Heavy metal poisoning and exposure testing

Hey everyone!

Does anyone know where I can go in Washington, D.C. or anywhere else in the US to get some blood or tissue testing done for heavy metals?

👎 I had a bunch of amalgam fillings that were "professionally" removed in such a messy way that I basically swallowed half of them. Ever since then, I've been dealing with constant allergies and all sorts of other health issues.

If you’re talking about the mercury used in amalgam fillings, you aren't going to find any proof. Every single time you brush your teeth, a little bit of that mercury just evaporates right out of the filling. Honestly, I highly doubt there’s any actual trace of General Electric metal left in your system. I’m actually interested in that same area myself, so if anyone knows about legitimate testing methods, please let me know.

Why check blood? You'd only see that in an acute poisoning case.
If they're still alive, you test hair—that’s where everything builds up anyway.
Just call the CDC. But don't expect them to pick up the tab; you'll likely have to pay for the analysis yourself, so be prepared.

At the National Institutes of Health. They’re testing hair samples since that's where everything ends up settling. I’d bet it costs about $200.

I heard someone mentioning this thing where they use some kind of agent to leach the mercury right out of your bones. Then, another agent gets introduced to bind with it so they can measure the compound levels. From there, they calculate the total amount of mercury sitting in your skeleton and organs and run it against some standardized charts.

The real headache with mercury is that once it settles in, it’s stuck in places that are incredibly hard to flush out. Honestly, if it were any easier, I’d probably just shave my head and call it a day!

...Has anyone actually dealt with this before? How is this even possible?
I went in for some dental X-rays because of my hair loss issues, and the scans show what looks like fillings everywhere, even though my teeth are perfectly healthy. My dentist suggested it might be a sign of heavy metal poisoning...😕
I’m completely lost here. What could possibly be causing this? I've been digging through Google, but I haven't found anything particularly reassuring...🙄
Thanks, everyone..

Grace Anderson14 said:...has anyone dealt with this? How is this even possible?
I went in for dental X-rays because of my hair loss, and it looks like I have fillings everywhere, even though my teeth are perfectly healthy. My dentist suggested it might actually be heavy metal poisoning...😕
I’m completely lost here... What could even cause this? I haven't found anything encouraging through my Google searches...🙄
Thanks, everyone..

It's usually from ingesting something contaminated by heavy metals—think things like tap water or produce grown in soil tainted with toxins. People living near heavy industrial zones are almost always dealing with some level of heavy metal toxicity.
She really needs to get her hair samples tested to pinpoint exactly what's going on and find the source.

It could also come from wearing jewelry that contains heavy metals.

Samuel Ortiz68 said:It could also stem from wearing jewelry that contains heavy metals.

That’s technically possible, but you’d need to be wearing that kind of jewelry consistently for years on end to absorb enough concentrations through your skin to actually show up like that.

@Grace Anderson14/">@@Grace Anderson14
There's a chance your hair loss is being driven by heavy metal poisoning.

First off, you’ve got to figure out exactly what kind of metal we’re even dealing with here, because until that's settled, trying to pin down where it actually came from is just a total shot in the dark...

Thanks to everyone for the input. I’ve lived right in the heart of Washington, D.C. my whole life... I don't wear any jewelry... so this whole thing feels pretty surreal to me. The only thing I do is dye my hair, which I've been doing for three years now, but I've never heard of anyone getting poisoned from that. Where can I actually take a hair sample for testing? Thanks!

Grace Anderson14 said:Thanks for all the replies. I've lived right in the heart of Washington, D.C. my whole life... I don't wear jewelry... so this whole thing feels pretty surreal to me. The only thing is, I've been coloring my hair for three years now, but I've never heard of anyone getting poisoned from that. Where can I actually get my hair tested? Thanks!

I found some private labs, but honestly, any specialized medical biochemistry lab should be able to run these tests if you have a doctor's referral—meaning the Social Security Administration would cover it. Besides the hair sample, they'll need urine and blood work too.

The real question is: what's surrounding you in your daily life that could be leaching heavy metals into your system?
Are the pipes in your building old—maybe lead? Are you taking any dietary supplements based on some random recommendation you heard? Where do you shop for groceries, and who provides them? Have you ever undergone treatment involving things like cytostatics or chemotherapy? Where do you work or go to school—basically, where do you spend your time consistently? You really need to sit down with a specialist and dig into this.

Look, there’s absolutely no point in even starting to guess until we know for sure which metal we're dealing with here, seriously... though if you aren't seeing any other symptoms yet, my first instinct would be to go looking for cadmium...

Angela Wright said:I found these private labs, but honestly, I think any specialized medical biochemistry lab should be able to handle this via a doctor's referral, covered by the Social Security Administration. Besides hair, you’d need to provide urine and blood samples for analysis.

The real question is: what's surrounding you in your day-to-day life that might contain heavy metals?
Think about it. What kind of pipes are in your building—are they potentially lead? Are you taking any supplements based on some random recommendation you heard? Where are you buying your groceries, and from whom? Have you ever undergone treatment involving cytostatics or chemotherapy? Even just where you work or go to school, or how much time you spend in certain environments. This isn't something to DIY; you need a professional to look at this.

Thanks so much... I'm actually heading out today to get a referral for blood work, and if I recall correctly, they usually require a urine sample at the same time. I haven't been drinking anything unusual, truly. I did have a hormonal imbalance recently, and a friend made some custom pills for me that she said worked, but I only took two of them, and that was before Christmas... They were based on essential oils. My building is over a hundred years old, so I really need to check on the plumbing. I've stayed mostly within my apartment for the last three years since I have a baby at home, and I'm not working right now. Up until two weeks ago, I felt great; then everything just shifted, and my overall health has been declining since. I agree that we need to find out if this is actually the issue, because my dentist is 99% sure that's the cause. But who can you trust these days, huh? As for food, I shop at Walmart... 🙂 I haven't had any major illnesses, just sepsis and beta-hemolytic infections after giving birth, though those were supposedly successfully treated.🤷

Grace Anderson14 said:Thanks so much... I’m actually heading out today to get my lab orders for blood work, and from what I know, they’ll want a urine sample right away too. I haven't had anything to drink, seriously; just that I had a bit of a hormonal imbalance, so a friend made some custom pills for me that actually worked, but I only took two of them before Christmas... No one was based on essential oils...The building is over a hundred years old, so I really need to check on the condition of the pipes... Since I have a baby at home, I’ve basically been stuck in the apartment for three years now while I stay home with the little one. Up until about two weeks ago, I felt fantastic, but then this hit me out of nowhere and everything has just been going downhill regarding my overall health... I agree that we need to figure out if that's even the cause, because my dentist was like 99% sure it was... But honestly, who can you trust these days, huh? And I get all my groceries at Walmart... 🙂 I haven't had any major illnesses, except for sepsis and beta-hemolytic issues after giving birth, but that was supposedly successfully treated.🤷

You absolutely have to ask your friend for the exact ingredients in those pills she made for you. Some plants naturally contain heavy metals. The nightmare with heavy metals is how difficult they are to flush out of your system—they bind themselves to things like your hemoglobin. So, even if you only took them before Christmas, it doesn't mean they aren't still causing havoc in your body right now.

Angela Wright said:Go find a friend who can give you the exact ingredient list for those pills you were taking. Some plants naturally soak up heavy metals from the soil. That’s the catch with heavy metals—they don't just leave your system easily. They latch onto things like your hemoglobin. Just because you took them before Christmas doesn't mean they aren't still causing issues deep down.

The label lists evening primrose oil and essential oils like sage, clary sage, and anise...

Grace Anderson14 said:The label lists nightshade oil along with essential oils like sage, nutmeg, and anise...

That’s what the fine print claims, sure, but is that the full story or did some other ingredients sneak in there unnoticed? That's where the actual investigation begins.

I know plenty of people have dealt with dental issues caused by lead poisoning. I see it firsthand because I work with tin and lead alloys, and if you aren't careful about protecting yourself from those fumes over time, your teeth really take the hit. Even organizations like Vitraja warn us about these risks.

Cooking pots?

I was reading recently that certain cooking pots from China were just pulled from the shelves because they contain excessive levels of chromium, nickel, and manganese. It’s apparently quite hazardous to your health.

Nancy Grant77 said:Cooking pots?

I read somewhere that they recently pulled some cookware from the shelves because it had way too much chromium, nickel, and manganese. Apparently, it’s toxic.

It's possible, though you have to wonder why nobody else in the house started feeling sick.
If we're being logical, we need to look at exactly what she was exposed to and where it happened.