Dr. Bock on chelation “safety”
Chelation therapy—in which medications are given to a patient to remove heavy metals from the blood and so to “detoxify” the body—-has been in autism news this week: The parents of Abubakar Tariq Nadama, who died after receiving chelation treatment in the office of Dr. Roy Kerry on August 23, 2005, are suing the doctor, on the charge of wrongful death (the Nadamas’ complaint is here). Chelation is not a proven treatment for autism; chelation has been used to “treat” autistic children in keeping with the theory that they are autistic due to poisoning from some kind of toxins, heavy metals, mercury, and so forth. I first learned about the use of chelation for autistic children some eight years ago and, while we have tried some biomedical treatments for Charlie (the gluten-free casein-free diet for some years; some nutritional supplements, now all discontinued; nystatin for anti-fungal therapy), we never wanted to try chelation. I still remember Jim reading passages to me from William Shaw’s book about a child lying motionless while receiving chelation drugs; Jim read about possible safety risks including liver damage and we both said, No thanks.
Regarding chelation and “safety first,” here are some statements in defense of chelation from Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders by Dr. Kenneth Bock of the Rhinebeck Health Center and the Center for Progressive Medicine. Back in April, Dr. Bock noted that chelation is no longer “on the fringe” in an interview with the CBS Early Show; CBS anchor Harry Smith can be said to have “soft-pedaled” his questioning of Dr. Bock as he did not note (1) Dr. Bock’s supporting the theory that autism is caused by mercury in vaccines and (2) the death of Abubakar Tariq Nadama. Writes Dr. Bock:
“Chelation is nonsurgical, painless, and safe when adminstered and monitored appropriately. It has been medically proven to be an effective way to flush lead out of the system. It is commonly used in the treatment of autism……..(p. 306)
“Commonly”? Dr. Bock relies on parent evaluations from the Autism Research Institute (ARI), which contains this statement on chelation safety and efficacy. The ARI currently lists that, according to parent evaluations, 73% of 627 children who were chelated “got better” while there was “no effect” in 24% of the children, and that 3% “got worse.” What “got better,” “no effect,” and “got worse” mean is not clarified. Dr. Bock refers to slightly different numbers from the ARI in his book: 76% “got better”; 22% “no effect”; 2% “got worse” (Dr. Bock does not note the number of cases that these percentages are tied to; p. 305). He does note:
“Of course, this rating system is not based strictly upon quantifiable, objective markers, and therefore cannot be considered to be a scientific analysis. Nonetheless, parents are generally quite astute at monitoring improvements and declines in their children’s behavior, cognitive processing, general health, and daily function.” (p. 305)
I appreciate Dr. Bock’s kind words towards parents; I do know that, when it comes to making decisions for one’s child, it is hard for a parent not to be emotional—-to follow one’s heart and not always be thinking things through as clearly as one might. Dr. Bock does suggest that success in chelation can depend on “the age of the child”—-that is, “younger children generally respond more positively than older children” (p. 306) (is this another instance of someone urging a parent to “hurry, hurry, hurry“……..?). Also, Dr. Bock notes that “success” is more likely in a child who is participating “actively” in the other aspects of his Healing Program (the more treatments one does with the doctor, the more successful the others are……correlation?).
Dr. Bock does write that “your participation in this program is a reflection of your love, and the possible healing of your child will be a reward for this love” (p. 199) (if one participates less in this program, then is one not reflecting love back to one’s child…..). While, as he writes, “at some point, it’s quite possible that chelation will be approved specifically as a treatment for autism,” there is no time to waste:
“…..it would probably be unwise for you to postpone this treatment for your child until after the procedure has been approved specifically for autism. The approval process may take years. Meanwhile, your child may lose ground by waiting, since younger children appear to respond more quickly and completely than older children to chelation therapy and other biomedical interventions.” (p. 308)
And if Abubakar Tariq Nadama’s parents had waited to chelate their son, they would not have lost him.
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POSTED IN: Books, Health, Medicine, Safety, Treatment, Vaccines
44 opinions for Dr. Bock on chelation “safety”
Chuck
Jul 11, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Abubakar Tariq Nadama was just one of thousands that died due to doctor’s errors. It isn’t the parents or the correct treatment that caused these deaths.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 11, 2007 at 6:47 pm
But was this the “correct treatment” for autism?
John Barr
Jul 11, 2007 at 7:17 pm
The reason why Bock pushes for people to do chelation while the kids are young is that parents of younger autistic children are most vulnerable to promises of miracle cures and such. Often their child has been recently diagnosed and they, in their helplessness, feel the need to “do something”.
Of course, chelation would not have killed the child “if done properly” but it wouldn’t have produced any positive results either. Complete quackery.
Minnie Matta
Jul 11, 2007 at 8:31 pm
It’s the correct treatment for high mercury and lead, which is what people are using it for.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 11, 2007 at 8:38 pm
But not for autism specifically then—-
John Barr
Jul 11, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Maybe so, but Bock is promoting chelation as a treatment for autism, not simple mercury or lead poisoning.
BrstPathDoc
Jul 11, 2007 at 11:01 pm
It’s too bad chelation therapy can’t filter out bulls**t. Then Bock could use himself as a control.
Chuck
Jul 11, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Actually my son had very positive behavioral gains from chelating elevated arsenic from his system. Now all he needs are supplemental vitamins due to diet and probiotics and occasional nystatin when obvious yeast problems are present which is happening less and less as he adds new foods to his diet.
If you call it quackery, then thank goodness there are ducks in the world.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 12, 2007 at 12:32 am
Glad to hear he is doing well; we gave Charlie probiotics for years following nystatin and have recently ceased givin them to him; he has been well, things have been good.
Having read Dr. Bock’s book, I have a few more things to note about it—-it’s not only autism that he talks about in the book. From p. 307:
Minnie Matta
Jul 12, 2007 at 6:50 am
Yes, it is an accepted treatment. Doctors that test for heavy metal burden and find high heavy metal burden among children on the spectrum might opt to use chelation. High heavy metal burden is being found commonly in children on the spectrum today.
Yes, chelation does help many children that fit that criteria.
Minnie Matta
Jul 12, 2007 at 11:40 am
text edited by author of this blog
I explained that it is not a joke to me.It is a name I chose because my child is mercury poisoned.
Perhaps it’s that you don’t like what I have to say. Is that why you point out you don’t like my moniker?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 12, 2007 at 12:06 pm
“Commonly”? Evidence?
Julie
Jul 12, 2007 at 12:37 pm
I was not aware that it was common for children on the spectrum to have mercury posioning. Our Daughter does not. I wonder if it is any more common than in the general population. Since so few are tested I think it is hard to say that it is common in children on the spectrum.
Bink
Jul 12, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Julie — what is common is for people who wish to sell an expensive “cure” for “mercury poisoning” to “diagnose” it in autistic kids. If you read up on it you will quickly see that it’s a scam, but sadly, a lot of people are still falling for it. It’s just like any other situation where people who want your money try every way possible to convince you that you MUST have their product. Used car salesmen, in other words. Except used car salesmen don’t kill children.
C
Jul 12, 2007 at 1:00 pm
“High heavy metal burden is being found commonly in children on the spectrum today.”
Minnie please site your source, a peer reviewed journal would be preferrable. If it is Good Houskeeping or Mothering please don’t bother.
I had my daughter tested for lead (negative), primarily because we live in an old house and it was reccomended by our Ped.
Minnie Matta
Jul 12, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Porphyrinuria in Childhood Autistic Disorder: Implications for Environmental Toxicity
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 2006.
Robert Nataf, Corinne Skorupka, Lorene Amet
A Case Control Study of Mercury Burden in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Journal of American Physicians and Surgeon, 2003.
James Adams, PhD [Arizona State University].
A Case Series of Children with Apparent Mercury Toxic Encephalopathies Manifesting with Clinical Symptoms of Regressive Autistic Disorder
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, 2007
David A. Geier, Mark R. Geier
Reduced Levels of Mercury in First Baby Haircuts of Autistic Children
International Journal of Toxicology
Dr. Amy S. Holmes, Mark F. Blaxill, Boyd E. Haley, Ph.D.
March 14, 2003
C
Jul 12, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Thank you,
I’ll download these and get back to you but one thing I can tell you right now, the Greir’s are out. Medical research is my thing (degrees in stats and nursing) so I’m excited to read your articles. Wish I coulds do it while I am at work…
C
Julie
Jul 12, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Do any of these studies compare the mercury levels between children on the spectrum with those who are not. I will have to wait until my children are sleeping to read the information but if they do not compare the two I am not sure it is possible to say that it is common in children on the spectrum any more or less than children in general. Either way my daughter does not have high mercury levels so chelation would be a treatment for mercury posioning not autism.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 12, 2007 at 2:35 pm
I think some concerns have been raised about the research of Dr. Geier and his son, of Dr. Adams, and of Dr. Holmes.
C
Jul 12, 2007 at 3:00 pm
I have heard of Holmes (not very flattering remarks regarding her work) but who is Adams?
I have the Nataf paper and will give it a read tonight.
Remeber the book Flowers for Algernon? I haven’t read it since grade school but I distinctly remember Charlie’s mom taking him to “specialists” and submitting him to wacky treaments to “cure” him. She was desperate.
Chuck
Jul 12, 2007 at 3:42 pm
C
So glad to hear your flaming remarks about colleagues and work you know absolutely nothing about. What medical establishment do you work at so I can go bad mouth your lack of ethics and poor reputation to your patients?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 12, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Adams is an engineering professor at ASU and has an autistic daughter; as noted in Autism Today, “His research focuses on biomedical causes of autism and how to treat it, including nutritional deficiencies, mercury toxicity, and gastrointestinal problems.” He was in a Dateline NBC show on the “unorthodox practice of chelation.”
Chuck
Jul 12, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Just for clarification:
There is currently no accurate medical or scientific test to determine if there are ANY heavy metals that are not in the bloodstream. Anyone can claim or deny having heavy metal poisoning and there IS NO WAY TO PROVE OR DISPROVE the statement.
There is one medical process, but most people are not willing to get an autopsy to prove their statements.
C
Jul 12, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Thanks for the info Kristina.
Chuck, are you saying there is no accurate test for lead poisoning as well? This is disconcerting as many of us who live in older homes rely on this blood test to ensure our children’s health.
Chuck
Jul 12, 2007 at 4:35 pm
If all they can do is blood tests and the lead isn’t in the bloodstream the test will come back negative. Cadavers can be diagnosed with lead poisoning even though they have no blood, that darn autopsy test again.
Thank Dr. Holmes for explaining that to her patients and their parents.
passionlessDrone
Jul 12, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Hello friends -
A few thoughts.
First and foremost, I’m not arguing that heavy metal exposure ’causes’ autism. It may, I believe, be responsible for some of the physiological and behavioral issues commonly found in autistic children. Further, exposure to metals can come from a variety of sources. However, it seems common for both sides of this discussion to include arguments and implied premises which are not valid.
1) People react to substances in different ways. The amount of mercury, lead, arsenic, or whatever that affects one person may affect another person to a different degree. Genetic predispositions certainly play a part in this. Thus, the amount of metals in the system may not need to be higher for one person to suffer effects while another would not.
2) The notion that you have to be have signs of classical of ‘mercury poisoning’ or ‘lead poisoning’ in order to show a relationship between body burden of metals and neurological disorders is simple to falsify. By way of example:
Link
“Children with blood mercury level above 29 nmol/L had 9.69 times (95 % CI 2.57 - 36.5) higher risk of having ADHD after adjustment for confounding variables. CONCLUSION: High blood mercury level was associated with ADHD. ”
The levels of mercury detected were extremely low. Causation, it is noted, could not be determined. However, clearly something has caused the relationship between higher levels of mercury and ADHD. None of these children had blood levels that would identify them as mercury poisoned, yet the relationship exists; higher levels of mercury are asociated with more frequent ADHD.
What’s more, unlike classical metal poisoning, ADHD was not guaranteed with higher levels of mercury, just more likely; i.e., whatever the causative mechanism, some people with higher levels of mercury were not diagnosed.
3) On a personal note, when we started chelating our son, within two weeks his therapists and teachers, who were blinded to this treatment, remarked that he was doing remarkably well. These people had all been working with him five days a week for the previous six months; yet they chose to tell us about a change immediately after chelation commenced. When people that don’t know a therapy is taking place comment that your child shows sudden improvement, the lack of strong peer reviewed science to back up their claims becomes less significant. The same story is told again and again by parents who have chelated their children. Right it off as rubish if you wish.
Take care!
-pD
C
Jul 12, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Hi Kristina,
I love your website, please continue the great work. Also, I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your writings but I must admit I am seriously creeped out by some of the commentors. I thinik I’ll go back to reading your posts only.
And best wishes to Charlie,
C
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 12, 2007 at 4:45 pm
C, Thanks so much for your kind words—–Good to know you are reading!
BrstPathDoc
Jul 12, 2007 at 5:02 pm
The studies cited above are, with all due respect, guano.
Kevin Leitch has a nice discussion on the fist article cited above, and I defer to his wisdom.
http://www.kevinleitch.co.uk/wp/?p=475
At least that study was in a decent journal, but has flaws.
I’ve done a few hundred autopsies in my life. Never found them to be the ultimate medical process to diagnose heavy metal poisoning. Interesting perspective, though.
Chuck
Jul 12, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Where you ever looking?
My uncle was the dean of Oral Pathology at a major university (retired) and showed me biopsies of oral tissues he had taken containing mercury from poor detal procedures. It was very interesting to see.
John Barr
Jul 12, 2007 at 5:36 pm
I guess for me the bottom line is this: If chelation is so great for autism where are the double-blind studies demonstrating it?
Bock’s parent evaluations are worthless since they don’t account for the placebo effect the treatments produce on the parents.
If they had performed real chelation on half the patients and fake chelation on the other half and the chelation parents were still much more positive then they might have something.
What accounts for the results is this: no one wants to feel they they’ve spent money and wasted their child’s time for no good reason. Hence, soon after treatment folks tend to report some degree of success no matter how useless the treatment.
Bink
Jul 12, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Plus, all children progress, and make developmental leaps. A friend and I were just talking about this. Both of us had young autistic children a few years ago when the whole Generation Rescue thing got a big push. Both of us read as much as we could, and then decided against pursuing experimental and possibly dangerous treatments. Both of us also soon saw dramatic, impressive improvements (also noted by teachers) in our kids. Without having done a thing. If I had in fact decided to chelate my child, would I have assumed those new skills were due to the new “protocol?” I don’t know. But the point here is that there are no controls to these “experiments.”
BrstPathDoc
Jul 12, 2007 at 9:40 pm
John Barr and Bink, you guys hit the bullseye.
Chuck’s referring to an entity called an “amalgam tattoo”. Seen a good number of them. The patients didn’t have autism.
The morphologic stigmata of lead poisoning that you would see at autopsy are few, and are not specific. As such, autopsies are not the best pathway for this diagnosis (far from it). And I have to dispute that cadavers don’t have blood….I’ll spare you the descriptions.
Chuck
Jul 12, 2007 at 11:11 pm
There are no double-blind studies showing that ABA is effective. Some say it is abusive, so we shouldn’t use it.
There are no double-blind studies showing that GFCF diets, or any diets are effective. Some say they are abusive, so we shouldn’t use them
There are no double-blind studies showing off label psychological pharmacy crap is effective. Some say it is abusive, so we shouldn’t use it.
There are no double-blind studies showing that psychological diagnosis of ASD is accurate or effective. So we shouldn’t use it.
Children do not always progress. I have learned that. When I was sitting with my four year old in a diaper watching him smash his head into the cement floor and enjoying the “quality” time together, I would have said thanks for nothing to all the listed professionals and potentially hauled away for child abuse.
Offering only love and hope does not help a child in need, nor does prayers. Prayers are only answered when positive action is taken. I have yet to hear of ANY treatment that is globally accepted as positive. Even the scientifically approved treatments are called abusive or ineffective.
Chuck
Jul 12, 2007 at 11:21 pm
My uncle explained that people with “amalgam tattoo” do not test positive in blood tests for mercury although there is mercury present in the tissues which illustrates the weaknesses of blood tests. Dr. Holmes concured on the weakness of blood tests.
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