Chelating treatment wins approval

Monday, Dec. 21, 1998 | 11:24 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Homeopathic physicians have won a legislative battle to use the controversial chelating treatment on their patients for such things as lowering cholesterol and removing heavy metals and toxins from the body.

But they made an enemy of Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins, who said he won't trust their representatives in the 1999 Legislature.

"I was lied to," Perkins told homeopathic physicians at a meeting of the Legislative Commission on Friday. "Trust was violated."

Perkins opposed a regulation that allowed homeopathic physicians to intravenously give patients "chelating agents," such as acids or other chemicals.

Chelation treatment involves intravenous injection of acids into the system that proponents say help in curing hardening of the arteries and other heart diseases. It was first used to remove lead from the blood of those who worked around paint and other substances.

The state Board of Medical Examiners had considered banning the treatment. But the board decided to allow physicians to use it after hearing testimony from patients who said it led to their cures after other treatments failed.

The 1997 Legislature approved a bill on homeopathic medicine, but Perkins said his Commerce Committee deleted anything allowing homeopaths, who do not hold a general medical license, from expanding their practice to prescribe narcotics, use chelating chemicals and perform intravenous infusions.

The state Board of Homeopathic Medical Examiners drew up a regulation to comply with the law. In the regulation, it says these health providers can perform orthomolecular therapy, which uses megavitamins and trace minerals to improve the balance of nutrients in the body's molecules. The homeopathic examiners interpreted that to include providing intravenous injections of chelating chemicals.

Perkins was angry and singled out homeopathic lobbyist Bob Martin, who has died since the 1997 Legislature. Martin, according to Perkins, assured him the bill did not allow homeopaths to expand their practice. But now Perkins and others find out that orthomolecular therapy includes using chelating chemicals.

After the meeting, Perkins said there are only about 30 homeopathic physicians in the state and 22 of them have dual licenses that allow them to perform these procedures now. The regulation, he said, affects only eight people who have a single license for homeopathy.

He doesn't oppose homeopathic medicine but objected to the conduct of the lobbyists in the 1997 Legislature. "This has severely undermined my trust in that group," he said.

Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, supported the resolution. A lot of people in his district go to homeopaths as a "last resort to relieve pain," he said. The homeopaths were "within the letter of the law," under this regulation. "We're not giving them carte blanc to prescribe narcotics left and right. This is no source of drugs to addicts," he said.

Dr. Fuller Royal, a homeopathic physician from Las Vegas, said it was the intent of the Legislature to authorize the use of chelating agents.

The regulation was opposed by the state Board of Medical Examiners and the state Pharmacy Board.

It gained approval through default. There were not enough votes to either approve or disapprove it, so the deadlock allowed the regulation to become effective.

The Legislative Commission is composed of senators and assemblymen who conduct the business of the Legislature during the off-session.