How to Identify Side Effects of Oral Chelation
The purpose of chelation is to remove heavy metals such as lead or mercury from the body to treat persons exposed to toxic metals, such as mercury. Now available in pill form, oral chelation has become a popular anti-aging product that is claimed to improve the blood flow through clogged arteries. Oral chelation has not been approved by the FDA and can easily be obtained through over the counter products. Both minor side effects and serious complications have been reported from oral chelation therapy.
Instructions
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Monitor the patient's mineral levels for depletion. Because purpose of chelation is to tightly bind minerals and remove them from the body though the urine, oral chelation also removes minerals critical to proper nutrition from the body, such as potassium, zinc and calcium. Traditionally, intravenous chelation was accompanied by simultaneous high doses of nutrient minerals.
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Expect the patient to experience excessive sweating and urination, a common side effect of oral chelation. Headaches result from dehydration caused by chelation.
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Watch for thrombophlebitis, which is swelling and discomfort in the veins. Thrombophlebitis can become very serious, as it may cause an existing blood clot to detach and advance through the bloodstream.
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Screen the patient for kidney damage. Oral chelation causes stress on the kidneys, resulting in kidney toxicity. Toxins must be excreted by the kidneys, and the speeding of the process by oral chelation can cause damage to the kidneys.
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Be on guard for any seizures. One of the dangerous health risks of oral chelation, when used outside of its original purpose of detoxification, is seizures. Seizures are usually the result of too large a dosage of an oral chelation product.
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Resources
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