HEAVY METAL TOXICITY
Updated: 6 days ago
Here is information we have gathered over time to help you understand heavy metals and the part they can play in healing. Mold is another big piece of the toxin picture, and you can learn about it in my mold post:
Short on time or energy? A quick-view graphic with the key points is at the bottom of this post.
Looking for things that may help? Read my HEAVY METAL TOXICITY - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS post:
WHAT ARE HEAVY METALS?
Heavy metals occur naturally in the earth and also show up in some foods, medicines, supplements and chemicals. Because they are nearly everywhere, it is normal to carry a small amount. Trouble can start when levels climb too high, slowly over time or all at once. Lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium are among the metals tested most often. Aluminum can be tested too.
COMMON SOURCES OF EXPOSURE
- Fish and seafood: for most people, the main source of mercury. LymeDisease.org suggests the "SMASH" fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring), which are lower in mercury.
- Amalgam (silver-colored) dental fillings, which give off low levels of mercury vapor.
- Water from older pipes or plumbing (lead), and some groundwater (arsenic).
- Chipping or peeling paint in homes built before 1978, which can leave lead in dust.
- Rice (arsenic), and some crops and shellfish (cadmium).
- Tobacco smoke (cadmium).
- Some imported spices, ceramics, cosmetics and traditional remedies.
- Jobs like construction, plumbing, battery making, metal plating and stained glass work.
WHY IT MATTERS IN LYME
- Dr. Cory Tichauer, ND, an ILADS board member, wrote for ILADEF (2024) that complex illness often has several causes coming together, and he lists heavy metals, mold toxins and solvents as an "obstacle to recovery."
- Dr. Richard Horowitz includes heavy metals, mold and pesticides on his 16-point MSIDS map, so treatable causes aren't missed. In 2025 he wrote that metals, mold and other toxins in the brain can add to inflammation along with Lyme.
- In his 2018 review of 200 patients' charts, about 85% had elevated heavy metals on a provoked urine test, mostly lead and mercury. He explained that overlapping problems like these can cause the same symptoms as chronic Lyme, and said future studies are needed to learn whether toxins make Lyme symptoms worse or last longer.
- Dr. Marty Ross says metals like lead and mercury can lead to low energy, nerve and thinking problems, pain and poor digestion in chronic Lyme.
- Dr. Bill Rawls has said that when someone has mold, heavy metals and Lyme, he works on all of them together.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Symptoms depend on the metal, how much, and for how long. Early signs are often vague and easy to miss. They may include:
- Tiredness, headaches, and trouble thinking or remembering
- Tingling in the hands and feet
- Nausea, vomiting, belly pain or diarrhea
- Muscle weakness
- Changes in behavior or mood
- Shortness of breath, chills, or a heartbeat that is too fast, too slow or uneven
Mercury can also cause tremors, cadmium mainly affects the kidneys and bones, and arsenic can cause skin changes. Many symptoms overlap with Lyme, so your doctor will look at symptoms, test results and exposure history together.
TESTING
- Blood and urine are the most common samples. Hair, nails and stool can also be tested.
- Blood tests mainly show recent or ongoing exposure, especially for lead and some types of mercury. Urine tests are often used for cadmium, arsenic and other types of mercury.
- A normal result usually means no poisoning. Still, some metals move out of the blood fast and into the body's tissues, so if symptoms continue, your provider may order more tests.
- MedlinePlus suggests skipping seafood for 48 hours before a test.
- Some Lyme doctors, including Dr. Horowitz, use a "provoked" urine test: a prescription chelator (DMSA) is taken first, then urine is collected for 6 hours. This test is debated (see MORE RESEARCH WITH MIXED RESULTS below). If you're told your metals are high, it's okay to ask how the test was done and to get a second opinion.
DENTAL METALS
As part of my own Lyme healing, I had my root canals and all the metal in my mouth removed. If you decide to work on this, there is a wrong way and a right way to do it. I experienced the right way and am thankful I used a biological dentist. Afterward, my doctor added PectaSol-C to help my recovery:
- Talk with a biological dentist about whether removing your fillings is right for you.
- If you do, ask about SMART (Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique), a safer removal protocol from the IAOMT:
My dental post:
WHEN TO GET HELP
- Talk with your doctor if you have symptoms or a known exposure.
- The risk of serious, long-term harm is highest during pregnancy and childhood, because even very low lead levels can harm a growing brain.
- Call 911 or go to the emergency room for confusion, seizures, severe vomiting, trouble walking or trouble breathing. If you think someone swallowed something toxic, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
MORE RESEARCH WITH MIXED RESULTS
- Provoked urine tests (2021): of 74 people who came to toxicology clinics with provoked test results, only 3 had problems that toxicologists linked to heavy metals.
- A 2026 medical toxicology paper says provoked tests have not been shown to reliably diagnose disease and are discouraged by professional groups.
- Dr. Horowitz noted in 2018 that his provoked results were compared with ranges from people not given a chelator, and that data on healthy people tested the same way is missing.
- Dr. Todd Maderis considers a provoked test the most accurate way to measure stored lead and mercury, but he explains that comparing a provoked sample to normal ranges made for unprovoked urine can make levels look high when they may not be.
RELATED POSTS
DETOX - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
BINDERS
WATER FILTRATION
BRAIN FOG EDUCATION
SOURCES
Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART). IAOMT, The SMART Choice (no date shown).
Metal Chelation Following Inappropriate Testing: Approach to Non-Medically Indicated Therapy Requests: Ethics in Practice. Journal of Medical Toxicology, October 2026.
Heavy Metal Testing. MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), September 2026.
Heavy Metal Toxicity in Clinical and Environmental Health: Sources, Mechanisms, Diagnostics, and Evidence-Based Management of Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, and Arsenic. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, April 2026.
Dr. Marty Ross, Heavy Metals: The Problem & The Best Test (updated March 2026)
Dr. Todd Maderis, Heavy Metal Toxicity (updated February 2025)
MEDICAL DETECTIVE #5: Kris Kristofferson had chronic Lyme, not Alzheimer's. How can you tell the difference? Dr. Richard Horowitz. LymeDisease.org, January 2025.
Decoding Complex Inflammatory Illness: ILADS' Expert Insights for Comprehensive Understanding. Dr. Cory Tichauer, ND. ILADEF, May 2024.
Failure of chelator-provoked urine testing results to predict heavy metal toxicity in a prospective cohort of patients referred for medical toxicology evaluation. Clinical Toxicology, February 2022 (online June 2021).
How good nutrition can help you recover from Lyme disease. Lindsay Christensen, MS, CNS, LDN, CKNS. LymeDisease.org, December 2021.
Dr. Bill Rawls, Mold, Heavy Metals, and Lyme: Which One do I Treat First? (October 2021)
Older sources, still worth reading:
Precision Medicine: The Role of the MSIDS Model in Defining, Diagnosing, and Treating Chronic Lyme Disease/Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome and Other Chronic Illness: Part 2. Dr. Richard Horowitz and Phyllis Freeman. Healthcare, November 2018.
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
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