posted
OK, so it's been about 1 year of treatment with various oral, iv and herbal abx, as well as mepron, etc.
I'm now in the middle of a new relapse coming off of iv, but I'm still on orals and chinese herbs.
I'm reading a book by Chellis Glendining called "When Technology Wounds". Many of the case studies in the book are people injured by birth control (pills and IUDs).
Low and behold, I had my IUD for about 1 year before starting to feel ill. Is there a connection? Is it preventing me from getting better? It's copper.
Any experiences/thoughts anyone?
Posts: 524 | From Hudson Valley, NY | Registered: Jul 2007
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
I have personally have had problems from an IUD.
My copper is in the highest range of "normal" copper levels which one MD was concerned about thinking it was too high. I did have an IUD at one time made from copper.
I would personally not get another IUD after my own bad experiences.
One IUD caused me problems long after I had it out and also while it was still in place.
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posted
That's a good question. I am one of those mystery people without an explanation of why I can't get 100% better.
I had an IUD in when I was first sick. Had it taken out due to complications. I was on the pill for 20 years before that. I have wondered what both forms of contraception have done to my long-term health and if they have anything to do with my not being able to get 100% better.
The problem with having your IUD removed is finding an alternative. I'd say stay the hell away from The Pill and any other hormone-related birth control, but that doesn't leave you with many choices. I am lucky, my partner was willing to get fixed. :-) Otherwise, I really don't know what I would have done.
Posts: 449 | From Vermont | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
I gave up on birth control pills, IUDs and diaphragms because they all came with challenges to my health.
Have you considered a cervical cap? BTW I also gave up on tampons and use a menstrual cup instead much more environmentally and health conscious. Both the cap and the cup have a bit of a learning curve but stick with it - its worth it.
-------------------- Wishing you fast healing and good health! Posts: 109 | From Colorado | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
I did an iv flush and urine test for metals and nothing came up, but I wonder if copper inhibits other minerals or nutrients.
Copper stories anyone?
Posts: 524 | From Hudson Valley, NY | Registered: Jul 2007
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
I think copper can throw off your zinc balance.
Google "high copper"
I have also read on this forum that metals testing can sometimes be unreliable.
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
HIGH COPPER
Copper levels are more often too high than too low. High copper can be toxic.
Physical Symptoms of High Copper:
Headaches
Hypoglycemia
Increased heart rate
Nausea
Copper deposits in the brain and liver causing damage.
Damage to the kidneys
Inhibit urine production
Causes anemia
Causes hair loss in women
High copper interferes with zinc, which is needed to manufacture digestive enzymes. Many high copper people dislike protein and are drawn to high-carbohydrate diets because they have difficulty digesting protein foods.
Excessive copper in children is associated with hyperactive behavior, learning disorders such as dyslexia, ADD and infections such as ear.
Psychological Symptoms of High Copper:
Autism type symptoms
Depression
Hallucinations
Hyperactivity
Insomnia
Paranoia
Personality changes
Psychosis
Schizophrenic type symptoms
Overstimulation
Disperception of the senses, time, body, self and others.
Produces hypomanic states
Detachment from reality
Causes of High Copper:
Excess estrogen in the meat supply (estrogen used as a growth hormone in the meat industry was discontinued in the 80's and replaced with testosterone, etc.)
Birth control pill
Use of prescription medications containing copper.
Smoking
Too much copper in drinking water
Zinc and manganese deficiency raises copper levels.
Copper lowers the histamine levels.
It takes 3 months to lower the level in the body.
THE MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE HIGH COPPER:
Wilson's Disease is a condition that causes copper to accumulate in the tissues and cause extensive damage. Affects 1 in 30,000 people. The liver does not secrete copper into the blood or excrete copper into the bile. Low blood levels, high in the brain, eyes and liver causes cirrhosis. First symptoms: brain damage, tremors, headaches, inability to speak, incoordination and psychosis.
Treatment:
The administration of total parenteral nutrition (nutritional intravenous feeding). An important way to reduce high copper levels is to enhance the activity of the adrenal glands. The adrenals cause the liver to secrete ceruloplasmin, which binds and removes copper. Adrenal underactivity causes a deficiency of available copper, and allows unbound copper to build up in the tissues. Adrenal glandular substance is also frequently helpful. Exercise temporarily stimulates the adrenals, which helps eliminate copper. One needs to keep exercising or the copper toxicity symptoms, fatigue, mood swings and depression will return.Temporary controls; coffee, caffeine in soda and some drugs
posted
This website has a lot of information on high copper here is just some of what they had to say. If you go to the link they have a lot more information on high copper and how to deal with it.
``Copper toxicity is usually due to:excessive supplementation
the increasingly common problem of low levels of zinc in the dietcontaminated food and drinking water due to contact with metallic copper
external exposures such as a copper IUD or accidental agricultural overspray
elevated levels of estrogens.
Since copper and zinc compete with each other for absorption in the gut, copper toxicity has been the subject of greater concern in recent years.
This is primarily due to reduced zinc in the diet and the switch from galvanized to copper water pipes.
Acidic water such as rain water, left standing in copper plumbing pipes, can be a source of toxicity when consumed.
In prolonged contact with copper cooking utensils, an acidic food or beverage can dissolve milligram quantities of copper, sufficient to cause acute toxicity symptoms such as self-limited nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
High copper levels, especially when associated with low zinc levels, have been linked to a variety of symptoms and conditions.
tickled1
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14257
posted
I was thinking of getting an IUD and my LLMD said not a good idea. Didn't ask why though.
I also remember a post on here something about Lyme somehow using up our zinc causing the zinc/copper balance to be out of whack and copper levels to be too high, or something like that.
I could be wrong but I believe that's basicly what that post said.
Also, since I started getting sick, I developed melasma (hyperpigmentation) on my face which I read can be due to high copper.
Posts: 2541 | From Northeast | Registered: Jan 2008
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Copper IUDs do NOT raise serum copper levels (studied on multiple occasions). The only exception being one study on the T380 device and blood copper levels in Mexican women (that device is not used in the USA).
Oral contraceptives, on the other hand, are well documented to raise copper levels.
Posts: 99 | From Bucks County, PA | Registered: Aug 2008
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Copyright (c) 1989 - The Eck Institute of Applied Nutrition and Bioenergetics, Ltd.
``Several hundred milligrams of copper a year can easily be absorbed from a copper IUD.
Many women still utilize the Copper-7 intrauterine birth control device, although it has been taken off the market.
The only intra-uterine birth control device sold today, is a copper-T. These devices can be harmful for women prone to high copper levels.''
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