IV Chelation Therapy
EDTA chelation is a highly effective treatment for clearing heavy metals, reducing free-radicals, and stimulating strong anti-inflammatory and detoxification responses systemically. Although it was first used to treat heavy metal poisoning, it has a long history of safety and use across a broad range of age-related illnesses– it is now becoming especially recognized for its utility in treating cardiovascular diseases, diabetes-related complications, neurodegenerative diseases, systemic inflammatory conditions, certain malignancies, and others.
What is Chelation Therapy?
Chelation means a medication that acts as a chelator or “claw” to bind and remove substances from the body.
Sodium EDTA, a medical chelation compound, was first used to remove heavy metals from the body in the 1950s and doctors noticed incidentally that patients had symptoms of better blood flow to the heart after therapy.
It has since been extensively studied and used as an alternative therapy for atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, vascular dementia) for its known anti-atherosclerotic activity. While its use waned in most countries after the boom of the cardiovascular surgery (heart bypass) and interventional cardiology (stents) in the 1980s, many practitioners have continued to offer this therapy as an alternative to invasive measures.
Impressive results have been widely published and this therapy is currently being studied on a large scale in the TACT/TACT2 trial for patients with cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes.
How Does Chelation Therapy Work?
The EDTA enters the bloodstream and binds heavy metals such as lead, mercury, iron, aluminum, cadmium, and others that can cause free radical damage to the arteries and is then rapidly excreted into the urine along with these bound metals over the next 6-24hrs.
The removal of such toxins is known to:
- reduce free-radical damage throughout the body
- unburden our natural metalloenzymes that may be bound up with toxic substances, thus allowing many natural systems to ‘come back on-line’
- disodium EDTA removes extra calcium from arterial walls which enhances vasodilation, stimulates angiogenesis, and improves blood flow at all levels (macrovasculature, microvasculature, capillary blood flow)
In addition, disodium EDTA chelation seems to stimulate an array of positive downstream effects that are poorly understood but have been clearly observed – Dr. Elmer Cranton outlines in his original textbook “Chelation” writes about the suspected physiological benefits of affecting calcium and parathyroid hormone physiology, anti-inflammatory benefits, and cancer prevention effects of EDTA.
What conditions is IV Chelation used for?
Acute lead toxicity in adults and children
While not FDA-approved, there are reports and evidence for benefits of chelation therapy in conditions such as:
Atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease, vascular dementia, peripheral vascular disease)
Alzheimer’s disease
Macular Degeneration
Autoimmune conditions
Hypertension
Osteoporosis
Heart failure
Chronic kidney disease
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Lung health & ventilation capacity
Mitochondrial support & general health & cancer prevention
FAQ.
How is IV Chelation performed?
Your intake visit with Doctor T and initial blood and/or urine tests will determine your candidacy, dose, and frequency of IV chelation therapy. Most often chelation is prescribed for 10-30 treatments, at intervals of 1-3 treatments weekly for several months. You may follow some other testing (ultrasound of your blood vessels, heavy metal levels, etc.) along with your therapy to ensure your progress.
You will relax in a recliner while EDTA is administered slowly through an IV. Your medical team will monitor your treatment and ensure your comfort and safety throughout treatment. Most patients find their session quite relaxing and bring a book or other to occupy their session. You will also have access to a stretching area, a lymphatic chair massager, an anti-gravity recliner, a meditation area, and a whole-body vibrator to use during your infusion.
How many sessions of IV chelation will I need?
Depending on your condition and goals for treatment, Doctor T may initially prescribe between 10 and 30 treatments, at intervals of 1-3 treatments weekly for several months. Many patients begin to feel some clinical benefit after just a few treatments, and the downstream healing effects of chelation can continue for months and years after the initial treatment phase. Once the desired outcome is achieved, some patients will elect to return for periodic maintenance chelation once or twice per year.