Risks of Angioprim

Angioprim is an oral medication that claims to improve circulation and reduce your risk of heart disease by removing harmful metals from your body. Although the makers of angioprim claim the supplement's only side effects are diarrhea and nausea, the ingredients in the product pose additional risks.

Types of Ingredients

• The ingredients of angioprim include caysine or EDTA, lysine and cysteine. Lysine and cysteine are both amino acids, while caysine or EDTA is a food preservative taken medicinally as a chelating agent (a chemical that removes metals from your body).

Side Effects

• Cysteine and EDTA both have the potential to cause headaches, fevers, skin rashes and low blood pressure, while cysteine also causes drowsiness in some patients.

Drug Interactions

• Because the supplement contains cysteine, taking angioprim with the heart medication nitroglycerin poses an increased risk for side effects from the drug, such as lightheadedness and dizziness.

Risks

• When taken at doses greater than 3 grams per day or when used in any amount for more than 5 to 7 days, EDTA poses a risk for kidney damage or low calcium levels and has the potential to be fatal, warns RxList. Cysteine is also known to cause liver problems in some users.

Expert Insight

• The American Heart Association reports that chelation supplements have not been proven effective and may pose unnecessary health risks, especially for long-term kidney damage, bone marrow depression, shock, low blood pressure, convulsions, disturbances of regular heart rhythm, allergic reactions and respiratory arrest.

Considerations

• The makers of angioprim caution that the supplement should not be used by patients with kidney disease. It may not be safe for you to take the supplement if you are pregnant or nursing, allergic to acetylcysteine or have a history of arrhythmia, diabetes, electrolyte imbalances, liver or kidney problems, epilepsy or tuberculosis, warns RxList. Because angioprim is an herbal supplement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not evaluate it for safety or effectiveness.