Leaky Gut Caused by Copper Toxicity
Leaky gut caused by copper toxicity:
My sister got copper toxicity from her copper IUD. Many of her symptoms lessoned within hours of removal, but it seems to have set off some kind of chain reaction in her body. She basically eats hardboiled eggs, spinach and cabbage. Occasionally she can have a single blackberry or blueberry. She's been to several naturopath who have all told her something different and everything they recommend seems to make her more sick.
For reference she had the smallest baby bite of oatmeal and after about an hour it made her feel completely loopy. (We did some research and found that it releases oxygen into the blood or something.) The probiotics made her sick. A tiny bite of broccoli made her sick. A small sip of incredibly diluted chicken bone broth made her sick. Her iodine was low and then it was high. She's now having symptoms of low blood sugar (obviously since she can't eat anything.) I'm sure I'm leaving stuff out because this has been a journey!
TIMING: The IUD was in for about a year, she's been having symptoms for a few months, but over the course of a weekend they got significantly worse which is what compelled her to do research and find the copper toxicity. It has now been almost 3 weeks since the IUD was removed and she still can't eat anything. I don't know if she still needs to cleanse her liver or which issue needs to be addressed first at this point. I just want my sister to be able to eat, sleep and take care of her 3 kids! Thanks for any help you can provide.
Hi Laura,
Your sister's condition is well beyond the scope of an internet health forum. The prolonged copper toxicity that she experienced from the IUD over a period of a year is very dangerous. The removal of the IUD showed initial relief because she eliminated the main source of toxicity, but copper toxicity over such an extended period of time can cause copper to be deposited at high concentrations into areas such as the liver, kidneys and brain where it creates damaging excessive oxidative stress and damage to these major organs. Her doctor should have never released her knowing that the copper toxicity affects multiple major organs this way. They should have at least tested her liver enzymes and kidney function to make sure they were functioning optimally.
She needs to go back to her doctor to have these tests done as soon as possible. They can also give her drugs to try and remove as much excess copper as possible. They may also give her higher dose zinc to help excrete the copper.
The three foods you mentioned that she is consuming are all high in sulfur and this will be a clue for her doctor to consider.
The loopy feeling after she consumed a small bite of oatmeal can also be caused by liver toxicity which releases ammonia into the circulation which goes to the brain and causes severe brain fog and confusion.
It is just my opinion, but I think she needs to go to the emergency room immediately to rule out kidney and liver damage. To continue on as she is doing will only allow her to grow weaker lessening her chance for recovery.
Art
Louisville, KY
03/03/2024
Zinc is an antagonist to copper. https://drlwilson.com/Articles/copper elimination.htm
Hi again, Laura.
I did a little looking after my reply to you earlier today about taking your sister to the ER. I was thinking about her situation and then it dawned on me that she can't be the only one who has had these serious health problems from this copper IUD. So I googled this question :
" Are there lawsuits for faulty copper IUDs ". This is one of some that came up and you can rerun that question on google to get a better idea of how many :
https://www.drugwatch.com/paragard/lawsuits/
Look at the number of current cases as of March 2024 :
Important recent Paragard lawsuit developments include:
- March 2024: A total of 2, 570 cases were pending in the MDL.
- December 2023: Several cases joined the MDL this month and conditional transfer orders were filed. Lawyers are still accepting new cases.
- August 2023: Pending cases in the MDL now reach 2, 094.
- June 2023: Pending cases in the MDL now reach 2, 010.
- February 2023: The judge outlined the process for selecting 10 cases that will be the first group of bellwether test trials that will go to trial in 2024.
- January 2023: Judge M. Gino Brogdon Sr. (retired) will serve as a settlement mediator. This could be a sign parties are negotiating a global Paragard settlement. The talks will likely take place throughout 2023.
- September 2022: The judge scheduled discovery in selected Paragard lawsuit bellwether trial cases until at least fall 2023.
This can be useful for your sister because it means there are many doctors who have treated the after effects of this copper IUD and will know exactly what to look for and it may also mean that there is a possibility that her medical bills will be covered and that she may have legal recourse against the manufacturer of the IUD.
Inside the link there is another link to see if you are qualified to enter the lawsuit.
I hope the both of you find this information useful and it helps your sister to get the medical treatment she needs.
Best wishes to all five of you!
Art
Illinois, USA
03/04/2024
I'd go full zero carb (beef and water only) with activated charcoal when fasting. I would definitely not eat spinach as it has its own toxins that the activated carbon will also have to carry.
Activated charcoal is good for removing metals as well as micro-plastics.
Waukesha, WI
03/10/2024
Thank you for all of the info. My sister went to the E.R. and they did nothing. My understanding is that the medical industry currently only recognizes a genetic disease called Wilson's as the cause of copper toxicity and refuses to acknowledge over-exposure as a cause. My sister's doctor tried to convince her she had magically developed an auto-immune disorder and she had to fight to get her IUD taken out.
Waukesha, WI
03/10/2024
Is there a way to block the ammonia? What should she do if it happens again? She has been to 5 different natural doctors (in addition to her OB and the E.R.). One of then gave her dmsa, but she was afraid to take it in case it would strip more minerals and make things worse. She plans to start taking it soon. She believes her liver is getting better, based ok her own research. She is now able to eat yogurt. apple sauce/apple juice and small sips of coconut water.
Hi Laura,
I'm glad that she is finally able to eat more and different foods.
The drug that is needed for excess ammonia that reaches the brain is called lactulose and her doctor would have to prescribe it. It helps to prevent the formation of ammonia which can cause brain fog and confusion. If her doctor won't test her liver enzymes then he most likely isn't going to prescribe it for her.
Depending on the dose of lactulose that is prescribed, at low dose lactulose can act as a prebiotic that feeds health promoting gut bacteria and is healthful for the gut microbiome and increases short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which are health improving as discussed here.
At higher dose it can act as a treatment for constipation or act as an ammonia reducer.
Doctor's won't normally prescribe it for ammonia without first testing the liver enzyme levels to make sure they are elevated and causing the problem. If it is possible, she might try another doctor who will work to find out what is causing her problems. I know insurance can be a problem when trying to switch doctors, but her health is important. She might ask her friends if they have a doctor who they feel does a good job for them in order to try and find a new doctor who will work with her to resolve her health issues. I could make supplement suggestions, but I would just be guessing at the problem. She really needs the liver enzyme and kidney function tests in order to know if one or both are compromised. It requires just one syringe of blood to run both blood tests and the results can be available in as little as two days. I just don't understand why her doctor won't do this???
Art
Waukesha, WI
03/18/2024
*****UPDATE ON MY SISTER*****
Improvements: In addition to the foods mentioned she can now eat apples, chicken & beef (in small ammounts), kale, broccoli, and avocado & healthy oils (in small ammounts.) Her brain fog is mostly gone.
Her biggest problem is she feels like she has trouble breathing after eating carbs and things like carrots, oatmeal - even the broth from a carrot/celery/onion soup. It's hard to explain because she does not feel like her lungs are actually affected as she can take deep breaths without an issue. She thinks it has something to do with her blood (possibly CO2 buildup from carbs) or her liver not properly filtering the carbs. For reference: last night she had an egg, some lettuce and one tiny carrot and she spent almost the entire night feeling like she couldn't get enough oxygen.
Her second biggest problem is the anxiety attacks. She does NOT believe this is psychological as it feels very uncontrollable and, in her words "the worst most depressing feeling in the world." Very intense doom and she feels like it's coming from her stomach. It tends to come out of nowhere. My sister has always been a "suck it up" kind of person and has never experienced anxiety or panic attacks.
She is also still is having symptoms of low blood sugar, which likely has to do with not being able to eat as much as her body needs.
She has seen 6 doctors/naturopaths now and although some have been mildly helpful no one seems to quite be able to solve her problems. She has been offered harsh detox supplements, anti-axiety meds, allergy meds, asthmas meds and much more. The most recent one is the first willing to do a hair test, but told her based on blood work she is anemic. My sister believes this also has to do with her liver not properly filtering iron. When she takes iron supplements it makes her heart palpitations and brain fog much worse. Magnesium seems to help with them. She is considering making an appointment with an endoscopy center to take a closer look at her organs.
That lawsuit is for IUDs that broke, so we are not eligible, but we will continue searching for someone who can help (until our money runs out! )
Any information, tips, etc. anyone can offer help so much!
Hi Laura,
You said :
' Her biggest problem is she feels like she has trouble breathing after eating carbs and things like carrots, oatmeal - even the broth from a carrot/celery/onion soup. It's hard to explain because she does not feel like her lungs are actually affected as she can take deep breaths without an issue.'
These food items can all cause bloating in a person who has not taken them for awhile, partially due to the fiber content. Bloating puts pressure on the diaphragm and the diaphragm assists in breathing, but the pressure from bloating in this case can cause shortness of breath or the feeling of shortness of breath. Since she has been eating very little, many foods that may not have bothered her before, may bother her until her digestive system adjusts to them again. You said that the problem comes when she ate the foods you listed.
She could ask her doctor if it would be okay to take a digestive enzyme supplement to assist in the digestive process when she does eat. Here is a link to a typical digestive enzyme product that she can ask her doctor about :
Poor digestion or a dysbiotic gut microbiome can cause anxiety. It may be a practical approach to see if stabilizing the gut microbiome also eliminates her anxiety issues. Here is an article discussing the gut microbiome and anxiety :
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-gut-brain-connection#:~:text=A troubled intestine can send, GI) system are intimately connected.
Here is a relevant article quote :
' A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected. '
Art
Waukesha
04/15/2024
**UPDATE**
My sister finally found a naturopath who gave her in depth testing. The results basically say the copper killed off so much good bacteria in her lower intestines that there is an overgrowth of bad bacteria. Because of this she has not been absorbing many nutrients from her foods - which explains the various tests that have shown her deficient in different vitamins.
They believe this is why she's had trouble breathing and why she had a bad reaction to the prebiotics/probiotics and other foods. Our next step, I believe is to try to kill off the bad bacteria before restoring the good bacteria and then slowly detox. The doctor did also use some kind of machine (????) and when she set it to "copper" my sister felt noticeably better.
She will be working with this doctor and has been looking into eating disorder clinics to see if any of them could help her with slowly reintroducing foods and getting more nutrients. Now that we got the results back, though we're not sure this is the best option.
STILL OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS!!! THANK YOU!!!!
Hi again Laura,
The plan her doctor has recommended seems like a very good one. Many many diseases seem to originate in the gut microbiome or are promoted by gut dysbiosis which your sister seems to have.
How does her doctor propose to kill off her "bad bacteria"? This is normally done through the use of two or three highly potent antibiotics simultaneously to kill off the existing gut microbiome prior to the induction of fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) to allow the FMT to take hold easily and unperturbed by the existing pathogenic gut bacteria allowing the FMT to easily establish dominance of the gut microbiome. The FMT generally causes transient issues such as gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea or constipation. These gastro issues soon pass as the new FMT gradually takes hold and restores health promoting bacteria to the gut microbiome to improve the patient's health.
I wrote about FMT here and it might be worth asking her doctor if your sister can be a candidate for it given her severe dysbiotic gut :
https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/fecal-microbiota-transplantation-exploration.html
Please keep us posted on how your sister progresses.
Art
Madison
04/16/2024
I'll bet the machine was a Rife machine (I have the Spooky2 version). Uses sound waves and can really impact the target. Also, read Dr Nelson's book on the gut, he uses specifically made yogurts (you use only the specific probiotic you want and ferment at specific temp to maximize growth). She probably felt bad after the probiotics due to die off. Good luck
