Rating: 
Summary: A book that may save your brain and body.
Review: I have taken Andy Cutler with me on vacation for the past 3 years. Well, not the actual Dr. Cutler, but his book. Whenever my busy life permits, I submerge myself in this book. I pour over it. I study it. I try to make sense of it. Perhaps the reason that it is taking me so long to actually understand it is that I have a mouth full of amalgams, and have had immeasurable exposure to pesticides and fertilizers. I am TOXIC as a waste dump. It is hard to learn, function, and live; but Andy Cutler understands that, since it was, and is, a part of his personal experience. Thank you, Andy, for applying your intelligence and research acumen to writing this book. It's worthy of study, and a powerful tool to share with friends and health care providers, at least the ones with open minds and a willingness to learn. Thanks for your MAJOR contribution to restoring the health of those of us with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Autism, ADHD, and all the rest of us who are the canaries in the coal mine. I'm looking forward to the 2nd edition of this text, as my copy is quite dog-eared and mangled. I am hopeful that you will update and expand your book, and thank you for rattling the cages of the establishment on OUR behalf.
Carol M. Wester RN MSN APRN
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
Rating:
Summary: The Most Comprehensive Book on Amalgam Illness and Treatment
Review: I purchased this book almost a year ago. I wanted to wait before writing a review, and put the book through a thorough test. Because of the price, I hesitated for a couple of weeks before buying the book. I now consider it the best investment I have made in my health short of amalgam replacement. In fact, many of the ideas in the book are likely to make you feel better more quickly than will amalgam replacement. Andy is a chemist who treated his own amalgam illness by doing extensive research and considering the biochemical effects mercury has on the body. Many of the supplements and other things he recommends can make a tremendous positive impact on your health. Because of differences in biochemistry, mercury can affect different people in somewhat different ways. Having the book really helps you develop an understanding of what mercury is doing to your body and to sort out what to avoid and what is likely to help you feel better. The book discusses diagnosis -a difficult subject. He includes the realities of mercury challenge tests, hair tests and other methods of diagnosis. He includes a self-diagnosis that involves studying a combination of symptoms and lab tests. A certain number of positive results are used to determine a probability of chronic mercury illness. I was able to use my symptoms and basic medical lab test (that I had all ready done and had on file) to determine that I had amalgam illness (with over 99% probability). I tested several friends and family members; most came out negative for amalgam illness and one result indicated more tests were needed. I did no further testing on myself and decided to pursue amalgam replacement and treatment. I finished with the dental work in July 2002, and began chelation therapy in October, treating myself with alpha-lipoic acid as described in the book. After a few months of chelation, almost half of my symptoms were gone and most of the others were greatly diminished. I no longer suffer from seasonal allergies, sciatica, angina, or depression. I plan on continuing treatment until my health stops improving. This might seem slow, but I have been dealing with these symptoms for years. One of the lessons I learned from Andy's book is, when it comes to chelation therapy, faster is not always better. You can read about my health on the yahoo "dental-testimonials" group. ...
Rating:
Summary: Testament that this book will help you
Review: I purchased this book two years ago after I heard about it on the internet. I had been mercury poisoned earlier that year during the removal of my amalgam fillings. I was very sick at this time with no real chance of recovery. The medical profession had been unable to help me so purchasing this book was my saving grace. I quickly read it from cover to cover and finally began to understand what had happened to me, why I had the symptoms I did and what to do about it. It is the best book and the only book of its kind that deals with heavy metal poisoning and the effects it has. The book is a mine field of information that covers everything from cause and effect to recovery. It is better than most medical text books because the Author has encapsulated many years of research into this book and written it in such a way that any one could pick it up and understand it. It is not only helpful for heavy metal poisoning but for many other conditions that people experience, particularly endocrine disorders. The advise in this book is the best I have ever seen, I have followed it to the letter and can't fault it. The diagnosis section is particularly good, he offers advise on the interpretation of hair tests which helped me immensely. I have been following the Authors advise and chelating with alpha-lipoic acid and I am testament that it works. I am improving with every round of chelation.
Rating:
Summary: Detailed, yet easy to read
Review: I wish this book was available in 1996 when I first discovered that I had amalgam illness. I could have avoided some mistakes with regards to "challenge tests" and "intra-muscular DMPS chelation". The book has some highly detailed material on a wide range of health issues. For the first time, I was able to understand the exact mechanics of my severe hypoglycemia. "First low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) occors due to low cortisol. Then adrenaline shoots up to mobolize glucose. Since adrenaline can't do this very well without adequate cortisol, vast tidal waves of it wash over you and the 'psychiatric' symptoms occur...If your body has too much insulin floating around, it can't get rid of the stuff so there is insulin making your cells suck up blood sugar and keeping it low." ...This book will play a valuable role in my quest for health.
Rating:
Summary: A Way out of the Maze of Confusion into Health
Review: In this book on chronic mercury posioning, Andrew Cutler deftly explains the myriad manifestation of illnesses related to mercury toxicity. He guides both the patient and practitioner through a safe protocol for chelation and explains why so many commonly accepted means of chelation are VERY dangerous. The crux of Dr. Cutler's work and contribution to this area of medicine lie in his knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of chelating agents (Lipoic Acid, DMSA, DMPS), nutritional supplements as well as medications. He successfully forges a middle road using both pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals and teaches the patient how to combine both when necessary in order to support the process of proper chelation, and eleviate tremendous suffering. I was personally injured by improperly applied chelation technique according to guidelines for detox in Dr.Sherry Rogers' book, Detoxify or Die, in which Dr. Rogers recommends the use of single doses of Alpha Lipoic Acid (300-600 mg 2-3 times daily). The neurological consequences of using lipoic acid in this manner were devastating for me. I could not understand why using such a seemingly innocent and popular antioxidant could cause such severe problems in my immune system over a period of just a few months. I had the good fortune of finding Dr. Cutler's work as I perused the internet looking for clues on Lipoic Acid and my complex neurological symptoms (which mimic MS and were tentatively diagnosed as such). When I found the book, Amalgam Illness, I was able to quickly see that the pharmacokinetics of Lipoic Acid require it to be used at least every 3-4 hours to prevent redistribution of mercury to motor neurons. This pharmacological fact, as well as the fact that Lipoic Acid crosses the blood brain barrier, make it a powerful and healing nutrient when applied properly but also a russian roulette nutrient when misapplied. Using Dr. Cutler's protocol and supportive therapies I have been able to slowly regain my neurological function and now my future looks much brighter. As a clinical nutritionist in private practice, I have been able to apply much of the information in the book to my work. In fact it has changed the very way in which I look at metabolism and how I assess nutritional patterns in bloodwork and hair analysis for my own patients. Amalagam Illness gives important and highly therapeutic guidelines for the use of nutritional supplements in disease. Even if one is certain they are not poisoned by mercury I still recommend this text as a valuable guide to nutritional supplements as well as how to get the type of care you need from your physician. I believe it is only a matter of time before the applied therapeutics of Dr. Cutler's work replace the dogamtic and sometimes barbaric approaches to chelation, such as IV DMPS and others. Physicians and lay persons alike can learn a lot from the perspective an engineer's advanced training in chemistry as it relates to metabolism and mercury toxicity. Dr. Cutler's book, Amalagam Illness, offers real hope to getting well from a complex syndrome. And the cure is actually very simple. This book is a must-have and must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Practical Help for a Mysterious Illness
Review: Only an engineer could have written such a useful and down-to-earth guide on this controversial illness. "Amalgam Illness, Diagnosis and Treatment" successfully bridges the gap between conventional and alternative medicine. This well-researched book contains thorough explanations of the signs, symptoms, and mechanisms of mercury toxicity, information on useful diagnostic laboratory and self-tests which may assist in determining if mercury is indeed your problem, and exhaustive info on treatments, supplements, and medicines that can help (along with those to avoid). Far and away the most helpful book I have seen on the subject, and indispensible for those who plan to have their fillings removed and wish to develop a supplement regimen. An excellent work to share with an open-minded physician.
Rating:
Summary: The Bible for amalgam toxicity remdiation
Review: The EPA deems mercury to be a hazardous material that must be disposed of with special precautions. In fact, consumers have recently been warned to avoid eating fish that are high in mercury.
Mercury is used in dentistry as part of the alloy in the misnamed "silver fillings," which have been controversial in the scientific community ever since the work of Alfred Stock, one of the 100 greatest chemists of the last century, published on their dangers in the 1930s. Stock proved that mercury, being a liquid, does evaporate out of the fillings, albeit very slowly.
Here in the United States, the American Dental Association has ruled that these fillings are safe. However, in Sweden they are banned, on the recommendation of a panel of scientists. Other countries in Europe have also limited their use. After reading more than 10 books both critical and defensive, I've come the conclusion that yes, in some people they do cause serious health problems. The evidence is overwhelming, and most defenders of amalgam's safety don't rebut the points raised by the skeptics, but refer to their set of talking points. Despite work with radio-labeled mercury that conclusively proves that mercury is absorbed into the body from amalgam fillings, the ADA, which appears to have liability issues, claims this doesn't happen. The reviews of this book testify to the level of controversy. Not one of those who claim that the use of mercury in dentistry is benign explain how European authorities have deemed this not to be the case. This said, amalgam removal is not a panacea for all illnesses.
The best introduction into the issues surrounding amalgam toxicity, why it's quite hard to diagnose, and hasn't been banned is in Hal Huggin's book "It's all in your Head."
If you feel that you may suffer from mercury toxicity, the next question is how to diagnose it, and how to remove the mercury from your system. Enter Andrew Cutler. His book is by far the best book on the subject.
A Princeton biochem PhD, he has an understanding of all the intricacies - and there are many - involved in getting mercury out of your system that is unsurpassed. Mercury has a half-life of 15 years in the brain, so simply having your fillings removed will not help much.
He lists a whole slew of markers - many of them lab tests - that can be used to help conclude that you have mercury toxicity. He also warns against some of the diagnostic tests done by uninformed alternative health practicioners, such as the DMPS IV, which can cause neurological and psychiatric problems. This word to the wise along makes the book worth buying.
Cutler explains why some chelating agents are better than others, why for example, mercury toxicity can prevent the thyroid from working, even though the lab results look normal, etc.. , why and how mercury has to be chelated....
If you're worried about mercury toxicity, this book is an indispenable font of knowledge.
Rating:
Summary: Sick and Lost? This Book is a "Road-Map" Back to Health!
Review: There isn't another health book that has done more for me than this one. I've had it for over a year and it is well-worn and ever useful. When I began to learn about the dangers of mercury and how many (if not all) of my own symptoms matched with mercury toxicity, I wanted to know if I really had it and if so, what to do to get better. There was plenty of good but scary information on the Internet about how bad it might be. There was easily accessible information about amalgam removal, but after that, what I read was confusing and often conflicting. Do you start taking chelating agents before all the amalgams are out? What about DMPS IV's? What if my challenge test and/or hair test intially comes out low for mercury. Does that mean I don't have a mercury problem? What about chelating agents, what are they and do they work? And on symptoms, could mixed up things like not sweating, low temperature, and poor short-term memory be related to mercury? I had these questions and a ton more. What I needed was this book. If these are similiar to kinds of questions you have, then Andrew Cutler's exhaustive book will guide you through the mercury wilderness. He has had read every scientific study, article and book on the issue of mercury and its biochemical effects, and has assimilated his information for patient and doctor alike in this book. An Engineer, with a Doctorate in Chemistry from Princeton, Dr. Cutler presents the pathways of destruction mercury causes in the human body, in detail, with charts and diagrams. He explains the chemical reactions, the disrupted cellular effects, its neurological "attachments," the emotional disturbances and the myriad of malfunctions caused in the autonomic nervous system, the endocrine system and more. It is explained in a way a patient can understand, but it may take a time or two depending on how "brain-fogged" the reader might be. An open-minded doctor will easily grasp it and be, as mine is, fascinated but infuriated that the information needed to diagnose and treat mercury toxicity is not commonplace. The book is dense. It is packed with material. It is not light fluffy stuff, though it has good moments of humor, written as it is, by someone who has been there. It's reassuring: you aren't crazy, just sick. Or if you are really poisoned, you might be crazy for the moment, but the mercury got you there and you can be brought back. After arriving at the diagnosis, its causes and effects, Dr. Cutler turns to expectations of treatment and treatment itself. He is the only professional I am aware of who has truly studied the various chelators, their half-lives in the bloodstream, and figured out an effective chelation schedule without risking further damage. This is invaluable, for while I've had rough experiences with DMPS, others have suffered irreversible injury, (see www.dmpsbackfire.com). Dr. Cutler explains that chelators grab mercury and then they drop some of it while travelling through the bloodstream. Then you need more of the chelating agent to come in and pick up what has been dropped and grab some more. Keeping this in mind, it is easy to see that you need a constant stream going through to avoid damage from the mercury that has been dropped until you are ready to give the whole body a break. Dr. Cutler has figured out this time schedule and how to make it the most effective. It also explains why it is going to take quite a while to heal those who are really sick. That said, he has numerous suggestions to deal with the symptoms as you go along the detoxification process. He includes detailed suggestions on both prescription drugs and nutritional supplements, vitamins and diet for patients experiencing varying sets of problems. These alone, (even if you haven't had your amalgams out yet), are incredibly helpful in your journey to restored health. If you have a hunch that mercury may be underlying your health problems, this book is the one you need in your hands.
Rating:
Summary: Amalgam Illness, Diagnosis and Treatment: What You Can Do
Review: This book is an excellent resource for people who are having a health problem & their doctor does not have a clue. The book empowers you, the patient to work with your doctor and get the care you need. It gives you information on effective medical treatments your "health plan doctor" might not be aware of. It tells you how to use scientific fundamentals to interpret clinical laboratory tests to find the problem(s) so you can guide your busy doctor to fix it. As an introduction, Dr.Cutler guide you thorough the maze of the internal politics of modern medicine in finding the physician willing to help you. Then he presents compelling scientific evidence that a large number of people may have a mercury poisoning and describes the current bureaucratic catch-22 preventing the proper requlation of mercury in health care products. Chronic mercury poisoning is described and a rigorous diagnostic procedure is presented so you can determine whether you DO have a problem with mercury, and if not what might be affecting your health. Straightforward practical advice is given on how to get rid of the mercury with a minimum of side effect. Working through the details of the treatment section allows you to identify the nutritional supplements and medications you will need to start feeling better soon. This book is a roadmap for your return to health if you are among the millions of people unknowingly exposed to more mercury than your body can handle.
Rating:
Summary: Amalgam Illness, Diagnosis and Treatment: What You Can Do
Review: This book is an excellent resource for people who are having a health problem & their doctor does not have a clue. The book empowers you, the patient to work with your doctor and get the care you need. It gives you information on effective medical treatments your "health plan doctor" might not be aware of. It tells you how to use scientific fundamentals to interpret clinical laboratory tests to find the problem(s) so you can guide your busy doctor to fix it. As an introduction, Dr.Cutler guide you thorough the maze of the internal politics of modern medicine in finding the physician willing to help you. Then he presents compelling scientific evidence that a large number of people may have a mercury poisoning and describes the current bureaucratic catch-22 preventing the proper requlation of mercury in health care products. Chronic mercury poisoning is described and a rigorous diagnostic procedure is presented so you can determine whether you DO have a problem with mercury, and if not what might be affecting your health. Straightforward practical advice is given on how to get rid of the mercury with a minimum of side effect. Working through the details of the treatment section allows you to identify the nutritional supplements and medications you will need to start feeling better soon. This book is a roadmap for your return to health if you are among the millions of people unknowingly exposed to more mercury than your body can handle.
| 
