Chelation Therapy: A Powerful Treatment for a Variety of Conditions
“Chelation” (pronounced key-lay-shun) is derived from “chelos,” the Greek word for claw. Chelation therapy is an established treatment used in conventional medicine for removing heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, or gadolinium, from the body.
By eliminating these heavy metals and other toxins, chelation therapy can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation associated with a wide range of health issues.
Anatara Medicine uses Chelation therapy to treat various health conditions, including heavy metal toxicity and cardiovascular, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases.
To evaluate heavy metal toxicity, our team of practitioners utilizes symptom questionnaires, physical examinations, and the most accurate blood and urine tests.
Common Heavy Metals & Toxins that Chelation Can Help Remove
- Lead
- Mercury
- Arsenic
- Gadolinium (could come from past CT/contrast agent exposure)
- Aluminum
- Cadmium
- Antimony
- Tin
- Thallium
- Iron
Conditions Treated by Chelation Therapy
Here are some of the common conditions we use Chelation Therapy for:
- Heavy Metal Toxicity
- Cardiovascular Disease
- High blood pressure (Hypertension)
- Clogged/hardened arteries (Atherosclerosis)
- Coronary artery disease
- Diabetes
- Gout
- Cancer
- Autoimmune & Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Unexplained/Idiopathic Neuropathy
- Neuropathic Pain/Burning
- Neuro-inflammatory Conditions (eg: PANS/PANDAS)
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Autism
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
- Eye Disease / Macular Degeneration – Age-Related (ARMD)
*Treatment plans provided by Anatara Medicine are tailored to the individual and are comprehensive, involving various synergistic treatment options.
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Tues-Thurs: 9am-12pm & 1pm-4pm
Friday: closed
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San Francisco, CA 94109
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Heavy Metals & Chelation Therapy
Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic are toxic to the body. High levels of these toxic metals in the body often result in a wide range of debilitating symptoms.
Lead toxicity can lead to higher rates of Parkinsonism, cognitive decline in adults, and learning and behavioral difficulties in children.
Mercury exposure is associated with mood disturbances and cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure, infertility, and immune dysfunction.
Arsenic is a known carcinogen and can increase the risk of diabetes.
Please CLICK HERE to complete our Heavy Metals Questionnaire to assess your risk today.
Other Conditions
Research studies investigating the implications of chelation therapy on autism and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, and others have been published.
There is a growing concern over the potential link between exposure to heavy metals and increased risk of cancer.
Review the Research Section at the bottom of this page for more links about the science and studies concerning chelation therapy.
Try Chelation Therapy
At Anatara Medicine, we strongly believe that chelation therapy can be a valuable tool in treating heavy metal toxicity and various health conditions.
If you are experiencing symptoms of heavy metal toxicity or have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, we urge you to consider chelation therapy as a treatment option.
Contact us today at 415-345-0099 to schedule a consultation and learn more about how chelation therapy can benefit you.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chelation Therapy
What is Chelation Therapy?
Chelation therapy aims to bind minerals or toxic metals in the body with a chelating agent to enhance elimination and detoxify the body. Of primary concern are calcium deposits in arteries, causing atherosclerosis, a severe risk for heart attack and stroke, and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic.
Several different chelating agents are used in chelation therapy. Your doctor will choose the appropriate one depending on the mineral or heavy metal to be chelated. For example, DMPS is commonly used in treating mercury toxicity, and EDTA is used in treating atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Your doctor may also recommend natural agents, such as dietary fiber, cilantro, chlorella, etc., to be taken during your treatment for increased Chelation and detoxification support.
Chelation therapy can be administered intravenously, rectally or orally. The route of administration is chosen depending on the objective of the treatment, the type of heavy metal to be chelated and patient tolerability. For example, EDTA is commonly administered intravenously. Oral administration can be performed at home, while intravenous administration is performed in our office.
Several IV therapeutic agents, such as glutathione, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), Alpha Lipoic acid (ALA), Selenium, B vitamins, EGCG/Green tea extract, Melatonin, Curcumin, and others, are used in combination with chelation therapy, to provide antioxidant support and to optimize detoxification.
In addition, replenishing minerals is imperative while receiving chelation therapy, as the chelating agents can bind essential minerals. Our Chelation Protocol includes this additional support using oral supplements and intravenous nutrients.
How is Chelation Therapy Administered?
Chelation therapy can be administered intravenously, rectally, or orally. The route of administration is chosen depending on the objective of the treatment, the type of heavy metal to be chelated and patient tolerability. For example, EDTA is commonly administered intravenously. Oral administration can be performed at home, while intravenous administration is performed in our office.
Is Chelation Therapy Safe?
Chelation therapy is safe and well tolerated when performed correctly by a trained healthcare provider at Anatara. The treatment protocols for chelation therapy are used by chelation therapy practitioners worldwide and have been rigorously tested.
Research has shown that the LD50 (the dose that will kill 50% of all test animals) of EDTA is 1900mg per kilogram of body weight, while the LD50 of aspirin is 420mg per kilogram of body weight. This means that the LD50 of EDTA is 4.5 times (900%) less lethal than aspirin.
Chelation therapy is not indicated for everyone. People with kidney disease, who are receiving renal dialysis, and who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult their physician before considering chelation therapy. Your doctor will thoroughly assess and formulate a treatment plan for you.
Are there any Side Effects of Chelation Therapy?
Generally, chelation therapy is well tolerated with minimal side effects. The most common side effect is mild bleeding, bruising, and a burning sensation at the injection site. Our center takes extra precautions to reduce this and ensure the patient is comfortable throughout the treatment.
Rarely, short-term side effects may include mild muscle cramping, fever, headache, and digestive upset, including diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. These side effects resolve when treatment is stopped.
What Should I Expect During my Chelation Therapy Visit?
The doctors of Anatara Medicine will complete a thorough history of your health concerns, assess your symptoms using validated questionnaires, ask questions about your work/potential environmental exposures, perform physical exams, and order appropriate comprehensive laboratory testing.
Chelation therapy may be given intravenously (IV) or orally, depending on the heavy metal detected, treatment objective, and patient tolerance. Intravenous Chelation in our office involves receiving multiple IV treatments of the selected chelating agent and nutrients.
Knowing the exact number of treatments you need is impossible. We use symptom questionnaires and repeat testing to monitor progress and assess treatment success.
Chelation over multiple sessions can deplete the body of essential/trace minerals, which your doctor should monitor and supplement either via IV or orally.
Most patients are advised by their doctor to take certain trace/complex mineral supplements 1-2 days following Chelation therapy to replace lost essential minerals.
How Long Does IV Chelation Therapy Take?
Oral Chelation involves a regimen of oral chelation agents and supportive supplements taken at home. IV chelation typically takes 1.5-3 hours. Additional IV therapies will be recommended and can be completed on the same day as your chelation treatment. Multiple treatments are necessary.
How do I know if I have heavy metal toxicity? How do I get tested?
Please see below to complete a heavy metal questionnaire to assess your risk of heavy metal toxicity. After completion, you may schedule a FREE 10-minute phone consult with one of our doctors.
Anatara Medicine uses the most accurate and highest-quality laboratories to assess heavy metal toxicity. Your heavy metals will be evaluated with symptom questionnaires, physical examinations, and laboratory testing such as blood, urine, or hair analysis.
How do I Know if I have Clogged Arteries?
There are many symptoms of clogged arteries (atherosclerosis), such as high blood pressure, chest pain, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and many more. Your doctor may have already diagnosed you with atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, or cardiovascular disease.
Anatara medicine will perform comprehensive testing to evaluate cardiovascular health, including specialty blood work and imaging.
Is Chelation Therapy an Alternative to Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG) and Other Conventional Treatments?
Evidence shows cardiovascular patients treated with EDTA chelation therapy have a lower rate of subsequent cardiac events, including myocardial infarction and death, than those treated with cardiac medications, PTCA, or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Data also suggests that chelation therapy effectively prevents blood clots and cardiac events from stents by reducing hypercoagulability.
Is there any Research on Chelation Therapy?
TACT (Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy) is the first large-scale study to determine the efficacy and safety of chelation therapy, with or without high-dose vitamins, for those with cardiovascular disease, including prior heart attacks, coronary artery disease, diabetes, etc.
The preliminary results of this 10-year, $31 million study show that EDTA chelation therapy produced modest but statistically significant reductions in cardiovascular events.
Patients with diabetes were more positively impacted, showing a 40% reduction in risk of death from heart disease, a 52% reduction in recurrent heart attacks, and a 43% reduction in death from any cause.
Gervasio Lamas, M.D., the study’s principal investigator, remarked, “These are striking results that, if supported by future research, could point the way towards new treatments to prevent complications of diabetes.”
See below for more links to research and literature on chelation therapy.
Is Chelation Therapy FDA approved?
The FDA has approved 11 chelating agents, including EDTA and DMSA, to treat heavy metal toxicities. The FDA does not approve chelation therapy to treat other diseases, despite scientific research supporting its use in various conditions.
Wax PM. Current Use of Chelation in American Health Care. Journal of Medical Toxicology. 2013;9(4):303-307. doi:10.1007/s13181-013-0347-2.
How common is Chelation Therapy?
Practitioners all over the world use chelation therapy for a variety of conditions.
A 2008 National Health Statistics Report estimates that in 2002, 66,000 adults received chelation therapy. This same report estimated that 111,000 adults and 72,00 children received some form of chelation therapy in 2007.
Wax PM. Current Use of Chelation in American Health Care. Journal of Medical Toxicology. 2013;9(4):303-307. doi:10.1007/s13181-013-0347-2.
Sources, Literature & Research on Chelation Therapy
HEAVY METALS
- Metal pollutants and cardiovascular disease – mechanisms and consequences of exposure
- Heavy Metal Poisoning – National Organization for Rare Disorders
- Heavy Metals in the workplace – OSHA
- Hazards of heavy metal contamination
- Heavy Metal Toxins a Danger in Homes
- 2,3-Dimercaptosuccinic acid treatment of heavy metal poisoning in humans.
- Use of oral dimercaptosuccinic acid (succimer) in adult patients with inorganic lead poisoning.
- Metals and women’s health
- Dietary cadmium exposure and risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer in the Women’s Health Initiative
- Adverse effects of low-level heavy metal exposure on male reproductive function
CARDIOVASCULAR
- Questions and Answers: The NIH Trial of EDTA Chelation Therapy for Coronary Heart Disease
- Chelation for coronary heart disease
- Chelation therapy and cardiovascular disease: connecting scientific silos to benefit cardiac patients
- Chelation Therapy Reduces Cardiovascular Events for Older Patients with Diabetes
- EDTA chelation therapy modestly reduces cardiovascular events
- Chelation therapy for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- NIH statement on the vitamin component of the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy
- The effect of an EDTA-based chelation regimen on patients with diabetes mellitus and prior myocardial infarction in the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT).
- Should EDTA chelation therapy be used instead of long-term antiplatelet medication plus aspirin to treat patients at risk from drug-eluting stents
OTHERS
Contact Us
Mon: 10am-12pm & 1pm-4pm
Tues-Thurs: 9am-12pm & 1pm-4pm
Friday: closed
1700 California Street, Suite 520
San Francisco, CA 94109
Become a Patient
"*" indicates required fields