ICIM Blog

Question : I am starting to see a pattern if a few patients with high cadmium and/or lead, who also have gadolinium that is elevated, not respond as well as patients without the gadolinium. These are usually cancer patients in whom MRI scans or CT scans have been performed. Have you seen the same thing? I do not know what the affinity coefficient for gadolinium relative to the other metals is. Is it preferentially being picked up by CA EDTA over cadmium or lead, or is it just that there is so much of it because it was given in a high dose that it is interfering with the chelation and removal of the other heavy metals. Some of the patients in question have had 3-4 scans in 1 year. I am trying everything I know to improve excretion, including using IV Glutathione and also Glycine preloading.

As always, I appreciate your help and input, An ICIM Member

Responses:
From Robban Sica MD
Here is an article on NSF and Gadolinium The conference at Yale was on Nephrogenic System Fibrosis caused by Gd
Biochemical safety profiles of gadolinium-based extracellular contrast agents and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. From the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
(Robban also sent a variety of other articles and pdfs)
From Rebecca Murray, APRN

1. Found positive urine toxic (Genova) for gadolinium levels following a challenge of DSMA 500 mg at bedtime with an overnight (7 hour) first void urine collection.

2. Check out http://cme.yale.edu for the program they held in May (?10th)

3. Biochemical safety profiles of gadolinium-based extracellular contrast agents and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.

Ersoy H, Rybicki FJ.

Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. hersoy@partners.org

Gadolinium (Gd)-based paramagnetic contrast agents are relatively safe when used in clinically recommended doses. However, with the rapidly expanding body of literature linking Gd-based paramagnetic contrast agents and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), awareness of the potential side effects and adverse reactions from Gd is now an important requirement for practicing radiologists. In addition to the ongoing accumulation and analyses of clinical NSF data, it is also essential for the practicing radiologist to understand the biochemical characteristics of the extracellular Gd-chelates. The purpose of this review is to consolidate and update the available information on known side effects, adverse reactions, and toxicity of the Gd chelates, with particular emphasis on the potential mechanisms of NSF.

Publication Types:
• Review, PMID: 17969161 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

From Dr. Martin Dayton:

:Nat Clin Pract Nephrol. 2007; 3(12):654-668. ©2007
http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/reprint/142/3/619.pdf

From Dr. Jim Smith:

1. Has an imaging agent gadolinium is connected to DTPA – Diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid. This is very similar to EDTA. I have heard of EDTA being used in the past. But I guess you could use DTPA if you were so inclined but I have no idea what the dosage would be. (NB: DPTA has not been approved for use in the US, has it?)

2. Go tot the link below and Look at Chap 9 - lot of info on Gadolinium - very toxic, etc
http://books.google.com/books?id=iVMSJUwKY8sC&pg=PA349&lpg=PA349&dq=EDTA+aff
inity+for+gadolinium&source=web&ots=LKF-QglHa_&sig=aax55EwzbrTz0eBOMi3DX
inity+for+gOGY
NU&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PPA313,M1

From Dr. Dale Guyer:
I have seen this a lot in people w contrast agents. While I am not sure of the chelating agent binding coefficents I have always seen the levels on provocation testing drop after using lower dose EDTA and DMPS in combination in conjunction w a modified Myers cocktail. Have usually included 10 cc glutathione and 10,000 mcg of methyl b12 and 5 cc EDTA 2 cc DMPS. I usually put the DMPS in IVPB.

*This discussion is for conversation use only and does not represent medical advice or claims.

Submitted by John Trowbridge MD:

OK, so the supposedly earth-friendly CFL light bulbs are packed with poisonous mercury... and now, get this: Your kids and grandkids are sucking back lead like there's no tomorrow.

It ain't just toys and trinkets anymore... a new study finds that some of today's most popular juices, packaged fruits and even baby foods are filled with enough lead to cripple Superman.

The Environmental Law Foundation sent 146 fruit and juice products to an EPA-certified lab, which found lead in 85 percent of them. Didn't matter if it was supermarket swampwater or organic hippie juice -- the lead levels were so high that they should have had warning labels under California law.

If you're like me, you're more than a little tired of all the warning labels out there... but when it comes to lead, those labels were made the old-fashioned way: They earned them.

Lead can stunt the growth of a still-developing nervous system. It can lead to jumpiness, mental disorders and downright stupidity -- and for once, it's not the kid's fault.

Lead exposure can also cause permanent brain damage and even death -- but go ahead, have another sip. It says it's organic -- so it must be safe, right?

WRONG!

High lead levels were found in organic brands such as Earth's Best, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods' 365 Organic Everyday Value. Do yourself a favor and take a look at the full list here.

If any of this stuff is in your fridge, toss it now.

Toss the rest of it, too. Juice -- even the "pure" stuff -- is little more than a sugar injection anyway, and anyone who slurps that junk all day is bound to have serious health problems sooner or later.

Leading the way away from lead,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

From: WC Douglass realhealth@healthiernews.com
Subject: Daily Dose - Death inside a light bulb

Date: July 5, 2010 7:18:48 AM CDT

Following the case of Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski, M.D., PhD and the legal proceedings of the Texas Medical Board and FDA relative to his natural treatment (antineoplastons) for some types of cancer? Our own Rick Jaffe of the legal quartet has been intimately involved in defending Dr. Burzynski and his effective treatments/cures for cancer. We are very excited to announce that the film documentary about Dr. Burzynski is now available (and yes, Rick Jaffe is in it)! This is a very rare and extremely valuable opportunity to educate physicians, organizations and consumers about the issues involved in cancer.
LINK: http://www.burzynskimovie.com
As integrative leaders out to cause the "tipping point" in health care, this movie could be the ticket to causing a revolution of real thinking about cancer. We hope you will consider sharing the movie with your membership, friends and family and anyone who really cares about cancer. We welcome any feedback on this important topic. Thank you for your leadership, time and commitment to improving the future for humanity.

Vitamin D and the Immune System - Fighting infections with effective, non-invasive treatments. Learn about:
• Vitamin D synthesis, lab tests and levels for insufficiency vs frank deficiency
• Vitamin D in the innate and acquired immune system, including its role as a cytokine and a trigger for cathelecidin synthesis
• Mechanism for vitamin D in the development of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, atopic eczema and multiple sclerosis
• Association of low vitamin D or VDR mutations with increased risk of infections: influenza, severe acute lower respiratory infection, TB and HIV
• VDR mutation Taq and Fok in blood sugar dysregulation and dopamine synthesis
• Criticism of high dose vitamin D support and supplementation caveats

Well known as a building block for strong bones, Vit D was a common treatment for tuberculosis during the early twentieth century. And yet, despite vitamin D’s highly-advertised role as a food additive and its low cost as a supplement, vitamin D deficiency is on the rise in the United States. Dr. Ellie Campbell’s lecture will explore blood serum levels of vitamin D, the diseases that are potentially impacted by vitamin D, and the use of supplementation.

Ellie Campbell DO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0ZfvPJteeg) has been lecturing to colleagues and patients since 1994. She lectures for both the Georgia and North Carolina Academies of Family Practice, ZRT labs, The Age Management Medical Group, and is scheduled to speak to A4M in Brazil in November 2010.

Dr. Campbell will lecture during the International College of Integrative Medicine (ICIM) 53rd Congress: “Infections,” September 23-26, 2010 in Buffalo/Niagara, New York. To register, visit www.icimed.com/RegistrationFall2010.pdf.

For speakers' CVs and a complete conference schedule, please visit www.IntegrativeMedicineConference.com.

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