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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by janejj on May 23, 2002, at 22:24:15
As a child I broke a mercury thermometer by placing it over a candle until it exploded. I didn't realise that it was dangerous and never cleared it up. I threw the termometer away so my parents wouldn't see ! Now 13 years later I am wondering if I mercury poisioning and If this is causes my depression. The spill happened in my bedroom.
Anyone know if Mercury is really dangerous in themometer amounts ?
Thanks Jane
Posted by BarbaraCat on May 24, 2002, at 1:11:47
In reply to Mercury poisoning and depression ?, posted by janejj on May 23, 2002, at 22:24:15
This is an interesting idea. I've sure heard alot about mercury amalgam fillings contributing to depression. I've been slowly replacing mine. When you say you never cleared it up, do you mean it was just hanging around in a puddle for years? Were you in contact with it, like smearing it on a body part, for any length of time?
I guess the question is, now what? There are ways of chelating the mercury out of the body. It's usually done in a holistically oriented doctor or naturopath's office and can be expensive. The antioxidant lipoic acid is supposedly good for it. Also, an Indian Ayurvedic remedy is to eat a teaspoon of fresh cilantro daily. There are also supplements you can take that say they leach the mercury out but you have to be careful because they could also circulate the mercury back into your bloodstream making it active.
Probably the best thing is to find an alternative type of doctor and discuss it with them. If indeed you were exposed over a period of time to raw liquid mercury it certainly didn't do you any good. Whether or not it's the culprit in your depression is probably doubtful, but then again who knows? - Barbara
Posted by katekite on May 24, 2002, at 14:07:36
In reply to Re: Mercury poisoning and depression ? » janejj, posted by BarbaraCat on May 24, 2002, at 1:11:47
The critics of the mercury connection say, well, most everyone has fillings and lots and lots of kids used to play with those fun little mercury balls before the toxicity was even well known, and only a normal percentage of them grew up to have problems with depression. That the amounts of mercury are not a problem.
But its hard to know. Some people might be particularly sensitive. Or accidently have absorbed more.
I'm pretty sure that its possible to test for mercury in tissue or hair.
Oh, and I've also heard that the mercury released by removing a filling, due to chipping it all out etc, can be worse than leaving it.
So it doesn't seem like there is a clear yes no answer to the question.
kate
Posted by Cam W. on May 24, 2002, at 23:36:44
In reply to Re: Mercury poisoning and depression ? » janejj, posted by BarbaraCat on May 24, 2002, at 1:11:47
> I've sure heard alot about mercury amalgam fillings contributing to depression.
FWIW, I've done a little searching on this topic in the past and here is some of what I have found. Forgive me for the "cut and paste" look and feel of the following (because that's what I did and I am too lazy to make it look original, again ;^)
Check out Quackwatch ( http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/mercury.html ) for the
scientific debate on mercury in amalgams. Also check the referenced links (esp. 18 and 22). Reference number 22 talks about Hal Huggins (who is a leading proponent of mercury amalgams causing illness) having his dentistry licence revoked for scamming his patients
( http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/huggins.html ). Here is how he claims to find to how toxic products used in dentistry are:
( http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/serum.html ).
BTW, dentists are not trained to treat mental health problems.Also, the American Dental Association ( http://www.ada.org/public/faq/fillings.html#safe ) says amalgams are safe and have news releases ( http://www.ada.org/public/media/newsrel/0106/nr-01.html )
stating this, as well as a policy statement ( http://www.ada.org/prof/prac/issues/statements/amalgam.html) on mercury amalgams their website, which was last updated Nov.29/01.Also, the California Dental Association ( http://www.cda.org/public/factsheet_amalgam.htm ) has published a dental amalgam fact sheet in June of
2001, which echos the claims of the ADA, as well as World Health Organization.The American government has also a position on Dental amalgams published by the Department of Health and Human Services - Public Health Service ( http://web.health.gov/environment/amalgam1/ct.htm ).
Although this paper was published in 1993, it post-dates many of the studies claiming harm from mercury amalgams. This report was updated in 1997 by the USPHS
( http://web.health.gov/environment/amalgam2/contents.html ) and notes that the number of claims of adverse effects from mercury amalgams had "precipitously declined" from the time of 1993 report (only 8 more cases were reported to officials in those 4 years). Hmmm.....- Cam
Posted by beardedlady on May 26, 2002, at 17:13:36
In reply to Mercury poisoning and depression ?, posted by janejj on May 23, 2002, at 22:24:15
Yes, I think it's one of those "new age" things. That little bit of mercury can't do anything to you. I have a mouthful of fillings and no depression. I also used to break those thermometers on purpose and keep a ball of mercury in my drawer!
There's more mercury in a can of tuna.
beardy
Posted by Cecilia on June 2, 2002, at 0:23:47
In reply to bunk » janejj, posted by beardedlady on May 26, 2002, at 17:13:36
I don`t think there`s much danger from fillings, but broken thermometers are dangerous; some hospitals are instituting thermometer exchange programs to get mercury thermometers out of the community, especially in homes with children. Cecilia
This is the end of the thread.
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