detoxication therapy

detoxication therapy

Alternative medicine
A generic term for any manoeuvre intended to rid the body myriad environmental toxins and pollutants (e.g., food preservatives and additives); detoxification is a so-called metabolic therapy, which include such unproven manoeuvres as enemas with coffee, soapsuds, herbs and hydrogen peroxide, fasting and specific diets (e.g., water fasting, alkaline detoxification), colon therapy, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), chelation therapy (with wheat grass or EDTA), hyperthermia (heat stress detoxification) and others.
 
There is little data in peer-reviewed literature to support the efficacy of detoxification therapy.

Mainstream medicine
A generic term for the removal of a toxic excess of any agent, including therapeutic agent, drug of abuse or toxic agent (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals, venom) from the body, by induction of vomiting, administration of activated charcoal, haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or use of metabolic interference (e.g., treating methanol intoxication with ethanol overloading). The term often refers to medically supervised withdrawal from a substance of abuse and treatment of the symptoms of the withdrawal syndrome (detox).

Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

detoxication therapy

Internal medicine

1. The removal of a toxic excess of any agent–eg, a therapeutic agent, drug of abuse or toxic agent–eg, pesticide, heavy metal or venom by induction of vomiting, administration of activated charcoal, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or use of metabolic interference–eg, treating methanol intoxication with ethanol overloading.

2. Medically supervised withdrawal from a substance of abuse and treatment of Sx of withdrawal. See Activated charcoal, 'Cold turkey. ', Detoxification therapy, Heat stress detoxification.

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.