Caution Is Advised Before Undergoing Chelation Therapy

Chelation therapy is the use of chelating agents to remove heavy metal ions from the body. Chelation (pronounced Kee la shun) therapy started during World War I when poison gas (Lewisite) affected soldiers were treated with a chelating agent Dimercapol also known as British Anti Lewisite (BAL). BAL had severe and painful side effects but was the only known antidote for the arsenic based poison gas at that time.

With the advancement in medicines many chelating agents were developed in the US, USSR and England which do not have as severe side effects as BAL. There are other chelating agents which have been developed to nullify the effects of harmful metallic ions. Some of them are:

BAL : British Anti Lewisite
EDTA : Dietheylene triamine pentaacetic acid
DMSA : Dimercaptosuccinic acid
DMPS : Dimercapto-propane sulfonate
ALA : Alpha lipoic acid
Ca Na2