A woman who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis has revealed that her health problems were actually the result of mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings. Only eighteen months after having her dental work carried out Maria Indermuhle was told by doctors that she was suffering from the lifelong illness, which would leave her in a wheelchair and having to take medication every day to control the symptoms.
The 29-year-old, who was born in Inverness but lives in Switzerland, was devastated by the diagnosis and was already trying to deal with the effect on her health; Maria said that she was experiencing pins and needles in her legs and hands, as well as panic attacks and blurred vision. Just eighteen months after her fillings were placed, Maria was suffering extreme symptoms and could hardly walk, she even began to have hallucinations at night.
Suspecting that there might be more to her condition, Maria spoke to a Swiss doctor who tested for metals in the body; it was revealed that she was suffering from mercury poisoning. As she had never been in contact with mercury before, Maria realised that her metal fillings must be to blame and had them removed. Her symptoms quickly improved and then disappeared altogether.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said that ‘The Scottish Government believes that amalgam fillings are safe to use… [Allergic reaction] is quite rare and fewer than 0.04 per cent of the 1,007,169 fillings placed in 2012-2013 were removed on the recommendation of a consultant.’