Re: lead exposure many years ago

[Guest guest]

>

> A friend asked me if your child was exposed to lead say 10 yrs ago and

> a hair test only shows lead exposure from the previous 3 months are

> there any tests that will show it? Anyone have an answer for this?

> Thanks

>

> -S

>

You can find more info about lead in Andy's Hair Test Interpretation book.

http://www.noamalgam.com/hairtestbook.html

Going off of memory (uh-oh), this is my understanding: if there was lead

exposure, blood

levels will go down over time as lead leaves the blood and is stored in the

bones. Knowing

there was exposure tells you there is lead in the body. (Important to note that

mercury

and lead have a synergistic poisoning effect).

With chelation, lead comes out of the bones slowly. You can chelate intensively

(12

rounds for example) for a few months, then chelate every 4 weeks or so over

several years

to get at the lead. Blood testing can be useful to track the lead re-released

into the blood

stream from the bones---to have an idea when you're done.

My 2 NT kids and I have been exposed to lead (old house), but to the best of my

knowledge never had blood lead levels over 2 (for me and my oldest) and 4 (for

my

youngest). We do have mercury exposure as well (history, and hair tests met the

counting

rules).

We are chelating for mercury with ALA. We did 3 months with DMSA and are now

doing

one round a month with DMSA + ALA to get at any lead, the rest of the rounds ALA

only

(because I prefer the way ALA only feels, it's cheaper, and easier on the

liver).

HTH,

in Illinois

[Guest guest]

She may want to consider chelating with DMSA anyway if the individual doesn't

have any mercury amalgam dental fillings. I know blood tests only show recent

exposure, I don't know about hair.

> A friend asked me if your child was exposed to lead say 10 yrs ago and <br>

> a hair test only shows lead exposure from the previous 3 months are <br>

> there any tests that will show it? Anyone have an answer for this? <br>

> Thanks<br>

> <br>

> -S<br>

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[Guest guest]

Teeth are a good indicator but I am not sure her 10 year old will want

to part with any. Some people test thier child's baby teeth for lead,

but I am unsure what lab they use.

You could also begin chelation with dmsa and test the urine on the end

of the round. But basically, if there was lead then, and no one did

anything to remove it (chelation) it is still there. Running a round

of dmsa could not hurt, likely you will see improvements. If this

child is a girl and wishes to have children some day, she should be

chelated. During pregnancy our body releases it's lead stores from the

bones and into the baby.

>

> A friend asked me if your child was exposed to lead say 10 yrs ago

and

> a hair test only shows lead exposure from the previous 3 months are

> there any tests that will show it? Anyone have an answer for this?

> Thanks

>

> -S

>

[Guest guest]

Does it take about 3 months to grow another inch

of hair? Is that why approximately 3 months is

what hair test shows? I would think it wouldn't

just be last 3 months of new lead exposure but

could be lead coming out of bones from OLD lead

exposure. I hope!! I'd be upset to think all

the lead in hair test was from new exposure

during last 3 months.

--- hanjkyla <kyleac@...> wrote:

> A friend asked me if your child was exposed to

> lead say 10 yrs ago and

> a hair test only shows lead exposure from the

> previous 3 months are

> there any tests that will show it? Anyone have

> an answer for this?

> Thanks

>

> -S

>

[Guest guest]

>

> A friend asked me if your child was exposed to lead say 10 yrs ago and

> a hair test only shows lead exposure from the previous 3 months are

> there any tests that will show it? Anyone have an answer for this?

> Thanks

>

> -S

Blood lead levels are elevated during high exposure, but go down

quickly as the lead is stored in tissues.

Hair lead levels reflect excretion in the last three months.

This could show both current and old exposure - basically

whatever the body was dumping over these three months.

I know of no test that reliably tells you if lead is a problem.

If lead does show up on a hair test, even in the yellow, this

is meaningful and chelation is a good idea. It will not

always show up if the exposure was a long time ago.

Andy mentions in the HTI book a number of lab tests that can

be abnormal in a lead toxic person, as well as many symptoms

common with lead toxicity. This information may give an idea

whether lead is a problem.

I would bet that a person with lead toxicity is quite likely

to have some degree of mercury problem as well.

--

[Guest guest]

I took an adult client to an appt today and mentioned that she had had lead

poisoning as a child. The doctors (there were 2 of them) said, " Oh, that's

significant " . I replied, " I know, that's why I brought it up. " They then

wanted to do a blood lead level and I had to remind them that it was over 45

years ago and that lead doesn't stay in the blood very long. They probably

would have had it done anyway, but the phlebotomist said they were out of the

tubes for that test. Hopefully they'll do some reading up on the subject before

her next appt in late August! They were also amazed that an adult with mild MR

can live on her own in the community with minimal assistance. I think they've

spent too much time in med school cut off from the real world.

I'll check out what Andy says in HTI about it skewing other tests and perhaps

share that info with them.

S S

> A friend asked me if your child was exposed to lead say 10 yrs ago and <br>

> a hair test only shows lead exposure from the previous 3 months are <br>

> there any tests that will show it? Anyone have an answer for this? <br>

> Thanks<br>

> <br>

> -S<br>

<br>

Blood lead levels are elevated during high exposure, but go down <br>

quickly as the lead is stored in tissues. <br>

<br>

Hair lead levels reflect excretion in the last three months. <br>

This could show both current and old exposure - basically <br>

whatever the body was dumping over these three months.<br>

<br>

I know of no test that reliably tells you if lead is a problem. <br>

If lead does show up on a hair test, even in the yellow, this <br>

is meaningful and chelation is a good idea. It will not <br>

always show up if the exposure was a long time ago.<br>

<br>

Andy mentions in the HTI book a number of lab tests that can <br>

be abnormal in a lead toxic person, as well as many symptoms <br>

common with lead toxicity. This information may give an idea <br>

whether lead is a problem.<br>

<br>

I would bet that a person with lead toxicity is quite likely <br>

to have some degree of mercury problem as well. <br>

<br>

--<br>

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[Guest guest]

It is what the child/person has excreted in the past three months

via hair, so I am sure some of that is from the bones or wherever,

especially if your chelating, not all external exposure. For us we

had never done any chelation at the time of testing, which is scary.

This is what he passed on his own and it was very high.

>

> > A friend asked me if your child was exposed to

> > lead say 10 yrs ago and

> > a hair test only shows lead exposure from the

> > previous 3 months are

> > there any tests that will show it? Anyone have

> > an answer for this?

> > Thanks

> >

> > -S

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I don't know if this helps but lead often causes zinc deficiency and

iron problems, as I have read it. It can also cause low bone density.

>

> > A friend asked me if your child was exposed to lead say 10 yrs

ago and <br>

> > a hair test only shows lead exposure from the previous 3 months

are <br>

> > there any tests that will show it? Anyone have an answer for

this? <br>

> > Thanks<br>

> > <br>

> > -S<br>

> <br>

> Blood lead levels are elevated during high exposure, but go down

<br>

> quickly as the lead is stored in tissues. <br>

> <br>

> Hair lead levels reflect excretion in the last three months. <br>

> This could show both current and old exposure - basically <br>

> whatever the body was dumping over these three months.<br>

> <br>

> I know of no test that reliably tells you if lead is a problem.

<br>

> If lead does show up on a hair test, even in the yellow, this <br>

> is meaningful and chelation is a good idea. It will not <br>

> always show up if the exposure was a long time ago.<br>

> <br>

> Andy mentions in the HTI book a number of lab tests that can <br>

> be abnormal in a lead toxic person, as well as many symptoms <br>

> common with lead toxicity. This information may give an idea <br>

> whether lead is a problem.<br>

> <br>

> I would bet that a person with lead toxicity is quite likely <br>

> to have some degree of mercury problem as well. <br>

> <br>

> --<br>

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com

> The most personalized portal on the Web!

>

[Guest guest]

Jan,

Thanks! I found out that one of the hospitals that she may have been in has

kept records since " forever " . I hope that happens to be the one she was in.

I'll ask her to sign a release tomorrow so we can request that someone check to

see if they have any records for her. The other one which her sister thinks she

may have been in doesn't keep records over 30 years.

S S

<p>I don't know if this helps but lead often causes zinc deficiency

and <br>

iron problems, as I have read it. It can also cause low bone density.<br>

<br>

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