Some heavy metals, such as zinc, copper, iron, and cobalt, are essential for your body in small amounts. They help with oxygen transport, cell growth, enzyme function, and overall health. But if too much of them builds up in the body, essential metals can become harmful.
Other heavy metals, such as cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and chromium, are nonessential and toxic, even at very low levels. They can quietly build up in the body from sources such as contaminated water, soil, industrial waste, or certain foods.
Over time, this buildup can damage your brain, liver, and other vital organs. This is where chelation therapy can help.
How Does Chelation Therapy Work?
“Chelation therapy uses special medications, called chelating agents, that attach to metals in the body,” explains Matthew D. Krasowski, MD, PhD, chair of the College of American Pathologists Toxicology Committee.
You can think of a chelating agent as a crab with claws that grabs the toxic metal from your cells and holds it tightly so it can’t harm your body.
“Once the chelating agent binds to a metal such as lead, mercury, or iron, the body can remove the metal through urine or stool,” says Krasowski.
Doctors use specific chelating agents based on which metal is causing the problem. For example, dimercaprol captures arsenic, mercury, lead, and gold, while penicillamine captures copper.
Together with the chelating agent, doctors sometimes prescribe an antioxidant, such as vitamins C and E, zinc, selenium, or sulfur-containing compounds. Antioxidants protect your body against damage from heavy metals. This treatment combination helps lower the dose of chelating agent you need, cuts your risk of side effects, and improves recovery.
What Conditions Does Chelation Therapy Treat?
To date, the FDA has approved chelation therapy only for conditions caused by a harmful buildup of heavy metals in the body. These include:
Mercury poisoning. Most people are exposed to mercury through food, especially certain fish (such as shark, swordfish, and bigeye tuna), or from old dental fillings. Mercury poisoning is particularly problematic in pregnant women because mercury can pass into the baby’s developing brain. Symptoms of mercury poisoning include headaches, tremors, insomnia, problems with thinking and memory, muscle weakness, and heart or kidney issues. Chelation drugs such as succimer (dimercaptosuccinic acid, or DMSA) and unithiol (dimercaptopropane sulfonate, or DMPS) help remove mercury through urine.
Lead poisoning. Common sources of lead exposure include:
- Lead-based paint in old homes
- Contaminated drinking water from lead pipes
- Industrial jobs such as battery manufacturing
Lead is especially harmful to children because it can permanently affect brain development, even at low levels. Symptoms include headaches, stomach pain, anemia (low number of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood), and, in severe cases, seizures or coma. To treat lead poisoning, doctors use chelating agents such as succimer (DMSA).
Cadmium poisoning. Cadmium exposure comes mainly from rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries and cigarettes. Even small amounts can damage the kidneys and bones, while long-term exposure may affect the lungs, liver, and reproductive system. The most common chelating agent for cadmium is edetate calcium disodium (CaNa₂EDTA).
Arsenic poisoning. Arsenic may bring to mind intentional poisonings in old murder mysteries. But arsenic exposure usually comes from food and drinking water. Long-term exposure can cause skin changes, nerve problems, and a higher risk of cancer. To remove arsenic from your body, doctors use succimer (DMSA), unithiol (DMPS), or penicillamine.
Too much iron. Iron can build up in your body from pollution, contaminated water, or accidental overdoses of iron supplements. It can also happen if you receive multiple blood transfusions, says Krasowski. This is often the case for people with thalassemia, an inherited condition that affects the body’s ability to make hemoglobin and healthy red blood cells. Excess iron can also be due to iron overload diseases such as hemochromatosis, says Krasowski. Hemochromatosis is a genetic condition that causes iron to build up in the body. Excess iron can cause vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, dehydration, and lethargy. Doctors may prescribe clioquinol, deferasirox, deferiprone, or deferoxamine to remove excess iron.
Too much copper. Copper poisoning can result from pollution, contaminated water, or inherited conditions such as Wilson’s disease, which causes copper to build up in the body. Symptoms of excess copper include vomiting, low blood pressure, yellow skin (jaundice), and stomach pain. Excess copper can damage the liver, brain, and kidneys. The most common chelating agent for copper is penicillamine.
Unapproved uses of chelation therapy
“Research has looked at using chelation for other conditions, including heart disease, but these uses are not widely accepted because the scientific evidence is limited,” says Krasowski.
One large study, the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT), suggested possible heart benefits. But the trial had serious flaws, and a follow-up study, TACT2, showed no benefit for heart disease.
Some providers promote chelation for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, autism, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, or heart disease. The FDA warns against these uses, as there is no strong evidence that they can help. Unapproved chelation can cause serious harm and may delay patients from receiving proven treatments.
How Is Chelation Therapy Done?
“Treatments may be done in a hospital, clinic, or sometimes at home under medical supervision,” says Krasowski.
You may take chelation medicine as a pill or receive it through an IV infusion, depending on your type of metal poisoning and your treatment plan, he explains. During therapy, your doctor will order regular lab tests to make sure the treatment is working safely.
How long does chelation therapy take?
“The length of treatment varies,” says Krasowski. “Some patients may only need a short course, while others may require repeated treatments over weeks or months.”
How much does chelation therapy cost?
Chelation therapy can be costly. One medicine for lead poisoning has a wholesale price of more than $32,000 for one course of treatment. Iron chelation can cost about $160,000 to $220,000 per year.
Insurance may cover chelation therapy if the drug has FDA approval and your doctor prescribes it for an FDA-approved use.
Is Chelation Therapy Safe?
“Chelation therapy can be safe when prescribed and carefully monitored by a doctor, but it is not without risks,” says Krasowski.
All legitimate chelation medicines require a prescription. The FDA has taken action against companies selling over-the-counter chelation products.
What are the side effects of chelation therapy?
The most common side effect is a burning sensation in the area where the IV tube is inserted into your vein.
“Side effects may include nausea, headaches, or reactions at the injection site,” says Krasowski. You may also experience fever, vomiting, changes in blood pressure, gastrointestinal discomfort, or muscle pain.
“More serious risks include lowering of important minerals like calcium, kidney problems, or allergic reactions,” says Krasowski. Chelating drugs can bind to and remove some metals your body needs, such as calcium, copper, and zinc. This can lead to a deficiency in these important substances. Some people who’ve had chelation therapy also have low blood calcium levels and kidney damage.
Other possible serious side effects include heart failure, breathing difficulty, and convulsions or seizures. “This is why medical supervision and regular lab testing are so important during treatment,” says Krasowski.
Who should avoid chelation therapy?
“People with significant kidney disease or certain other health conditions may not be good candidates for chelation therapy,” says Krasowski.
Takeaways
Chelation therapy uses medications called chelating agents, which bind to harmful metals in the body and remove them through urine or stool. It is an effective treatment for poisonings with heavy metals, including mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic, as well as for conditions that cause iron or copper to build up in the body. Using it for other illnesses, such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, or autism, is unproven, unsafe, and not recommended. Doctors give chelation medicine either as a pill or as an infusion through a vein. Since the therapy carries serious risks, it must be done under medical supervision with careful monitoring of blood levels.
Chelation Therapy FAQs
Is charcoal a chelating agent?
Charcoal doesn’t work like traditional chelating agents. Its surface is full of tiny pores that can soak up certain drugs and toxins present in the stomach, stopping them from entering the bloodstream. But unlike chelation medicines, charcoal doesn’t bind to metals, so it isn’t effective for treating heavy metal poisoning.
When should you start chelation therapy?
You should start chelation therapy when tests show high levels of a toxic metal in your blood or urine, or when you have symptoms of metal poisoning. Your doctor will decide if and when treatment should begin.
Can chelation therapy be done at home?
Chelation therapy can sometimes be done at home, but only under medical supervision, such as home health care.
Is chelation therapy used for thalassemia?
People with thalassemia need regular transfusions to stay healthy, and each transfusion adds iron that the body cannot remove on its own. Doctors use chelation therapy to remove the extra iron that builds up due to repeated blood transfusions.
