IV Nutrient Therapies and Chelation

We have a dedicated intravenous therapy room, staffed five days a week and every other Saturday by a registered nurse and a licensed vocational nurse.  The therapies we use have been developed over years of research and experience, to manage a large number of medical conditions.

Chelation Therapy

Chelation therapy involves the infusion of specific drugs, EDTA or DMPS, to remove heavy metals from the body.  Lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and aluminum are toxic to the body in milligram amounts.  They may contribute to cardiovascular disease including heart attacks, heart failure and strokes, dementia and other neurological disorders including autism, diabetes, kidney disease and several forms of cancer.  Because of their slow elimination, heavy metals may be stored in various body tissues for many years.  Because blood testing does not accurately assess body stores of heavy metals, we measure urinary excretion of these metals after giving a provocative dose of a chelating agent.

Chelation therapy, given as an infusion of vitamins and minerals and EDTA, has been employed for over fifty years as a treatment for cardiovascular disease.  Patients receive an initial series of infusions, two or three times a week for a total of thirty treatments, thereafter once a month indefinitely as maintenance therapy. 

A 62 year old man with diabetes mellitus had cardiac bypass surgery 18 years ago, after balloon dilatation of a coronary artery resulted in a heart attack.  Anginal symptoms (chest pain) later appeared, but he refused catheterization for fear of more complications.  Instead he began chelation therapy, although at first he believed it was an unproven therapy.  His angina resolved.  Twice again over the next few years, angina recurred.  He repeated chelation with good results each time, and declined cardiac catheterization.  He continues chelation approximately every month, and has no current symptoms.

A 70 year old man presented with exertional chest pains fourteen years ago.  He has never had angioplasty, instead relying on chelation therapy to manage his symptoms, along with lifestyle changes.  There has been no progression of disease, and his symptoms are minimal. 

Aluminum has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.  Arsenic contributes to diabetes, neuropathy and malignant melanoma. Lead causes brain damage, osteoporosis, renal disease and cataracts.  Cadmium causes lung cancer.  Mercury causes brain damage, chronic fatigue, heart damage and sterility.  Patients with early symptoms of these conditions, or concerns about them, especially those with occupational exposure to heavy metals such as dentists and automobile mechanics, should be tested with a 6 hour urine collection after DMPS and/or EDTA administration.  We also routinely test for heavy metals in children with autism.

Immune Drips

We have given thousands of these infusions to patients with a large variety of applicable situations.  Immune drips contain high concentrations of vitamin C, B vitamins including vitamin B12 and folic acid, calcium and magnesium, trace minerals and glutathione, a powerful antioxidant and detoxifier.  We use immune drips to treat acute infections including upper and lower respiratory infections, chronic fatigue, emotional stress, preparation for and recovery from surgery, and patients receiving radiation and chemotherapy.  Patients going for major elective surgery receive a series of immune drips both before and after the procedure.  The drips reduce post-operative pain and speed healing. 

A fifty year old man was referred for surgical preparation by his cardiac surgeon.  He had a history of dissecting aortic aneurysm.  He was under treatment with very high doses of antihypertensive agents in advance of a major surgical procedure to replace his aorta with a graft.  The surgery was a high-risk procedure, and the patient was weakened by the high doses of required medications.  He received immune drips weekly for two months prior to the procedure, along with other supportive nutrients and hormones.  He sailed through the surgery with no complications, and returned home in five days.

Detox Drips

We have treated many patients coming off alcohol, recreational drugs and prescription pain killers, and psychiatric drugs.  Detoxification may be prolonged and difficult.  These infusions of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are highly effective in helping patients get off these drugs more quickly and with markedly diminished symptoms.  For more rapid withdrawal, the infusions are given every day.

Performance Drips

Athletes, both recreational and competitive, may enhance their performance, increase muscle mass and reduce fat mass with potent infusions of glutathione, carnitine, taurine, magnesium and other nutrients.  Muscle fatigue, pain, and injuries are reduced.  These infusions can be employed as part of a wide-ranging conditioning program.

Intravenous Therapy For Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, meaning muscle and connective tissue pain (also referred to as FM or FMS), is a medically unexplained syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain and a heightened and painful response to pressure. Other core symptoms are debilitating fatigue, sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. Some patients may also report difficulty with swallowing, bowel and bladder abnormalities, numbness and tingling, and cognitive dysfunction.

Fibromyalgia is often difficult to treat.  The usual, traditional approach is to offer pain medication and antidepressants, with limited results.  Some patients are debilitated to the point of being unable to work, or bed-ridden.

We have a new therapy for fibromyalgia.  Lidocaine, normally used as a local painkiller, can be given intravenously by slow infusion over 2 hours.  Studies have shown a significant improvement in fibromyalgia symptoms in patients who were treated for 5 days with a gradually increasing dose of lidocaine.

Our regimen has been shown to be safe, with minimal and uncommon side effects.  If you are suffering from fibromyalgia, call for an appointment to find out if IV lidocaine is an appropriate treatment option.

Other intravenous therapies are available and can be prescribed by your doctor for a variety of other chronic conditions. Homeopathic additions for many different conditions can be included with several types of IV treatments at the doctor’s request. Specially designed formulas are currently used for a wide variety of conditions and treatments including the following:

• Amalgam (silver filing) removal IV
• Trace Minerals IV
• Macular Degeneration IV
• Wound Healing IV
• Asthma IV
• Arrhythmia IV
• Liver support/Hepatitis  IV
• Viral IV
• Chronic Fatigue (CF) IV
• Cognition IV
• Amino Acid IV
• Anti-Inflammatory MSM IV

• This information is provided for educational purposes only. Never add, change, or discontinue medication or treatment without first consulting your doctor. To make an appointment with a doctor at the Institute for Progressive Medicine, please call 949-600-5100.