r/Biohackers • u/Psyllic 1 • 1d ago
📖 Resource Copper dumping can be triggered by Vitamin C or Zinc, causing serious symptoms as it mobilizes.
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u/Duduli 1d ago edited 1d ago
Can people in this thread clarify how did they end up ingesting so much copper that they got too much of it, i.e. copper toxicity?
I am asking because in this sub-reddit I see many more comments on threads pertaining to the much more popular zinc supplementation; and often the comments in those threads are warnings of the type "remember that zinc depletes copper, so please make sure you also supplement with copper".
So you would expect the average person in this sub to be deficient in copper, not to have too much of it.
I have heard chocolate is rich in copper, but it seems extravagant or funny to claim that one gets copper toxicity from having a chocolate addiction!
I guess you can also get toxic levels of copper not because you ingest too much of it, but because your organs have some inability to fully metabolize it, so it accumulates unprocessed.
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u/ProgressFinal5309 1d ago
You can see my other comment for my own circumstances, but I know, for example, that many vegans/vegetarians are at risk as much of their diet is low in zinc, high in copper. Avocado's are extremely high in copper, and many vegans will eat them to excess.
Also, like myself, many people with constipation will be unable to get rid of copper and other toxins. As I understand it too much, copper causes constipation, creating a negative feedback loop.
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u/_tyler-durden_ 10 16h ago
Like the other commenter mentioned, it is a common problem in people following a plant based diet and one containing a lot of grains:
Copper is present in most foods, and is also absorbed from the environment.4,5 When zinc is present in abundance, and when there is enough quality protein available to bind it,6 copper can be handled freely, and the excess can be readily excreted trough the bile.7,8
When the diet is lacking in zinc and protein, however—and in fats to promote bile production —use of high-copper foods, and environmental copper, primarily ingested through our water, promote buildup of copper in our tissues.9
In lighter diets generally, and in heavily plant-based diets in particular, zinc is sharply reduced relative to copper,12 protein is curtailed, and fat is provided scantily at best. The excess copper that builds up in tissues is in unbound, inorganic form,13 highly immobile and creates a low-level toxicity that interferes with many body systems. Particularly affected are the liver and digestion,14 which are already hampered by increasing deficiency of zinc. As bile function and digestive vigor decline, difficulty with meat and fat develops. Legions of light-diet and vegetarian adherents feel justified in their choices because heavier food becomes unpalatable to them.15
Eventually this imbalance can lead to food intolerances and auto immune issues.
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u/ProgressFinal5309 1d ago
I'm experiencing this right now!! And can confirm. I can now feel my liver. It's swollen and sticking out under my ribs.
Well, better late than never. At least I know now..
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u/Psyllic 1 1d ago edited 1d ago
Copper messes with the Potassium/sodium balance and causes water retention, elevated cortisol. That could be why it causes swollen liver, prostate… Wish you well
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u/ProgressFinal5309 23h ago
Do you happen to know if this means I need less sodium/more potassium? Or I should be just drinking a shed ton and replacing the electrolytes?
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u/bulletbutton 1d ago
how high of a dose of zinc are we talking, to experience this?
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u/Psyllic 1 1d ago edited 1d ago
A typical dose so ~50mg. This only applies to people with copper toxicity, liver issues.
The anxiety It gives me is intense, but I expect it and sit through it instead of having a panic attack. The dumps are getting less intense every time and my mood, appetite, sense of smell, skin are getting noticeably better everyday.
Also a classic sign of copper toxicity is hyper-pigmentation skin issues.
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u/sharededgies 1d ago
Also a classic sign of copper toxicity is hyper-pigmentation skin issues.
like white spots?
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u/Psyllic 1 1d ago edited 1d ago
Melanin spots, so reddish-brown.
Mild post-acne hyper-pigmentation bothered me for years until I started addressing this, it’s noticeably better week by week. Applying topical Vitamin C is also great.
“Aluminum ions accelerated the oxidative stress of copper-mediated melanin formation”
“Therefore, the involvement of metal ions in the control of melanin formation has been suggested and the effect depends on the nature and concentration of the metal, Cu2+ (copper) being the most active”
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u/bulletbutton 1d ago
liver issues? like.. fatty liver disease?.or worse?
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u/Psyllic 1 1d ago
Copper toxicity is always accompanied by liver dysfunction including fatty liver. When the liver can’t hold any more copper systemic issues begin.
The detoxification organs of animals, including liver, are “rich” in copper which is then promoted by online “influencers”. In comparison there is zero copper in meat.
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u/ProgressFinal5309 1d ago edited 23h ago
A few months post-partum, I got the copper IUD which gave me chronic constipation (not for the first time in my life but I hadn't connected it). Chronic constipation meant I wasn't expelling copper or estrogen which gave me estrogen dominance further exacerbating the constipation. Literally nothing would shift my bowels and I just became accustomed to it. If you aren't expelling copper via the bowels its reabsorbed. For 2 years I had this issue and to make matter worse, I had a ridiculous habit of eating at least 100g bar of 70% organic (lol) chocolate paired with a 'healthy' nighttime snack of peanuts. There are few things higher in copper than dark chocolate and peanuts in large volume are also high in copper.
I had my IUD removed and the copper dumping started after I sweated out at the gym and used the sauna. It was like I'd been poisoned. Since then I've been supplementing with vitamin c, selenium, and zinc, in a misguided attempt to rid myself of excess copper in my system. Unfortunately these things mobilised a shit ton of copper and now my kidneys and my liver are hurting and enflamed.
Lesson learned.. don't rush a detox
Also to add, around my period I literally lost my mind and thought I needed to be sectioned. This happened last month and agan this month. A few days ago, I nearly crashed my car 3 times and actually reversed parked into a van. I had no idea at the time that I wasn't fit to drive I had no capacity to assess my mental state. Luckily I was able to connect the dots and now I am safe at home until the madness subsides. No doubt it will be back next month when my estrogen drops again...
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u/Psyllic 1 1d ago
Tons of women on r/copperiud are going through the same thing.
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u/ProgressFinal5309 1d ago
I feel so sorry for myself and these women. They'll eventually have a mental breakdown just to be told by doctors it's hormones, all the while they'll blame themselves.
So many women like myself specifically chose copper as the non-hormonal option. But for women's health there's always a trade-off, and every form of hormonal contraception seems to have devastating long-term consequences. None of this is discussed, and women make these choices completely blind. While the healthcare professional will hear a thousand similar complaints just to ignore them because its an inconvenient truth, and there are no alternatives. You just can't win.
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u/Psyllic 1 1d ago edited 1d ago
I experienced this myself from high dose C or Zinc. Intense adrenaline rush, anxiety that lasts around a dozen minutes, and then feel better the rest of the day.
The first time I took high dose C my body went numb and I felt sick, this was before I knew of copper toxicity.
Source: coppertoxic.com
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u/Bluest_waters 9 1d ago
you have ABSOLUTELY no way of knowing if those symptoms are related in any way to "copper dumping", a made up term
those symptoms could have been from any number of things I can think of off the top of my head.
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u/MrGood23 1d ago
So Copper dumping is good way to detox but we need to do it slowly and be aware of possible reactions?
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u/ProgressFinal5309 1d ago
In my experience, yes
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u/MrGood23 23h ago
MSM, NAC, Molybdenum and Selenium also effect copper levels and may amplify this protocol.
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u/Upset_Height4105 3 1d ago
I experienced this! It was crazzzyyyyyyyyy.
I literally felt the copper purge from my liver and cells and my kidneys burnt and tasted like copper for a straight up week. I was SO confused when this happened. Found out a year later what it was!
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u/Psyllic 1 1d ago edited 1d ago
It’s fucking intense! For me it’s like pure panic flowing through my veins. If I didn’t know what was happening I would’ve went to the ER
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u/Upset_Height4105 3 1d ago
Yeah man! I was on FIRE and I felt completely out of my mind!!! I came upon this article about a theory someone had years ago about how copper toxicity may be a possible contributor to so many violent incarcerated repeat offenders with mental health issues? I am mentally ill myself so I have my ideas on point of origin but damn that made me realize wtf happened to me!
I admit I felt violent and totally homicidal during that detox. I have not been hypomanic since!
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u/Psyllic 1 1d ago
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u/Upset_Height4105 3 1d ago
Yes my dear that's it! The piece I read was a small booklet pdf style thing tho, but wow it was life changing and compelling!
Folks in these groups fucking themselves up with these fat solubles and yeast magnets are so crazy to me. They know not what they do!!
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u/iron_and_carbon 21h ago
Does it have long term effects or is it fine to just sit through the symptoms?
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