Hi OpenMindOpenHeart, it's tough to jump in and comment on this subject because as you've read above - so many people have had many reactions to the different variations of the protocols. I think the amount of heavy metal toxicity in the individual will be directly related to how intense the detox reaction is. Unfortunately, this is something very hard to guess at. Another thing is the amount of discomfort/pain tolerance one has. I know that some of the detox protocols on this thread barely effect one person and the next person gets 48 hours of intense flu-like symptoms on a milder protocol.
I started with the Iodine protocol a number of years ago and still use it a few times a year as my mouth is filled with mercury fillings and my teeth are bad enough that they'll be coming out with the mercury if I replace them
When I did my first Lugol's Iodine detox a number of years ago, the product was inexpensive and seemed to be available from a number of sources. It's gone up in price quite a bit since then and not as easy to find. In my opinion, the formulations that are less than 12% aren't very effective for detox (maybe they are as supplements). For Lugol's there seems (to me anyway) to be a critical mass that is needed and drinking a lot of 2 or 5% is nowhere near as effective as the smaller amounts of 12,15 or 20% solutions.
The only two brands I've found that work well (I've experimented with about five or six different brands) are Art Pharma out of Quebec and Health Leads out of the UK. The Health Leads 12% solution is less expensive and I find it works great. We've had a 100ml bottle that's lasted more than a year using it very regularly on two humans and two dogs to treat wounds and cysts.
As to how much you can tolerate, or what is needed to trigger the de-tox, that's different with each person obviously. I sip about 300ml of warm spring water with a half teaspoon of celtic sea salt for 20 minutes before the Iodine on an empty stomach. As the C's mentioned in older session, "This warms up the liver".
I think both the type of water and salt are important for this first step. All commercial table salt is junk. Any real sea salt or pink salt is much better. Also, I think mineral water with high alkalinity is important. Reverse osmosis water, tap water, commercial bottled brands (that aren't from a spring) all absorb the minerals and iodine before your body can.
I think any rebound from toxification means you have to pretty much drink alkaline spring water all the time. Although I drink Evian here and there, we've been drinking local glacial water for years and that makes a huge difference (obviously that's not an option for anyone who doesn't have access to inexpensive local, glacial water). Depending on where you live, I think local spring water is the best option as wherever we're from, I think we're tuned to that water source.
After I've sipped the water, I'll pour the same amount of spring water into a glass and then add the iodine. That's where it gets tricky for each individual. If you overdo it, you can get a heavy reaction that can feel like the flu. I probably overdid it the first time, but my only reaction was feeling a mild "caffeine-like" rush and then being very sleepy. It also acts like a diuretic to flush everything out. Initially I took Selenium with the Iodine and that flushed even more, but I only use it rarely now as it bugs my stomach.
When I add the 12% Iodine to the water, I don't count drops (but I'd guess 4 or 5), so it looks like a dark iced tea. Too much can also burn your throat. So maybe go lighter than darker to begin with.
A more regular local detox I use is more for muscles to get rid of built up lactic or uric acid. Pure DMSO in liquid form really works for me. When I apply it in its pure form it will burn for 20 minutes and quite strongly. But overall it relieves muscle pain and joint stiffness almost instantly - it also flushes out muscle bound toxins. I only use a few ml's in a bowl and dab it on with cotton ball to the muscle(s). My wife is more sensitive to using it undiluted, so she uses a 50/50 water DMSO mix. She's a pet groomer so gets many aches and pains. It helps her quite a bit.
DMSO is also an excellent transport for Iodine. I think it's just as effective to mix 50/50 water and DMSO (just enough for a couple of dabs) with two drops of iodine and dab on the thyroid. I do this rather than drinking Iodine for supplementing. You might also want to check out the melatonin thread. I take it every night after years of fitful sleeping and it's made a world of difference for getting real rest. The other threads on the forum that have really helped me, deal with Thiamine and Berberine.
Hopefully this helps somewhat. Take into account that I'm in my 50's and over 200 pounds with a high pain tolerance and good metabolism - so buyer beware
