The standard treatment for mercury poisoning can actually trigger a severe, life-threatening brain attack.
Chelation therapy is meant to remove heavy metals, but in patients with specific antibodies, it causes the brain to swell violently. It is a terrifying medical catch-22 where the standard cure activates a dormant autoimmune disease.
Mercury Exposure and Anti-LGI1/Caspr2 Autoimmune Encephalitis: A Case Series and Literature Review on the Paradoxical Worsening After Chelation Therapy
SSRN · 6560439
BackgroundChronic mercury exposure is an unrecognized trigger of anti-LGI1/Caspr2 autoimmune encephalitis (AE). The effect of chelation therapy on coexisting AE is unknown.MethodsWe report three patients from West China Hospital (September–November 2025) with confirmed chronic mercury exposure, anti-LGI1/Caspr2 antibody positivity, and receipt of DMPS chelation. Clinical course, antibody titers, and treatment response were analyzed.ResultsWithin 1-3 days of chelation initiation, all three patien