What is EDTA Chelation Therapy?
Chelating agents are used to remove many different ions from the body. High levels of heavy metals, aluminum, magnesium, and calcium can often be improved with a course of EDTA Chelation Therapy.
Chelation therapy (c.1940) is an intravenous (IV) infusion of the chelating agent, EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). It’s the most common chelating agent, though there are other compounds that chelate as well.
A chelating agent is a compound with two or more bonded groups that can attach to minerals. Chelating agents bind to metals and minerals in your body to carry them out.
Administering the IV takes approximately one hour, so we’ve designed our clinical lounge to create a comfortable environment of relaxation. Many of our professional patients use this time to make calls, answer emails, strategize, meditate, nap, or otherwise unwind (Netflix). A full course of treatment consists of 15 or more sessions of chelation, given once or twice weekly.
Who can benefit from chelation therapy?
A blood test shows us if chelation therapy could improve your quality of life.
Chelation therapy can treat some types of cardiovascular (heart) disease, cerebrovascular disease (strokes), intermittent claudication, high blood pressure, and heavy metal toxicity (most commonly from mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel, and aluminum). Chelation therapy may even help vascular complications that arise from diabetes.
This page isn’t meant to expand on the long-term benefits of chelation therapy, so I’ll leave you with the overview:
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Reduces inflammation, mitigating free radical damage
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Lowers platelet aggregation
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Increases Nitric Oxide production, benefiting the cardiovascular system and remedying erectile dysfunction
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Reduces tissue calcification
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Decreases plaque size
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Softens arteries
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Improves cellular metabolism & function
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Supports cognitive function
Is chelation therapy dangerous?
Chelation therapy isn’t for everybody. Young adults (16 and younger) should not be administered chelation therapy as their detoxification organs have yet to fully develop.
I would not administer chelation therapy to those with damaged veins or improper kidney function, as an intravenous therapy may exacerbate those existing conditions.
There may also be side effects of chelation therapy. There can be less serious side effects, like headaches or migraines, or feeling more tired than before. These side effects typically subside after the first few treatments – they are signs that your body is actively purging itself of toxins, pollutants, and irritants that have begun to feel normal to you. The more impaired your detoxifying organs are before therapy, the more likely you are to experience these side effects for more than a few treatments, but that’s the extreme case.
There are rarely more severe side effects like:
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Kidney damage
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Sclerosis (damage to the vein at the injection site)
And in the case of chelation therapy for heart disease:
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Abnormally low blood-calcium levels (hypocalcemia)
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Sudden drop in blood pressure
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Drop in bone marrow counts (bone marrow suppression)
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Heart failure
The results of your blood test will tell me if I cannot safely administer chelation therapy, and if that happens to be your case, I will refuse to move the procedure forward at no extra cost to you.
These things are rare, but in my 15 years administering EDTA Chelation Therapy, I’d never assume they’re impossible. This is why we follow some steps before moving forward.
What does a round of chelation therapy entail?
Assessment:
Before treatment can begin, I must do two things:
- Perform a thorough naturopathic assessment;
- Review or requisition blood and/or urine tests to determine if your suffering would be relieved by the extraction of heavy metals;
- If there’s cause to proceed with treatment, we confirm your eligibility with our medical director.
This procedure establishes a functional baseline to evaluate your progress moving forward.
Treatment:
One session of Chelation Therapy costs $165. A full course of treatment consists of 15 or more chelation sessions, once or twice weekly.
The intravenous administration takes approximately one hour, so we’ve designed our clinical lounge to create a comfortable and relaxing environment. Many of our professional patients use this time to make calls, answer emails, strategize, meditate, nap, or otherwise unwind (Netflix and Spotify).