Adverse Effects of Antioxidants in Patients with Dental Metal Allergy

Introduction & Objectives: Adverse events and side effects related to dietary supplementation with antioxidants in persons with symptoms associated with exposure to mercury amalgam are largely unknown. Doctors often suggest a biological detoxification therapy with selenium, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), lipoic acid, DMPS. We report the first case series of clinically significant adverse events to antioxidant treatment regimens in persons during amalgam replacement. Methods: Patient 1: In 2002, a 54 year-old man in good health. He had 10 amalgams and he had taken NAC (400 mg die). Urticaria, oral and genital lichen planus along with IgA nephropathy developed. Patient 2: In 2005, 38 year-old woman, she had mercury allergy and 9 amalgams and connective tissue disease developed after she had taken EDTA (3 g, intravenously) during chelation therapy. Patient 3: 2003 a 34-year-old man with allergy to mercury dental amalgam (++) associated with a large amalgam tattoo developed anxiety, tremor, and panic disorder during alpha-lipoic acid therapy (100 mg per day). Patient 4: 2006, 40-year-old men with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and 8 mercury amalgams. After 1 year of chelation treatment with EDTA he had elevated levels of blood mercury (7.6 micrograms per liter), he began to have recurrent stomatitis. Patient 5: 2009, a healthy 49-year-old men with 2 mercury amalgam and palladium crowns. He underwent DMPS provocation test. Soon after he had weight loss (7 kg), itching, elevated sIL2r and CD69, elevated Hg in blood and urine, and multiple metal allergy. Patient 6: 2010, 52-year-old woman, with multiple allergy to metals. During amalgam removal she had taken NAC and selenium. She developed autoimmune reaction (ANA+), elevated bilirubin levels, gastritis. Patient 7: 2010, 45-year-old woman with 8 amalgams, she had taken selenium during dental amalgam removal, with increased ANA and IgM-GM1 levels. Conclusions: Adverse events associated with the use of antioxidants and chelators are common during amalgam-replacement treatment.