4 vs. 8

[Guest guest]

The controversy between the 8 hour and 4 hour dosing schedule really

has very little to do with the amount of the dose. It has to do with

how DMSA and ALA work in the body, and who you choose to believe,

since there hasn't been enough research to prove with absolute

certainty that either is " right. " Dr. Cutler (Ph.D. Chemist

known on the list as " Andy " ) says that the best way to chelate is to

maintain steady levels of the chelator in the body at all times

during a cycle so as to minimize mercury redistribution, and this is

best accomplished by giving the DMSA every 4 hours around the clock.

This is the way I understand it. The chelator grabs onto the mercury

and carries it through the body until it is excreted, mostly. Some

of the mercury is " dropped " along the way, before it can leave the

body. If you give steady 4 hour doses, another dose of DMSA will

come along soon and " clean up " what is left. In this way, there is

less chance that mercury will be redistributed to sensitive tissues

such as the brain.

Dr. Amy, Dr. El-Dahr and Dr. Bradstreet are following the advice of a

different chemist, Dr. Boyd Haley. Dr. Haley says that DMSA forms a

very stable bond with mercury, and none is " dropped, " so it doesn't

matter if you dose at 4 hours or 8.

Until we have more data on the subject, we will have to decide who we

think is right. And I guess you do that by listening to both sides,

paying attention to people who have tried both protocols, and maybe

to experiment a little.

Personally, I'm sticking with Andy's theory, even though I would like

to believe that Dr. Haley is right, because his way is certainly

easier (and he teaches at UK, my alma mater:). I believe that the 4

hour protocol is safer.

Most people find that the middle of the night dosing is harder on the

parents than on the child. My kids take it in their sleep and rarely

even remember my giving it to them.

-- In @y..., john.gilfillan@a... wrote:

> Can someone explain to me the issue about 4 hrs versus 8 hours

dosing.

>

> Is the problem with 8 hour dosing that a single dose CAN be too

high

> and too much DMSA and/or ALA is given for the body to excrete and

the

> mercury is redistributed? However, would a small dose of chelator

> given every 8 hours not pose this problem. The only problem would

be

> that the number of chelation cycles would need to be more because

an

> 8 hour dosing schedule would involve less chelator per 24 hours

than

> a 4 hour schedule using the same amount of chelator.

>

> The idea of waking my child to give a chelator during the night

seems

> excessive and possibly counter-productive. The restorative benefit

> of sleep would be undone, albeit only on nights when chelation is

> done. I take it that around the clock chelation is to be preferred

> where there is a lot of mercury to get rid of and one wants to

reduce

> the number of cycles. I can see that trying to give the same

amount

> of DMSA as a 4 hour dosing schedule in half the number of doses (ie

> over 8 hours) would involve giving too strong a hit of DMSA and

> overloading the body.

>

> I would prefer not to have to wake my child to give a chelator and

> disrupt the restorative benefit of uninterrupted sleep. If the

cost

> is some more cycles to do then I would prefer this. Could one give

> the 4 hour dosages while the child is awake (say 4 times over a 24

> hour period - 8am, 12 noon, 4 pm, 8 pm) and simply forego the

> midnight and 4 am doses? Given that less chelator is given over a

24

> hour period, could the rest break between cycles be reduced -

instead

> of 11 days, maybe 4 or 5?

>

> Any comments on this would be appreciated.

[Guest guest]

, this is a terrific explanation!

Folks considering the 4 or 8 hour dosing may want to visit the poll

section of this group for those of us who tried both protocols. I

believe the majority of us have found in the kids that the 4 hour

seemed easier on the kids. In our case, Sue is also right-my son

gets the dose via a syringe for the 12 am and 4 am dose and really

doesn't wake up. Yes, it is also harder on the parents, but these

little guys are worth it. Two years of missing a few hours of sleep a

week seems like a very small price to pay for even a CHANCE of

getting your kid back.

> > Can someone explain to me the issue about 4 hrs versus 8 hours

> dosing.

> >

> > Is the problem with 8 hour dosing that a single dose CAN be too

> high

> > and too much DMSA and/or ALA is given for the body to excrete and

> the

> > mercury is redistributed? However, would a small dose of

chelator

> > given every 8 hours not pose this problem. The only problem

would

> be

> > that the number of chelation cycles would need to be more because

> an

> > 8 hour dosing schedule would involve less chelator per 24 hours

> than

> > a 4 hour schedule using the same amount of chelator.

> >

> > The idea of waking my child to give a chelator during the night

> seems

> > excessive and possibly counter-productive. The restorative

benefit

> > of sleep would be undone, albeit only on nights when chelation is

> > done. I take it that around the clock chelation is to be

preferred

> > where there is a lot of mercury to get rid of and one wants to

> reduce

> > the number of cycles. I can see that trying to give the same

> amount

> > of DMSA as a 4 hour dosing schedule in half the number of doses

(ie

> > over 8 hours) would involve giving too strong a hit of DMSA and

> > overloading the body.

> >

> > I would prefer not to have to wake my child to give a chelator

and

> > disrupt the restorative benefit of uninterrupted sleep. If the

> cost

> > is some more cycles to do then I would prefer this. Could one

give

> > the 4 hour dosages while the child is awake (say 4 times over a

24

> > hour period - 8am, 12 noon, 4 pm, 8 pm) and simply forego the

> > midnight and 4 am doses? Given that less chelator is given over

a

> 24

> > hour period, could the rest break between cycles be reduced -

> instead

> > of 11 days, maybe 4 or 5?

> >

> > Any comments on this would be appreciated.

[Guest guest]

Many thanks to those who have kindly explained what is at issue in

this debate.

> > > Can someone explain to me the issue about 4 hrs versus 8 hours

> > dosing.

> > >

> > > Is the problem with 8 hour dosing that a single dose CAN be too

> > high

> > > and too much DMSA and/or ALA is given for the body to excrete

and

> > the

> > > mercury is redistributed? However, would a small dose of

> chelator

> > > given every 8 hours not pose this problem. The only problem

> would

> > be

> > > that the number of chelation cycles would need to be more

because

> > an

> > > 8 hour dosing schedule would involve less chelator per 24 hours

> > than

> > > a 4 hour schedule using the same amount of chelator.

> > >

> > > The idea of waking my child to give a chelator during the night

> > seems

> > > excessive and possibly counter-productive. The restorative

> benefit

> > > of sleep would be undone, albeit only on nights when chelation

is

> > > done. I take it that around the clock chelation is to be

> preferred

> > > where there is a lot of mercury to get rid of and one wants to

> > reduce

> > > the number of cycles. I can see that trying to give the same

> > amount

> > > of DMSA as a 4 hour dosing schedule in half the number of doses

> (ie

> > > over 8 hours) would involve giving too strong a hit of DMSA and

> > > overloading the body.

> > >

> > > I would prefer not to have to wake my child to give a chelator

> and

> > > disrupt the restorative benefit of uninterrupted sleep. If the

> > cost

> > > is some more cycles to do then I would prefer this. Could one

> give

> > > the 4 hour dosages while the child is awake (say 4 times over a

> 24

> > > hour period - 8am, 12 noon, 4 pm, 8 pm) and simply forego the

> > > midnight and 4 am doses? Given that less chelator is given

over

> a

> > 24

> > > hour period, could the rest break between cycles be reduced -

> > instead

> > > of 11 days, maybe 4 or 5?

> > >

> > > Any comments on this would be appreciated.