by Linda M. Brocato
May 2004
In February 1980, I was getting ready to go to work and went into the bathroom to wash up. When I looked in the mirror my face showed signs of paralysis. My right eye and the right side of my mouth were drooping downward. I was scared because I didn’t know what happened. I went to the doctor and after examination he said it was similar to a Bell’s palsy and should be better within time. The option of medication was offered but the doctor seemed to be optimistic about recovery with or without medication. Within two months, recovery was experienced. After all, for the last 30 years, I had been fairly healthy except for the normal illnesses of a cold, etc.
Six months later, after bouts of a pulling sensation in my left eye, I lost my center vision. I was told I had optic neuritis and large doses of prednisone were prescribed. Within two months my vision returned. At times, I would experience extreme headaches and dizziness and had to lie down. I continued to go to the doctors but they could not find anything wrong. At times it was intimated that the problem might be emotional. I knew that the prospect of getting married and moving to California was on my mind but thought that was normal. I was confused and scared because something was happening in my body. I didn’t know what was going on and neither did the doctors. Nothing definitive. I continued working in my supervisory position though at times it was stressful "not knowing."
I experienced the symptoms of uncoordinated movements, numbness and tingling of the hands and feet, weakness of one leg and then the other, and a lack of balance. In 1981, upon examination of "walking down a corridor," the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) was established by a well know neurologist. I spent years of countless visits to other neurologists, at five of the best-known hospitals in the Chicago area, only for them to confirm the previous diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. Nutritionists, kinesiologists, and chiropractors in conventional and non-conventional practices also became a part of the series of health care practitioners. My search for a remedy or cure began. I diligently read book after book on various theories of MS and any closely related topic, including Candida Albicans.
As time went on, my thinking became clouded, my legs became weaker and the falling more frequent. At work, I would be returning from lunch and fall with my tray in my hands. Incidents like this would happen only too often and have to be followed up by completing an incident report. Holding on to the walls and desks for balance became a part of my daily routine. At home, the situation was the same. As each year passed the symptoms escalated. These so called periods of "weakness" would soon be termed "exacerbations or relapses." I never knew when they would happen or how they were "triggered." I felt like a time bomb. Some relapses were mild and some were severe. Each time a relapse occurred, recovery was never complete. Symptoms of leg or arm weakness and overall body weakness contributed to one or more relapses each year, requiring various medications. I became increasingly frightened and knew I had to continue working because I was my only source of support.
In 1987 I entered a hospital for the very first time in my life. The various doses of medications were now ineffective and the only option offered was chemotherapy in conjunction with other therapies such as Plasmapheresis, etc. I was released, confined to using a walker and wheelchair. I experienced early menopause from the chemotherapy and cut my hair real short to minimize the thinness. My face and body were distorted from the medications and at times I experienced slurred speech because the muscles in my mouth were becoming weaker. I could no longer drive my car to work with confidence and I received assistance from my co-worker and a manager. My work position had to be altered. Even though I lived ten minutes from work it took an hour to get there. I lived on the second floor and every morning and afternoon, to and from work, each foot had to be manually moved to each step as I braced myself holding on to the handrails. To say the least, I was exhausted by the time I got to work.
In 1988, after discussion with my physician, I terminated my employment. I went on disability. Situations became increasingly difficult as the neighbors and paramedics had to be called only to find me on the floor unable to get up. One Christmas, I fell out of my amigo as I reached for something on my desk. I hit the floor, scraping my face against the carpet and landed on my back, unable to turn over. After knocking on the patio doors with a rod for which seemed like hours, someone heard the faint sounds. When they came to my assistance they commented on my blood stained face. This was only a slight indication of what was to come.
In 1989, I had another relapse. I was in the hospital for 1˝ months and released, confined to a wheelchair and a hospital bed...a paraplegic. I returned home unable to take care of my personal needs or tend to daily household chores. I had bladder incontinence that required the use of diapers. I could not feed myself without using a built up fork or wash my face and brush my teeth without difficulty. My hands and fingers became so weak I lost the ability to grasp a pen to write legibly and to even turn the pages of a book. A hoyer lift was used to get me into the hospital bed and shower. The commode with arms sat next to my bedside. Braces and orthopedic shoes were used to stabilize my legs and feet. I would fall out of my wheelchair if I sat too far forward or reached for an object. The thoughts of a nursing home continually raced through my mind. I required 24-hour care.
In 1990, after ten years of continuous relapses ranging from mild to severe, one or more times each year with a wide variety of medications and three hospitalizations, my search for an answer ended. Through research, I discovered my symptoms of "MS" and mercury poisoning were similar and that "silver" fillings are made up of about 50% mercury along with copper, tin, zinc, and silver. A mercury vapor test was performed, measuring the amount of mercury being emitted from the silver fillings. The levels of the test results were high and removal was recommended. A materials reactivity testing report also showed restoratives containing the components within the fillings "MAY NOT BE SUITABLE or may require concurrent body burden reduction and risk management." My dentists never informed me that there was MERCURY or any other metals in the "silver" amalgam fillings.
Even though the idea had much opposition from the medical and dental community, the amalgam fillings (16) were completely removed by September 1990. It took three months to remove all the amalgam fillings and two weeks after the last filling was removed, improvement began. My slurred speech began to disappear. This had been the last symptom to occur! On April 25, 1994 I had the results of a Neurometric Brain mapping EEG & EP Report - Summary: "As a result, there is evidence which supports both a degenerative disease and toxicity."
In 1992 I was at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, followed by an in-home physical therapy program. 1993 brought me to a spinal cord injury program in California and a Physical Therapy center in 1994. In 1996 I entered a continuous exercise program at a health fitness center where I attend about 3 times a week, 1 to 1 ˝ hours each time. The routine is rigorous and sometimes I just come home and lie down. This has brought me continuing improvement with a long way to go. I'm out of the hospital bed now and in a regular bed even though I’m still in a wheelchair.
As a result of amalgam removal, I have NOT had any relapses of Multiple Sclerosis symptoms since 1989 and have NOT had any medications for Multiple Sclerosis symptoms since 1990. Any previous medical treatment for MS symptoms cannot contribute to this change. It’s atypical for relapsing, remitting Multiple Sclerosis developing into progressive Multiple Sclerosis to be reversed.1 As of September 10, 2000, I no longer require 24-hour care. Taking care of myself is challenging at times and assistance is minimal but my goal is to be able to walk again.
Please understand what I am saying. There are a wide variety of symptoms associated with mercury poisoning. There may be people out there who have a sensitivity [allergy] to MERCURY like me and may exhibit "Multiple Sclerosis" (MS) symptoms as I had. There may be others out there that are misdiagnosed and may be able to regain some or all of their health again. Had the dental or medical profession informed me of the MERCURY in the "silver" amalgam fillings and its effects, I would NOT be in a wheelchair today. Mercury is a poison---public awareness would prevent years of suffering.
Linda M. Brocato
847-537-4794
E-mail:LindaBrocato@aol.com
1 Scheinberg M.D., Labe C. - Multiple Sclerosis (Second Edition) A Guide for Patients and Their Families. Chapter 3: What Causes the Disease? Pg. 19. Chapter 5: Signs and Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. pg. 51. Chapter 6: Drug Therapy. pg. 60.
Lechtenberg M.D., Richard (Chief, Division of Neurology, Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, New York, Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology State University of New York-Downstate Brooklyn, New York.) Multiple Sclerosis Fact Book. Chapter 6: Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. pg. 101 Plasmapheresis
Question from Marie to Linda: Linda, which dentist was this that never informed you that silver fillings had mercury- the dentist who placed the fillings or the dentist who measured the amount of mercury vapor coming off them? I am thinking that the dentist who measured the vapor would know full well the dangers and would have discussed this with you whereas the original "mercury poisoning dentist" would have not.
Linda: That is correct Marie.
I originally had fillings (silver) placed in my mouth at about age 7-8 years old. (1955-56) I remember 2-3 (?) or more dentists after my first dentist at age 7-8 years old. None of these dentists told me that there was mercury in the silver fillings. The last dentist I saw that placed silver /mercury fillings was from 1982-1990. I was diagnosed with MS in 1981. The dentist was well aware of my diagnosis and also aware of the pharmaceuticals that I was allergic to (penicillian and sulfa drugs). He never told me about the mercury in the silver fillings.
Marie: Linda, don't you think that because it took you so long to figure out that you were poisoned, that neurological damage occured which might have been prevented if you had known earlier that you were being poisoned and you could have removed fillings earlier and detoxed? Also didn't you tell me that back in 1981 there was not as much information out there about the mercury/ MS connection as there is today?
Linda: During June 1990 a women called me and told me about Louise Herback-Founder of DAMS who was speaking at the library on MS and silver/mercury fillings. Since I couldn't go to hear her speak, Louise sent me a packet of info on the subject. As I read the material I was horrified to find my symptoms of MS and mercury poisoning were the same.
Coincidentally, in June 1990 a filling had fallen out of my upper left molar. I went to the dentist to have it refilled. I asked my dentist if the mercury in the silver fillings presented a problem for me when I found out. In 1990 the information out there regarding silver/mercury fillings was virtually non-existent, and as a matter of fact, the Internet had just came into existence at about that time, or if the Internet was earlier, I never had a computer.
This dentist assured me that removing the silver/mercury fillings would not cure me. He gave me three articles to read. The first article by the ADA was criticizing the 60 Minutes program Is There a Poison in Your Mouth? that was aired in 1990. The title of the ADA article was "What '60 Minutes' Didn't Tell You." My dentist had circled the following paragraph:
“The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has found no evidence that amalgam fillings are related to multiple sclerosis and does not endorse the removal of fillings as a treatment procedure. The Society points out that spontaneous relapses and remission of the disease are well documented, and placebo effects are common. "60 Minutes" should have made this clear."2
The second article was from the ADA News June 4, 1990, “Dentist accused of practicing medicine, Dental license revoked for removing amalgam.” This article was about Dr. Joel M. Berger of Bayside, N.Y. Quoting from the article:
"The New York State Dental Board has revoked the license of a dentist charged with practicing medicine by removing a patient’s dental amalgam in order to cure the patient of arm and leg pain."At the top of this article my dentist wrote, “Linda, Thought you might like to see this. Sincerely, RM.”
The third article was by Noel T. Maxson, DDS “And it doesn’t lead to Communism either” published in July 1990 in the CDS Review. My dentist had circled the following paragraphs:
"The anti-amalgamist use scare tactics, often citing undocumented anecdotal reports, portraying them as scientific fact. This crusade is, I believe more depressing as it is fueled by a handful of dentists who have made a carreer out of replacing amalgam fillings with composite filling material.
The fact is that amalgam fillings are safe today and have been safe for over 150 years. There is simply no scientific data linking amalgam to multiple sclerosis, birth defects, mental retardation, or anything else.
Based on current scientific research, the use of dental amalgam as a restorative material does not pose a health hazard to the non-allergic patient. Further, for a dentist to advocate to a patient or the public the removal of clinically serviceable dental amalgam restorations solely to substitute a material that does not contain mercury is unwarranted and violated the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct."
At the top of “And it doesn’t lead to Communism either” my dentist wrote with a red magic marker, “Linda, if you were my sister I wouldn’t replace any of your silver fillings unless they were broken! P.S. If you want to change dentists, that’s up to you. But don’t do it because someone is promising you miracles or cures!! Thanks.”
This dentist had prepped that molar for a gold restoration and this is when I had spoken with Louise about finding a mercury free biological dentist. I never had the gold restoration.
Marie: Well, thank God you never let that dentist put a gold crown in your mouth with all of those other mercury fillings! You could have had an electrogalvanic reaction with the dissimiliar metals.
Linda: Yes, instead I went to a mercury free biological dentist who had done a mercury vapor test. The test results were high and he suggested having the silver fillings removed but also stated he was not sure of the outcome. He did an excellent job and I recently saw him in 2001 and thanked him for "saving my life." The rest is history. He was past president of IAOMT.
I am not fully recovered from the side effects of mercury dental amalgam poisoning as yet. This journey has been and remains long and difficult, but at least the MS symptoms have stopped. I am no longer in fear of a relapse or hospitalization for MS. I devote my time to political activitism and try to get the word out about the mercury in the silver fillings in order to help other people in hopes that those who are allergic or sensative to the mercury will be spared the many hardships. I am so fortunate I DID NOT listen to the dentist or for that matter, the other health disciplines who downplayed the MERCURY in the silver fillings...that's why I am alive today.
Marie: Can we blame all MS symptoms on mercury alone? Can you think of anything in your past that may have contributed to your becoming mercury toxic or reactive to heavy metals?
Linda: Marie, in answer to your question, being a DAMS (Dental Amalgam Mercury Syndrome) Coordinator for the state of Illinois, I receive calls from New York to California and in between. I am often asked, "What about the folks that don't have amalgam fillings and are diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)? That's a REALLY good question to ask. Not being a scientist or medical doctor (and even some of these folks cannot answer this question), I did some research and although I do not have a definative answer, I do have answers from the following-Vera Stejskal and Bernard Windham.
Vera Stejskal,Associated Professor of Immunology at the University of Stockholm writes,
As we know, there are many people with dental metal fillings who are healthy. This is where our test, MELISA®, comes into the picture as it can differentiate between those individuals that can be exposed to metals and be unaffected and those that are sensitive and only need to be exposed to minor amounts of metals to get sick.Please view the following web page for full disclosure. www.melisa.org
Bernard Windham, Chemical Engineer, DAMS-FL writes,
Proper functioning of the human body and mind depends on interactions of the brain and Central Nervous System (CNS) with elaborate metabolic and enzymatic processes and respiration that occurs at the cellular level in the various organs and parts of the body, as controlled by low levels of hormones from the endocrine system. It will be shown that toxic substances, such as mercury that the body is chronically exposed to, accumulate in the brain, pituitary gland, CNS, liver, kidneys, etc. and can damage, inhibit, and cause imbalances at virtually any stage of these various processes, which can have major neurological, immunological, and metabolic effects on an individual.Please view the following web page for full disclosure. www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/alzhg.html. There seems to be a wide range of possibilities and again not one definitive cause.
The main factors determining whether chronic conditions are induced by metals appear to be exposure and genetic susceptability, which determines individuals immune sensitivity and ability to detoxify metals. Very low levels of exposure have been found to seriously affect relatively large groups of individuals who are immune sensitive to toxic metals, or have an inability to detoxify metals due to such as deficient sulfoxidation or metallothionein function or other inhibited enzymatic processes related to detoxification or excretion of metals. The various neurological, immune, and metabolic related diseases discussed together here are diagnosed and labeled clinically based primarily on symptoms, along with tests for some underlying conditions found common in each disease. But each individual will be seen to have their own unique combination of neurological, endocrine, and enzymatic imbalances along with autoimmunities that result in the functional problems that lead to symptoms that are diagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS) or Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Alzheimer's Disease (AD), or Parkinson's Disease (PD), or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), or oral lichen planus (OLP), etc.
If I take a look at my family background my father was a night foreman at Duro Metal Company in Chicago. From what I remember they manufactured metal tools for the automobiles etc. and also this company was instrumental in manufacturing metal paraphernalia for WWII. I remember going to work with him at age 7 or 8 and playing in the vats of metal tools. He passed away from Parkinson's Disease in 1984. My uncle who worked for my father is still alive and doing well for his age of 97 years old. Could this have been a determining factor of immune suppression caused by toxins from the metal producing Parkinson's Disease?
I was also born 2 months premature and weighed 2 or 3 lbs. at birth. I was in the hospital and in an incubator for 3 months. My dad said I was so small he carried me around in a shoebox because he was afraid to handle me. There were 5 children born to my mom after 40 years old. They waited 20 years for children. One of which was stillborn and one miscarriage and of course I was diagnosed with M.S. Could this have been a case of infertility caused by the metal from the factory my dad worked and also produce low birth weight in me?
I did smoke since I was 15 years old but at that time living at home my mother would have "crowned me" if she every found out so I didn't smoke very often till I moved out. (I'm sure she knew). I think I smoked heavily for about 10 years and have been smoke free since 1984. I was diagnosed with MS in 1981 and continued to have relapses even after I stopped smoking. What significance did smoking play?
The alcohol drinking was significant in college but tapered off to social drinking after graduation. I stopped all drinking in 1983 but still experienced relapses of M.S.
All relapses of M.S. symptoms completely stopped after dental mercury amalgam removal in 1990 and has NEVER returned. I firmly believe that the mercury and other metals in the dental amalgam fillings definitely caused the M.S. My immune system may have been comprised to some degree but the mercury definitely put me over the edge.
2 The National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the American Dental Association support each other in covering up the dangers of mercury in dental fillings. The ADA quotes the MS Society, and the MS Society quotes the ADA. (Editor's Note.)
Linda Brocato is one of the DAMS Coordinator for the state of Illinois. She is available to help you find biological dentists in Illinois or to talk to you about mercury toxicity from dental fillings.
Back to the top
Back to Mercury Poisoned main page