Heavy Metal Toxicity and DetoxificationHeavy metals damage us in many ways. They attach to the inside and outside of our cells, causing the immune system to see those cells as abnormal, initiating an autoimmune response, and by causing direct oxidative stress. Think of oxidative stress as the cell being “on fire” from little laser beams, or free radicals, that “burn” or damage the cell inside and out. If the fire goes on long enough, the cell is damaged which causes premature aging, and in the extreme, it even causes premature cell death. There are three things we can do about this. The first is avoidance of further exposure to the toxins. Second, we can pour water on the flame (take antioxidants), and the third is that we can remove the blow torch or the source of the flame, and that generally implies chelation, or heavy metal detoxification. | |
Heavy Metal Detoxification is the process of taking a medication that has a strong binding affinity for toxic metals in the body. Once the medication is in the bloodstream, it seeks out the metal and binds to it very tightly. Research has shown that for most people, chronic disease is a result of a complex interaction between genetic sensitivity to toxins, type of toxic exposure, amount of toxic exposure, and the timing of the toxic exposure. Some people are not good excreters of toxins (especially mercury) –in other words they are poor detoxifiers. All of us are exposed to toxins, but some people are genetically better at detoxifying them than others. For example, if 100 people smoke the same number of cigarettes over a period of time, they do not all get cancer – some get cancer, some get heart disease, some get emphysema, and some only get wrinkles and bad breath. The same individual variety of responses is true of all toxins, including mercury. In treating this problem, avoidance of further exposure to toxic metals is very important – such as not eating seafood, or putting amalgam (silver) fillings into teeth. Heavy Metal Detoxification can occur in many different ways. One of the most effective is the process of taking a chelating medication that has a strong binding affinity for toxic metals in the body. Once the medication is in the bloodstream, it seeks out the toxic metals and binds to them very tightly. The complex of [chelator + metal] can then be excreted by the body into the urine and stool. Chelation actually mimics the body’s own natural Phase Two detoxification pathways, where molecules (such as glutathione) are attached to toxins in order to excrete them. Chelators are much stronger than glutathione in pulling metals. Heavy metal detoxification medication can be taken five ways – intravenous (IV), rectal suppository (PR), oral (PO), transdermal (TD), or an intramuscular (IM) “shot”.
Intravenous heavy metal detoxification is by far the most effective, and gives the biggest “pulls” of metals, because the medication is going straight into the blood where it can go to work. IV heavy metal detoxification is also the most expensive, due to the need to use sterile solutions and have medical staff administer it. Rectal suppositories take some getting used to, but are usually not painful and are fairly effective. Inside the rectal area, there are many blood vessels. A suppository containing a chelator will melt from body heat within minutes, and the medication is absorbed into the blood. Suppositories are therefore only second to IV’s in effectiveness, are less expensive than IV’s, and can easily be done at home. It is important to explain this procedure to a child before it is done however, so that the child does not feel that they are being inappropriately invaded. A separate instruction sheet is available on how to correctly insert a suppository.
Oral heavy metal detoxification is usually only practical for patients who can swallow pills because the medications taste really bad, but they can be mixed with flavored syrups for those who will tolerate it. However, oral heavy metal detoxification is most likely to exacerbate gut problems by increasing bad “gut bugs” such as yeast.
Transdermal heavy metal detoxification is the most “user friendly” and is well tolerated by the gut, but is generally considered to be the weakest or least effective method. Transdermal is therefore most often used only in very young children. Intramuscular is generally too painful for routine use.
There are three prescription medications that can be used to detoxify heavy metals – DMSA, DMPS, and EDTA. Optimal Health Spectrums has individual informed consent forms listing potential side-effects for each medication. The appropriate consent must be read and signed before taking the medication.
DMSA is FDA approved for removing lead – but it also removes mercury and other toxic metals. It has been on the market in this country for many years, and was originally used to detoxify children who had eaten lead paint chips. DMSA can be used orally, transdermally, in a shot, and as a suppository, but not IV. DMSA is “off-patent” and is therefore relatively inexpensive compared to DMPS, however, it often has more gastrointestinal side-effects than DMPS. Since it is an FDA approved drug, it can often be covered by insurance – including Medical.
DMPS is not FDA approved because it is not an American drug. Its use is therefore considered “experimental” in this country, and it is usually not covered by insurance. However, there are many years of documented safe and effective use of DMPS in the rest of the world. In some countries, it is considered so safe that it is available over the counter. It is manufactured in Germany, Russia, China, and other countries. It is imported into the USA, checked for purity, and compounding pharmacies dispense it in many forms (including IV’s) based on a doctor’s prescription. DMPS is much more expensive than DMSA, but it is often better tolerated (not always), and is generally considered to be superior to DMSA in chelating mercury. It also pulls lead and other toxic metals. EDTA is a chelator that can come in two forms – either bound to sodium or calcium. It is an FDA approved drug for lead poisoning in adults and children. It has been on the market in this country for many years, and is even used in small amounts as a food additive. EDTA is most effective if used as a rectal suppository or given IV. It is relatively ineffective if used orally or transdermally. The sodium form of EDTA is generally only used in slow, three-hour IV drips in adults who are being treated for heart disease where the goal is to pull calcium from clogged arteries in the body. Only the calcium-bound form of EDTA, or CaEDTA is used at Optimal Health Spectrums. CaEDTA does not pull calcium from the body, and is very good at chelating lead, cadmium and arsenic among other metals, but is not good at pulling mercury. It is helpful to remove the lead first, since the presence of other toxic metals in the body seems to decrease the excretion of mercury.
All forms of heavy metal detoxification are given in “on/off” cycles. This is important to give the body a rest between cycles, and to allow adequate time for re-mineralization. Oral and transdermal heavy metal detoxification is usually given in an on/off schedule such as 5 days off - 2 days on, or 11 days off - 3 days on. The oral or transdermal medication is usually given three times a day on the “on” days. IV heavy metal detoxification is usually not done more than once a week, but suppositories are often done 2-3 times a week. The day after an IV, it is recommended to do a “mop-up” dose of chelator to help grab any metal that may have been “loosened” by the IV. Different methods of medication administration can be combined depending on a patient’s needs, such as IV’s every 2-4 weeks, with oral or suppository in-between.
SIDE-EFFECTS: All medical treatments have the possibility of side-effects. The most common side-effects of chelating are 1) symptoms of mineral deficiency (tiredness, increased chewing or mouthing behavior, grinding teeth, dark circles under the eyes, or crankiness), 2) symptoms of a yeast flare-up (excessive hyperness, silliness, spaciness), or 3) symptoms of detoxification (mild fatigue or irritability for a day or two after taking a dose). Detoxification symptoms are greatest in the beginning of the process, can be minimized by adjusting the dose, and decrease as the total body toxic load decreases. Carefully supplementing minerals, monitoring mineral levels, and being vigilant for yeast greatly minimizes the other symptoms. If a yeast flare or mineral deficiency occurs, it might be necessary to take a break from chelating to fix the problem, and then resume.
Rarely, liver or kidney problems, bone marrow suppression, or a rash can occur. A rash can signal an allergy to the medication, or it may be a mild detox rash from mobilizing the metals. Extremely rare types of severe rashes called SJS or TEN can occur and can be life-threatening. These types of rashes are not unique to chelators, but are possible with almost any prescription medication and are extremely rare. Just to be safe, be sure to report any rashes to us, and stop using the medication until you have discussed it with the doctor.
Rarely, the mobilization of the metals in the body can cause a temporary worsening of your symptoms. If this occurs, generally lowering the dose to proceed more slowly solves the problem. This usually only occurs in really toxic patients, and is a sign of how sensitive they are to the metals and how important it is to get them out.
If you become ill for any reason, heavy metal detoxification should be temporarily discontinued until you have fully recovered. If unusual lethargy, abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting occurs, discontinue the medication and report to us. It is important to understand that overall, the vast majority of patients tolerate heavy metal detoxification with no major adverse effects.
The biggest risk of heavy metal detoxification is mineral depletion, so minerals must be supplemented carefully during the heavy metal detoxification process. Signs of low minerals can be tiredness, increased chewing or mouthing behavior, grinding teeth, dark circles under the eyes, or crankiness, among others. Usually, a patient’s mineral dose will need to be increased when heavy metal detoxification is started to make up for the minerals that will be lost. All chelators bind weakly to minerals, so some minerals are lost as the metals are being excreted – especially zinc. It used to be recommended not to take minerals within 6-12 hours of a chelation dose (pre and post) to prevent the chelator from binding to the minerals, but this sometimes resulted in mineral levels dropping too quickly. In most people, it is necessary to take minerals even on chelation days. This still works well since the medications have a much stronger binding affinity for metals than minerals, so even if the chelator does bind to a mineral first, it will drop the mineral to grab a metal if one is available.
Prior to beginning heavy metal detoxification, blood mineral levels must be checked and be adequate, and the major bodily organs must be functioning properly (based on a blood CBC and chemistry panel). Also, you should not be dehydrated or constipated when chelating, because the metals will be exiting the body in urine and stool. If the metals sit in the gut for too long, they could be reabsorbed, and they have a longer time to cause dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut flora). Blood tests must also be checked periodically throughout the detoxification process to ensure that the child is progressing safely. A blood test for CBC, chemistry panel, and intracellular mineral levels, and a urine toxic metal test are done every two - three months to monitor for safety and progress.
A “challenge test” is when a dose of a chelating medication is given to the patient and then urine and/or stool is collected to measure the output of metals excreted. A challenge test usually involves starting with an empty bladder, taking the chelation challenge dose, collecting urine for the next 6 -12 hours, and then sending a sample to a lab to assess the metal output. Sometimes the “challenge” dose of chelator will be double the usual dose to see a more obvious result. Other times the collection is done after the usual dose, to see what is coming out routinely. It is not necessary to do a challenge test after each dose. This test only measures what is being excreted at that time, and is not a quantitative measure of total body stores of metal. Porphyrin testing is more useful for indicating how much mercury may be stored in the body. However, a challenge test can provide a useful record of the metal excretion, and can give an idea of when we are “done”. Sometimes the initial tests look like there is little metal coming out, and some people wrongly conclude that there is not an excessive amount of metal in their body. It is not uncommon for a person to chelate for months before mercury is accessed and begins to be excreted. Other people will show a big “dump” of mercury immediately. Heavy metal detoxification results, like everything else, are very individual. If no metals are being excreted with a certain chelator or with a certain method, often we will change medications, routes of administration, or doses to achieve adequate metal excretion.
People often wonder when to stop chelating. There is no definitive marker on when to stop chelating, but when progress has plateaued, or no further metals are coming out, or the patient has recovered, then it is time to stop. However, even after metals stop coming out, it is often a good idea to take a break from chelating for several months to allow metals in the body that are in deep storage to redistribute from “hard to grab” locations to “easier to grab” locations, and then re-do a challenge test. Often a whole new batch of metals shows up.
It is important to remember that there is no “safe” amount of mercury or lead, and the presence of more than one toxic metal synergistically and exponentially increases the toxicity. Sensitivity to heavy metals varies hugely between individuals. Because of genetic differences between people, a given amount of mercury may not cause any discernible symptoms in one person, but the same amount could cause major health problems in another person. Many people are extremely sensitive to mercury and other toxic metals, and are often glutathione deficient.
Heavy metal detoxification often needs to be done for a minimum of six months - two years or more, depending on the patient. But any aged person can functionally improve and will be healthier from removing toxic metals from their body. It is important to remember that mercury and other toxins can and do kill some brain cells (neurons), and it is not possible to predict in advance how many neurons are already dead and gone, and how many are still alive but toxic. The neurons that are still alive are potentially recoverable, but a dead neuron will remain dead no matter how much heavy metal detoxification or other treatment is done. The best hope for that type of brain injury may be future stem cell infusions. There are other ways to detoxify metals as well. Adding nutrient supplements - such as vitamins and minerals - improves the body’s own natural ability to detoxify. Giving glutathione, either transdermally, in an IV, suppository, or in oral lipoceutical form, helps the body detoxify.
Many people have had success with the FAR-IR sauna. Since the body naturally excretes metals through urine, stool, hair, skin, nails, and SWEAT – the sauna uses a natural pathway to excrete metals. Chemical toxins are also removed this way, so there is a double bonus from sauna therapy. The FAR-infra red sauna induces sweating at a much lower temperature than traditional saunas, and is safe for use even with children. Protocols vary, but often start at 100 – 120 degrees F, for 10-30 minutes a day. All sweat should be toweled off, and afterwards take a shower. This can be done every day, depending on an individual’s tolerance. Minerals are lost through the sweat as well, so must be supplemented as in heavy metal detoxification. These saunas can be purchased for home use, generally costing around $2000 -$3000. Some people like it, but some don’t like getting hot and sweaty. Others are using clay baths to remove metals. The purity of the clay is very important here, because we wouldn’t want to soak in more metals! Some are using ionic foot baths, but I can’t vouch for their usefulness, and they are expensive. Others are using chlorella, an algae, but again the purity of the product is hard to certify. Algae grow in water, and all major bodies of water on earth now have toxic metals in them. There are many other “natural” products out there that are available without a prescription that claim to work, but they do not have a proven track record of efficacy, and some of them don’t even bind to mercury in a test tube! Natural is not always better.
Although not every patient will improve from chelating, overall, chelating and/or detoxifying protocols in combination with a full treatment protocol can cause real improvement in many patients. |
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FAR-IR Sauna We live in a toxic world. Every man, woman, and infant child has hundreds of chemicals and heavy metals in their body – exposed prenatally, in utero, and of course every day after that. One in six women on earth is mercury toxic, and that doesn’t even count the other metals and chemicals that are stored in her body that are easily transmitted to the growing fetus. We know much more about the effects of heavy metal toxins than we do about the chemical toxins in our environment. At least there are a limited number of metal poisons – but the number of chemical poisons is seemingly endless! The Environmental Working Group published an astonishing article recently showing how toxic we really are. And the scary thing is that most of these chemicals in our bodies have not been tested for safety in humans, definitely not in children, and absolutely not in the combinations that are in our bodies. We are now made up of a toxic soup, and no one knows how each individual recipe will play out. Most of these chemicals have carcinogenic potential, and many of them are EDC’s – endocrine disrupting chemicals – causing hormone related cancers in adults (breast, prostate, etc) and early-onset puberty symptoms in children, which may progress to cancers at even younger ages than in their parents. We know that many people are genetically “poor detoxifiers”, so they are often more affected than others by the toxic soup. We can chelate heavy metals such as mercury out of the body, but we cannot chelate chemicals. They are harder to remove. Chemicals typically store in the body fat, doing their insidious damage as they stay there year after year. Plastics and plastic-like chemicals (such as pthalates and parabens) are a common source of chemical toxicity – found in the plastic water bottles that we all use, plastic baby bottles and pacifiers, plastic food storage bags and containers, and even in our skin creams and lotions (including diaper rash ointments) and cosmetics. Pesticides are another common source of toxicity. Kids are much more sensitive to these chemicals than adults – their detoxification pathways don’t mature until years after birth, and their smaller body weights make them more strongly affected pound-for-pound. It is important to eat organic foods for many reasons. Please see the list of the “dirty dozen”, which are the most important fruits and vegetables to eat organic, because they store pesticide residues more than the other foods. Organophosphate pesticides contribute to the overall “body burden” of toxins that disrupt human biochemistry at many crucial junctions, eventually tipping over the balance from health into disease. Books such as “Detoxify or Die” by Sherry Rogers, M.D., give the toxin story in graphic detail. It can be overwhelming to read, and even harder to figure out what to do to live in this world while sensibly minimizing risk. The Optimal Health Spectrums list of “General Do’s and Don’ts” is a good place to start. Avoiding sea food and eating organic produce, drinking purified water, and using natural cleaning chemicals, are all good steps to take. Testing your house and your body for toxic overload is a smart thing to do. We can order a comprehensive battery of tests to assess your particular toxic profile. Again, for heavy metal toxins such as mercury and lead, we can chelate to help remove them. But for chemicals, what can we do? Fortunately, there is a safe and natural way to remove toxic chemicals from your body. It is called Far-Infra Red (FAR-IR) Sauna Therapy. This therapy mobilizes the toxins in the body fat by exposing it to a low dose of safe FAR-IR radiation that superficially penetrates the body and generates heat which causes the sweat glands to go into overdrive, and sweat out the toxins. The temperatures in the FAR-IR saunas are much lower than traditional saunas, so they are safe for children and the elderly and even most people with health problems. It is possible to generate a “good sweat” in the FAR-IR sauna at 100 – 120 degrees F, which can be the same temperatures that are seen in some places on a hot summer day. If you start to feel dizzy while in the sauna, you can take a break, the temperature can be lowered, or the session stopped. It is not unusual for a session of sauna therapy to make your heart pound as if it was getting a great work-out, as it tries to cool off the body. It has been estimated that a 30 minute session in the sauna may burn up to 600 calories as your body sweats and detoxifies, so sauna can even be good for weight loss. Also, removing some of the chemical toxins that interfere with proper glucose metabolism can also help optimize weight. Some severely chemically poisoned people cannot sweat properly at first, so they may have to start slowly and work up gradually in time and temperature to achieve optimal detoxification. Because the FAR-IR sauna generates a lot of sweat, it is important to towel off the sweat while in the sauna, so that the toxins are removed from the body and don’t just soak back in. After fully cooling off (which can take 30-60 minutes after the session is over), a nice shower at home with organic soap completes the toxin removal process. Patients in the sauna sit and lean and put their feet on clean towels, so that no part of their body is touching the porous, non-toxic wood in the sauna. It is important to be well-hydrated before going in to the sauna, and to drink at least a liter of water (and often more) while in a 30 minute session. Afterwards, it is a good idea to take extra glutathione and vitamin C to help the body excrete any residual toxins that may have been “stirred up” in the process, along with an extra dose of minerals including magnesium and potassium to replace what may have been lost in the detox process. The real advantages of sauna detoxification protocols are that they are completely natural. No medication is needed. After all, sweating is one of the major “exit” pathways of the body for toxins (after “pee and poop”), but in today’s sedentary society, it is often under-utilized. The skin is the largest organ in the body, and so it is possible in a well-designed sauna that heats the body evenly, to generate a great deal of detoxification in a short amount of time. Another huge advantage is that sweating removes chemical and heavy metal toxins at the same time. No other treatment does that. Remember, chelation only removes metals – it doesn’t touch chemical toxins. So sauna gives us a nice “two for one” detox package. Dr. William Rae, one of the true experts and pioneers in the detoxification movement, has said that if someone completes at least 90 sauna treatments, they can move the toxic load in their body back by 20 years. That can pay real dividends in prolonging health and vigor in one’s later years. For toxic children and adults with physical and neurologic health issues, sauna therapy can play a vital role in their recovery. Overall, Far Infra Red Sauna therapy is an important part of anyone’s comprehensive detoxification protocol – for health maintenance, or illness recovery. |
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