blood metal still high at 18 months

[ricol]

Hi everyone,


Is this metal pattern familiar to anyone else? Grateful to hear your story?

I'm 42yo, and 18 months post-op from a right hip 50mm BHR with Dr. Su, done in August 2018 (age 41). I've been able to return to aggressive skiing, which was one of my reasons to opt for resurfacing. I'm encouraged with that trajectory.

I've had more frustration with my return to running, which was my offseason sport of choice, where, similar to Tohandley, I can't get much past 0.5 miles without stiffness in the gluteus medius and then hip flexor becoming a problem.

My big concern now is my blood levels, which at 18-month follow-up last week were 17ug for Cobalt and 7.8ug for Chromium, with <5ug being the normal range and 2-3ug being the target. This was a scheduled redraw following my 1-year levels which were 16ug and 7.8ug...so minimal increase on cobalt and stable on chromium. Definitely not the big drop I'd hoped to see.

Dr. Su and his team are encouraged by my physical progress and don't seem overly concerned about the blood levels. They recommend continued monitoring and another redraw in June 2020, as I approach 2 years.

This is a yucky feeling. Dr. Su has 99% survival in men my age and size at 15 years post-op....I am in the 1% headed for a revision due to metal?

thanks,
Eric

[stevel]

You can read more about metal ion testing protocol at Dr Gross's website.

[karlos.bell]

 :) Yes just having mine removed first 1 was in December next 1 is 10 days away.
The metal levels although different but you can recalculate was 91 chrom and about 40 cobalt Nmols we use in NZ not blood.
Norm is 20 -1 chrom and 12 - 1 cobalt so I have poisoning. (nmols) Nano  mols
In my peak they were about 191 and 181 Nmol's norm is above.
Shame but that is how it goes some have issues some don't but the metal levels will be elevated for your life.
Saying that my left hip recovery THR has been nothing of amazing 6 weeks I am almost back to full use of it so looking forward to the next 1.
The metal excess issues cause a raft of symptoms I will post later on when I am clear of them.
Dr Pritchett can revise these to poly cups.
I was too far gone he said and needed emergent attention otherwise the outcome would be fatal.
Good luck cheers K

[catfriend]

Fatal??!! Crap. Karlos, I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was that bad. That's terrible. So glad THR #1 has worked for you. Hope #2 is just as successful.

[karlos.bell]

Yep. Most cases of poisoning if you read are oral. These are not. Hence it creeps up on you. You end up with a bloated stomach ready to pop and then you cannot digest food. You also cannot drink as then you cannot absorb water to your bowel (diarrhoea) so you have to eat huge amount of salt to rehydrate or IV drip's in which I did. Most severe poisoning cases that I have seen and read are too late to re-act and the system fails then one ends up frothing in the mouth then the fatal activity. Not that close due I had a few tricks of hydration - Vitamin C - DMSA - salt and some others that are not nice for rehydration. The more you exercise with this the worse it is. The number 2 I am hoping will settle it and hopefully the body will sort it out with some help from DMSA which is keeping my head above water.
The THR is working out fantastic hope the second one goes well with some help from vitamins and DMSA. I should be ok then. It results are pretty quick within 1 week my level should drop again but the body will have to remove some from tissue - organs I assume.
It makes you feel like crap. And I am really feeling it at present.
You don't end up with hip pain. Just high serum levels. Chrom - Cobalt.
9 sleeps to go!
:)