BOOK REVIEWS

What reviewers have to say

     Amalgam Illness: Diagnosis and Treatment provides practical tools for use in trying to sort out a health problem. Himself and amalgam victim, Cutler describes the weird world of an amalgam patient in a very initiated way. Mercury and other heavy metals take up residence in the active site of liver enzymes where some essential substance is supposed to be sitting. The enzymes stop detoxifying pollutants and naturally occurring toxins and the victim becomes more sensitive to air quality, foods and chemicals. ... A chelating agent ... has two or more thiol groups in the same molecule which hold onto the mercury more tightly and is more likely to be able to move it out of the body safely. ... The objective of the suggested treatment is to minimize the redistribution of mercury, and to get it out of the system. 

            Heavy Metal Bulletin, volume 5 number 3 August 1999)
 

What readers have to say
 

    This book will give you the ammunition you will need to successfully recover from amalgam illness. It will also help you avoid making bad decisions about treatment. Patient-friendly and detailed, it is a blueprint which points you in the right direction for each symptom and area of suffering. Do not proceed without this surprisingly thorough book.

            L. M. S.
                            Chicago, Illinois
 
 

    This is the book you need!  Andrew Cutler has written an exceptional and enlightening book on the devastating health affects caused by amalgam fillings in your teeth. No one ever speaks as knowingly as those with experience. The author, himself a victim of mercury poisoning and a respected research scientist offers a clear, concise description of the physical and neurological destruction mercury causes in the human body. Clearly explained in language the patient can understand, yet the book is medically and scientifically detailed enough to belong in every physician's library.

    Do you know that dental amalgams - commonly referred to as silver fillings - are composed of 50% mercury? Despite what you may have been told, the mercury is not safely locked into the filling once it hardens. Mercury migrates from the tooth into your body and brain via several pathways, which are thoroughly explained in this book. If you have amalgam fillings in your teeth and find yourself plagued with a host of illnesses or symptoms your physician cannot resolve this book is a must read. Dr. Cutler has created a much needed and valuable resource for the victims of mercury poisoning. Finding a doctor knowledgeable on chronic mercury poisoning from amalgams is very difficult if not next to impossible. This book will arm you with the knowledge and information you need to make sure your doctor is following a protocol that will help you recover, rather than one that might harm your health even further.

    This book will also enlighten the medical and dental professions; and of even more importance to you personally, it will put you on the path to recovering your health. As a recovering victim of mercury poisoning myself, I have read many books on this subject.  Not having a background in medicine or biology some of them were next to impossible for me to wade through as I searched for a cause of my illness; Dr. Cutler's book is straightforward and to the point. Some books were easy to understand, but did not offer the depth of scientific information presented by Dr. Cutler. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Cutler for providing such a candid, well researched, enlightening, and thoroughly comprehensive resource. I have had the pleasure of referring this book to many other victims of this most preventable illness; all agree this book is the most helpful resource available.

    My doctor was so impressed with this book she ordered it before I left her office. Doctors are as much in the dark about this illness as are we, the victims of chronic mercury poisoning. This book is a real eye opener and will save you years of trudging from doctor to doctor as I did in search of the cause of my failing health. When all the while the cause of my illness was truly just beneath my nose. If you have amalgam fillings in your teeth and are plagued with chronic health problems you will find the solution in the scientific research and unriddling answers found in this book. Dr. Cutler has definitively revealed the mystery behind a host of illnesses caused by amalgam, along with invaluable knowledge on how you can recover.

    In gratitude for this inspiring book I'd like to quote, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

                            Lives of great men all remind us
                            We can make our lives sublime,
                            And, departing leave behind us
                            Footprints on the sands of time.

    Andrew Cutler left one giant footprint in his stride, offering help and hope to those of us suffering the devastating effects of chronic mercury poisoning. Thank you for this book, Andy.

            Linda Godsey
                            Houston,  Texas
 
 

    This book is an excellent resource for people who are having a health problem & their doctor does not have a clue. The book empowers you, the patient to work with your doctor and get the care you need. It gives you information on effective medical treatments your "health plan doctor" might not be aware of. It tells you how to use scientific fundamentals to interpret clinical laboratory tests to find the problem(s) so you can guide your busy doctor to fix it.

    As an introduction, Dr.Cutler guide you thorough the maze of the internal politics of modern medicine in finding the physician willing to help you. Then he presents compelling scientific evidence that a large number of people may have a mercury poisoning and describes the current bureaucratic catch-22 preventing the proper regulation of mercury in health care products.

    Chronic mercury poisoning is described and a rigorous diagnostic procedure is presented so you can determine whether you DO have a problem with mercury, and if not what might be affecting your health.

    Straightforward practical advice is given on how to get rid of the mercury with a minimum of side effect. Working through the details of the treatment section allows you to identify the nutritional supplements and medications you will need to start feeling better soon.

    This book is a roadmap for your return to health if you are among the millions of people unknowingly exposed to more mercury than your body can handle.

            Attila Hethely
                            Irvine, California
 
 
 

    I had a history of depression and other health problems. Then my mouth started to come apart - bleeding gums and all kinds of problems that had an oral surgeon ready cut.  I was on my way to losing my teeth just like my sister had.

    Luckily I heard about amalgam (mercury) poisoning before the surgeon got to me.  In 1993 I replaced my fillings and crowns with mercury free materials.  My buccal pockets and gums healed immediately and the oral surgeon was forced to remove me  from his list.

    Over the next seven years despite having eliminated mercury exposure from my mouth, I developed chronic fatigue syndrome (CFIDS), candida overgrowth, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and was even diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) by brain MRI.  Later, a spinal tap showed that I did not have multiple sclerosis,  but I continued to suffer from symptoms of the disease, like numbness and tingling of the arms and legs, rapid heartbeat, and head tremors and twitches. I didn't know that those disorders were related to the mercury in my body that had leached from my teeth and into my body and brain.

    In those seven years following my amalgam removal, mercury levels in my urine  and blood dropped from "off the charts" to near zero.  But the symptoms were  worsening.  Constant pressure in the brain, numbness and tingling in the extremities, rapid heart beat, complete constipation, high cholesterol, high  H-Pylori titers, low thyroid, low blood pressure, chronic fatigue, brain fog,  cognitive/memory problems documented by neuropsychological testing, and on and on.  I was so sick that I could no longer work.

    Then I finally learned about the metabolism of mercury.  Dr. Cutler's book  explains how once in my brain, the mercury just wasn't going to come out by  itself.  And mercury in the brain doesn't only cause neurological symptoms -  but since the brain controls hormones and the immune system, everything in the body can be effected from having mercury in the brain.  And everything WAS coming apart!

    Dr. Cutler's book doesn't stop after telling you how terribly poisoned you  could be by dental fillings; it actually tells you how to get the mercury  out of your brain and get well.  Dr. Cutler not only studied American medical journals to formulate this protocol, but overseas medical journals as well.  He shows you how to safely remove mercury from your body and brain using alpha lipoic acid, an over-the-counter antioxidant.

    The most important things to remember about chelating with lipoic acid are to (1) go slowly and (2) to take the doses (25 mg to 120 mg according to  tolerance) every 3 to 4 hours around the clock.  Dr. Cutler explains how this method keeps the blood levels of lipoic acid stable in order to move the Hg from the brain and eliminate it, not merely redistribute it to other places.

    Most of the neurological symptoms I've suffered from are gone now.  They don't come and go; they are just gone. The rapid heart beat stopped, along with the numbness and tingling of the extremities, and the tremor and twitches in my head.  My blood pressure has come up from 70/40 to 120/80 - perfectly normal. My cholesterol has dropped from 305 to 240.  My facial color is no longer ghastly white, but rather a normal and natural color.  H-Pylori titers (a bacteria associated with peptic ulcers and cancer) have gone from 6 plus to 1.37 without medication.

    I'm thrilled I found a way to improve these stubborn health problems that refused to budge with any other means.  Believe me, I had tried everything. If you want toget well from CFIDS, candida, MS, and other neurological problems please don't overlook this book, Amalgam Illness: Diagnosis and Treatment. Then follow the directions for how to get well safely!

            Anne Marquez, Ph. D.
                            Rohnert Park,  California
 
 
 

    This book contains a wealth of information for anyone who is or suspects they might be suffering from mercury poisoning and for any health practitioners who are trying to help patients who have mercury poisoning.  It provides excellent advice on how to start feeling better right away and how to recover from mercury poisoning while carrying on with one's life.  The information is accessible to lay people but technical information is introduced as necessary.  If you are suffering from any of the conditions mentioned on this webside, you would do well to start your search for a cure by reading this book.

            Rosemary Carter, Ph. D.
                            Crescent Valley, British Columbia
 
 
 

    Dr. Cutler is the most wonderful technical writer I have ever read. He takes a very complicated chemical reaction and breaks it down to a level easy enough for almost any layman to understand. A must read for anyone with a child that might have any heavy metal poisoning or anyone that might be poisoned by heavy metal themselves.

    Dr. Cutler gives detailed step by step directions to identify possible exposures, diagnosis, and treatments of heavy metal poisoning unlike any other author I have read. He not only details the causes and effects brilliantly, he inspires the reader to get help if it is indicated.
He takes a wonderfully unique look at what could be an epidemic in the United States. This book explains the what, wheres, and hows of Mercury and heavy metal poisonings.

    I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone that might be suffering from Mercury or Lead poisoning.
Dr. Cutler is such an awesome writer on such a complicated subject. Thank you!

            Lisa Wilson
                            College Park, Maryland
 
 

    I wish this book was available in 1996 when I first discovered that I had amalgam illness. I could have avoided some mistakes with regards to "challenge tests" and "intra-muscular DMPS chelation".

    The book has some highly detailed material on a wide range of health issues. For the first time, I was able to understand the exact mechanics of my severe hypoglycemia. "First low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) occors due to low cortisol. Then adrenaline shoots up to mobolize glucose. Since adrenaline can't do this very well without adequate cortisol, vast tidal waves of it wash over you and the 'psychiatric' symptoms occur...If your body has too much insulin floating around, it can't get rid of the stuff so there is insulin making your cells suck up blood sugar and keeping it low." ...This book will play a valuable role in my quest for health.

            Anonymous reviwer
                            Michigan
 
 

    Dr. Cutler's book Amalgam Illness: Diagnosis and Treatment is really awesome. I was a little leery of the...price but WOW, you DO get your money's worth. First, it is 200 pages, 8" x 11" paper with very little white space. It's full of information. And he has managed to pull off a very difficult trick of putting in a ton of practical information, thoroughly covering the subject of mercury toxicity and chelation and doing so in an easy to read format. It covers what mercury does to all the different organs, how to diagnosis it, and what your options are for treating it. If I had read this in the beginning I wouldn't have been so confused and fumbling around for months trying to figure out the mysterious world of chelation! Now it doesn't seem like this big scary thing at all. He covers many medications and supplements as well.

            Karen deFelice
                            Iowa
 
 

    Dr. Cutler tells it like it is. No cover-ups here like the one from the .... How do I know? My wife is extremely ill from dental amalgam poisoning for more than 20 years. She is seriously chronically poisoned. After so much lying from dentists and ignorance from medical doctors, here comes a good book that sheds light to one of the most insidious forms of sickness, mercury poisoning! Even after all mercury amalgams are replaced by safe composites, the next nightmare comes when trying to figure out how to get rid of the mercury already inside your brain, nervous system, kidneys, blood, etc from an already debilitated and compromised body.

    Dr. Cutler says on page 54: "First, do no harm. Note: the DMPS challenge is not a legitimate diagnostic test since over half the population will give a positive result but most of them do not appear to have amalgam illness. In addition there is a high incidence of adverse drug reactions during it, including permanent disability and death. It should never be used. DMSA challenge tests that involve the administration of 500 mg - 3g of DMSA as a single dose are also dangerous and not diagnostic."

    Dr. Cutler says on page 89: "Therapeutic approaches currently offered by some practitioners but which should NEVER be used include: DMPS by injection except when oral administration is contraindicated and dosage is low, DMPS or DMSA on any schedule not involving frequent administration of equal doses for at least several days in a row, EDTA chelation, or penicillamine in any form. Supplementary cysteine, glutathione, or a "high sulfur" diet, or chlorella should NOT be used. All of these "therapies" will be VERY HARMFUL to you."

    Dr. Cutler says in page 90: "For most people the proper chelation protocol using DMSA and LA (Lipoic Acid) is: . Starting 4 days after the last filling is replaced, 50-100 mg DMSA every 4 hours (including getting up at night to take a dose) for 2-6 months, until urine mercury is reduced 80%. . Then DMSA 50-100 mg + LA (Lipoic Acid) 50-200 mg every 3-4 hours (including getting up at night to take a dose) for about 3 days per week. When you feel all better, keep going for a few months. You may need to do this anywhere from 6 to 36 months depending on how sick you were to start and how hard your body holds on to the mercury. . It is important to keep taking your supplements and medicines during the whole time you are chelating."

Thanks Dr. Cutler. .....

            Kenneth Southwell
                                Spring Hill, Florida

            Mercury poisoning frequently contributes to Lyme Disease becoming chronic (see pages 126-133).  Many physicians from both alternative and conventional schools of thought disagree about how to cure mercury poisoning, even how to properly diagnose it. Because Lyme Disease sufferers who have mercury poisoning typically experience stagnation in the healing process until the mercury problem is properly dealt with, the question of how to diagnose and treat mercury poisoning is an important one.

            Fortunately, Andrew Hall Cutler, a registered professional chemical engineer who has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Princeton University, began researching mercury poisoning as a result of his own affliction with it.  Although Dr. Cutler did not have Lyme Disease, he found the effects of Mercury poisoning to be debilitating and he was unable to get help from conventional and alternative physicians.  Extensive self-study in biochemistry and medicine led Dr. Cutler to develop standard, rational guidelines for diagnosing and treating mercury poisoning.  As it turns out, the most productive way to remove mercury from the body happens to be governed by physical, chemical, and pharmacological principles which Dr. Cutler had already been educated in.  Thus, he was able to succeed where other researchers failed.  His discoveries led him back to health.

            Dr. Cutler has since published his findings in a well organized and user-friendly 226-page paperback book.  The book has led hundreds of other mercury poisoned victims back to health.  Dr. Cutler's book was quickly recognized by doctors, patients, and researchers alike, as the authoritative source for answers to mercury diagnosis/treatment questions.  The mercury treatment protocol described in his book is affordable, easy to understand, and substantiated by biochemical and physiological science.

            Bryan Rosner
                            California      
                            Author, Lyme Disease and Rife Machines

            Andy Cutler's book convinced me of something I had suspected: that my silver amalgams in my mouth were making me sick. His description of symptoms of mercury toxicity are thorough and were overwhelmingly familiar to me. His understanding of this devastating condition could only be this clear to someone who has lived this nightmare. With his knowledge of body chemistry, he is able to tell the reader how to diagnose a mercury problem and what to do to get well.

            After 15 years of chronic pain and illness, I now have the information I need to be proactive in getting well. I have recently had all the amalgam from my teeth safely removed. I have already seen improvements in several areas concerning my health. These improvements have come without even beginning the detox procedure. I know that I will see more improvements as I begin that process.

            This book has put my body and brain back on the road to good health.

            B. Hiley
                        Little Rock, A.R.

            Thank you, Andy, for applying your intelligence and research acumen to writing this book. It's worthy of study, and a powerful tool to share with friends and health care providers, at least the ones with open minds and a willingness to learn. Thanks for your MAJOR contribution to restoring the health of those of us with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Autism, ADHD, and all the rest of us who are the canaries in the coal mine.

            I'm looking forward to the 2nd edition of this text, as my copy is quite dog-eared and mangled. I am hopeful that you will update and expand your book, and thank you for rattling the cages of the establishment on OUR behalf.

Carol M. Wester RN MSN APRN
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
                       Mattapoisett, MA

            Andy is a chemist PHD by training and himself afflicted with Amalgam Illness. From his training as a basic science researcher, he developed the keen eye to dissect and analyze scientific literature. This perspective has given Andy an "outsider" / fresh view to the problem of CHELATION and supplement.

            Having read his book thouroughly, I can honestly say this book reads more like a Medical Textbook. Yet, the language is free of Medical jargons (ie "not uncommonly common.."). The book is comprehensive, and includes standard Perscription and herbal supplement usage and precautions.

            Now, to those parents who have not heard of Andy ... Please by ALL means get to know who Andy is and the yahoo!group Autism-Mercury. I myself was concerned about the dangers of chelation, and its valdity. DAN! doctors (including MD's) can NOT NOT do justice in treating your child if he or she has not been acquainted with the contents of this book. In particular, Andy explains why to AVOID DMPS IV challenge, and, the need for FREQUENT ALA dosage.

            As far as I know, NOONE has disputed Andy's calculations of ALA pharmokinetics. Yet DAN! doctors don't follow the obvious conclusion - the need for frequent dosing. Sure, say 90% of the children will not be adversely affected, but do you want to take the 10% this risk with your child?????

            Anyway, there is a lot more you can get from the book -- get the book: a MUST for anyone considering chelation and to consider period if you have a autistic child.

            Mitch with an M.D.  
                            C.A., USA

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