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Chelation Cures

Though chelation has traditionally been used to treat lead and mercury poisoning, doctors today believe chelation therapy also can be useful for people with heart disease and stroke. Not all doctors share this belief. According to the Mayo Clinic, some doctors feel chelation therapy actually can make conditions worse. It is important to note that neither the FDA or the American Heart Association have approved it as a treatment for heart disease.

  1. Function

    • Chelation therapy involves an intravenous delivery of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), which attaches itself to minerals in your bloodstream. It then creates a compound and moves through your body, eventually exiting via urine. Though it is still a debatable treatment for heart disease, EDTA is a proven cure for lead and mercury poisoning. Those who are proponents of chelation for heart disease believe it can reverse damage by binding itself to the calcium in arterial blockages and forcing it out of the system.

    Procedure

    • If you are going to undergo chelation therapy, expect to undergo five to 30 treatments before the regimen is over. Once you arrive, you will be instructed to sit in a chair and an IV line will be inserted into your arm or hand. Then your doctor will begin the flow of EDTA into your body. Each session will last several hours but you should feel no pain or discomfort, save a slight stinging where the needle has been inserted.
      Once the therapy session has been completed, you are free to leave and resume your normal activities. Some people have reported swollen ankles and a frequent need to urinate after chelation. Also, you will need to take vitamin supplements since most will flow out of your body with the EDTA.

    Risks

    • A clinical study is underway by the National Institutes of Health to determine the efficacy and risks of chelation therapy. According to the Mayo Clinic, a smaller study found the therapy had no effect on heart disease. The therapy does have some side effects such as fever, low blood pressure, vomiting and headaches. Also, though rare, some people who underwent chelation therapy also suffered from permanent kidney damage.

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