The body excretes several heavy metals only slowly. Their toxicity increases over the years as they accumulate, including accumulation in the brain. A therapy called chelation (kee-LAY-shun) has been developed to speed the removal of such metals. Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), for example, is useful for chelating lead, arsenic and mercury. It is also used to reduce iron after repeated blood transfusions. DMSA and DMPS are also used for lead poisoning. Some people lack the genes for properly excreting such metals on their own, and are thus particularly susceptible to unhealthy heavy metal accumulation.
Instructions
1. See your doctor for a stool, hair or urine test, if you suspect high concentrations of heavy metals in your system.
2. Discuss your history with your doctor, and what risk factors to which you are exposed that could lead to high heavy metal concentrations; e.g., industrial work conditions with exposure to lead paint, or arsenic or mercury vapors, or a diet heavy in large fish at the top of the food chain.
3. See a specialist for the chelation itself. Such treatments are more established in some countries than in others, so you may have to look around to find a specialist near you.
4. Visit the doctor for a battery of chelation treatments. This usually entails an intravenous drip. Expect over 10 to 20 visits or more, depending on the initial concentrations in your body. Given that your body can't excrete them, it should come as no surprise that the metals can't be removed all in just a few visits.
5. Have vitamin and mineral levels monitored during and after chelation sessions, especially to avoid diminished calcium levels.
6. Between treatments, replenish vitamins and minerals with supplements per your doctor's recommendation. Chelation removes metals that you need in trace amounts, so you feel poorly as a result of their temporary depletion. This is why the supplements are needed. Consume a lot of calcium after each session--e.g.,milk and orange juice.
7. Have your hair or nails tested after completing the battery of treatment, to assess if heavy metal concentrations have been reduced below toxic levels.
Tags: heavy metal, your doctor, also used, arsenic mercury, heavy metal concentrations