Chelation therapy is conducted on an out-patient basis. It is painless, and takes about three and a half hours. For optimal results, physicians who use chelation therapy recommend twenty to thirty treatments given at an average rate of one to three per week, with patient evaluations being made at regular intervals.

  The patient lies down comfortably and is given an intravenous solution of EDTA with vitamins and minerals. James Julian, M.D., of Los Angeles, recommends, in order to monitor the patient's progress, to take  the following tests before, during, and after chelation:

• Blood pressure and circulation
• Cholesterol and other blood components
• Pre- and postvascular
• Blood sugar and nutritional
• Kidney and organ function
• Tissue minerals, if indicated

   

  A whole foods, low-fat diet, and appropriate exercise are normally recommended as part of a full treatment program. According to Garry Gordon, M.D., of Tempe, Arizona, a carefully tailored program of vitamin and nutritional supplements should also be part of the treatment, and can include ascorbic acid (vitamin C), heparin, selenium, chromium, copper, zinc, and manganese. Smoking is strongly discouraged, and alcohol should be consumed only in moderation. The cost per treatment can differ, depending in part on the nutritional ingredients the doctor may choose to use.