Beware of heavy metal antidotes

Heavy metal poisoning is a common condition occurring in many countries today. It is caused by heavy metal contamination in water or soil. The treatment of this condition is to use antidotes of heavy metals such as Penicinamin, Sodium calcium edetat...

Heavy metals are metals with high contamination factors and contain many substances that are toxic to the body.
Heavy metal poisoning is the accumulation of metal substances in the body that causes damage to functional organs, affects health and even causes death. A person can be toxic to one metal or tolerating many different metals at the same time.
Heavy metal pollution often occurs in soil and water environments.
Heavy metal pollution in water:
Mainly because factories and production facilities do not treat waste before releasing it into the environment, there are many places that discharge wastewater directly into rivers and lakes. Pollution of water sources makes groundwater also polluted and contaminated with heavy metals. In addition, heavy metal pollution in water is also related to soil soil factors. Common heavy metals in water: iron, manganese, arsenic, lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, zinc, copper and molybdenum. Heavy metal pollution in soil:
Heavy metal pollution in soil in general, agricultural land in particular, is often related to chemicals in agricultural products such as fertilizers, pesticides, or waste biological... Industrial production activities or pollution from water and air are also causes of soil pollution.

Some heavy metal antidotes are licensed for use by the Ministry of Health:
2.1. Penicilamin Metal Antidote Penicilamin is a heavy metal detoxifier in case of lead or copper poisoning.
Dosage forms and strengths:
Tablets with 125mg, 250mg. Capsule form: 125mg and 250mg. Indications of penicillamin used in the following cases:
Heavy metal poisoning, especially lead, copper poisoning. Treatment of severe rheumatoid arthritis, Wilson's disease. Penicillamine is contraindicated in patients with lupus erythematosus and with a history of hypersensitivity to any component of the drug.
The drug can be used by both adults and children.
Dosage for use:
For people with lead poisoning: adults use 1 to 2g/day divided into 4 doses, taken before meals; Children dose calculated according to body weight 20 to 25 mg/kg body weight divided into several small doses taken during the day. In the elderly, use 20mg/kg/day. Note taking the drug until the urine lead level stabilizes at 500μg/day. With Wilson's disease: adults take 1.5 to 2g/day divided into several small doses for 1 year and then maintain at a dose of 0.75 to 1g/day depending on the patient's health status. The maximum dose in children is 20mg/kg/day; Elderly people 20mg/kg/day. Monitor urine regularly to assess improvement of the disease. Note when taking the drug:
Should take penicinamin on an empty stomach, 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating. The drug can cause nausea, loss of taste, so mineral salts should not be added when taking the drug. It should be noted that some side effects of the drug such as blood disorders, proteinuria, hair loss, rash... When drug overdose, mainly symptomatic treatment, using pyridoxine also gives good effect. 2.2. Sodium calcium edetat solution Sodium calcium edetat is a heavy metal detoxifier in the form of an infusion solution containing 5ml/tube, 200mg/ml.
Indicated for heavy metal detoxification due to lead poisoning.
Contraindicated in patients with severe kidney disease, oliguria, anuria or hepatitis. Care should be taken in patients with renal failure.
The drug can be used by both adults and children.
Dosage: Use slow intravenous infusion up to 40mg/kg, divided into 2 times a day for 5 consecutive days. If re-infusion is necessary, the next dose should be given after 48 hours.
Note when using sodium calcium edetat:
It is necessary to dilute 1 ampoule with 250ml of 0.9% sodium chloride or 5% glucose infusion solution as prescribed by the specialist and the manufacturer's instructions. If an overdose occurs, immediately notify the medical staff to promptly handle the clinical symptoms on the patient. In case of overdose, it is important to maintain good urine output and monitor zinc levels. Store the drug well at a temperature of 15 to 30 degrees Celsius. Rapid infusion or improper solution mixing may cause some side effects such as renal tubular necrosis, abdominal cramps accompanied by diarrhea, nausea, pain headache, drop in blood pressure... 2.3. Dimercaprol Dimercaprol has the ability to detoxify heavy metals by releasing the free SH group for the pyruvate oxidase system, forming complexes with heavy metals and then excreted in the urine. Dimercaprol is produced in the form of an injection solution with the content of 50mg/ml, 100mg/ml, each syringe contains 2ml of the drug.
Indications for acute metal poisoning include mercury, gold, antimony, bismuth, aren... and support lead poisoning.
Contraindicated for treatment in patients with iron poisoning, selenium, cadmium.
Dosage:
Adults: deep intramuscular injection 2.5 to 3mg/kg/time, every 4 hours for the first 2 days; On the third day, inject 2 to 4 times, the next 10 days, maintain 1-2 times. Can be used continuously until the disease is stable. Children take the same dose. Note:
Be careful with the elderly, high blood pressure, kidney failure, pregnant and lactating women. If overdose occurs, treat symptoms with adrenaline, ephedrine or diphenhydramine. Preservation of drugs should be protected from light, the best temperature is 2 - 25 degrees C. 2.4. Potassium fericyanide drug Potassium fericyanide or blue spectrum is also a heavy metal detoxifier approved by the Ministry of Health for clinical treatment.
Green spectrum is produced in powder form for drinking.
Indication to use blue spectrum in cases of thallium poisoning. Do not use the drug in patients with paralytic ileus, constipation and renal failure.
Dosage: Mix 125mg/kg of powder in 100ml of 15% mannitol solution, use twice a day until the disease is stable.
Note when using the drug:
The drug is easy to cause constipation, so be careful with constipated patients. Store medicines properly. Drugs for oral use, not for injection. In addition to the above drugs, it is possible to use traditional medicine to detoxify heavy metals, which is also very effective.
There are many antidotes for heavy metals indicated for different poisoning cases. Therefore, do not arbitrarily use the drug without the prescription of a specialist to avoid aggravating the toxicity.