INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE INTRAVENOUS THERAPY

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There are several, different forms of intravenous (IV, i.e., by vein) therapies that are used in Integrative CAM (Complementary Alternative Medicine) to help provide effective support for a wide range of health conditions. 

 

Since we are all inevitably victims of stress and the aging process, we can therefore all potentially benefit at any point in our lives from an Integrative CAM program that may effectively slow and/or reverse the ravages of stress and time.

 

Prevention is naturally much more effective than trying to correct an existing condition that is
damaging the body, so it is not surprising that many people with no obvious health problems are requesting I.V. EDTA Chelation, and other Integrative CAM IV therapies as an excellent form of anti-aging, preventative support.  

 

Below is an overview of the best of these IV therapies:

 

I.V. EDTA Chelation Therapy is an intravenous treatment intended to help accomplish several, important, health goals:

 

• Remove toxic heavy metals, such as aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel,
radioactive elements, etc., from the body

• Remove excessive, abnormal amounts of calcium and iron from the body

• Replenish vital minerals to the body, such as potassium, magnesium, etc.

• Reduce free radical oxidative stress damage to the cells, tissues and organs of the body

• Help promote repair of body cells damaged by free radical oxidative stress and toxins

• Help prevent and reverse the formation of vascular plaque (hardening of the arteries)

• Help improve immune system function against abnormal cells and infections

• Help improve blood circulation and oxygenation throughout the body

• Help significantly promote anti-aging of the entire body

 

What is Chelation?

 

The word “chelation” comes from the Greek word “chele” meaning claw.  The active ingredient is EDTA (Ethylene-Diamine-Tetraacetic-Acid), a synthetic amino acid,
recognized as “G.R.A.S.” (“Generally Regarded As Safe”) by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).  EDTA is a molecule that will wrap itself around a toxic molecule, inactivate it, and remove it through the urine.  

 

Heavy Metal Toxicity

 

Heavy metals, e.g., aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, radioactive elements, etc., are not only directly toxic to cells, but are also powerful generators of free radical oxidative stress.  When administered intravenously, the EDTA traps toxins in the body, and eliminates them through the kidneys.  Many of these toxic materials have been accumulating in our bodies since childhood.  It is these toxic materials that contribute to and accelerate aging and disease.  EDTA helps to remove these harmful toxins, actually allowing the body to subsequently repair damage done by these toxic substances, after which the body can then function more normally.

 

History of EDTA Chelation Therapy 

 

Industrial use of chelating chemicals has been widespread since the 1920s.  The first research for human application of EDTA was prior to WW II, when chelating agents were evaluated as a treatment for victims of chemical warfare.  In the U.S., in the late 1940s, the first human patients to be treated with EDTA were workers who had been exposed to lead, i.e., lead miners, battery factory workers, and U.S. Navy ship painters. Interestingly, several of the workers given IV EDTA chelation therapy, who had coexisting health problems, such as angina pectoris, arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., were found to have an unexpected improvement of their other chronic conditions.

 

These unexpected improvements in other chronic health conditions created an interest in further evaluating these benefits obtained from IV EDTA chelation therapy.  As the clinical I.V. therapy of other chronic conditions progressed, the benefits were noted to be significant. Many patients were offered a second chance at good health without need for extreme treatment interventions. 

 

EDTA Research

 

A study published in Medical Hypotheses, “EDTA Chelation Therapy in Chronic Degenerative Disease” by Dr. James P. Carter (Chief of Nutrition Section, Tulane University, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine), and Dr. Efraim Olszeweo (Clinical Cardiology) (Vol. 27, Issue 1, September 1988, 41-49), involving 2,870 patients treated with IV EDTA chelation therapy showed “marked” or “good” improvement for 93% of the patients with ischemic heart disease, and for 98.6% of the patients with peripheral vascular disease. 

 

There are over 3,000 articles in the medical literature documenting the benefits of IV EDTA Chelation therapy.  IV EDTA Chelation therapy is amongst the safest of modern, medical treatments.  Well over one million patients have received over 10 million treatments. 

 

In over the past fifty years, there have been no documented deaths from EDTA chelation therapy, when the protocol of the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) has been followed.  There is even an FDA approved dosing schedule for children.  The only potential risk is related to the dosing of excessive quantities of EDTA, so therefore, each individual patient’s dose is carefully calculated by the physician according to the ACAM protocol to assure safety.  

 

Indications for IV EDTA Chelation Therapy

 

IV EDTA Chelation is a supportive therapy to be seriously considered by persons suffering from disease of the: 

 

• Blood vessels of the heart (coronary artery disease)

• Brain, including the carotid arteries (cerebrovascular disease)

• Limbs (peripheral vascular disease)

• Generalized atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)

• Exposure to toxic materials, e.g., heavy metals, as well as other related ailments that promote an accelerated physical decline due to free radical oxidative stress and toxicity

 

IV EDTA Chelation therapy may possibly help in certain cases to avoid the need for arterial
bypass surgery or angioplasty, as well as to improve the results of these vascular procedures if they have already been performed.  

 

However, IV EDTA Chelation therapy and surgery are not mutually exclusive, and can be used together for increased therapeutic benefits.  Very severe, potentially life and/or limb threatening arterial blockages may still need vascular bypass surgery or angioplasty.  

 

Even if surgery becomes necessary in the future, the potential benefits of IV EDTA Chelation therapy for generalized improvement in the entire circulatory system can enhance the surgical results and accelerate recovery.

 

IV Vitamin & Oxygen Therapies include:

 

• IV Vitamin C

• IV Myer’s Cocktail

• IV Glutathione 

• IV Bio-Oxidative Therapy

 

IV vitamin treatments, consisting of various, high potency dosages of Vitamin C, B vitamins,
magnesium, calcium and trace minerals, may be used to support the body’s natural defenses
against a wide variety of health conditions, including:

 

• Angina pectoris

• Asthma

• Migraines
  Menstrual cramps

• Infections, such as influenza, Lyme disease, hepatitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.

• Inflammatory diseases, e.g., arthritis, colitis, etc.

• Autoimmune disorders

• Gluten-related diseases

• Chronic fatigue syndrome

• Fibromyalgia

• Malabsorption syndrome

• Malnutrition, and for generally improving immune function

 

Vitamin C is a vitally important nutrient in the function of our body.  

 

IV Vitamin C in high doses may be used to:

 

• Enhance and balance our immune system function

• Help control inflammation due to allergic, autoimmune, and infectious processes

• Play a role in the elimination of abnormal cells and detoxification

• Support collagen synthesis, and wound healing

 

Research studies and the documented, clinical experiences of Dr. Frederick Klenner, Dr. Hugh Riordan, Dr. Jonathan Wright and others have shown that the powerful, anti-inflammatory, immune supportive effects of high dose Vitamin C may be effective in helping a wide variety of viral illnesses, e.g., Chronic EBV, as well as in Lyme Disease, etc.

 

IV Myer’s Cocktail is a special combination of vitamins and minerals that is given as an IV push, so that it takes effect more rapidly to help the condition being treated.

 

IV Myer’s Cocktail is especially indicated for:

 

• Angina pectoris (esp. Vasospastic Angina)

• Asthma and Asthmatic Bronchitis

• Migraines and Tension headaches

• Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)

• Chronic fatigue syndrome

• Fibromyalgia

• Muscle spasms, e.g., back pain, buttock pain, neck pain, etc.

• Vasospastic peripheral vascular disease (e.g., Raynaud’s phenomena, etc.)

 

Glutathione is a naturally occurring peptide that protects every cell, tissue and organ from free radical oxidative stress and toxicity.  It is the most powerful antioxidant inside of our cells, and is often referred to as the ‘master antioxidant.’ 

 

IV Glutathione has several functions:

 

• Helps detoxification, esp. in the liver, which is the chemical factory of the body

• Plays an important role in DNA synthesis and repair

• Regulates and regenerates immune cells

• Provides potential, anti-viral properties

 

Dr. David Perlmutter, a world-renowned board-certified neurologist, has been using glutathione to help treat Parkinson’s disease.  Although it is not a cure, it has been shown to improve the symptoms of the disease and possibly slow progression of the illness.  In addition, Dr. Perlmutter has treated a variety of degenerative neurologic conditions with glutathione, including ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.  

 

Some physicians and researchers have also advocated the use of IV glutathione therapy for the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, memory loss, dementia, peripheral neuropathy, and post-stroke syndrome.

 

IV Bio-Oxidative Therapy, consisting of medicinal grade hydrogen peroxide and trace
minerals, is used to help support immune function.  

 

It is especially helpful for infections, e.g., influenza, viral hepatitis, viral pneumonia, Chronic EBV, Lyme disease, etc. 

 

The greatly enhanced, tissue oxygenation, i.e., up to twelve atmospheres of oxygen, provided by IV Bio-Oxidative Therapy has also been used to support improved cellular function in chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome (CFIDS), fibromyalgia, vascular disorders of the heart, brain, and other organ systems.

 

Administration of Integrative CAM IV therapies are usually given over a two to three hour infusion period while relaxing in a comfortable office environment.

 

A “mini” Myer’s Cocktail can be given over a twenty to thirty minute period for patients who do not have time for a 2 to 3-hour IV drip.  

 

Typically, supportive IV treatments are given once or twice  a week, depending on the patient’s illness, and level of vitality.