Magnesium, a recommended supplement for GDD especially to accompany chelation.

I usually wait to hear from at least 3 credible individuals (usually I wait for physicians, or other health care workers) before I recommend adding some other supplement to the roster of what I recommend subjects take. DTPA chelation basically works very simply as a cation exchange chelator. DTPA releases its cation that it is administered with in exchange for a cation with higher binding strength (stability constant). Several heavy metals have much higher binding strength with DTPA than any cation it is administered with. Hence it is FDA approved for Plutonium, Curium, and Americium (all radioactive). As it is FDA approved it can be used off-label for other heavy metals. We use it for Gadolinium, but it is always optimal with lead as well, and is optimal for inorganic mercury (variable effectiveness with some organic forms of mercury), and shows variable binding strength with other heavy metals. HOPO has a better binding strength with a number of other heavy metals. A chelator should be used for a specific heavy metal, where the stability constant is known. This will be addressed in more detail in a future blog.

Ca- with DTPA does not have much binding strength, so Ca- readily exchanges with other cations, including native metals like Magnesium. However the preference is significantly more to bind with heavy metals like Gadolinium, because of the very high stability constant between Gadolinium and DTPA. Zn- with DTPA has greater binding strength than all other native metals, so it near exclusively does not remove native metals, but picks up heavy metals.

Magnesium will be removed in small amounts with Ca-DTPA, and even if negligible probably in very minute amount still with Zn-DTPA. Magnesium is vital for many physiological processes in the body, so removal is not ideal. Importantly, a number of in dividuals report that they do better if they receive supplemental MAgnesium.

My enormous preference is that vitamins and nutrients be taken in as food items that are rich in that chemical. So I prefer that GDD sufferers start with a foods that are Magnesium-rich, such as nuts and spinach (but look this up on line). Everyone with GDD should baseline be on a healthy diet with minimal amount of ultra-processed foods to begin with. But taking Magnesium capsules is something I do not object to. In general I want individuals to avoid taking supplements that are not life essential from 3 days before to 3 days after chelation. The primary reason is that I do not want the DTPA to pick up the supplement rather than picking up Gadolinium (or lead).

Some forms of supplements do however have additional benefits that are very helpful for a number of GDD sufferers. One of the symptoms that is quite common in GDD sufferers is slow digestive tract propulsive motion, and constipation is a common symptom. So I am very fond of Magnesium citrate liquid saline laxative. I recommend that individuals try this and let me know how it goes. I like this in combination with other healthy laxatives: celery juice, prune juice. Metamucil I am also ok with.

Richard Semelka, MD