Mercury

[spiritofhilary]

Would love to hear views on the folliwing. I'm now 67 but when I was 14/15 myself and a friend took every opportunity to go into the store room in the school laboratory and 'play' with the mercury which was just kept in a cupboard. Obviously we didn't realise the danger at the time but I'm now wondering if my PMR could be a result of this teenage 'fun'. What does anyone else think?

[HeronNS]

Considering nearly everyone of a certain age in the Western world has some mercury in their mouths from dental work, and yet only a few people have autoimmune disorders it's hard to say. Apparently one of the things mercury poisoning does is affect the immune system. On the other hand as long as you weren't breathing in mercury fumes you probably didn't absorb very much. Are you in touch with this friend?

I remember having a bead of mercury on our bathroom floor for a little while as the result of a broken thermometer. Of course we played with it although apparently not to the same extent as you and your friend did!

[spiritofhilary in reply to HeronNS]

Yes I am in touch with this old friend who now lives in australia and seems to be very well indeed!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

Although there is evidence that mercury dental fillings have an adverse affect on some people's health, I think it needs a fairly long exposure time for that to come to fruition.

I doubt that your escapades 50 years ago would have been enough to contribute to your PMR now - think the time lapse is too great, but one never knows I suppose, stranger things have happened!

Have you succumbed to any other illnesses during those 50years which could add credence to your theory/question? Or are you like most of us, trying to fathom out why you got PMR in the first place?

[HeronNS in reply to DorsetLady]

By long exposure time, do you mean a lifetime, from fillings installed in childhood to today, old or at least elderly? Or a long time for the procedure as the filling is put in?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to HeronNS]

Long time, as in the number years they are in. But, if my memory serves me correctly only a limited number of people are affected adversely.

Sure you can find plenty of info on the web if you so wish, but it's only one more thing to add to the plethora of substances, natural and man made that are bad for us.

Some days I wonder how we've all managed to get to the age we are - must prove we're more indestructible than we thought!

[HeronNS]

Oh, and there is mercury in at least some vaccines. When I checked with our local pharmacy re flu shot I got pharmacist to look at the ingredients and in fact the vaccine they are offering us contains both mercury and aluminum, although no doubt with reassurances not in sufficient quantity to harm us and in forms that do not stay in the body. Maybe.

[Megams]

Thimerosal is a preservative (bactericide) known to be used in a variety of vaccines especially the flu vaccine. Is this the mercury you are referring to Heron?

Thimerosal was used in contact lens solutions which I reacted to along with many others clients I came in contact with when working within the Optometry field.

Fortunately some of the companies concerned removed thimerosal from their products & not before time.

Eye drops I occasionally use plus my nightly lubricating eye ointment do not contain preservatives.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If exposure to mercury were the cause then pretty much everybody of our age would develop an autoimmune disorder. They don't - so you cannot implicate it as causative - associated possibly but there are a lot of people with a "mercury history" who don't have PMR - just as I (and many others) have PMR and had had no flu or other jabs beforehand.

There is no one single cause - it is most likely a conglomeration of factors and if you avoid one, there is another that would have an effect on the immune system.

[spiritofhilary in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks. This was the conclusion I'd come to myself but it's good to hear others agree. I don't suppose any of us will ever know why we've got PMR but I'm sure I'll always wonder.

[Nannie-C]

Yip, "played" with mercury stored in a large hat in the treatment room when a student nurse back in the 60's, used to drop it from one hand to the other, was great fun. We were supposed to be cleaning the room but the mercury was much more fun. I too often wondered if it has caused me any problems but as others have said there would be a lot more of us with PMR if that were the case

[Sandradsn]

I think most older dentists would have PMR now,as its the vapour that is the danger of mercury.Years ago they never wore masks.I am the only member of staff at my surgery that has PMR ,we are all in daily contact with amalgum and replacing fillings.With me I'm sure it is the stress of working there that has made me ill !!