Chelation Therapy deadly, big surprise

[Eos of the Eons]

I can't believe people put this stuff in themselves via intravenous.

The sodium salt of EDTA4- (i.e., Na4EDTA) can be found in many commercial products including:
soap
beer
mayonnaise

http://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/cchem/polys2.html
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chelationindex.html

Suits filed after chelation therapy disasters.

Lawsuits have been filed in two cases where the
patient's heart stopped beating during chelation
therapy:

**Kenneth Hough, of Bellbowrie, Queensland, is
suing Dr. Lin Sinnathamby and the hospital where
Sinnathamby was employed. The suit charges that
Sinnathamby falsely promised that chelation
therapy would clean out Hough's arteries and make
him feel generally more energetic. Although he
was resuscitated, he suffered a heart attack and
was left with permanent damage to his heart.
[Suit filed against Australian chelationist.
Quackwatch, Dec 12, 2003]
http://www.quackwatch.org/14Legal/hough.html

**The survivors of Susan Alexander, a 56-year-old
Georgia woman who died in 2002, are suing
Progressive Medical Group (PMG), several of its
staff members, and Metametrix (a laboratory that
offers nonstandard tests. The suit accuses the
defendants of negligence, fraud, racketeering,
and wrongful death. According to the complaint,
Ms. Alexander died during chelation therapy for
nonexistent lead poisoning that had been
diagnosed with a fraudulent test. [Fraud charged
in chelation-related death. Quackwatch, Dec 12,
2003] http://www.quackwatch.org/14Legal/pmg.html

Chelation proponents claim that their procedure
is safe and effective against coronary
atherosclerosis. However, there is no scientific
evidence that this is true, and the Federal Trade
Commission has obtained a cease-and-desist order
prohibiting the American College of Advancement
of Medicine from advertising any such claim.
http://www.quackwatch.org/02ConsumerProtection/ftcchelation.html.

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[athon]

Chelate Therapy has always been an interesting field. At first glance, there is nothing woo-woo about it, not when compared with homeopathy, or reiki, or TT, for instance. In principle, the hypothesis fitted into our knowledge of chemistry and was initially based on sound principles. However, the more we have looked, the less there is to see. It is one area where research has proven itself, science has come through, and some people just refuse to let the idea die.

That said, we have to remember that just because somebody is intelligent, it doesn't mean they have the skills to think critically and humbly.

Athon

 

[Rolfe]

It is highly effective in genuine cases of lead poisoning, of course.

Rolfe.

 

[Agammamon]

I think the woo-woo has taken over a legitimate bit of science and completely futzed it up. Normally chelation would be used to remove a poison (such as heavy metals) by binding it with another mix of chemicals. In theory the new compound will be inert and the body can then fluch it out normally (ie on the toilet) or I suppose dialysis. Of course most of the stuff useable for chelation is in itself poisonous so the quantities must be carefully tailored to match what you trying to get rid of.
However I don't see how anyone could seriously think this would get rid of plaque. Or why anyone would try it if they weren't suffering from a bad case of heavy metal poisoning.

 

[Dr. Imago]

You have to remember to replace essential divalent ions (Mg++, Fe++, etc.) that are also chelated. Perhaps "over-chelation" is to blame in bad outcomes.

But, it is a legitimate treatment, as Rolfe points out, for lead (and mercury) poisoning.

-TT

 

[Eos of the Eons]

You have to remember to replace essential divalent ions (Mg++, Fe++, etc.) that are also chelated. Perhaps "over-chelation" is to blame in bad outcomes.

But, it is a legitimate treatment, as Rolfe points out, for lead (and mercury) poisoning.

-TT

So it's useful to know what it is meant for, as opposed to what a woo will promise it will do.