Mercury Poisoning & Infected Root Canal Symptoms I experienced:
Born 6/28/1947 in Potsdam NY.
I took very good care of my teeth, and yet had a much higher than average number of fillings, root canals and crowns.
Education
: 06/1965: High School Graduation; Regents with Honors and full tuition scholarship
09/65 – 01/67: Marymount College, Tarrytown NY: (Pre-med)
02/1967 - 06/1967: State University of New York at Potsdam NY: (Pre-med)
07/01/1967: Married
04/13/1968: Birth of first son, Todd
Education
: 09/1968 - 06/1969: State University of New York at Potsdam NY: (Pre-med)
08/4/1970: Birth of second son, Noah
Education
: 06/1969 - 06/1970: University of Rhode Island: (Literature, Psychology, And Logic)
09/1972 - 06/1976: State University of New York at Potsdam Bachelor's Degree: Pre-Med, Teaching Certificate
01/1979 - 06/1979 Cayuga County Community College: (Computer Science)
1972 – 1977: I designed and with my sons and husband, constructed an energy efficient home on 55 acres. I was an artist, potter, award winning weaver, spinner, dyer, calligrapher, organic gardener, gourmet cook, accomplished seamstress. Some speak of mastery. I had a very high IQ.
08/1979: Divorced. My sons and I moved to Olympia WA from Marcellus, NY
Education
: 09/1979 - 06/1980 Olympia Technical Community College: (Computer Science)
Work
: 1979 - 1992: I worked for the Washington State Department of Information Services as a Computer Systems Analyst and Project Lead. I designed, built, and maintained the Budget, Allotment and Labor Distribution Systems for Washington State. I was a Project Lead for Information Engineering. I performed major parts of the construction of an energy efficient home in Olympia.
HEALTH:
For many years, we enjoyed exceptional health. I grew our food and baked our bread. I walked 4 miles every morning. We loved camping and cross country skiing.
1985 – 1990: Many visits to chiropractors for debilitating neck pain and migraine headaches; Large clumps of hair would fall out all at once; Hypoglycemia with low blood sugar; panic; Problems with night blindness/tunnel vision.
1987 I began to loose the feeling of being healthy. I went to a reflexologist, Hannelore Helbang Schaffe, among others. She suggested that I might have mercury poisoning and told me not to eat tuna fish. I cut down on tuna fish.
1987: Multiple visits to a chiropractor/homeopath/polarity therapist in Tacoma
1987 – 1991: Group Health Visits: Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning: Heart pounding, Cysts/Growths/Infections on face, Thyroid Problems
Starting in 1989, I was requesting that the many work responsibilities, which I had previously enjoyed, be taken from me. My health was deteriorating very rapidly. All my non-work time was being spent in attempting to get well enough to get through another work day. I was spending a lot of time outside in the winter rain, attempting to cool the body down. I was beginning to loose function in the whole left side of the body, and experiencing chronic back and neck pain. I was also experiencing multiple chemical sensitivities. I was using juice fasts, herbs, vitamins, adaptogens and bed rest to attempt to pull my health together. I was chasing one symptom after another: heart throbbing, repeated facial infections/cysts, inability to focus eyes, hair loss in large patches, back, neck and jaw pain, swollen lymph nodes in left neck and jaw, loss of circulation and fine motor movement in extremities, thyroid problems, debilitating migraine headaches, exhaustion, excessive perspiration, and liver and kidney problems. Despite continual regimens to purify body and mind, my underwear, underarm clothing and bed sheets were deteriorating from toxic sweat. A large pocket developed under the left eye. The head was constantly turned and bent to the left, as I could not straighten the neck. I was brushing my teeth so often and vigorously that I was damaging the enamel. Plaque was building on the teeth overnight. There was a constant metallic taste in the mouth and I was constantly extremely thirsty, with a sticky, swollen tongue. The mouth felt like a battery, with electrical shocks going throughout the whole head and neck. While sleeping, I was grinding my teeth and clenching my jaws during the day. I told my sons that I thought I was dying, and instructed them about my desire that the body be cremated.
1990: Award from Governor Gardner for Outstanding Service to the State of WA
05/14/1991: Crown & Root Canal: Dr. John S. Weaver, Olympia WA
09/30/91: Dr. John S. Weaver
(From 1990 through the present, my life has been a very sad affair. There has been no joy, no laughter, no Christmases, Thanksgivings, Easters or birthdays, just a 24 hours/day, 7 days a week wishing to die, to escape the suffering. It has been very difficult not to commit suicide.)
1991: (Fall) With the overnight onset of serious periodontal disease, Dr. Weaver sent me to Dr. Monty D. Tolman, Olympia WA, who scraped my teeth and ground all the fillings down and sent me to Dr. Dolgash DDS, Olympia WA have my perfectly healthy wisdom teeth pulled. After the grinding down of the teeth, I became mentally and physically dysfunctional. I felt as though my head would blow up like a bomb. I suffered continual severe migraine headaches, mental depression and shutdown and general physical illness. Poisons were coming through the face and there was very great pain in the face. Neck pain was much worse. Muscles were firing erratically. I lost the hearing in the left ear. I was blacking out and falling without notice. I was resting in bed whenever there was nothing I had to do. (Spring 1991 was the last time that I slept peacefully.)
11/1991: Dr. John S. Weaver: Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning: Excessive teeth clenching/grinding/battery sensation in mouth/strong electrical shocks throughout head and neck, Serious periodontal disease
06/1992: Dr. John S. Weaver
01/21/92: Dr. Monty D. Tolman
10/30/92: Dr. Monty D. Tolman
09/1992: I left my job with WA Department of Information Services as I could no longer complete the work.
Education:
09/1992 – 06/1993: Attended Bastyr Health Sciences University, Seattle, Naturopathic Medical School (in order to attempt to find an answer to my health problems myself). During the year, I was experiencing left jaw and neck pain, swollen lymph nodes in neck and under left jaw, severe joint problems, circulation and motor control problems in extremities, mental blanking out, and exhaustion. From 1992 onwards, I had no health or dental insurance, and was living alone.
7/93: Dr. Bing Zhou, acupuncturist, told me that I shouldn’t be attempting to attend school as she felt I was "burning up on the inside". There was excessive heat and redness in the oral cavity.
10/93: I awoke one morning and the ability to think, to function mentally was gone. I felt I had suffered a mental breakdown of some sort, (but now feel that the mercury and root canal infection had invaded and were destroying the brain). All lifelong patterns of living, sleep/wake patterns, thought and verbal patterns were totally disrupted. I might begin to wash dishes and find them in the sink a week later, and not remember what I had been doing for a week. People kept asking me how I got my face sunburned in the winter. I had always been very quiet, but found myself constantly jabbering, feeling insane, terrified. My abilities to function, physically and mentally, were very seriously impaired from this point onward, and the body was in excruciating pain. I would close all doors/windows and scream and scream from the pain.
9/93 -3/93 I worked at housecleaning for Stan and Evelyn Moon hoping to regain my ability to function mentally and physically.
1995: Worked for WA Department of Labor & Industries, the Community College Consortium and David Moe, Attorney, Maple Valley WA
Early menopause
, after copious hemorrhaging for 4 months. I was blacking out without notice, and becoming panicky about the possibility of harming someone with my car. Extreme difficulty eating. Digestion of food was difficult. Chronic burning diarrhea. Debilitating migraine headaches accompanied with regurgitating and dry heaves, and black outs for days at a time. The eyes were like two hot coals, photophobia, periods of blindness, deafness in left ear. Thinking clearly was becoming more and more difficult. I was wetting the bed and found it difficult to control kidney function during the day. All left body function was very minimal. The liver was rock hard and swollen. 1996 or 1997: (?) Dr. John Weaver discovered an infected root canal when his tool went through the jaw.
1996 or 1997: (?) First Infected root canal pulled
: Dr. Monty D. Tolman. I felt That I would get well again, now that the problem was found, but my health continued to deteriorate.1996: I worked for David Moe, Attorney, Maple Valley WA
All the symptoms above continued. I was getting lost, finding myself, having driven somewhere, without any idea of where I was or any memory of having driven there. The body was constantly freezing and shaking, the head and left side in constant pain. Debilitating migraines/dry heaves/blacking out continued. The face was showing tremendous pain. Inability to stand up straight or rest/relax as all muscles were shortening and firing erratically. My ability to reason, think and remember was absent. Pictures of me at this time look like an Alzheimer’s patient. I stopped driving anywhere, unless absolutely necessary.
1997: I helped my son, Todd, part time, to repair and paint his newly purchased home. I didn’t have a permanent job, health insurance or means to buy food, pay bills and care for myself.
9/15/98; Broken Ankle: I was pushed into a ditch by a vehicle and right ankle was badly broken (Treatment Dates: 9/15/98; 9/17/98; 10/13/98; 11/19/98)
1999: Treatment by Lois Blank, Cranio-Sacral Therapist
2002: Yard work for 6 months for my son Todd
2002 - 2003: I had pneumonia for over a year
1999 – 2006: Frequent blacking out and falling without notice and continual injuries to spine and head. I was almost blind, and had photophobia, was almost deaf in left ear, unable to control bodily functions, wetting the bed, wetting my pants, profuse perspiration and exhaustion. Extreme difficulty with all motor functions, as muscles were tightening without stimulus. The body was very cold, and I would wear a wool sweater and turtleneck even on the hottest days of summer. Excessive shaking and lack of motor control.
2002: I collapsed onto a brick floor, crushed the back of the skull and injured my back. I began to be able to see again, to do research and attempt to discover what had happen to me.
2003: While attempting to work part time at housecleaning, I splashed caustic Superclean in my eyes. I experienced very serious vision problems for about 1 year.
9/04 - 5/05: Part time work for Annette and Carl Singleton (for food and a warm place to stay). Annette paid for chiropractic treatments from Wendy Schauer DC and spinal x-rays at West Care Clinic. I have serious arthritis from the mercury and root canal toxins and the trauma of repeated falls.
6/05 – 9/06: Unable to sit/stand/walk from extreme pain in neck/back/hips/left leg. I was living on the floor, like a lizard.
5/8/2006:
Second infected root canal pulled: Olympia Union Gospel Mission9/7/06:
Second Piece of second infected root canal pulled: Dr. Albert C. Goerig DDS MS PSThere are no words to express the suffering, the despair and sorrow, the sense of meaninglessness in all this. I was blessed with a very high I.Q. , many talents and a good heart. I repeatedly attempted to talk about this to both doctors and dentists and to get help. I was called a liar and offered psychotropic medications. The denial around these issues is enormous. I have hoped with my whole heart that the devastating effects of poisoning from mercury and infected root canals would become more widely known. Medical and dental lies and mistreatment and the abandonment of friends and family are difficult to bear with when one is poisoned. I hope my story will help others. I am on disability now and hope to be able to have the mercury and root canals removed.
Sincerely,
Linda Sherman
Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning: The symptoms in red are those that I have experienced:
Aging |
Scientists discovered that trace amounts of mercury could cause the type of damage to nerves that is characteristic of the damage found in Alzheimer's disease. The conducted at the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine research found that exposure to mercury caused the formation of "neurofibrillar tangles," which are one of the two diagnostic markers for Alzheimer's disease.
A
study related to mercury and Alzheimer's Disease was recently completed by a team of scientists led by well-respected researcher Dr. Boyd Haley. They exposed rats to levels of mercury vapor diluted to account for size differences between humans and rats. The rats developed tissue damage "indistinguishable" from that of Alzheimer's Disease.Allergy
Allergy to Foods/
Multiple chemical sensitivitiesAutoimmune
A 1987 study showed that the levels of mercury in the spinal fluid of MS patients was 8 times higher than normal. [Silberod, R: A comparison of mental health of
multiple sclerosis patients with silver/mercury dental fillings; Psychological Reports 70: pp.1139-51, 1992]. mercury has long been linked to autoimmune diseases such as MS because of its affinity to attach to collagen tissue, which is the most common protein in the body. Polluted by mercury infiltration, the collagen is seen by the immune system as 'not self.'Bowel Movements
Cardiovascular
Tachyarrhythmia (irregular heart beat)
CardiomyopathyMercury levels in the heart tissue of individuals who died from
Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy (IDCM) were found to be on average 22,000 times higher than in individuals who died of other forms of heart disease. [J Amer Coll Cardiology v33(6) pp.1578-1583,1999]Mercury poisoning may be causing chest pain or
angina, especially in anyone under age 45.Feeble or irregular pulse
High Total CholesterolElevated total
cholesterol greater than 270mg may be associated with mercury toxicity.Endocrinological
Chronic fatigue
Subnormal temperature
Excessive perspiration
Edema
Weight loss
Cold, clammy hands and feet
Muscle weakness
Hypoxia (oxygen deficiency in the tissues)
Loss of appetite
Joint pain
Thyroid dysfunction
Infertility
Gastrointestinal
Tract
Low production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach
Symptoms of malnutrition due to malabsorption
Foul-smelling stool, urine, and breath
Bloating
Constipation
Chronic diarrhea
, may last many months (advanced level of poisoning)Abdominal pain stomach cramps(often mimicking ulcers)
Sensitive TeethBad Breath (Halitosis)Nausea; vomiting
Loss of appetite
Burning of the throat and mouth
Gastroenteritis
Diverticular DiseaseColitis
Esophagitis, Inflammation of the esophagus
Inflammation of the rectum
Inability to digest food; what goes in comes out intact
General
Osteoarthritis throughout the body
Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)
Parkinson's/muscle tremor
Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome (CFS)/ Constant fatigueFibromyalgia/
muscular and joint painCrohn's disease
Lupus
Scleroderma
Diabetes
Endometriosis
Poor bodily coordinationVertigoShowers cause fatigueFatigue induced by light exertionSleep difficulties/ disturbances
Weakness malaise
Anorexia
Symptoms reflecting eating disorders loss of appetite/weight
Tingling in the fingertips
Shaky fingers
Loss of precise control in the fingers
Erratic muscular responses
Constant muscle tension
(due to electric currents in the mouth)Very poor balance
Stiffness and/or paralysis in an entire side of the body
(due to electric currents)Slow responses to stimuli/Overall apathy toward stimuli
Global body shaking
Wearing thick sweaters in the summer
Craving sugar and foods high in energy
Strange pressure, as if swelling, in the pancreatic area (advanced poisoning)
Poor tissue connectivity
(ingrown toenails, separation of the skin from fingernails)Brown discoloration of the nails
Longitudinal ridges on the nails
(arthritis)/White spots in the nails/Brittle nails Loss of toenails after long walks or hikes, blisters under nails
Diabetes-like symptoms
Extremely low cholesterol level
Constant feeling of being cold, hungry, and sleepy
Low body temperature (35.0 to 36.0 degrees Celsius); freezing in the summer
Waking up exhausted after a 10- to 12-hour sleep
Leg kicking during sleep
Arm jerking during rest or sleep
Excruciating contraction of toes after prolonged exposure to cold (early symptom)
Excruciating contraction in the calf muscle just below the knee
(occurs during rest that follows strenuous walks or jogging, often exacerbated by cold)Yeast infection throughout the digestive tract; constant intestinal micro-tremors
Vaginal yeast infection
Internal bleeding (blood in the stool, urine, ejaculate, and phlegm)
Painful swelling of glands
(testicles and thyroid)Blue palms, hands, and feet when temperature drops below ~20 degrees C (advanced illness)
Numerous dark-red capillaries just under the skin of the feet (advanced illness)
Glandular
Swollen
lymph nodes in the neck have been associated with known mercury toxicity. Other sites reported include in front of the ear, under the jaw, and on the back of the neck.Swollen
lymph nodes in front of the ear, under the jaw, and back of the neck are a possible symptom of mercury toxicity.Jaw lymph node problemsHead –
Eyes/Ocular
Impaired visual fields and visual acuity
Sensitivity to light (Photophobia)
Night blindness
Eyes are "habitually" pulled to the left
Enlarged capillaries in the white of the eye
Double vision or blurred vision
Intermittent blurred distance vision is a sign of mercury toxicity.
Bulging eyes from hyperthyroidismMarked proptosis (bug eyes), or eye changes typical of
hyperthyroidism have been associated with mercury toxicity.Painful, swelling eyeballs
Discolored spots and "blisters" in the white of the eye (advanced effects)
Head - Brain
Mercury accumulates in CNS structures
Autonomic disturbances
Headaches, including migraines
Inability to fall asleep due to splitting headache in the forehead. Substantial reduction in the intensity of the headache after standing up, but the headache spreads to the parietal lobes and sometimes even to the lover jaw. Within an hour, the subject may hyperventilate, lose his muscle control with the lower jaw and the whole body shaking. The subject is feeble and may feel that he may collapse to the floor. Within seconds, the subject vomits
Toxic-Metabolic encephalopathy caused by poisonous byproducts in the brainHead –
Mouth/Oral
Electrical jolts in head and neck
The interaction between mercury amalgam and other dental metals (gold, steel, and titanium) commonly produces voltages of several volts and currents of several tens of microamperes. The voltages easily exceed the 0.7V firing potential of neurons, and erratic muscle jerking results. The subject's saliva and the metals in his mouth create a battery, and the electric current speeds up the release of mercury many times. The battery is "improved" by eating and drinking certain foods. Also temperature variations in the mouth affect the release of dental mercury into the body.
Dark spots on gumsPersistent or recurrent redness in the face
(advanced illness)Frequent collection of mucus in the throat
, especially after waking upCold soresAbnormal tastes in mouthMouth sorenessExcessive salivation
Periodontal disease
Bleeding gums
Stomatitis
Loosening of teeth
Foul breath
White patches in mouth
Bone loss around teeth
Ulcers of gums, palate, tongue;
Burning of mouth
Gum pigmentation
Biting into one's tongue
{advanced illness).Clogging and swelling of the outlets of salivary glands inside the mouth
Sticky tongue due to dryness in the mouth
Micro-cracks in the frontal surfaces of incisors and deep longitudinal cracks in the incisors (layering of the incisors).
Head - Nose
Mild nasal congestion / stuffy nose can be a sign of mercury toxicity.
Head - Ears
Hearing loss/ Difficulty hearing
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears);
Ear infections; fluid buildup and clogging in the ear canal
Partial deafness
Immune System
Immunosuppression
Chronic Fatigue / Fibromyalgia SyndromeIn vitro studies suggest that even low, environmentally relevant exposure levels of mercury, which are not toxic, still contribute to immune dysfunction by interfering with proper
lymphocyte functioning. [Scand J Immunol 50(3): pp.233-241]Allergies
Rhinitis
Swollen lymph nodes in neck
Asthma
Sinusitis
Infections
Metabolic
Heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead and thallium poison the
glucose metabolizing catalysts, thus reducing the flow of energy throughout the body. It is interesting to note that the symptoms of heavy metal poisoning are similar to symptoms associated with hypoglycemia i.e. hyperactivity, mood swings, manic depressive behavior, poor concentration and impulsive and unpredictable behavior.HeadachesTinnitusInsomniaMind
Inability to concentrate
Brain "fogginess"
Difficulty tolerating bright light and sharp sounds
Difficulty processing sensory information quickly
Difficulty recalling well-known words/facts quickly
Gradual loss of intellect
and school performance/ Attentional problems (ADHD) lacks eye contact impaired visual fixation
Frequent interruption of the short-term memory
(sclerosis)Short term memory loss is initially the most common complaint associated with mercury toxicity.Poor muscle-eye coordination
Blurting out words in an incomprehensible way
General difficulty controlling one's tongue, lips, and vocal cords
Low ability to hear oneself speaking; poor registration or poor comprehension of one's speech
Difficulty remembering personally unimportant information
Difficulty to grasp scientific concepts that others consider relatively easy
Learning to drive a car and driving in traffic can become very challenging
Reduced ability to solve problems
Difficulty to associate names with faces
Suppression of all emotions
General feeling of inadequacy
Occasional/frequent confusion/disorientationBeing easily excitableNervous excitability can be a symptom of mercury toxicity.
Repetitive perseverative stereotyped behaviors
Obsessive compulsive disorder-typical behaviors
Depression/ mood swings /flat affect
Impatient/hostile dispositionGeneral difficulty socializing and interacting with people
Loss of interest in doing interactive activities
MoodinessIrritabilityImpaired facial recognition
Schizoid tendencies
Hallucinations
Delirium
Aggressive behaviors/unreasonable anger / temper tantrums
Inability to make decisions
Suicidal behaviors
Insomnia
Low self-confidence
Drowsiness
Decline of intellect
Low self-control
Nervousness/anxiety/shyness /timidity.
Schizophrenia
Mercury (Hg) interacts with brain tubulin and disassembles microtubules that maintain neurite structure
Mercury (Hg) accumulates in amygdala, hippocampus, basal ganglia, cerebral cortex; damages Purkinje and granule cells in cerebellum, causes demyelination in brain
Motor Disorders
Tremors (hands, feet, eyelids, tongue)
Muscular weakness
Diffuse myalgia (muscular rheumatism)
Paraesthesia
(abnormal skin sensations)Choreiform movements, myoclonal jerks, unusual postures
Difficulty walking swallowing talking
Flapping/circling/rocking/toe walking
Problems with intentional movements or imitation
Abnormal gait/posture
Uncoordination loss of balance
Problems sitting lying crawling and walking
Convulsions/ Seizures
Musculo
-SkeletalUnusual tics or twitching of facial muscles have been associated with mercury toxicity, as well as with muscle
cramps in cases of high occupational exposure to mercury.Broken neck syndrome
: Convulsion in one of the two abductor muscles that connect the head with the collar bone; the subject's head twists toward one side Nails
All heavy metals cause Mees' lines on the nails. These usually begin a few months after significant exposure starts and may be useful in identifying the source of exposure - dental amalgams or some unrecognized source - if you remember when they started.
Nervous System
Peripheral
Nervous System
Peripheral neuropathy
Loss of feeling/ numbness in the extremities
Parasthesia
Kidney and Liver
Kidney disease, including
kidney failure, is a possible symptom of mercury toxicity.Chronic Renal InsufficiencyFrequent urination/night urination
Liver malfunction and retention of water,
especially in the belly and buttocks; later followed by the enlargement of breasts in males.A study conducted by the World Health Organization in Calgary, Canada in 1989 found substantial damage to the liver and kidneys in experimental sheep and monkeys.
Reproductive –
Female Cycle
Respiratory System
Pneumonia/ Llaryngitis/Pharyngitis/Bronchitis
Persistent cough; emphysema
Shallow or irregular breathing.
Skeletal
Skin-Hair-Nails
Exceptionally dry skin has been associated with mercury toxicity.
Cold Hands and FeetHair LossMercury toxicity can cause hair loss.
Speech and
Language Deficits
Speech disorders
Speech comprehension deficits
Dysarthria (imprecise, slow and distorted speech)
Articulation problems
Slurred speech unintelligible speech
Uro
-Genital
