Drug & supplement interaction

Chelation Therapy Products + Insulin (Human)

Insulin (Human) brand names: Novolin N, Novolin 70/30, Novolin R, Novolin L, Afrezza.

Major Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Major

Chelation Therapy Products has a major interaction with Insulin (Human). Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) can decrease the activity of insulin and increase the risk for hypoglycemia.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Chelation Therapy Products and Insulin (Human)

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Major

INSULIN

Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) can decrease the activity of insulin and increase the risk for hypoglycemia.
Concomitant use of disodium EDTA with insulin can cause severe decreases in blood glucose concentrations. Additionally, EDTA chelates zinc in insulin products and might interfere with the onset and duration of activity of various insulin preparations.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the concern with combining a chelating agent like EDTA and your insulin. Many human insulin products (including several Novolin formulations) contain a small amount of zinc to help the insulin stay stable and work over the expected time frame. EDTA loves to grab onto metals like zinc, so it can throw off how your insulin is built and how it acts, possibly shifting when it kicks in and how long it lasts.

On top of that, EDTA itself has been linked to bigger drops in blood sugar. That means a real risk of hypoglycemia, which can show up as shakiness, sweating, confusion, a racing heart, or even fainting. This isn't a wild theory, so please don't start any chelation product without first talking it over with your doctor or pharmacist, especially since insulin leaves little room for surprises.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.
  2. Grier MT, Meyers DG. So much writing, so little science: a review of 37 years literature on edetate sodium chelation therapy. Ann Pharmacother 1993;27:1504-9.
  3. Lacy CF, Armstrong LL, Ingrim NB, et al. Drug Information Handbook. 6th ed. Hudson, OH:Lexi-Comp Inc 1998:439-41.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Chelation Therapy Products Also Interacts With Other Medications

Chelation Therapy Products has 12 major, 77 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin (Human) one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 12 Moderate 77 No known interaction 2,741 (incl. Insulin (Human))
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Chelation Therapy Products

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Chelation Therapy Products. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin (Human)

This page covers Chelation Therapy Products only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin (Human) page lists 259 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Agaricus Mushroom (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 218 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin (Human) page

“With human insulin (Novolin, Afrezza), extra glucose lowering is not a nuisance, it is the hazard itself, and this is one of the lists I treat as genuinely serious. Nearly every ingredient here either drops blood sugar on its own or adds to insulin's effect, and the combination can push a normal dose into hypoglycemia, a dangerous low.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin (Human) interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Chelation Therapy Products and Insulin (Human) Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Chelation Therapy Products
Steady interest

#1,322 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin (Human)
Top 10%

#213 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Chelation Therapy Products

What is Chelation Therapy Products?

  • Heavy metal poisoning (lead, mercury, arsenic, iron)
  • Marketed for heart and artery health
  • Promoted for 'detoxification'
  • Promoted for circulation problems
  • Sometimes promoted for autism (not supported)

Chelation therapy uses binding agents (like EDTA, DMSA, or DMPS) that latch onto certain metals so the body can remove them. It is an FDA-approved, doctor-supervised treatment only for proven heavy metal poisoning; over-the-counter 'chelation' supplements and unsupervised IV chelation for heart disease or detox are not proven safe or effective and can be dangerous. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before considering any chelation product.

Read the full Chelation Therapy Products monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Human Insulin Injection

What Is Human Insulin Injection Used For?

Brand names: Novolin N, Novolin 70/30, Novolin R, Novolin L, Afrezza

Novolin (human insulin injection) is used to improve glycemic control — meaning blood sugar management — in adults and children with diabetes mellitus.

Novolin 70/30 is a fixed-ratio mixture of intermediate-acting and short-acting human insulin. Because the ratio is fixed, it cannot be adjusted separately for background (basal) or mealtime (prandial) needs.

See full Human Insulin Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chelation Therapy Products

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Chelation Therapy Products — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

12Major
77Moderate
0Minor
2,740No known interaction
12 Major 77 Moderate 2,740 No interaction
Major

12 interactions

Moderate

77 interactions

Showing 60 of 77 moderate interactions — see all 77 on the Chelation Therapy Products page.

No interaction 2,740 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Chelation Therapy Products against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,740 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Chelation Therapy Products list.

See the full Chelation Therapy Products interactions page
See every supplement checked against Insulin (Human), ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Chelation Therapy Products monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Insulin (Human) supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Insulin (Human), ranked by severity Human Insulin Injection drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Chelation Therapy Products and Insulin (Human) Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chelation Therapy Products with Insulin (Human)?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Chelation Therapy Products and Insulin (Human) interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Insulin (Human) and Chelation Therapy Products?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.