Metal dental fillings with mercury...to replace or not??

Since my SD in not real terrible right now and I can still function in my classroom with the help of a microphone, I have taken the liberty of trying out alternative therapies.

I am not reporting on the results yet because I think it has not been long enough, but I do notice a slight improvement. I am working with a hypnotherapist that I like very much. I am taking a supplement that my family doctor recommended, Lynne and I called it “brain fertilizer” as a joke!! It is used with patients who have had extensive nerve damage. I am sleeping a lot better and feel overall much calmer inside. I feel less of that constant worry and anxiety feeling which was always present.

There are other things I am doing too.........but I will report on them later if I see results.

I am kinda thinking that if I get the chemical balance restored the spasmodic condition may go away.

Now I have an issue that I would like to get feed back on. I have talked to several alternative health care providers and read a number of books of metal toxicity which I have a hunch may be playing a role in my condition.

I have several metal dental fillings and root canals. It has been suggested to me to remove them and replace them with plastic fillings. The old kind of metal fillings have mercury and I am told that with time the mercury settles to the bottom and seeps into the system and is one of the major causes of neurological disorders. In my case I have been told that in the process of removal a couple of my teeth may shatter and they may have to be extracted. I don’t know if the gamble and the pain is worth the results.

Good to see you posting again. How's my favorite town?

On your filling question: I have one of those dentists who is always up-to-speed on all the modern teeth-technology. I've been seeing him since 1984. During that time, I have had ALL my metal fillings replaced with the more modern plastic that looks like tooth material. We've been working on it for several years and I just had the last two replaced on October 4th...the week before you and I met in person.

Based on my experience, I'd recommend looking into it, if only for cosmetic reasons. My smile looks alot better. (Did you notice?...LOL!!). I had no trouble with any cracking teeth or losing teeth (I've had three root canals myself in the past). Unfortunately, this is also one of those things like SD. All of our bodies are different so it would be hard to say how your teeth will react even if mine were OK. There was no effect on my voice or general health but I just think it looks better to have things that look like teeth in your mouth, as opposed to metal-mouth. It's a more natural look so it gives you more self-confidence.

Good luck! I'll write you on private e-mail as I'm curious about the "alternative-thing" you were doing on November 11. Glad your voice is holding up during this school-year and that you're more calm. That's wonderful to hear.

My doctor had suggested that we check the air quality................given that i work with glazes, solder, and paint and other art supplies. The state person from OSHA came last week and he is taking air samples.

So far he has found the the ventilation is not sufficient and there is a high level of CO2. He is testing for metals like lead, cobalt and cadmium. The other thing he noticed was that the air that was being taken from the classroom was being recirculated without enough fresh air added to it. The building closes the vents to save on energy.......... so we are and have been breathing the same foul air for the past years. He will be making some recommendations after the reports come back.

I don’t know if any of this is directly related to my SD, but I can’t help but to think that there is a connection. Has anyone else on this BB looked into the air quality in their work place?

There is "No Doubt" that the things you describe could have an impact on your overall health. And, you're right...it would be hard to tell if any of them are directly or indirectly related to your SD. Could be. It is very difficult to separate all the potential causative factors from the resulting symptoms. What you describe doesn't sound healthy though so good luck in dealing with all of these factors. Personally, I know that my SD was caused by specific genetic factors but toxin-exposure (et al) has been known to trigger dystonia.

The nice thing is that the general air quality (outside your classroom) in Ashland, Oregon is probably one of the nation's best. Whew! No wonder I want to move there!

Re the dental stuff...I feel extremely fortunate to have a dentist who I've worked with for 16 years. As mentioned, none of my teeth have cracked while we've been working on restoring them. I hope you're working with a dental-professional you trust as it's between the two of you to make the decisions. All of our bodies are different.

Happy Holidays,

I know that some folks may get tired of me trying to figure this thing out..... I believe that if it is something that I am currently living with, which is contributing to this condition, and if I could remove that thing " the cause", the symptoms would go away............

It is so facinating that your dog developed the same problem at the time of exposure to insecticides.

I know for a fact that everything was working properly until I got this job at the high school and then gradually after having to yell in a big and noisy classroom and and being exposed to the glazes and other chemicals, ...... my voice problems developed.

I also did spray my house for ants at the same time that my voice problems were begining to develop. It was amazing of how strong that stuff was. Several years later I pulled out some of the dressers out of the corners of one room and I could still smell the powder and residue!!!

I have these question?? Has SD always been around? Or is it a new disease? Are there more cases now than there have been in the past. As the wrold we live in gets more polluted and we are exposed to many more substances beyond our conrol............are there more and more people getting this disease?

Kristina, Hi
and
Hello everybody!! Merry Christmas,
Thanks for the post.........You are right on many of your assumptions. I have a complicated and complex set of issues. None of which seem to be solely responsible for my voice struggles. But together collectively seem to have triggered something.

I had a whole battery of tests done by my allergists. Sophisticated blood test to rule out some things. I saw my primary care physician yesterday and he went over the entire 4 page lab results with me. My thyroid level was fine.my cholesterol was great, all other tests were normal which was good news.

There was one test that basically said I was a very allergic person!! Helloooooo, I knew that to begin with. I have been tested for dust mites and mold and cat dander, highly allergic to all. Have been getting allergy shots for three years, in hopes of repairing the voice and the Asthma. Luckily my asthma is gone!! I no longer have to use steroid inhalers which I had used for about 20 years. That right there I am sure has done some major damage.

Steroids are dangerous I think and the doctors don’t use it with the care that it needs to be done. I don’t think they have done any long term follow up on asthma and Sd relationship. I bet there is a high correlation between the two. I would like to take a survey amongst ourselves and see how many of us are highly allergic to environmental things and how many have used steroids.

I got a yellow jacket bite on my leg this summer and t swelled up for two weeks and did not go away, my dermatologist who was caring for my little bald spot that have been developing said let’s inject a little steroid in that spot too for the yellow jacket bite. I agreed. now I have a great big scar and the flesh has sunk in that spot. I showed it to my doctor yesterday and he said it is an unusual reaction but he has seen it. It makes the muscle atrophy. So if it did that to my leg.....I wonder what it may have done to my throat muscles and tissues? My lung specialist completely denies any connection between steroids and SD.

The other issue “ sick building”.........I don’t know what to do about that one, It is the nature of my job to work with paint and clay and art supplies. They are going to buy me an air filter. I don’t know how much it will help but it is better than nothing.

About the fillings.....I am sure they have mercury in them, because they are very old and in those days that is what they used. my doctor said there is no agreement amongst dental care specialists about this issues and it is very divided. Since I feel pretty desperate about my voice at times I am going to see a new dentist and slowly remove them to start eliminating possible causes. It may not help any but at least I will know for sure. My doctor said that it has been known that mercury vaporizes under pressure, there teeth clenching or grinding may possibly conribute to mercury poisoning.!!

My chest feels tight too, like I don’t get quite enough air and it just doesn’t expand the way I wish it would........very frustrating, but that is just my luck in life to have gotten the weak genes in that department, so given all these issues, no wonder I have SD.

I must say that out of all the things I am doing two things are helping. I know for sure! It is not a cure, but my voice is much smoother and less strained when I do the following

I see my hypnotherapist about once a month and am working out old issues and things that I should have said and didn’t! Clearing old energy that has been bottle "necked". Who know may help!

The other that I am very excited about is the supplements I am taking. I would like to post the site here because I think it is worth a try for those who have the money and want to experiment.

It is a supplement my doctor gave me and You would enjoy going to this site and reading about it. It is called “brain sustain” it is used with people who have neurological disorder and is supposed to build and repair nerve cells. I feel much better when I take it. and my voice is better with it. check it out!!

WWW.BrainSustain.com

I do want to go up to Portland and see Dr. James Thomas, but couldn’t find his phone # on his site. Does anyone has his Phone#? I saw on his web site that he does a complete battery of vocal function, which has never been done on me. It might give me more info.

Well it was a long post. Thanks.....but I just wanted to talk to some people who would understnd, I think my friedns and family wish this thing would just go away because it has consumed my entire psychie and being.

I got your note to my e-mail and will answer soon but (like you), I'm very busy. And, as you know, I share some of your syndromes re allergies and *whatever* affecting my voice and general health. Yuck! The "Golden Years" aren't always golden, right?

Dr. James Thomas's phone number in Portland, Oregon (on the NSDA Physician Referral List) is (503)494-5674. The list looks about two years old to me but hopefully that number will work. If it doesn't, let me know.

Good luck and happy holidays.