Question for @sueinmn re: metallosis / cobalt level

@sueinmn Hi Sue- I am trying to see if chelation therapy would be good for me so I can hold off on getting double hip replacement. I have double hip resurfacing, one done in 2012 and other in 2019. I’m in the best shape of my life but can’t run without having discomfort. My metal levels have been steadily increasing and I’m at Co 8.1 and Chr 11.5. I am getting nervous about the increase but Dr says I shouldn’t worry if I have no pain. The hardware looks good in X-rays. He said levels above 30 are worrisome. Any thoughts or did you find anything on chelation therapy. The article I found was from awhile ago, nothing recent. Ty

@cboyd1318 When evaluating Metal implants, rising chromium and cobalt levels are indicators of failure. Sometimes x-rays are inadequate diagnostic tools. Both MRI and CT scans showed tissue changes near my implants that were not visible on x-ray.

I did a "deep dive" for the most current information using Google Scholar and found this in-depth article:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2025.2532120
The takeaways are that there is no established standard for when levels are high enough to be "toxic", there has been no in vivo testing of reducing toxicity without removing implants, and there are no clinically validated remedies (eg chelation.)

What I can tell you is that some individuals are more susceptible than others and that there is some anecdotal evidence about chelation therapies. MOST IMPORTANT is that degradation/failure of the implant is not the only health risk. Cobalt, in particular can have very serious effects on the heart and nervous system. In spite of (delayed) removal of metal on metal implants 15 years ago, I continue to have neurological (tremors), cardiological (unregulated rapid heartbeat) and endocrine (dysregulated body temperature) issues.

You might want to talk to your doctor about additional imaging, or seek a second opinion.

@sueinmn thank you so much, I’m going to contact doctor and ask for an MRI. I guess what’s making this tough is that I’m also in menopause (54) and the running warm can be from that, didn’t know that could be a side effect from metal. Ty, ty thank u!!!!

@cboyd1318 It would be helpful to ask either the ortho or your primary for a full thyroid panel as well - the metals can cause both hyper- and hypo-thyroid symptoms in some people. When I first had my revisions in 2012, that was not well-known, but it has been established now.

"Running warm" felt like a hot flash at first, but I soon realized it was a 24/7 thing for me, with additional "bursts" of either feeling very hot or suddenly being bathed in sweat, even when doing the mildest of activities like watering plants or folding laundry.