Dr. Edwards recently received the award of recognition as one of America's Top Physicians in Gastroenterology and Integrative Medicine by the Consumer Research Council of America


EDTA INFUSIONS

For a number of years the tried and tested form of EDTA (ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid) has been given in a form using primarily a disodium salt of EDTA, which is converted to a magnesium disodium salt. This has a tendency to irritate the veins and there has been concern about the speed of infusion which has led to one of the great struggles in EDTA therapy, of having to spend three hours once a week in the doctor's office. I have been looking at and evaluating a newer technique, which has actually been used for some 20-30 years in Switzerland and, to a lesser extent, over the last two years in the United States. This is a technique using a calcium disodium EDTA, which is not irritating to the vein walls and therefore not painful unless you get it in a highly concentrated form. It was shown in articles in the New England Journal of Medicine in January of this year to actually improve kidney function in patients with chronic renal disease. With that in mind and knowing that I have more and more patients who need detoxification, we are changing the protocol of giving the EDTA.

Another factor that needs to be considered is that with use of the rapid CT scanner, we found that the calcium plaque is not immediately removed from the arteries although, in all instances to my awareness, there is actually improvement in blood flow to the heart as well as the brain, kidneys and legs, certainly subjectively and many times objectively. In one or two patients who have been studied after several years on EDTA chelation therapy, there have been significant removals of calcium plaque in the arteries. However, the issue really seems to be a definite improvement in the blood flow to the heart, vein and periphery of the body apparently through a mechanism related to the release of nitrous oxide, which is a dilator of the arteries. With that knowledge, the latest theory is that the biggest problem we are facing is detoxification-the removal of toxic metals and toxic products in the body-and that the EDTA accomplishes that goal.

It is not uncommon for medicine to have to change the theories of why something works and, in fact, that is the most common process. We have worked for years on what is the cause of heart disease and why people get it, and there are constantly new theories coming out. It is important to evaluate new theories and new methods, and that evaluation occurs in all areas of medicine.

Thus, with the change in philosophy of what the problem is, the advantage of a less problematic form of EDTA (which will accomplish a better job of getting rid of mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic¾common contaminants in our bodies) and less time spent in the office, then it has been my position that the important thing is to move ahead with a new technique.

Obviously, the first issue is safety. I have evaluated it at length and to the point where I was convinced sufficiently about the safety to go ahead and start it on myself. We will monitor each of you as we go along with creatinine clearances, but I expect in the patients I see (who certainly have healthier kidneys than those in the New England Journal of Medicine study) to be able to actually improve kidney function as opposed to the alternative.

Therefore, we have determined to go with a different arrangement of EDTA, which will be priced the same:

A 30-minute infusion with EDTA and 25 gm of IV vitamin C, B-complex vitamins and vitamin B-12, the calcium EDTA between 1-3 gm with 25 gm vitamin C.

I hope you are as pleased as I am with this advance, because it will certainly mean less time in the office (unless you particularly enjoy coming and visiting here¾and you are certainly welcome to continue to do that) and spend the longer time with your infusion than the hour and a half.

GLUTATHIONE INFUSIONS

Most recently, a great deal of studies have recommended an infusion of Glutathione at the end of the EDTA infusion. This is done over a short period of time and has been shown to significantly increase the amount of toxic metals removed from the body. I have tried this technique on myself and checked with numerous physicians as to its safety and efficacy. It is a significant advance in the detoxification process.

We are offering this at the end of our regular EDTA infusions at a small extra charge.

Ted L. Edwards, M.D