Metal Toxicity & Medical Devices
A Need to Know
In Today's toxic world, contaminants are everywhere and nearly impossible to avoid. Metals like Aluminum and Nickel are some of the most reactive metals within the general populous yet they're included in everything from Deodorant to cooking utensils to medical devices (Knee/Hip Replacements, Dental Devices, Essure Contraceptive, Heart wires, etc.).
This site is working in conjunction with a number of caring professionals from around the globe to try and raise awareness to the current concerns of dissimilar metals used in implantable medical devices.
Pandemic of idiopathic multi-morbidity
Since the late 1970's, reaction to metal containing implantable devices has been on the rise. As more physicians become aware of side effects of these implantable metal devices through patient feedback & testing, the realization of a growing problem, can no longer be denied. "The rising prevalence of patients who present with a list of ongoing and seemingly unrelated persistent complaints often including:
Headache, joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, bloating, chemical intolerance, dermatologic conditions, muscle spasms, "Fibromyalgia", difficulty sleeping, emotional/mental issues, exacerbation of rheumatological conditions, paralysis issues, nerve symptoms, reaction of hardware in other body locations causing pain. These are just a few, of the reported side effects by patients.
Heavy metal poisoning is a result of the toxic accumulation of certain metals. Such metals compete with and replace certain essential minerals in the course of which any of several of the body’s organ systems may be affected. Symptoms and physical findings associated with heavy metal poisoning vary according to the metal accumulated. Many of the heavy metals, such as zinc, copper, chromium, iron and manganese, are essential to body function in very small amounts. But, if these metals accumulate in the body in concentrations sufficient to cause poisoning, then serious damage may occur.
According to the the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, more than 120,000 Recalls, Safety Alerts and Field Safety Notices of medical devices have been reported. The Implant Files is an investigation by more than 250 journalists in 36 countries that tracks the global harm caused by medical devices that have been tested inadequately or not at all.
As of November 25th, 2019, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists is releasing the last batch of medical devices data to its International Medical Devices Database (IMDD), giving patients access to more than 120,000 records about faulty or even dangerous medical devices from around the world.
An additional 15,000 safety reports from 20 new countries have been incorporated in this latest release, making the database the world’s largest resource on medical device recalls, safety alerts and field safety notices. The IMDD, which now has data from 46 countries, has been visited more than 1.1 million times in the past 12 months.
The FDA won’t release data about whether patients were female or male, so ICIJ joined forces with Stanford to find answers.
Birth-control implants ruptured their wombs, shredding internal organs. Breast implants broke inside their bodies causing persistent pain. Devices meant to keep their hearts beating in rhythm delivered jolting shocks, in some cases even triggering strokes.
Journalists who reported Implant Files, International Consortium of Investigative Journalist’s award-winning investigation into the lax regulation of the $400 billion medical device industry worldwide, heard horror stories like this again and again. Patients harmed by medical devices come from all backgrounds, but most of the thousands we heard from shared a defining characteristic: they were women.
And it wasn’t just “women’s devices” that had hurt them, but sex-neutral implants like artificial hips.
An algorithm written by the ICIJ had managed to positively identify the sex of the patient in more than 340,000 injury and death cases. Of those, 67 percent were women and 33 percent were men.
Sources of metal
* Dental: Hg, Au, Pd, Sn, Ag, Ni
* Medicine: Fe, TiO2, Cd, Pb, Hg
* Cosmetics: TiO2, Cd, Pb, Hg
* Food stuffs: Hg, TiO2, Au, Ni, Fe
* Vaccines: Al, Hg
* Smoking: Ni, As, Hg, Cd, Pb
* Body Implants: Co, Cr, TiO2, Ni, Nb
* Tattoos: Hg, Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ti
Medical Applications
Orthopedics: bone and joint replacements
Dental Treatment: dental implants, crowns, posts, abutments, fillings, braces, pins, screws
Cardiovascular: artificial hearts, stents, valves, pacemakers
External Prostheses: audiophones, limbs
Metals In The Body
I cannot stress enough, the need for patients to research and learn about how their dental work and/or medical implantable devices (i.e. Joint Replacement, Pins/Screws/plates, Heart Stent, Essure Contraceptive, etc.) can cause a very unwanted side effect known as 'Galvanism'. Galvanism is created when any, two dissimilar metals come in contact within a liquid medium, aka your saliva or body fluids. Alloys used in the medical/dental industry have started to demonstrate major concerns with regards to the longterm effects created.
Listen as Dr. David Brownstein talks briefly on 'metals' negative effects on the body.
Its important to remember that if you have a metal implantable device, chelation should not be done unless you can remove the allergen first.
"Chelation likely has little role in treatment until the cobalt source is removed, including the removal of arthroplasty.[68] Indications for chelation include end-organ toxicity, such as severe acidosis or cardiac failure."
Periodic Chemical Table full list here:
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There are 4 types of allergy
Type 1 - Immediate type, it's IGE mediated, its an antibody (ex. dust mites)
Type 2 - IGE, IGG mediated antibody, bit slower
Type 3 - Immune complexes without any significance in clinical diagnostics
Type 4 - Not antibody mediated, it's T-cell mediated meaning delayed reactions
In the Type 4 allergy, Metal ions may bind to proteins and enzymes (especially sulphur containing proteins) forming metal-protein compounds that the body's immune system does recognize, resulting in autoimmune reactions.
Patients whose serum, blood, urine etc. concentrations are "normal' may still suffer from effects of hypersensitivity that are not indicated by levels testing alone. Allergy/toxicity is also dependent on individual susceptibility (genetics).
*It is strongly suggested that patch testing be avoided for Titanium due to its history of inaccuracies. The Melisa test is currently the 'Gold' standard of testing for immune responses to Titanium.
From August 1996 to September 2008, 97 patients (53 females and 44 males) in whom metal dermatitis was suspected were patch tested with the European standard series and a metal series. Age, sex, location of skin rash, occupation, specific metal allergies, and possible sources of sensitization were analyzed.
Results
Positive patch test reactions were seen in 55% (53 of 97) of patients, of whom 21 (40%) were allergic to more than one metal. Nearly three-quarters were sensitized to nickel and to at least one other metal, most commonly palladium, cobalt, or gold. Jewelry, eyeglass frames, watch straps, and buttons were common sources of allergies to multiple metals.
Conclusions
Metal alloys may induce multiple metal allergies. Patients suspected of having a metal allergy should be patch tested with an extended series of metals. We recommend adding palladium and gold, at least, to the standard series.
It is now suggested with the advent of innovation bringing so many new types of metal containing devices to the market, any patient who has chronic illness and multiple symptoms should consider metal allergy as a factor. Identifying inflammatory triggers by MELISA and reducing the burden will improve treatment outcomes.
How much of the body function is comprised of electrical impulses? The action potential of a nerve takes about 70 mv to depolarize. Studies are showing the combinations commonly used in many of todays implantable devices along with your dental work, can create galvanic responses upwards of 7 - 10 x's the needed amount regardless of where the implantable device is placed.
Metals are the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis. With the increased use of metallic implants, it is no surprise that metal implant allergies have become a cause for concern. While there are multiple tests to try and diagnose a metal implant allergy, there is no gold standard, and results are often difficult to interpret.
Note: A release from a device company with a precautionary warning, to "avoid direct contact of stainless steel wires with titanium implants to avoid galvanic corrosion." Be sure to make your primary care physician and any specialist you deal with aware if you have pre-existing implanted hardware and of any dental work containing metal. Always request your chemical certificate for your dental work and implantable medical devices so you know exactly what your dealing with when making test comparisons.
What mistake do companies often make when they talk about innovation?
Because innovation is a process, they bucket it as a value engineering process, rather than a value generation process.
an algorithm written by the ICIJ had managed to positively identify the sex of the patient in more than 340,000 injury and death cases. Of those, 67 percent were women and 33 percent were men.
Disease, is costing lives, reducing the quality of life, and one must inherently ask, how much innovation has played a roll, especially with regards to Implantable devices. 133 million Americans – 45% of the population – have at least one chronic disease. Chronic diseases are responsible for seven out of every 10 deaths in the U.S., killing more than 1.7 million Americans every year. Chronic diseases can be disabling and reduce a person’s quality of life, especially if left undiagnosed or untreated. For example, every 30 seconds a lower limb is amputated as a consequence of diabetes.
From my own personal case, metals used in my dental restoration turned out to be the culprit. The 'cause & effect' demonstrated & presented to the FDA by physicians in the field like Dr. Scott Schroeder and Dr. Steven Towers, offers further proof, the concerning complaints of side effects associated with implantable devices, can no longer be denied. And that, the use of dissimilar alloys in these devices to be the 'Smoking Gun' in many of todays illnesses.
Chronic Diseases: Costing Our FutureWhile today’s situation is grave, the chronic disease crisis looms even larger tomorrow. By 2025, chronic diseases will affect an estimated 164 million Americans – nearly half (49%) of the population (see Chart 1).
Some commonly used metals in dentistry
A Little Food for Thought
When we ponder the many advancements in healthcare we call innovation, we must never loose sight of its purpose and that is, to improve and/or, restore a patients overall health, in the safest, manner possible. However, what's now coming to the forefront and in question, is exactly that, the overall health and safety after implant.
As we all know, advancements like organ transplant has saved countless lives, giving second chances to many. Kidney, Heart, Lung, are all, gifts of life, but life that comes with some challenge.
One of those challenges is, the patient must take immunosuppressive drugs indefinitely to prevent rejection.
Lets talk about that for a minute because it brings up a very important aspect that is often not considered in Implantable Devices. When a patient undergoes organ transplant, there are two main components of success and those are:
1. Same Tissue type
2. Same Blood type
Those two (2) things along with a lifetime of immunosuppressive drugs is what is needed to maintain a healthy, functioning organ.
Given that example, knowing how difficult it is for the body to accept & maintain living tissue, how is it, we are placing all kinds of metal alloys in the human body and no one, is questioning the reported, mounting, side effects? Why are we diminishing the only usable and reliable source of feedback by relegating patients to the dust bin. By denying their pain & suffering for lack of reasonable testing we actually go backwards in patient care.
Amalgam fillings: Inorganic mercury, copper, silver, tin, nickel
Alloys: Gold, silver, copper, palladium, platinum, indium, iridium, ruthenium, nickel, cobalt, chromium, moybdenum, tungsten
Bridges: Cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, nickel
Titanium Implants: Titanium, Aluminium, nickel, vanadium
Orthodontic Braces and Retainers: Chromium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, titanium
Root-Fillings: Bismuth, tantalum (titanium, cadmium and formaldehyde in older restorations)y
Biocompatible Alternatives:
Composite fillings also known as white fillings
BPA free options where available
Glasionomer fillings containing small amounts of fluoride.
Acrylic dentures
Zirconium
Note: The US Food and Drug Administration: Mercury allergy - contraindication for amalgam (silver) fillings. June 2008: The Us Food and Drug administration put a warning on their website regarding the safety of amalgam fillings:
"If you are allergic to any of the metals in dental amalgam, you should not get amalgam fillings."
"If you believe you have an allergy or sensitivity to mercury or any of the other metals in dental amalgam (such as silver, tin, or copper), you should discuss treatment options with your dentist."
Before visiting your doctor, make sure you make a list of the questions that you want to discuss. Feel free to print this page to share with your primary care physician or specialist. Its also suggested you visit the Melisa.org website for more in depth information on this subject.
It's vital to realize that before you venture into any procedure where metal is being placed in the body that you Pre-Test to ensure a safer outcome!
The Melisa test through Melissa.org is the Gold Standard testing for Titanium however there are also other testing facilities that cover a multitude of potential allergens including dental materials. The links are provided here:
Melisa Test: http://www.melisa.org
Cliffords Test: http://www.ccrlab.com
BioComp Test: http://www.biocomplabs.com
LabCorp Test: https://www.labcorp.com (limited testing of metals)
Medical Device Recalls Were Way Up in 2019
There have been 48 medical device recalls issued in 2019 according to FDA, compared to just 32 medical device recalls in each of the previous two years.
On Monday, MD+DI reported that Medtronic has recalled its SynchroMed II implantable drug infusion pump after receiving reports of early motor stall due to the potential presence of foreign particles inside the pump motor assembly. Since then, FDA has posted three more device recall notices, including one from Cook Medical, one from GE Healthcare, and one from Smiths Medical.
The most serious of these recent recalls is GE's recall of several infant incubators after receiving six reports of infant falls with injuries such as skull fractures, hematoma, and edema. No deaths have been reported. The recalled devices include: Giraffe Incubator, Giraffe OmniBed, Giraffe Incubator Carestation, and Giraffe OmniBed Carestations.
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Their Mission
*Engagement of individuals and communities to be more educated, make informed decisions, and have more involvement in the management of their health. *Engage, Educate, Inform, Involve *Trademark Pending
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Suffering From Chronic Pain & Symptoms?
Metal hypersensitivity reactions often cause chronic, systemic pain, immune dysfunction, histamine reactions, eczema, bleeding rashes & many other chronic symptoms.
Hello everyone, let's remember, for those who haven't done it yet, to fill out the survey, if you prefer anonymously. We can, in everyone's interest, keep the chart updated thanks to your answers:
https://surveyheart.com/form/5dbf1697827a2b0fc83b2fcd?fbclid=IwAR0i0Qmtr-Je2Q0Vyqp9nExW_wePYt5wbaJJRTFygLpkLzcp4eECyHWCinQ#welcome
Metals In The Media
A woman's asthma may have been triggered by metal pacemaker.
Researchers established that the patient - who practiced pole dancing at her gym - was allergic to the nickel in the pole.
Three days after wrist surgery using a stainless steel plate and screws she developed pain, swelling, local neuropathy and other issues.
"Doctors need to know what they're putting in patients," "Protect us, the patients and the doctors, and do not be complicit in the manufacturers' incomplete labeling."
The nickel allergic patient suffered seizures, fever, alerted mental status and language impairment after a nickel clip was placed.
The following section reflects the cumulative efforts from numerous professionals and patients across the globe. The latter of the two contributing their stories, research and caring nature with common goals in mind. Many patients of harm are working despite their often, ill health and limited finances, doing their best to educate the public on concerning area's of healthcare. Like the FDA's 510K process https://www.devicewatch.org/reg/510k.shtml. That process has proven it puts the science in question, jeopardizing thousands in the process. As social media support groups and advocacy organizations grow in popularity, the depths of the problem become all to apparent.
We believe its even more imperative to research and make inquiries to be able to make a more informed decision where medical/dental devices are concerned. That's why we've come together here, to make our mess, our message for the benefit of all.
From varying backgrounds and geographic locations, this unique and diversified group of like minded women, have dug deep in their commitments to seek better science, and higher standards in today's healthcare. With realistic expectations, they utilize their skill sets to strategize an approach to bring more awareness to the public on the current concerns of implantable devices.
The video infomercial below is a product of their efforts.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent setbacks in my health, the Patient Story section below is currently a work in progress. Thank You for your patience.
METAL TOXICITY - JOURNEY'S OF IMPLANT ILLNESS
A COMPILATION OF PATIENT STORIES
My Life May Be Returning Before My Eyes!!!
By Kimmi Rose Dragonetti
Finally had my metal removed!!! After 9 years of bad health! 9 years of mobility issues in my elbow joint. Turns out the metal was blocking my joint from having full motion. I have full motion back on day 3 post op!!! My active inflammation has gone down to levels I haven't seen since pre-RA diagnosis! I really hope this isn't all placebo effect! I feel a layer of brain fog and anxiety that has lifted already and my grip in both of my hands have strengthened! I can open jars again!!!! This is amazing and I'm blown away by the positive changes I am already experiencing! I'm so so happy and can't believe my life may re returning before my eyes!!!!!!
THIS IS HOW I BECAME SICK!!
By Debbie Wathey-Martino
Thank You Debbie Wathey-Martino for your courage in bringing Dental awareness thru your story. Sharing your personal struggles in the hopes others will learn from your experience.
" A year ago I read about a woman and her daughter in VA that got braces
Within a couple of months, her 14-year-old daughter got deathly ill
Turns out it was the metals that poisoned her blood
I said to myself it’s starting finally!!
About a month ago I saw an article on FB from the http://www.melisa.org/articles/ foundation...
Their fight is finally over
The FDA HAS NOW RECOGNIZED THE PHYSICAL DANGER TO SOME PEOPLE IN DENTAL WORK!!🙏👏🏻👍
I will continue to deal with my battles and my health but on a positive note, maybe my story will help people to avoid getting sick!!"
Respectfully,
Debby Martino
Read her full story here: https://believe4ever87.wordpress.com/2019/07/15/dental-harm-w/?fbclid=IwAR13VFGAm1jRFxyqfFLW91NnaQ0KCnoJ-4IqDnDDLd-cO-5skAN4YJVHFN4
The Mayhem of Metals - A story of Despair
By Deanne Merchant
Never, in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would become the reluctant poster child of dental awareness yet, here I am. Here I am not only to share my story, but to raise awareness to a very troubling & growing concern, 'Galvanism/Galvanic Corrosion' in the process.
A procedure that was supposed to restore a functioning smile, ended up radically altering my life with devastating consequences. And despite being able to put the pieces of my puzzle together and requesting it be addressed appropriately by the professionals that did this, I was laughed out of their office and left to suffer the side effects of these toxic metals and malfunctioning bridgework.
Placated & verbally abused (see page 4 of my story), my constant complaints of the dysfunction, vise-grip feeling and obvious immune responses, were never addressed.
Adding insult to injury, even though my story comes with a mountain of proof, I came to realize, I had zero recourse against them legally. Not because I didn't have a case, but because the State Statutes says, if you don't figure out the harm within a certain amount of time, YOU LOSE, PERIOD!! If you are outside your state statutes, and most times, even if your not, good luck finding someone to take a dental case.
The irony is, the misalignment of my bridgework and substituted metals were... completely preventable. I didn't need to be left to suffer like this. The prosthodontist and the lab owner CHOSE NOT TO ADDRESS IT!
Had those 2 aspects of my story been addressed by the professionals who created & installed my bridgework, this website, would not exist.
My story and many like mine, are the reason you will begin to see more and more of these sites and support groups cropping up on social media and sadly, many, boast huge followings.
LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE, DON'T BECOME ONE! Do your research, ask questions, go into whatever procedure you may need, with your eyes wide open & never, ever, trust blindly. I did and look what happened to me!
Read my full story here:
NOTE: Be sure to listen to the audio within the context of the story, it helps validate it.
https://www.welcometodds.com/dds-page-1
https://www.welcometodds.com/dds-page-3
Essure Contraceptive - My Story, My Suffering
By Maria Fiore
Thank You Maria for deciding to bring your story to the masses and help us share this much needed message of awareness in the hopes of enlightening & helping others. Your bravery & compassion not only in coming forward to share your story but to rally a cause, shows the heart of a true warrior and I commend you.
-D
I want you to tell us about the effort you make, to get the right information, about the difficulty of society to show solidarity to us, but also in general, about the frustration that comes from the indifference of those who believe that the blame, somehow, is always and only yours, because the thought that an injustice that affects another person does not concern us, still strongly exists .
Some of them were part of the documentary “the bleeding edge” which received several awards, including the best documentary of the year. Then there was a worldwide investigation “the implant files”. I hope that even in Italy we will talk about yet another deception on the part of the pharmaceutical industry, which seems to be particularly on the body of women.
Read her story here: https://essureproblemi.home.blog/2019/12/05/la-mia-storia-my-story-english-version-below/?fbclid=IwAR2J7vVfxYmrQ6JeUO5wCTio8JF_2grJDmeGsUq04tMtem26FN4BAImwJJw
Source References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_ink
https://pt.slideshare.net/vishnumenon332/biomaterials-vishnu1
https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/heavy-metal-poisoning/
https://www.icij.org/blog/2019/11/safety-data-from-20-countries-added-to-implant-files-database/
https://www.icij.org/?from=implantfiles
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3797898/
https://ww2.frost.com/research/industry/techvision/medical-devices-and-imaging/