Drug & supplement interaction

Chelation Therapy Products + Insulin Lispro Recombinant

Insulin Lispro Recombinant brand name: Humalog Kwikpen.

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

Chelation Therapy Products has a major interaction with Insulin Lispro Recombinant. 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?
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Interaction report

Chelation Therapy Products and Insulin Lispro Recombinant

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 thing to know if you ever undergo chelation therapy while using Humalog (insulin lispro). The chelating agent EDTA grabs onto metals, and your insulin actually relies on zinc to hold it together and control how it's released. When EDTA pulls that zinc away, it can throw off how quickly your insulin kicks in and how long it lasts. On top of that, EDTA itself has been linked to drops in blood sugar.

What this means in real life is a higher chance of hypoglycemia, things like shakiness, sweating, confusion, a racing heart, or in severe cases passing out. Since chelation is always done under medical supervision, please loop in the supervising doctor and your pharmacist so your blood sugar can be watched closely and your insulin adjusted if needed. Don't change your doses on your own.

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 Lispro Recombinant 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 Lispro Recombinant)
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 Lispro Recombinant

This page covers Chelation Therapy Products only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin Lispro Recombinant page lists 242 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 2 major · 211 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin Lispro Recombinant page

“Two of the 242 entries here rate major, and they are the place to start. Siberian cocklebur has caused severe hypoglycemia, and chelation products containing EDTA can drop blood glucose steeply while also interfering with the insulin itself, so neither belongs anywhere near insulin lispro (Humalog KwikPen).”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin Lispro Recombinant interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Chelation Therapy Products and Insulin Lispro Recombinant 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

#1,243 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin Lispro Recombinant
Steady interest

#2,094 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
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 Lispro Recombinant, 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 Lispro Recombinant supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Insulin Lispro Recombinant, ranked by severity 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 Lispro Recombinant Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chelation Therapy Products with Insulin Lispro Recombinant?
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 Lispro Recombinant 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

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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.