Dr. med. Astrid Kohl

Phone: +49 30 / 827 11 630 Fax: +49 30 / 827 11 631 praxis@dr-kohl.berlin

Apheresis

Detoxification and Drainage with the “Umweltapherese

Environmental exposures with a multitude of environmental noxae pose an increasing problem for many chronic diseases. Developed in Japan by the Japanese nephrologist Agishi in 1980, apheresis had at first been used in environmental medicine (to treat Minamata syndrome) in search for alternative therapies to immunosuppression in autoimmune diseases with its many side effects.

Further enhancement brought the immunapheresis for the treatment of rheumatism and later the lipidapheresis for the removal of genetically increased fats.

In the field of environmental medicine, INUS began researching how to treat environmental diseases in 2005. Within 12 years, machines and filters were adapted to provide optimal detoxification.

While we have been able to minimise the metal load in the everyday practice of environmental medicine by heavy metal discharging therapies, contamination with liposoluble, toxic substances still pose a big problem. Illness caused by exposure to, for instance, wood preservatives, particulate matter, solvents, herbicides and pesticides, which are involved in many of the chronic diseases, especially neurological and immunological, was difficult or even impossible to treat causally.

The Umweltapherese with its specially developed device is designed to wash out an optimum of “harmful substances”, instead of adding substances. In addition to the harmful environmental substances, pro-inflammatory complexes and pathogenic proteins are also filtered out. The purified blood or plasma is completely returned. It is therefore an effective form of haemodialysis.

 

Procedure of an “Umweltapherese

The Umweltapherese is a venous-venous procedure, which is usually administered via two veins on the arm or hand. The system consists of 2 parallel connected filters. The first filter separates the plasma from the blood flow. The plasma obtained is led to the second filter and sent into its hollow fibres. Here, changed molecules can be differentiated and removed. The purified plasma is returned to the patient. Residues remaining in the filter can be tested for environmental toxins. The process takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on the plasma volume.

Because the procedure is low risk, it can also be used to treat serious illnesses. Medical side effects are found in less than 0.4% of patients and are documented as slight drops in blood pressure or post-operative bleeding from the puncture channel. Allergic reactions are extremely rare and can be reported in a range of 1:1,000,000 – 1:10,000,000.

People suffering from allergies can also be treated without difficulty. Whether an “Umweltapherese” is indicated depends on the illness. The number of treatments depends on the severity of the current clinical situation, the period of the illness and possible pretreatments.

 

Further Information on Treatment

Examples of indication:

  • Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis ….
  • Neurological diseases such as MS, ALS, dementia …
  • MCS/CFS
  • Allergies
  • Aerotoxic Syndrome
  • Chronic inflammation
  • Chronic Infections
  • Microcirculatory disturbances
  • Skin diseases
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Preventive therapy

 

Treatment Frequency:

Initial phase of 1 – 2 treatments

The frequency of treatment depends on the severity of the disease and the overall physical condition.

 

Costs:

The type of filter determines the cost. There are filters that remove 90% fat (lipid filters) in the lower price segment and antibody filters (IgG/IgE) that are more expensive.

The membranes used in INUS, which remove environmental toxins, antibodies and pathogenic proteins as well as fat, are the cream of the crop of possible membranes.