“Lead levels exceed three times the upper expected limit per the reference population.”
That’s the news I got from my LLMD last week. Kinda surprising. I had gone in expecting to start the IM Bicillin, but this threw a wrench into those plans. All of my other metals were within the reference range, but the lead… way off the charts.
If I’m reading the results correctly, they say I’m at 24 ug/dl. The Mayo Clinic writes that a high level is 10 ug/dl. However, I’ve read other numbers that conflict with that. Regardless, it’s high, too high.
Symptoms of lead poisoning
I don’t know if my levels are considered “lead poisoning” but upon looking up the symptoms I found the following:
General Symptoms of Lead Poisoning In Children and Adults:
- Stomach aches, cramping, constipation, or diarrhea
- Nausea, vomiting
- Persistent, unexplained fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle weakness
- Higher rates of tooth decay
Behavioral Symptoms of Lead Poisoning In Adults:
- Irritability
- Unexplained changes in mood or personality
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Inability to concentrate
- Memory loss
Except for the vomiting, the above pretty much hits on ALL of my main complaints — basically all neurological in nature.
What to do?
Right now, I’m verifying the results and looking a little deeper into the metals thing. My LLMD took some blood to look for mercury (which apparently comes hand-in-hand with lead) and I’m repeating the initial lead test. This test involves downing a fist full of MDSA and then collecting my urine for six-hours. I can’t express and much fun that is… not.
But it doesn’t stop there! I before I do that (today, in fact) he wants me to do a six-hour collection without the MDSA so that he can compare the two. My life is so great right now.
It’s funny, though… like a lot of Lyme patients, my test results often come back fine; as if I’m the picture of health. But then, every once in a while, I get an abnormal result and it’s like Christmas or something. I get all excited that there’s (A) some sort of proof that I really do have something wrong with me, and (B) the potential to treat something specific that may, hopefully, make me feel better.
That said, I’m not holding my breath that clearing lead out of my system is going to be the key to future good health. I read that most patients only see an improvement in test results (levels going down). Only upwards of 25% see a clinical improvement.
Any advice?
The whole “heavy metal” thing is an area that I’ve not looked into at all. I posted a question on LymeNet and got some helpful responses, but if anyone has any additional info, I’d appreciate your adding a comment below or sending me an email.
