Brain Fog on ALA and Chlorella

I just started taking ALA and Chlorella yesterday to remove metals and I am feeling alot of brain fog.... Does this mean that the metals are being removed? Does chlorella cross the blood-brain barrier?

1..... - It's the ALA, not the chlorella.

Does chlorella cross the blood brain barrier?

can anyone provide a quick protocol for using ALA (cylce? doasge? how many times per day?) as a way to detox heavy metals?

Is it comparable to Humifulvate??

And is the brain fog due to the metals leaving my brain or is the ala not powerful enough to remove or does it just stir them up?

CS-

I can confirm that the brain fog is from the chlorella. During chelation should there be brain fog? Or do you think the chlorella only "stirs up" the metals and doesn't remove them?

I don't know what is causing the brain fog, but to answer your question about the ALA...100-150mg every 3 hours around the clock for a minimum of 3 days. Then break for however long you like and repeat. This is the Cutler Protocol for chelation therapy. He also uses DMSA but clearly states that it isn't needed. It just speeds up the process by about 40%. DMSA won't cross the BBB but ALA will. Every 3 hours on time is important. This means setting an alarm at night. It is a pain, but I can manage it for 3 days.

Paradox wrote:I don't know what is causing the brain fog, but to answer your question about the ALA...100-150mg every 3 hours around the clock for a minimum of 3 days. Then break for however long you like and repeat. This is the Cutler Protocol for chelation therapy. He also uses DMSA but clearly states that it isn't needed. It just speeds up the process by about 40%. DMSA won't cross the BBB but ALA will. Every 3 hours on time is important. This means setting an alarm at night. It is a pain, but I can manage it for 3 days.

Thanks paradox, appreciated. Did you notice any detox syptoms? what metals do you believe it useful for? maybe i should use iodine+ala?

i felt 'different' but it is hard to label specific symptoms. Just a feeling of more anxiety probably. DMSA will work on all metals in tissues but will not pass through the blood/brain barrier from what I have read. When using DMSA and ALA it is important to supplement with essential minerals because those will be removed too. Alpha lipoic acid will cross the BBB and here is some info on which metals it works on. The R form is better but cost prohibitive for most people due to the 3hour dosing for long periods of time. Regular ALA will still work:

Both LA and DHLA can chelate heavy metals, but the R-form is more effective for chelation than alpha-lipoic acid [BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY; Ou,P; 50(1):123-126 (1995)]. LA is most effective in chelating Cu2+, Zn2+ and Pb2+, but cannot chelate Fe3+. DHLA forms complexes with Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+, Hg2+ ( mercury) and Fe3+ that are poorly soluble in water. Although DHLA chelates Fe3+, it can also reduce Fe3+ to Fe2+ -- a pro-oxidant effect it shares with ascorbic acid. Insofar as most iron is tightly bound to ferritin protein, ascorbate reduction of Fe3+ rarely occurs, but DHLA may have the capacity to remove bound iron from ferritin. Nonetheless, LA fed to old rats reduced the increase of iron in the cerebral cortex associated with aging, without (apparently) affecting normal protein-bound iron — and by an unknown mechanism other than chelation [REDOX REPORT; Suh,JH; 10(1):52-60 (2005)].

Here is all the info you should need on the Cutler Protocol: http://onibasu.com/wiki/Cutler_protocol

I've been taking chlorella http://www.iherb.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Yaeyama-Chlorella-400-mg-150-Capsules/155?at=0 for almost a month now and over the past week I've been experiencing lightheadedness, anxiety, weight loss, muscle spasms and sensations, ADD, an inability to find the right words (or using the wrong words), dreams that I wake up from and still believe are real, and slightly impaired motor skills. I also have this "sensation" on/in my skull...sometimes at the base, some times all over.

At first, I was thinking brain tumor, MS, some kind of debilitating disease. That's just where my brain goes. I was also thinking it might be this eye med called Durezol that I've been on for quite some time. It didn't occur to me that it could be the chlorella. But if I look at how it started, I can remember the lightheadedness being the most prominent when I was going to the bathroom (number 2). It increased from there, to just being these couple-of-hour phases, to now being an all day all night thing. The chlorella has also made me very regular in the bathroom department and has considerably reduced some swollen salivary glands I've had for years. All of these things seem to coincide timing-wise, so I'm thinking it could be related to heavy metal detox via the chlorella. A year ago, a post-DMSA test showed that I have a slightly elevated amount of mercury (likely from silver fillings extracted incorrectly) and a fairly elevated level of barium (from a barium enema years ago) so I know that this stuff is in my system.

I did a search for chlorella side effects, but there was nothing about lightheadedness -- most had to do with violent nausea and diarrhea, which I have not experienced. The closest thing I've found was this thread. However, as stated above, this is more than brain fog. I'm stopping the chlorella today because at this point it's just scary. I mean, even my balance is off...like a slight vertigo. My question is, do you think it's the chlorella? If so...
1) Do you think it's do to mercury being bound and excreted from my system? From what I've read, chlorella has no ability to actually extract heavy metals from your tissues, but just bind to the ones unbound in your system. I'm not on any chelation therapy, so I don't see how the heavy metal detox could be so extreme. (I didn't even get close to this reaction when I did Jarrow ToxGuard or the IV DMSA years ago.)
2) Since a lot of my symptoms do sound like mercury poisoning, is it possible that the chlorella itself is contaminated? (I've read reports that this is possible.)
3) I've read some information about chlorella increasing iron levels. I already have increased iron and am wondering if the chlorella has elevated it to a dangerous point.
4) Something else entirely?

Let me know your thoughts. I'll keep you posted on my symptoms after stopping chlorella.

Thanks.

Sounds like it may be the familiar symptoms of mercury to me - yes imo/ime it can make you feel that bad. It may also be at least part of the reason your brain "goes" where it does (dark, pessimistic thoughts etc) because I've been there. I understand your fears because not always being in full control of your own brain/body is scary (not to mention a social impairment that many won't really understand).

As to the cause, my guess would be 1) since reading about this possibility is the reason I've never taken chlorella, although it seems there are differing opinions. I'd suggest switching back to something like Toxguard if you're looking for a metal binder.

NewReg,

Did the symptoms go away after stopping chlorella?

I also feel weird after taking it. I would say after about 15 mins of taking chlorella, my brain would feel heavy and feels like something is squeezing my brain. It last for about 1 hour or so.

I take chlorenergy, which is made in Tokyo, Japan. So, it should be good quality.

I have heard that contaminated chlorella can cause brain fog and other side-effects.

So maybe it's the quality that counts.

I took Jarrow brand. Pretty reputable.

My doctor thinks it's an allergic reaction of some kind. It's weird, I have gone through a multitude of symptoms. At first, it was a lightheadedness. Then, it became a feeling of disorientation, "sensations" at the base of my skull, weight loss, and anxiety. <----- This was after a month on the supplement.

After I stopped, I had intense diarrhea for two days, "pins and needles" in my limbs, and muscles spasms/twitches. The muscle twitches have gone away, as has the sensations at the base of my skull. However, with every symptom that I get rid of, I seem to get others. Recently, I have had sensations on my scalp/skull. The lightheadedness is going away SLOWLY, but the disorientation seems worse sometimes.

Now, it's been almost a month since I've stopped and I'm still feeling disoriented. I also get lightheaded when I'm going "number 2." Sometimes my brain will be so foggy that it feels like it's shutting down. Like I could be walking or talking and then ZZZZZZZZ, I'm out. It's not like this all of the time, but when it happens it sucks. I have one great day where I seem to have zero symptoms, and then I have days like yesterday and today where I feel so uncomfortable I want to jump out of my skin. It's very strange, very disheartening, and vary scary.

I did some blood work with the doctor and everything was in range except my Heboglobin Alc, which was 5.8H (normal is up to 5.7H). However, my blood sugar was normal. My doctor said that he wasn't worried about this at all because normal was 6.0H until about six months ago when a group of doctors lowered it for seemingly no reason. He said this has made 80% of his patients "out of range" and believes the change was only made to put people on more diabetes medications. In any case, it shouldn't be causing the lightheadedness.

The doctor said that these allergic reactions (if that's what it is) can take 4-6 weeks to recover from, so if I'm not better in 2 more weeks, I'll go and see him again.

I recently started cleansing with clay internally and suffered similar detox symptoms. I started with a heaping table spoon and felt extremely lethargic, had pessimistic thoughts, extreme brain fog, trouble speaking etc. I just see this as it working. I'm going to continue with it intermittently and drink tons of water to try to minimize the detox effects. I used French Green Clay and I just found this site outlining a way to do the cleanse with clay if anyone is interested...

http://www.natural-pain-relief-guide.com/internal-cleanse-with-clay.html

All,

The symptoms you get might be due to the typical Die-off and/or biofilm disruption. The gut is of extreme importance for health and hair, IMHO.

Chlorella might make you feel bad, but it all depends on your current state, the dose... and it generally it's a good symptom.

Having crap in your intestines can render IH's regimen mostly useless, yes it true according to my own research and experience (see the Physiology page of the IH's main site, look in the Candida section).

Most people fail to get into a regimen that really fixes their gut, and miss important things like removing toxins and mayor causative factors (WHEAT, grains, etc).

Other things that people miss is taking ENOUGH magnesium and other key nutrients! CS is taking 1000 mg a day... how about you?

OK I went a little bit off topic here... but just wanted to make a few points.

Yanks wrote:I recently started cleansing with clay internally and suffered similar detox symptoms. I started with a heaping table spoon and felt extremely lethargic, had pessimistic thoughts, extreme brain fog, trouble speaking etc. I just see this as it working. I'm going to continue with it intermittently and drink tons of water to try to minimize the detox effects. I used French Green Clay and I just found this site outlining a way to do the cleanse with clay if anyone is interested...

http://www.natural-pain-relief-guide.com/internal-cleanse-with-clay.html

I think you maybe right, it is some kind of detox symptom. Funny you mention the trouble speaking part because I also get that after taking chlorella. I know what I want to say but for some reason can't get the words out of my mouth, strange...

Also, I just bought another very good brand of chlorella, Sun A brand, and am experiencing the same symptoms. So I don't think contamination is the problem.

I will continue taking it and see what happens.

One thing that Chlorella does is help toxins like mercury to be removed into the bile tract where it can be collected and excreted.

I think Littlefighter is probably right on the money, it maybe a "Herxheimer reaction" (detoxification over load).

On a similar subject, I had taken a break from an exercise routine (high intensity interval training) using a rebounder. This is my "lazy way" to keep in shape with spending very little time at all. Anyway, when I returned to it after long break, I experienced just a slight feeling of malaise.

This was no doubt my lymphatic system getting back into gear to move whatever build-up toxins had accumulated.

CS,

I heard great things about using a rebounder. Which one do you have or recommend? Hopefully not over $150

CausticSymmetry wrote:One thing that Chlorella does is help toxins like mercury to be removed into the bile tract where it can be collected and excreted.

I think Littlefighter is probably right on the money, it maybe a "Herxheimer reaction" (detoxification over load).

On a similar subject, I had taken a break from an exercise routine (high intensity interval training) using a rebounder. This is my "lazy way" to keep in shape with spending very little time at all. Anyway, when I returned to it after long break, I experienced just a slight feeling of malaise.

This was no doubt my lymphatic system getting back into gear to move whatever build-up toxins had accumulated.

Chlorella might be an excellent option/strategy to manage heavy metals dumped into the digestive tract in the long term, plus other benefits.

Another option I would recommend is cheap apple pectin (not the expensive MCP), it will work to absorb toxins and metals in the digestive track and reduce systemic inflammation thanks to its benefits on the flora. So those who don't want to go with chlorella I believe Apple PEctin is great...