metals). Use mostly organic shampoos, cleaners, etc. No alum deodorant.
But it seems we are dealing with quite a toxic load.
The oldest are both off the chart for total toxic representation.
Aluminum Antimony Arsenic Lead Uranium Silver Tin Titanium are either off the chart or in the red zone
With Cadmium Mercury Nickel in the yellow zone
plus a substantial amount of Bismuth
And everyone except me is without Thallium
And none of us have any Beryllium Platinum Thorium
These tests were done by hair analysis at Doctor's Data. Although my provoked urine toxins revealed many of the same metals that are removed by the agents used.
The good news we are excreting toxins.
But we need to figure out the source. It seems all the chelation treatments are a waste of $.
Don't get me wrong they are working but till we figure out the source of contamination. I don't feel like we are making much progress.
lyme x 9
Posts: 399 | From Texas | Registered: Apr 2005
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Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
I feel for you. I haven't done any heavy metals removal lately because I had such a disasterous experience with alternative medicine and chelation years ago for it. But I'm sure it's in my future.
The toxicologist found nothing and eventually all the neuropathy and all my other symptoms turned out to be Lyme, which I finally diagnosed myself and then it was confirmed with my LLMD and testing.
That's strange about the bismuth. On another forum I visit from time to time (LymeTreatments at Yahoo), one of the posters had high levels of bismuth and we were all trying to figure out what it was. I asked if she used Pepto Bismol and she said no.
I think you are smart to check the dirt, etc., because who knows what chemicals or metals could be in the area from some manufacturing plant, or even from smoke or whatever that could have been in the area even years before.
Just one last thing, did someone own the house before you or are you new owners? It's a longshot, but I had an interesting chat with a neighbor's mom and sister. The sister had a childhood filled with allergies and it turned out the previous owner had a pet monkey and there was monkey fur under all the carpeting, under the mouldings, etc.
I realize that's not your case, but it might be worth doing some detective work to see what the situation might have been with any previous owners.
Please post what you find - it's quite a mystery!
Good luck,
Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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GiGi
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 259
posted
Landfill? Former farming? Western Washington used to truck ground up tires to Eastern Washington used as fertilizer, etc. which created bad contamination (former Governor owned parts of it!).
Contact http://www.ewg.org/ (bodyburden II) - they are a great group. Maybe they can point you in the right direction.
Here I would contact Agriculture Department of our State for soil testing.
Also the people checking building sites, gasoline stations that are usually contaminated, before they can be insured, etc. Your State Government, or County Government?
I hope you do not have to live in this kind of situation for very long. Good luck.
Take care.
Posts: 9834 | From Washington State | Registered: Oct 2000
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
Aluminum Antimony Arsenic Lead Uranium Silver Tin Titanium are either off the chart or in the red zone
With Cadmium Mercury Nickel in the yellow zone
plus a substantial amount of Bismuth
And everyone except me is without Thallium
And none of us have any Beryllium Platinum Thorium
Okay where do you buy? and what meats do you eat? and do you drink soda pop? Also do you garden ? Most soils contain all the above but are locked up in soil especially clay bay soils.So tilling or turning soils can free them up to some degree. Acids entering soil can do the same. But this is if you have a garden or farming.
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
Ps you should be able to get it tested by your local DEP Department of Enviromental Protection thats what its called in PA anyway and if they dont test they can tell you good labs.
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
posted
The way our environment has been trashed (literally..), one must always be thinking of detoxification. Lyme and other chronic diseases make you much more susceptible, probably because there are a whole bunch of toxins being generated by the invading bacteria added to the already hard-for-the-immune-system-to-deal-with mix coming in from the tainted environment.
Many kinds of tea can be very helpful for detox. Also good for de-toxing is the sauna (drink lots of water and alternately shower, and sit in the sauna for 10 minutes at 140-150.)
Testing can be useful to some extent, but the most important "test", as well as the most accurate, is how you feel.
But don't be overly paranoid about toxins- though, of course, there certainly is good reason to be so; this world is so toxic you won't know where to start. Just constantly try things and minimize toxin intake, while maximizing toxin elimination. Also summon your "spiritual energy", in the most effective way you can manage. That can make a huge difference, too! I hope you feel better real soon! DaveS
Posts: 4567 | From ithaca, NY, usa | Registered: Nov 2000
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GiGi
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 259
posted
"Also good for de-toxing is the sauna (drink lots of water and alternately shower, and sit in the sauna for 10 minutes at 140-150."
Unless you are already doing heavy metal detox successfully, bit by bit, taking a sauna at that heat level is probably one of the worst things you could do.
Sauna is only beneficial if you have removed the worst of metals already. You don't want to fire up your circulation and move them into the brain, or for that matter, just shift them around. Also do not share your sauna with the next family member if you are severely mercury toxic. It clings and you breath it out and you breath it in!
In other words, sauna is great toward the last third of the detox phase.
Take care.
These are basically the Dr. K. patient instructions re sauna.
Posts: 9834 | From Washington State | Registered: Oct 2000
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