Acute Lead Poisoning Treatment Options

B.-

If you are concerned there are some very good safe herbs to get for your son which can help escort the lead out.

There are really good oral chelation products out there. All it is is an amino acid called EDTA. Go to your local health food store (preferably a mom and pop owned). Also you can help support his liver by giving him a tincture made from milk thistle and dandelion by NOW.

These two things alone will help immensely-so will juicing greens but they have to be organic.

Let me know if you have more questions.

T.
Detox Coach

I don't know much about chronic vs acute. My kids were tested last year and my 2yo came back with elevated levels. Not quite lead poisoned in technical/medical terms but that is something you want to be 0. When I talked to someone from the health department who deals with lead issues, a healthy diet as K K described was also mentioned. I think iron in particular is good for binding with the lead to get it out of the body. Now I just read somewhere that the lactose in milk can be not so good as far as getting lead out and may hinder the process, but there are lots of other sources of calcium out there. Plus, I have not done my fact checking on this article yet so it would be worth a google.
I would be really leery of trying any of the other alternate therapies as well because we are talking about a child with a much different metabolism and body size as an adult. I'd stick with the healthy diet method K K described. If you go organic, it could be all natural that way too. Good luck and I hope you get below 10 and as close to 0 as possible soon. My kids were retested a couple weeks ago and I am hoping to be in that 0-1 range this time too. I have to call the doc and check today.

You should be concerned, heavy metals in the body are not good and can lead to other problems down the line. These metals will find a way into tissue and organs and will not show up in the blood after some time. Any element good or bad only stays in our blood for so long.

I work at one of the leading labs in the country that tests for heavy metals. I would tell you that if you are concerned which you have every right to be then consult with a physician who specializes in environmental issues, some of the best doctors in the country are right here.

I would not suggesting doing this on your own. Removing metals from the body needs to be monitored and additional testing to monitor the removal. Chelation is an option if that is what the doctor finds necessary and I assure there are proper dosages for children.

To find a doctor try:

www.acam.com
www.aaemonline.org
Dr. Anju Usman, Naperville

A specialist is what you need if you want to address the metals, let them decide what is best for you child. Remember that we are all different and what effects one child may not effect another and vise versa, don't wait for you child to get sick.

Good Luck!!

That's very scary! However, consider that the lead levels *are* lower than before, and while still high, are expected to drop, and that this is very short-term. I know you want to be active and to help your child, but there is a distinct possibility that you could be making things worse, not better, with "side treatments" on your own. Best case scenario, your son's lead levels drop -- but how would you know it was the alternative "therapies" and not the course of events? Worst case, you create other damage.

There is a reason your doctor has not prescribed chelation therapy, or cut him open to remove the sinker: Sometimes no action is the better course.

Good luck!

i know when i was concered about lead poisoning i found something that talked about food and how it could help with your body not absorbing it. this is what i remember:

A good diet can help prevent lead from getting into your child’s body. These suggestions provide your child with a healthy diet and also prevent lead from being absorbed into your child’s body. Your child should:
Eat regular meals and healthy snacks (four to six times a day).
Eat calcium-rich foods (cheese, milk, spinach, salmon, yogurt, tofu, and leafy greens).
Eat iron-rich foods (lean red meat, chicken or turkey without skin, raisins, beans, oatmeal, and split peas).
Eat vitamin C to help the body absorb iron (fruit juice, oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, broccoli, kiwi, and strawberries).
Reduce fatty foods such as fried foods, fast foods, and “junk” foods (donuts, potato chips, and cupcakes). However, some fat in the diet is very important for brain development, especially under age two.
Milk and butter are healthier sources of fat.
i hope this helps good luck!!!

B.,

First of all, my heart goes out to you and your family. I went through a similar situation in February 2007 and still dealing with the issue. My little one ingested paint from the outside of the window sills. His level when first detected was 32mcg/dL. As far as the chelation therapy being appropiate, depends on the doctor. My son's pediatrician gave my son three treatments between February and May. It did not work for him. Unfortunately, there are some kids who are not receptive to this therapy and will not work for them. In cases like these, you must treat lead poisoning with a rigorous diet. Where are you located? I have my son at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. His doctor is Dr. Helen Binns, she is the guru of lead poisoning in the City of Chicago. Many doctors around the country consult with her when they have cases with high lead levels. Check out her information at the following link,http://www.childrensmrc.org/pprg/team/, this is another link Dr. Binns provided, http://www.childrensmrc.org/docs/SY_Brochure_6-3.pdf
Try not to panic, if you are not happy with what the doctor told you, seek another opinion - I did and eded up with the best doctor. You may call the doctor and she will return your call. That's how i first got in touch with her. Second, feed your son lots of green vegetables, keep an almost fat free diet, no sweets, daily multivitamin, iron, vitamin C, Calcium (these will protect your son's bones). The fat retains the lead in the body! keep your house clean, don't allow your son to bite his nails or put his fingers in his mouth (Lead is excreted through bodily fluids, nails and hair. If nails are ingested, the lead will go right back in his body.) I know more about lead then I ever wished to know! Please, if you feel you need more help, consult with Dr. Binns, she may know a good doctor in your area. Also, a nustritionist might be of great help on this issue. I've been dealing with the issue for about two years and when the lead levels did not go down, I asked Dr. Binns to refer me to a nustritionist. Working with both has helped tremendously, my son is now at 11.2mcg/dL. We are almost there.

Best of Luck!
Espe

Hi, I would be very concerned and my experience has been that regular Drs are too passive, and fail to take into account all the other toxic exposures and insults a young body must deal with these days. Autism spectrum disorders are 4X more prevalant in boys--because without extrogen boys are more susceptible to heavy metals and pesticides. Estrogen help promote the body's natural glutathione detoxification system--boys often have this system break down more often from toxic insult. IV-Chelation is safe and effective at removing lead--and it is much easier to remove before it gets lodged in deeper tissues. Just because blood levels go down doesn't mean the lead has left the body. I highly recommend you push for IV-EDTA chelation. With his levels and exposure, insurance should cover because this is a MEDICALLY ESTABLISHED way to address lead poisoning. My son has heavy metals that accumulated from vaccines (mercury in his flu shots, aluminum in many others) and environment. I chelate him (out of network but insurance does cover because we prove it pulls lead, aluminum, and mercury and he has established diagnosis for heavy metal toxicity). I take him to ARCH medical center in Franklin, WI. They really know what they are doing with pediatric patients with heavy metal poisoning. Their # is ###-###-####. You are much better safe than sorry. B.. Mom of 4, youngest son (~5) is autistic. If you don't chelate, I would look into what oral supplements could help lessen the impact and encourage the excretion of the lead. Maybe oral EDTA?