As a conservation biologist, I am innately passionate about our impacts on the environment and how they affect the animals and plants around us. But I’m also passionate because what we do innately impacts us. I can speak first hand of these impacts because I suffered them. I was poisoned by mercury.
In my mid-to-late 20s, I started to get migraine headaches. I was in graduate school, and under constant stress. To blow off steam and have fun with my friends, I often indulged in cocktails on the weekends like any normal student. I wrote off my headaches to getting older and not doing so well with alcohol as I had in my early 20s. But over time, my headaches were becoming worse: more frequent, lasting longer, and popping up without an alcohol-induced explanation.
I then started to write my headaches off to stress. I mean, what graduate student did not get migraine headaches? This all seemed very normal. During this time, I had transitioned from ibuprofen/acetaminophen to Excedrin Migraine.
I can actually remember the day I took my first Excedrin Migraine. I laid on the couch for hours with a heavy pounding feeling on my forehead that Advil could no longer alleviate. I went with my now husband to the pharmacy to get the strongest drugs I could legally buy. I remember walking into the drugstore with my sunglasses on and my palm holding my forehead, which somehow helped keep in the pain. There it was sitting on the shelf, my new my savior. In the car ride home, the pain lifted up and away as if someone had removed a weight from my forehead.
As much as I loved Excedrin Migraine, it eventually let me down like all my other medications to follow. My headaches would develop, frequently concentrating in a small area above or behind my eyes, and Excedrin Migraine would relieve it for an hour or two, but my headache would come back, now lasting days rather than hours. I now had to go above the drugstore to the gatekeeper of the good stuff, my doctor.
Getting prescription drugs was so easy. The doctors were always eager to give them to me. But I didn’t want the headaches in the first place. Talking to them about not getting headaches was much harder. They would shrug and say things like “Many things can cause headaches. Why don’t you keep a journal and see what your triggers are?”
So that’s what I did. I kept a journal of everything I ate and tracked my headaches and looked for common patterns. Triggers can occur within hours or days, so I backtracked my headaches and mapped it on to all of the foods that I ate and beverages that I drank over the course of 72 hours. Beer, wine, and liquor would sometimes appear, but other times not. Was it the cheese I ate? Onions? Chocolate? Peanut butter? There were too many foods and no patterns in sight.
Not to mention, there are other causes of headaches. Was it the lack of sleep? The constant stress? My recent international trip? How could I possibly figure out what was causing my headaches. There were too many variables.
Just like the Excedrine Migraine, my prescriptions started to wear off. I was now on my third prescription drug, and all would work for hours, and then wear off, and there my headache would be, just as I had left it. My headaches were now lasting sometimes as long as 3-4 days. I was having to stay home from work. It was affecting my job and my life.
I needed the headaches to stop, but no doctor would help me. Just track your life and take more drugs. Those were the only solutions. But my headaches were so intense and chronic, I knew it had to be something more obvious than a glass of red wine or a bite of cheese here and there. And now I wasn’t even really drinking anymore. What was it that caused my headaches and who could help me? I felt hopeless.
I decided to see a functional medicine doctor. The difference between this doctor and your traditional doctor is that the former tries to get to the root cause of your problem and not just treat the symptoms (funny, I thought the latter was supposed to do that too). Quite often, the treatment relies on you making lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, sleep, etc.) rather than prescription drugs (although they do do that too). The big downside to a functional medicine doctor is that they are not covered by insurance and I had to pay out of pocket.
When I saw the doctor, the first thing he said to me after I described all of my symptoms was “I bet you have mercury toxicity.” This seemed crazy to me, but such a clear and distinct response brought me comfort because all of the other doctors I had seen (at least 5 in the past few years) were flabbergasted by my headaches. At the time, I still had my old teeth fillings in my mouth and regularly ate tuna, a predatory fish that can accumulate mercury.
That was the very first thing I got tested for with this doctor and he was right. My mercury levels were extremely high. This was frightening, but I also felt a sense of relief because it was something. I always knew deep down that my severe headaches were not the result of a food or drinking. I knew something was wrong.
I went through treatment. I got my teeth fillings replaced (although I wished I had gone to a special dentist for this because removing the metal fillings can actually expose you to more mercury) and stopped eating fish. I also went through a supplement protocol and because I am extreme, I bought an infrared sauna (I did the math and it was cheaper for me to purchase a sauna rather than go through sessions individually at a clinic. Plus I love my sauna and still use it regularly). I wanted to get the mercury out. I wanted the headaches to stop.
After six months of treatment, the headaches started to stop. Now, several years later, I can tell you, I hardly ever get headaches any more. Maybe once a year if even that. There was definitely a correlation between my migraine headaches and mercury in my system.
Writing about this experience makes me angry. We know enough about the risks with tuna to warn pregnant women, but what about everyday people? Seeing how widespread mercury and other heavy metal are in the environment made me reassess all of the products I consume in my life. I do eat fish now, but I only eat predatory fish once in a great while. I also looked at other possible sources of mercury in my life, notably my lipstick and other cosmetics (for more on this, read “17 Reasons Why I Switched to Beautycounter Skincare.”)
I am passionate about these issues because I know how awful it feels to suffer the consequences. I have learned that there’s a better way, and that we as a society can do better.
The thing that makes me most angry is all of the time I lost. I lost time laying on the couch when I couldn’t do anything else, or all of the time I spent waiting in doctor’s offices and talking to doctors.
I never thought my headaches would be so black and white. I always thought they were brought on subtly, by changes in outside pressure, something I ate, or even scents like perfume. But I learned the strong connection between my migraine headaches and mercury and have felt the drastic difference once I removed mercury from my body.
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Stephanie Schuttler is a wildlife biologist with 17 years of experience in mammal ecology and conservation, education, and outreach. Read her inspirational story, “My Unexpected Journey Into Science” to find out how she went from the daughter of a jeweler to a Ph.D. in wildlife biology. Feel free to contact Stephanie here.
I started having frequent migraine headaches after I changed my diet from red meat to fish.
I never considered ocean fish as the culprit until I moved to fresh water fish.
You make a very legitimate case for monitoring mercury intake.
I honestly feel that was the largest contributor to my very severe headaches.
What kind of fish do you eat? Make sure you are mostly eating low mercury fish. Tuna and other top predators are the worst for mercury because the mercury accumulates in them as they eat smaller fish.
This article is amazing! I’ve seen 12+ doctors who wanted to give me antidepressants medications and stuff. I found out I had a silver filling that was poisoning me and giving me migraines everyday. The worst part is the brain fog. I aspire to write a blog like this when I’m healthy.
Can you help tell me what type of supplements you used for the recovery? There are so many ways to remove mercury, love to get your regiment along with the sauna.
Inspiring, thank you! You have no idea how much this helped me.
Unfortunately I still get brain fog and I do have to be on antidepressants. The mercury removal didn’t help with that. LV-GB Complex was the main one that I was on, but I was also found to excrete mercury well so my protocol didn’t have to be as aggressive.
Super helpful. How long did it take to recover?
Thank you! I don’t remember exactly, but I think 6 months to a year.
What treatment did you do to get rid of the mercury in 6monthe?
Hi Jen! I took a test that showed that I excreted mercury very well, so we took the most conservative approach. I took the supplement LV-GB Complex, did a lot of infrared sauna sessions, and stopped eating fish temporarily. Now I rarely eat high-mercury fish.
Holy crap – this hits home for me. I’ve just had my mercury tested and it’s the same levels as you and I’ve had migraines for years and can no longer work. Am booked into a functional medicine clinic tomorrow – hoping they can help with all this!
Have started a new blog about medical misogyny but also charting my experiences. ([email protected]). Would love to chat to you more about this sometime if you’re up for it!
Yes, absolutely! You can send me a message.
Where can you get the mercury testing done at. My husband has had migraines for over 15 years and has them DAILY he also has several amalgam fillings.
Nicki
I had my done through a company called Quicksilver Scientific. It required a blood, urine, and hair sample. My doctor told me that a single sample would not be accurate.
Hey gal! So I just had a hair test done and I tested positive for mercury poisoning—- I rarely eat fish ever. Any fish. All of my fillings have already been replaced years ago.
I have no idea where I am getting mercury from! Any tips?
I too am having several migraines a week. I had one this week that lasted for 3 days straight.
I am not sure and I am not a doctor. I am not sure if you did the test yourself, but I would highly recommend doing it with a functional medicine doctor. Mine had me do the Quicksilver test and I was told that this was the best because it measures mercury in your hair, urine, and blood. I’m not sure if mercury in water is an issue in the United States, but that is something I might think about and also the products you use. I know heavy metals are in cosmetics (which is why I use Beautycounter: https://stephanieschuttler.com/17-reasons-why-i-switched-to-beautycounter-skincare/), that being said, I doubt there is enough of it or you are using enough of products for it to have that major of an impact on you. My recommendation is to work with a doctor/functional medicine doctor. Good luck and I hope you feel better.
Thank you for sharing your story. I get head aches so bad that they do not allow me to sleep.If I use some of the Andy Cutler protocal, so far Alpha Lipoic acid, 4 days on,3 days off,or 5 days on and 2 days off eventually helps. But they come back, so it is obvious that I did not get it all out. I started with cilantro from my garden, but within 3 days, the mercury redistributed in my brain so bad that I thought that I would go crazy. Mainly from pain and lack of sleep. I am afraid of using DMSA or DMPs. As I do not want to make things worse than they already are. I had many mercury amalgam fillings in my mouth for about 50 years. I will look in the LV GB complex. Is that a quicksilver product? Quick silver products are extremely expensive!!!
I used the Designs for Health brand. But please ask your doctor! What worked for me may not work for you. Good luck and I hope you get to the root of the cause.
Currently taking Design for Health supplements for heavy metal detox- feeling like garbage last 3 days – does that feeling go away with in a week. Ready to discontinue?
Interesting, I’ve never had fillings. I wonder if mercury in vaccines caused my migraines, chronic headaches, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, & Chemical Sensitivity.
Have you been tested? It is extremely unlikely it is from vaccines. The health effects of vaccines have been well researched and no causation has been found. It’s more more likely to come from the environment.
I’m sorry, but this is simply not true.
That comment did not age well… Your article about metals causing migraines is informative; however, your opinion on vaccines not causing health problems is misinformed. Vaccines contain aluminum, which is a metal, so if your [very logical] premise is that metals cause migraines, the obvious conclusion is that vaccines can also (in addition to a host of other medical problems that have been studied). The reasons that vaccine dangers are not well known are: zero funding is granted for anti-vax research, and anti-vax articles are never accepted in peer-reviewed journals for political and financial reasons. Peer review is a self-referential, corrupt cycle
What about that TRS product advertised online. Do you think it helps?
I have the same issues as mentioned. Had fillings out but after using cilantro got worse. Plus even with holistic dentist you are not protected from all of the mercury.
Also, the vaccines over the years didn’t help?
Thoughts?
I am not familiar with TRS and have never tried it personally. There has been a lot of research on vaccines and there is no research to support any link between vaccines and long-term health problems. I’ve had every vaccine under the sun because of my international travels. They are extremely important in reducing and eliminating disease.
I’ve been taking DMSA treatment to chelate lead and mercury. (3 days on, 11 days off. Both have come down some with 6 rounds/3 months). I’m concerned it is GIVING me headaches. I usually only get headaches if I use a cell. phone a lot, which I try not to do. Now, I feel like I’m getting them easier (not migraines). I also am eating cilantro every day, as I thought it helps with ridding of heavy metal toxins as well. Now on this blog I’m hearing people say that they think it is complicating their headaches(?). Is this possible?
I don’t know – I am not a doctor (or at least that kind, LOL!). My test (QuickSilver) revealed that I was good at eliminated mercury from my body. So all I did was take a supplement (LV-GB Complex 90 Caps) and then I took some additional supportive supplements (Vitamin K, D, etc.) but they weren’t directly related to the detox, stopped eating all fish for like 6 months, and did infrared saunas. Before I was diagnosed, I had my teeth fillings removed and I really think this was the cause. Because now I eat fish, even higher mercury fishes like tuna, and I don’t have any problems. Everyone is different – please consult a physician. You may also want to look at Tony Robbins’ stuff – he suffered from mercury poisoning pretty severely.
Hi. I saw a commercial today. Mentioned mercury and headaches. I have had this migraines for last 3 days. And realized I was having them every month for at least 3 days. I eat seafood daily. This is how I come to realized that I have been poisoning myself wt mercury, a commercial. No more fish for me. I guess it’s all chicken.
I would get the mercury test before you stop eating fish. For me, I think it was my teeth amalgams. I now eat tuna pretty regularly (although I’m going to stop because I want to go more vegan), but I don’t have headaches still.
Hello, I have been suffering from migraines since my early 20s. I recently got my one metal filling removed since my dentist recommend removing it. I never once thought my migraines and my filling were linked! Only after I had it removed did I notice next to no migraines and they are not that painful or long lasting!
That’s so great to hear! I’m so happy you’ve received relief.
Hello! I’ve been suffering from migraines for more than 20 years and these days I kept seeing stuff about mercury and I immediately remember I broke a thermometer when I was a little and played with mercury. I believe it was back then when the headaches started. Now I read your article and I realized mercury might’ve been the problem all along and I’m wondering why all these years I haven’t seen any article making a connection between mercury and migraines. I’m definitely going to tell my doctor that and get checked. Thanks a lot for your article! Wish you all the best!
If you didn’t have chronic exposure, your body gets rid of it. The half life of mercury in body (not in brain) is said to be 60-70 days.
Hi, Thanks for writing this blog. This is eye opening. My wife has 2 amalgam fillings and has chronic migraines with a chronic chest pain that doctors aren’t able to diagnose for 3 yrs. Our story is similar to yours and the symptoms too. Now we convinced our doctor to do a mercury blood test but they haven’t requested a urine test so I’m not sure if blood mercury level is enough. We’ll go for test soon but I read that sometimes blood mercury level can be low as the mercury is absorbed in tissue. If that happens, I’m not sure how I will convince the doctor for a urine mercury test. So, I’m already thinking of reaching out to a functional medicine doctor for the same.
Can you please share who your doctor is/was? I may prefer reaching out to them only as they seem to know that migraines can be associated with mercury poisoning
Hi, thanks for sharing your journey through migraine and cure. I also have amalgam fillings and chronic migraine along with some other symptoms that align with those caused by mercury poisoning. I asked my doctor for a heavy metals test and they ordered a blood test that came out negative. I read somewhere that sometimes blood and urine tests may come negative if the exposure isn’t recent and in such case, some doctors give a chelating agent and then do the test again. But I’m sure my doctor isn’t going to do this as they are already satisfied that there is no poisoning.
What tests did you go through that came positive. I know you wrote blood, urine and hair, but did your tests came positive with or without chelation? Thanks in advance!