The Mineral That Hijacked My Mind — And How I Took It Back
A personal and clinical look into copper toxicity—what it is, why it's missed, and how hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) helped me reclaim my health, energy, and clarity.
My Copper Crisis
At one of the lowest points in my life, I was dying from a resistant fungal pneumonia. My copper levels were 30 times higher than normal. I was told I had two months to live, a newborn baby, and a body that was shutting down.
It started during pregnancy. I was working in the medical field when I began experiencing what I thought—and what doctors believed—was asthma flaring up. I'd dealt with it on and off before, and with pregnancy hormones changing everything, we all assumed things would normalize after delivery.
We were wrong.
Instead of getting better after birth, I became sicker. Much sicker. The antibiotics I'd taken during pregnancy—the ones we thought were helping—turned out to be the very ones the infection was resistant to. What we'd dismissed as pregnancy-related asthma was actually a life-threatening fungal pneumonia that was now winning.
I was so ill that my husband and I had to move in with my in-laws. I couldn't care for my newborn daughter. I could barely care for myself. My in-laws watched her while my husband worked, and I fought just to survive each day.
I was exhausted beyond belief, suffering from debilitating fatigue, recurring infections, and repetitive looping thoughts I couldn't escape. I couldn't sleep, and when I did, I woke up more tired than before. I felt like I was dying—because I was.
I tried everything: Chinese medicine, naturopathy, Ayurvedic medicine. Nothing worked.
Until I found a naturopath who offered something I'd never heard of: Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA).
Honestly, she didn't know how to properly explain the test results, and she didn't follow the lab's protocols. But something told me to dig deeper. I contacted Analytical Research Labs (ARL) directly and was put on a dietary protocol for my metabolic type along with a targeted supplement program.
Four months later, the pneumonia could not be detected!
It took time—much longer than four months—but eventually I was able to take care of myself again. To take care of my baby. To actually play with her. HTMA saved my life, gave me back my role as a mother, and opened my eyes to a completely different way of understanding health.
What Is Copper Toxicity?
Copper is essential in the right amount. It activates oxygen, supports the immune system, and plays a critical role in iron absorption, blood vessel integrity, and neurotransmitter regulation. But when it's not bound properly in the body—when it goes "rogue"—it accumulates in the brain, liver, and reproductive organs.
This is copper toxicity: an overload of bio-unavailable copper that causes more harm than good.
One of the root causes? Weak adrenal glands. When under chronic stress, the adrenals stop signaling the liver to produce ceruloplasmin, the protein that binds and manages copper. Without enough ceruloplasmin, copper floats freely in the body and begins to accumulate.
Worse yet, copper and iron work together. Low ceruloplasmin means not only is copper unbound, but iron isn't absorbed well either—leading to the illusion of anemia.
You might not have an iron problem. You might have a copper problem.
Common Causes of Copper Toxicity
Copper toxicity can build slowly over time, especially when the body lacks the nutrients and systems needed to regulate it. Here are some of the most common contributing factors:
Weak Adrenal Function The adrenal glands play a key role in regulating copper levels through ceruloplasmin production. When adrenals are depleted (often due to chronic stress), copper becomes harder to bind and eliminate, leading to accumulation.
Vegetarian or Vegan Diets Plant-based diets tend to be higher in copper and lower in zinc. Foods like nuts, seeds, soy, legumes, and grains are rich in copper-containing proteins but may lack the opposing minerals that help regulate copper.
Zinc Deficiency Zinc and copper compete for absorption in the body. Without enough zinc, copper builds up. A lack of zinc can come from poor diet, digestive issues, or high stress.
Heavy Metal Toxicity (e.g., Cadmium, Mercury, Lead) Exposure to other heavy metals can displace essential minerals like zinc and magnesium, indirectly contributing to copper retention. Cadmium, in particular, disrupts zinc metabolism, allowing copper to rise unchecked.
Estrogen Dominance (natural or synthetic) Estrogen increases copper retention. This can occur naturally (e.g., pregnancy, PMS), through birth control pills, or hormone replacement therapy.
Copper Pipes and Cookware Long-term exposure to copper through drinking water (via copper pipes) or using unlined copper cookware may contribute to excess copper accumulation.
Low Protein or Low Sulfur Diets Sulfur-containing amino acids (found in eggs, meat, and garlic) are needed for liver detox pathways that help excrete excess copper. A diet low in these can slow elimination.
Why It's So Common (and So Misunderstood)
Most practitioners never test for copper toxicity.
And if they do? They run blood tests, which often miss it. Why? Because copper accumulates in tissue, not blood. By the time blood levels rise, toxicity is often extreme.
Here's what contributes to copper buildup:
Estrogen-based birth control and copper IUDs
Copper pipes in drinking water
Vegetarian/vegan diets
Zinc deficiency
Mold, stress, and adrenal exhaustion
Poor liver and bile function
Genetic transmission in utero
It's no surprise that so many are silently struggling.
And sadly, many are told they have "iron-deficiency anemia," "depression," "PMS," or "adrenal fatigue"—without ever understanding copper's role underneath.
Symptoms You Can't Ignore
Unbound copper can affect every system of the body. Common signs include:
Mental/Emotional:
Racing thoughts or obsessive thinking
Depression, anxiety, or apathy
Heightened PMS or emotional volatility
Insomnia, paranoia, or mood swings
Physical:
Fatigue or burnout
Recurrent yeast or fungal infections
Low libido, infertility, or irregular cycles
Weight gain or slowed metabolism
Hair loss, brain fog, or poor immunity
Sound familiar? You're not alone.
How I Healed (and What I Learned)
The turning point for me was HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis).
Through this tool, I saw exactly what bloodwork had missed. My copper was sky-high, calcium and magnesium off the chart (but biounavailable), and adrenal markers were tanked. Instead of guesswork, I had a roadmap.
But I didn't heal overnight.
Copper detox takes time. And if done too quickly (like taking high-dose zinc), symptoms can get worse—something called a "copper dump."
Healing required a whole-body approach:
Supporting my adrenals gently (not overstimulating them)
Opening detox pathways with correct minerals
Addressing trauma, stress, and emotional healing
Adjusting lifestyle: diet, sleep, hydration, and more
Copper elimination didn't happen immediately, but over time, I felt the shift. The thoughts quieted. My energy returned. I could sleep again. I was able to show up as a mother, a practitioner, and a human being again.
Most importantly, I was finally able to hold my daughter, play with her, and be the mother I'd dreamed of being during those dark months when I could barely survive each day.
Final Thoughts & Where to Begin
Copper toxicity nearly took me out—but it also gave me purpose.
It taught me that lab work isn't everything. That healing is never one-size-fits-all. And that listening to your body might matter more than memorizing protocols. It showed me that sometimes the answer isn't in the medical textbooks I'd studied for years, but in understanding the intricate mineral relationships that conventional medicine often overlooks.
If you suspect copper might be an issue for you or your clients, start with HTMA. It's not a diagnostic tool, but it's a tremendous screening tool that can open a doorway to true root-cause healing.
You're not crazy. You're not broken. You're not a bad mother if you can't care for your baby while you're fighting for your own life.
You might just be mineral imbalanced.
And that—thankfully—can be fixed.
References
Watts, D. L. (1989). Trace Elements and Other Essential Nutrients: Clinical Application of Tissue Mineral Analysis. Trace Elements, Inc.
Wilson, L. (2020). Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis. Drlwilson.com
Pfeiffer, C. C. (1975). Mental and Elemental Nutrients: A Physician's Guide to Nutrition and Health Care. Keats Publishing.
Walsh, W. J. (2014). Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain. Skyhorse Publishing.
Chandra, R. K. (1984). Excessive intake of trace elements—effects of cadmium and copper. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 39(5), 696-701.
National Institutes of Health (NIH). Copper - Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Copper-HealthProfessional/
References
Watts, D. L. (1989). Trace Elements and Other Essential Nutrients: Clinical Application of Tissue Mineral Analysis. Trace Elements, Inc.
Wilson, L. (2020). Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis. Drlwilson.com
Pfeiffer, C. C. (1975). Mental and Elemental Nutrients: A Physician’s Guide to Nutrition and Health Care. Keats Publishing.