Mercury Detox + SVT

Guest Blog post contributed by Annette Greene

SVT episodes. Insomnia and fatigue. Digestive disturbances. Splitting fingernails. What did these symptoms of mine have in common? The connections only became clearer after my doctor decided to test me for mercury toxicity.

The results of a urine heavy metal test showed, surprisingly, that I had moderately high levels of mercury in my body. Where did the mercury come from and what could I do about it? I learned the likely culprits were seafood as well as the numerous amalgam dental fillings I had had removed over the past five years.

Next came the detox regime that I was to follow for six months:

  1. Limiting seafood consumption to that which is low in mercury (i.e. shrimp and salmon)
  2. Using castor oil packs on the liver
  3. Sweating (I invested in a biomat –www.biomat.com–but saunas, hot yoga, or anything that makes you sweat will work just as well)
  4. Dry body brushing
  5. Eating cilantro (& lots of it!)
  6. Taking a supplement containing natural ingredients including algae, garlic, citrus pectin, chlorella, and cilantro.

This routine took me time to get used to but I began to notice the effects almost right away. I had an episode of SVT in the first two weeks of my detox, and then for the remainder of the 6 months, my heart behaved itself and felt totally normal. Nothing I had done in my 15 years of having SVT had ever produced such a result. I was also sleeping better. I’d fall asleep quickly and sleep through the night without waking up. I also dreamed more and felt very rested when I did wake up. My digestive complaints seemed to lessen and, very gradually, a few of my chronically problematic fingernails and toenails started to heal and appear more normal.

After retesting at the 6-month mark, results showed a 40% reduction in my mercury levels. I had guessed that this wouldn’t be the end of the detox and, in fact, my doctor advised me to keep following most of the regime and make it part of my lifestyle. The importance of this was reinforced the following month when I went on vacation and took a complete break from detoxing: some symptoms started to return including two short episodes of SVT. They each lasted only a minute but that was enough to warn me that the very delicate balancing act going on inside my body needed me to keep up with this detoxing.

I believe that SVT episodes and other symptoms are signs of larger problems that I need to stay on top of. What did I learn from this experience? It may be that my mercury levels (and, perhaps, other heavy metals including lead) are only one piece of the puzzle. I try to stay hydrated, watch my electrolytes, and avoid certain common triggers like caffeine and chocolate.  I am also aware that I need to be on the lookout for other possible triggers that may be unique to my body and uncommon for others with SVT. It’s not easy to understand the complex interactions that keep us healthy or contribute to ill health but I am happy to listen to the advice of my doctor, an MD whose clinic specializes in integrative medicine. I had chosen to see this type of doctor after a failed ablation led me to recognize that conventional medicine had no new solutions for me.

Detoxing of heavy metals is not something that all doctors believe in but I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to go through this experience and to come out stronger in the end. I want to embrace messages (like SVT) that my body is sending me instead of being anxious about them. Through all of this, I am continually working at moving towards a healthier lifestyle and am much better for it.

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