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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Hobbes on October 28, 2005, at 6:59:06
Hi,
I've been reading this discussion group with great interest and have learned a lot.. but I got a question related to copper and decided to register. Knowing there are many individuals here with extensive biochemistry and laboratory practises knowledge, I figured this would be a good forum to ask for advice. :-)
My hair mineral analysis shoved (among other things) highly elevated level of copper. I think this might indicate a real medical problem, but it might also be e.g. a contamination in he hair sample.
To be sure, I would like to confirm this with further lab tests, but I'm unsure of which tests I should take. I know there are at least lab test for copper measured from blood, blood plasma, red cells and urine. Then there is also ceruloplasmin test, and maybe others I'm not aware of.
I'm especially interested to find out if excess copper has been stored in the internal organs like liver and brain.
Posted by JLx on October 28, 2005, at 20:42:30
In reply to Excess copper diagnostics?, posted by Hobbes on October 28, 2005, at 6:59:06
> Hi,
>
> I've been reading this discussion group with great interest and have learned a lot.. but I got a question related to copper and decided to register. Knowing there are many individuals here with extensive biochemistry and laboratory practises knowledge, I figured this would be a good forum to ask for advice. :-)
>
> My hair mineral analysis shoved (among other things) highly elevated level of copper. I think this might indicate a real medical problem, but it might also be e.g. a contamination in he hair sample.
>
> To be sure, I would like to confirm this with further lab tests, but I'm unsure of which tests I should take. I know there are at least lab test for copper measured from blood, blood plasma, red cells and urine. Then there is also ceruloplasmin test, and maybe others I'm not aware of.
>
> I'm especially interested to find out if excess copper has been stored in the internal organs like liver and brain.Sorry, I don't have knowledge about the tests, but I'm just wondering -- do you have symptoms of copper toxicity?
JL
Posted by Hobbes on October 30, 2005, at 12:57:54
In reply to Re: Excess copper diagnostics? » Hobbes, posted by JLx on October 28, 2005, at 20:42:30
I've got depression (lack of motivation), anxiety, poor memory and difficulties to concentrate which have all been mentioned as symptoms of copper excess. Untreated copper toxicity eventually destroys the brain, liver and kidneys by accumulating into these organs.
I realize my symptoms could also be due to something else but I'm very interested to see if copper could be at least partly behind my health problems.
So if anyone knows about lab diagnostics, please share your knowledge :-)
Posted by ESB on November 14, 2005, at 14:54:27
In reply to Excess copper diagnostics?, posted by Hobbes on October 28, 2005, at 6:59:06
Hi there,
I also got a similar test and I can tell you that any blood or plasma test would be worthless, since the hair test is measuring biounavailable copper, whereas the others would test the bioavailabke copper currently being used by your body. The only thing you can really do is look at the levels of other minerals in your hair mineral analysis and see if they fit the profile of a copper toxic individual. See the web site: http://www.drlwilson.com/ for more details. Sorry I couldn't be more help.
By the way, my copper is 10x the normal amount, so hopefully yours wasn't that high. I'm currently taking zinc, molybelum, and other substances, so I'll retest in a few months to see if this is helping.
ESB
> Hi,
>
> I've been reading this discussion group with great interest and have learned a lot.. but I got a question related to copper and decided to register. Knowing there are many individuals here with extensive biochemistry and laboratory practises knowledge, I figured this would be a good forum to ask for advice. :-)
>
> My hair mineral analysis shoved (among other things) highly elevated level of copper. I think this might indicate a real medical problem, but it might also be e.g. a contamination in he hair sample.
>
> To be sure, I would like to confirm this with further lab tests, but I'm unsure of which tests I should take. I know there are at least lab test for copper measured from blood, blood plasma, red cells and urine. Then there is also ceruloplasmin test, and maybe others I'm not aware of.
>
> I'm especially interested to find out if excess copper has been stored in the internal organs like liver and brain.
>
>
>
Posted by tealady on November 24, 2005, at 6:25:31
In reply to Re: Excess copper diagnostics?, posted by ESB on November 14, 2005, at 14:54:27
>
> By the way, my copper is 10x the normal amount, so hopefully yours wasn't that high. I'm currently taking zinc, molybelum, and other substances, so I'll retest in a few months to see if this is helping.
>
> ESB
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > I've been reading this discussion group with great interest and have learned a lot.. but I got a question related to copper and decided to register. Knowing there are many individuals here with extensive biochemistry and laboratory practises knowledge, I figured this would be a good forum to ask for advice. :-)
> >
> > My hair mineral analysis shoved (among other things) highly elevated level of copper. I think this might indicate a real medical problem, but it might also be e.g. a contamination in he hair sample.
> >
> > To be sure, I would like to confirm this with further lab tests, but I'm unsure of which tests I should take. I know there are at least lab test for copper measured from blood, blood plasma, red cells and urine. Then there is also ceruloplasmin test, and maybe others I'm not aware of.
> >
> > I'm especially interested to find out if excess copper has been stored in the internal organs like liver and brain.
> >
> >
> >
>
>If you suspect high copper its probably best to try and work out where ut might have come from? (as well as take zinc etc)
Maybe Copper plumbing?I found out today that IUD's ... the old ones .. used to be copper and releasing copper was how they worked?, well according to my doc.. and now I think they still release copper only they release synthetic progestins as well to prevent the severe bleeding the excess copper sometimes caused.
Now I now why I used to need so much zinc at one stage I think?
Of course it ALL stays in the uterus..the progestins and the copper I presumeJan (shaking head here and wondering if I have this right?)
Posted by john1022 on November 29, 2005, at 18:48:46
In reply to Re: Excess copper diagnostics?, posted by tealady on November 24, 2005, at 6:25:31
I actually had copper levels that were off the charts when I got a hair sample as well. my psych was very interested in that. I took zinc for about a year and my next couple hair tests the copper got lower and lower. I felt better and better over those months too, but I also strongly attribute 5HTP to helping that. but I still do believe high copper levels had something to do with it. does your skin/back develope red rashes at all when you shower? best of luck
Posted by Larry Hoover on December 4, 2005, at 19:49:58
In reply to Excess copper diagnostics?, posted by Hobbes on October 28, 2005, at 6:59:06
> Hi,
>
> I've been reading this discussion group with great interest and have learned a lot.. but I got a question related to copper and decided to register. Knowing there are many individuals here with extensive biochemistry and laboratory practises knowledge, I figured this would be a good forum to ask for advice. :-)Sorry your inquiry has gone unanswered so long.
> My hair mineral analysis shoved (among other things) highly elevated level of copper. I think this might indicate a real medical problem, but it might also be e.g. a contamination in he hair sample.
Hair is exposed to the environment. It is no longer representative of the tissues that generated it from the moment it emerges from the scalp. It may or may not retain useful information thereafter.
> To be sure, I would like to confirm this with further lab tests, but I'm unsure of which tests I should take. I know there are at least lab test for copper measured from blood, blood plasma, red cells and urine. Then there is also ceruloplasmin test, and maybe others I'm not aware of.
You want serum copper, ceruloplasmin concentration, and urine copper.
> I'm especially interested to find out if excess copper has been stored in the internal organs like liver and brain.
You'd likely be showing disturbances in liver enzymes already, if that was the case, but the gold standard here is liver biopsy. It is definitive.
I place no faith in hair analysis for minerals. If you have copper plumbing in your home, you have an obvious and direct source of copper contamination. Might as well argue this hair analysis is a test for copper plumbing.
Just my opinion.
Lar
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