How to Treat Arsenic Poisoning

Arsenic poisoning is a serious health condition that requires immediate and effective treatment. Unfortunately, it has become more common with the prevalence of trace amounts of arsenic in many commercially produced products such as lumber treated with a preservative called chromated copper arsenate, or CCA. This substance is now prohibited in pressure treated lumber. However, if you suspect arsenic poisoning, here are some ways to treat it.

Instructions

Recognize Exposure and Symptoms

1. Check for sources of arsenic in your home environment or a child's play area. Possible sources could include decks and outdoor play sets built with pressure-treated lumber containing CCA. Some pesticides also use arsenic, so agricultural areas and their ground water could be contaminated.

2. Get tested for arsenic poisoning if you've been exposed to any possible sources of arsenic. The first line of testing uses a urine sample to detect abnormal levels of arsenic in your system. However, if more than a week has passed since exposure, a urine test may not be as accurate.

3. Look for symptoms of arsenic poisoning. There are 3 levels of exposure--acute, moderate and intermittent. Acute symptoms include severe gastrointestinal problems such as pain, vomiting and bloody diarrhea, and mental confusion or disorientation. Moderate symptoms might resemble feeling of pins and needles in hands or feet, gastrointestinal problems, metallic taste or garlicky breath odor, headaches, mood swings and memory loss. Intermittent exposure symptoms are milder and may appear as flu-like symptoms, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, rashes, headaches, brittle nails and irritability.

Common Courses of Action

1. Remove yourself from the sources of exposure and seek medical treatment from your doctor or at the emergency room. Arsenic is quite poisonous and in severe cases can lead to renal failure and death.

2. Decontaminate your system by cleaning out your bowels with gastric lavage or whole-bowel irrigation. This is especially effective in treating cases of recent ingestion.

3. Treat with chelation therapy at the hospital. This treatment requires constant monitoring by a nurse or doctor and must be performed on an inpatient basis. Your doctor will hydrate you with IV fluids to prevent dehydration and kidney failure. Chelation therapy aids in removing the toxic chemicals from the body by attracting the atoms to the compound of the less toxic medication and thus expelling them from the body. You can take this therapy in the form of oral medication, intravenously or by suppository.

4. Follow up treatment with good after care. Your doctor will continue to test you periodically for arsenic levels. You doctor should also monitor your kidney function closely.

Tips & Warnings

• If you suspect arsenic poisoning on any level, visit your clinic or emergency room immediately. Treatment is more effective the sooner it occurs.