Chelation to Treat Lyme Disease Symptoms

Q: Is chelation an effective treatment for any after effects of Lyme disease?

A: Lyme disease is caused by an infection transmitted to humans by a tick bite. Early symptoms include a "bull's eye" rash and joint pain. Later, people may have heart problems, joint swelling, and disease of the nervous system. Antibiotics are highly effective against Lyme disease.

Chelation therapy has been around for decades. It removes toxins from the blood. It was first used to treat heavy metal poisoning. Now, it's rarely recommended by mainstream medical practitioners other than to treat lead poisoning.

During chelation treatment, people receive an intravenous infusion of a chemical (called EDTA). It's supposed to grab onto toxins in the blood and the walls of the blood vessels, allowing these toxins to be removed from the body. Treatment often includes 20 or more infusions at a cost of several thousand dollars. Advocates recommend it for everything from atherosclerosis and diabetes to stroke and osteoporosis.

Chelation therapy has no proven role in treating Lyme disease. I am unable to find any well-designed studies assessing chelation therapy in people with Lyme disease.

Because it is unproven, expensive and may cause side effects (including kidney damage, bone marrow suppression, and low blood pressure), I would not recommend chelation therapy for Lyme disease.