There are websites that make chelation therapy sound too easy, and there are doctors (here in India), who might be too easy going when it comes to administering it.
Not only do they sometimes dispense with examining the patient and conducting the necessary tests (especially regarding kidney function), but instead may follow the same standard routine for all patients alike, thus failing to address the individual case. They also very likely will solely employ EDTA chelation, which although very effective in itself does not deal with all the toxins that are stored in a present-day body. Which is why in a previous posting (http://healthyhealingcentergoa.blogspot.com/2011/01/dmsa-for-detoxing-lead-and-mercury.html), we introduced the need to supplement EDTA infusions with the oral administration of DMSA to relieve the system especially of mercury.
It has been observed that oral ingestion of DMSA does indeed help in this regard, even though the German toxicologist Dr. Dr. habil. Max Daunderer disputes the fact. He therefore lets his patients sniff DMSA from special ampoules, or uses it as an injection. Daunderer is both right and wrong. He is wrong in the sense that oral DMSA will chelate mercury and arsenic from the body. And he is right in another sense that as an oral chelator DMSA cannot cross the blood brain barrier and thus cannot work on and remove toxins from the brain. Sniffing DMSA and DMSA infusions on the other hand, do achieve that aim. Unfortunately, Daunderer’s ampoules are not easily available outside Germany, whereas orally ingestible DMSA is. Furthermore, like DMPS infusions for mercury and arsenic detoxification, DMSA infusions need to be closely monitored and are not for everyone. Personally, I would not recommend them. Especially since there is a different approach to help the orally ingested DMSA cross the blood brain barrier – by adding alpha-lipoic acid as a supplement.
In a series of let us say 15 EDTA plus DMSA chelation treatments, the protocol thus is, to start giving the patient alpha-lipoic acid after he or she has completed two thirds of the series. The first two thirds of the series will lower the “body burden” by chelating heavy metals from the system. Finally DMSA in conjunction with alpha-lipoic acid supplements pull the mercury and other metals from the brain.
Lest that we forget to mention: many (Indian) doctors fail to give or prescribe multi-minerals together with the course or after the completion of the chelation treatments. However, such is absolutely necessary. Together with the harmful heavy metals and free radicals, chelation treatments will also remove a small amount of necessary minerals from the system, which will have to be replenished.
Regarding such supplementation, I do not apply the same standard protocol with all patients. For some, I prescribe high quality multi-vitamins and minerals already to be taken during the off-days in-between treatments, and the more after the completion of the treatment series. For others I suggest that they start taking vitamin and mineral supplements after they are complete with their chelations.