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Chelation
Therapy Part 1: A New Hope for Autistics More of
this Feature
Chelation
Therapy Part 2: The Opposing View More of this
Feature
from
About.com, February 2003
Chelation Therapy is
but one of the therapies available for children with Autism or
who have been exposed to lead poisoning. Chelation
Therapy, as it relates to Autism, is not seen as a "cure" for
Autism but as a way to remove the mercury that has been placed
into the body by vaccines. By publishing this article, Bridges4Kids
does not imply agreement with any particular therapy,
treatment or theory.
For more articles on disabilities and special ed visit
www.bridges4kids.org.
Chelation Therapy
Part 1: A New Hope for Autistics More of this Feature
Chelation therapy was first developed by the United States
Navy as a way of removing toxic metals from the bodies of
military personnel exposed to high concentrations of lead
during the 1940's. Since that time, it has been used in the
treatment of people exposed to lead paint particles and other
environmental exposures, and is a recommended treatment by the
American Academy of Family Practice and the American Academy
of Pediatrics for this purpose. Now, however its use is being
expanded to the treatment of other medical conditions such as
Autism.
The chemical process that takes place in chelation is
complicated, but put in simple terms, the heavy metals, such
as mercury, bind to the chelating agent and then are
eliminated from the body. In theory, once they are removed,
their toxic effects are eliminated and the individual begins
to show improvement in the areas which were exposed to these
metals. There are several products which are in use as
chelators and are prescribed for use by some physicians.
One of the best and safest chelators is DMSA. While not
approved by the FDA for use in Autism, it is approved for
removal of lead from children who have been diagnosed with
lead poisoning. Due to the nature of DMSA, however, it does
not simply bind to lead, but to any heavy metal, and therefore
will bind to mercury, such as has accumulated due to
vaccinations containing thimerosal. It has been tested in
children and found to be safe and effective when properly
used.
Another common chelator is DMPS. This substance,however, has
never been tested in children and has not been found to be
safe and effective. It also is very expensive and can only be
purchased through a compounding pharmacist. For these reasons,
it is usually not covered by health insurance policies.
Because of these factors, it is not recommended for use with
children and is a poor alternative to DMSA according to many
specialists.
Another product in use is lipoic acid. This is an excellent
chelator, since it is lipid soluble, and is therefore able to
cross cell membranes better than the water soluble product
DMSA. In theory, this makes it more effective, since most of
the mercury is stored within the cells and is harder to reach
and create bonds with.
There are two steps to chelation therapy that are essential if
it is to work. First, the loosely-bound body mercury must be
eliminated. This can be done with DMSA. It is given in a one
week on, one off pattern with dosages being administered every
four hours. Once the urine mercury levels have stabilized, the
next step is chelating the mercury that is tightly bound
within the cells. This is done using lipoic acid.
It is important to provide nutritional support designed to
counteract mercury's known effects and to use monitoring tests
to check on blood counts, kidney and liver function, and
mineral levels, and to gauge how much mercury is being
eliminated from the body. These tests must be done under
supervision of a physician, and as in any medical treatment
should be closely supervised and the recommendations of the
physician should be followed by the patient.
For more information on physicians who practice Chelation
Therapy, contact the American College for Advancement in
Medicine (ACAM). Their database includes over 600 physicians
and clinics that are certified in this treatment method. Part
2 of this article will discuss the viewpoint of the
traditional medical community toward this method of treatment.
Chelation Therapy
Part 2: The Opposing View More of this Feature
Chelation Therapy, as
it relates to Autism, is not seen as a "cure" for Autism but
as a way to remove the mercury that has been placed into the
body by vaccines.
While much publicity has been given to chelation therapy
within the Autism community, the overwhelming opinion of the
traditional medical community is that it is an unproven
therapy that should be avoided. According to Saul Green, PhD,
the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), the
primary proponents of chelation, and its Board Certification
program are not recognized by the scientific community.
Green also points out that the typical treatment program costs
between $75 and $125 per treatment, takes between 20 and 100
treatments to show results, and is not covered by insurance.
Other physicians point out that some chelation therapists
attempt to secure insurance coverage by misrepresenting the
patient's treatment to the insurance companies, therefore
practicing insurance fraud rather than medicine.
It is interesting that none of the material discussed above is
related to chelation therapy in the treatment of Autism or
other developmental disorders. It relates to claims that
chelation is an effective treatment for heart disease. The
implication, however is that if it is a fraudulent treatment
for heart disease, then all treatments using this procedure
are suspect and should be avoided.
It is obvious that more research needs to be done into this
treatment. In November 2000, Cure Autism Now (CAN), a leading
Autism research organization called for research proposals to
finally investigate the effectiveness of chelation therapy in
Autism treatment. Since there has been no research studies
done to validate the claims of those who tout chelation in the
treatment of Autism, this treatment should be considered
unproven and the safety and effectiveness of it are still
undetermined.
This viewpoint is supported by the Autism Biomedical
Information Network, which lists chelation as an unproven
treatment. They point out that no reliable research studies
have been made on many treatments being offered as
alternatives to traditional Autism treatments, and that most
of the information available on their effectiveness is
anecdotal rather than based on valid scientific research
techniques.
While it is not illegal for a physician to prescribe chelation
therapy for the treatment of Autism, without valid research
studies, any treatment that has not been properly researched
should be undertaken with a degree of skepticism. Until
chelation is approved for use with Autistics and until valid
research is conducted, the traditional medical community
recommends that it be avoided.
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