This forum is strictly for advice [ altho it been excellant advice] but for now I would listen to your doc and wait for the tests. I will tell U tho I dont have the utmost confidence in everything a doctor says. I went to mine and my BP was really low, I was dizzy and having muscle fatigue. He wasnt concerned but I was. I did some research and came up with that I was very low in potassium. Once I added the supplement, I noticed a huge difference in just a couple days. I had my BP rechecked and it was up somewhat so the potassium definitely made a great difference in how I feel.

I have also heard to say away from them. Im taking a muti-vit. and feel fine. I think I will stick to that.. what ever worksss I say..

Potassium, calcium and magnesium are NOT heavy metals ... even in their pure state, they are minerals that are readily dissolved in water solution .. as opposed to mercury, lead or aluminum. THOSE are heavy metals.

K (potassium), Ca (calcium) and Mg (magnesium) are vital minerals called electrolytes, without which the human body could not function at all. They are vital for transmission of nerve impulses, muscle contraction (in particular the heart muscle and the muscles in our arms and legs called skeletal muscles).

K, Ca and Mg are found in EVERYTHING you eat. Since they are dissolved in water ... increases in urine output can cause to levels being depleted, especially K and Mg. Certain disease states can cause the body to retain these electrolytes .. kidney failure especially, and certain blood pressure and heart medications. Most foods contain these minerals in greater or lesser amounts. Dark green leafy vegetables and ocean fish are rich in potassium and magnesium especially.

The daily requirement for potassium is 2500 mg per day -- some of this is recycled by the body, some will come from food. When there is increased water loss .. eg, the early stages of low-carbing, heavy exercise & sweating, etc .. a supplement ensures that levels remain adequate. The daily requirement for magnesium is 450 mg, and for calcium it's 1,000 to 1,500 mg per day. The World Health Organization has recognized that chronic deficiency of calcium is the leading cause of osteoporosis in adults over age 50.

Healthy kidneys are designed to prevent a buildup of these electrolytes. Unfortunately, there's not a similar mechanism to ensure that they are not lost, and so they must be replaced on a daily basis or levels will drop.

A blood test is certainly worthwhile .. but I think your doctor is over-reacting and, dare I say, misinformed.

Doreen

You may ask for a copy to be made of your blood tests and take it to a different doctor for a second opinion?

That would be my first step. Like Doreen pointed out, those are minerals not heavy metals, any doctor that confuses that point would soon be losing me as a patient.

Remember it is YOUR body and YOUR health. There are some really scarey doctors out there that we should question with their "medical advice".

Definitely seek a second opinion.

Ask her how she considers a Group IA element potasium to be "heavy metals"?

The term "Heavy Metals" is generally interpreted to include those metals from periodic table groups IIA through VIA. While magnesium and calcium are group IIA metals, they are very early in the group and are almost never classified as "heavy metals". The question begs to be asked that if magnesium is a heavy metal, then what metals are NOT heavy metals? The only metals lighter than magnesium are lithium, berillium and sodium. Lithium and sodium are both IA metals, so the term "heavy metal" becomes rather meaningless if it exclused only one element,

Usually, when the term "Heavy Metals" is used in regard to metal toxicity, it involves metals like lead, arsenic and mercury - metals that are well up on the periodic table - although it can sometimes include boron which is very low in the table.

Get a second opinion.

And, no, you do not sound silly about it all. You sound like someone that is trying to make proper, informed decisions about her health and seeking as much information as you can. Doesn't sound silly to me at all.

Thats great news! I knew you were very distressed over the whole thing. Im glad your doctor is on your side now, and Im sure in 3 months your blood tests will be fine.

This is wonderful. And this REALLY shows the power and utility of this forum. Hats off to you for behaving perfectly - you had questions concerning medical advice you received from a professional, you sought input from a forum of people that are directly involved with the subject and then, knowing that those people are not experts, you took that new information back to your doctor and worked out an arrangement that both of you are happy with. Who could ask for a more perfect example of how all the pieces can come together.

Patients educating the doctors It takes courage and commitment to one's own well-being.

Good for you Fine.
Take care.

If my dr told me to stay off the heavy metals, I'd have to tell him fine--I'll drop the Judas Priest and Metallica, but ain't NOBODY telling me to stop the AC/DC!

Honestly though--I just ran into this thread this afternoon, and I am *thrilled* to see how well things turned out. Fine, you were absolutely right to question your dr's suggestion. Everyone else jumped in with opinions and suggestions and information (Doreen, you are a godsend!), and you did the right thing by taking it along for that second consultation. Kudos to you and everyone here who helped!

I know I feel miserable without my cal/mag supplement and my potassium. If I miss the latter for a few days, I start having muscle cramps--and within a couple of days of resuming, they're gone. I was without cal/mag for a couple of weeks and during that time I felt very, very tired and fatigued (and I was fighting off some nasty bug, simultaneously--not the best situation). I resumed those three days ago, and can already feel the difference.

*We* have to take the initiative sometimes and educate the "professionals" who "help" us. Ultimately, *we* are responsible, not they. No one lives in our bodies but ourselves--it's up to us to make the decisions we need to make, and find the information we need to make them with. Good for you, Fine!

What about Led Zeppelin???? Well guess they weren't actually heavy Metal