I did both. I started with i.v. DMPS for about 2 years and gradually switched to FDC with DMSA and ALA. I still took DMPS i.v. or injected it myself under the skin around the belly once in a while -- helped great when my FDC seemed to have gotten a little out of hand.

Weekly i.v. DMPS is *A LOT*, I would not do that for long. That's a protocol for severe and acute poisoning.

Have a look at my various postings for details and reports, should be possible by clicking on my username.

Experiment what works for you. Careful with ALA, my doctor only introduced it after 1.5 years. It started a whole new level and still has the strongest effect now -- as it should at this point, according to my doctor. Don't take it too soon.

Nice cat btw.

Sorry, I don't have any experience with IV. When I was learning about chelation options there were enough bad experiences with IV that I decided to go with Cutler's more conservative oral protocol.

The difference in cost was quite great. I fortunately could have afforded IV if I thought it was superior, but I was not convinced it was the safest effective method.

I have/had a lead and cadmium problem so I wanted to use DMSA. It has such a good reputation for removing lead. I got life changing gains from 1.75 yrs of detox with it and later ALA along with it.

After 1.5 yrs of detox a close female friend saw my improbable gains and wanted some herself : ) She had a decades long history of PTSD, adrenal and thyroid weakness, weak intellectual ability, muscle weakness, etc, etc.

I had plenty of DMSA to give her at the time but instead I paid for her doctor visit and for her first bottle of DMPS. I was convinced by countless reports in the detox groups that low dose oral DMPS is better tolerated by very sensitive and sickly people. That has turned out to be true for her. She only uses DMSA a few weekends per year to help clear some extra lead.

I really hope you are one of those who don't have much of a heavy metal problem and who are not very sensitive to kicking up heavy metals. There are plenty of unpleasant reports at dmpsbackfire.com and in the detox groups from those who used high doses. This was one from just a few days ago, including my reply.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/frequent-dose-chelation/conversations/messages/145807

Some people are even sensitive to lots of high sulfur/thiols such as glutathione and NAC. They kick up heavy metals but don't grab on as well as dithiol chelators such as lipoic acid.
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/othernuts/la/lastructure.html
http://chemistry.about.com/od/factsstructures/ig/Chemical-Structures---G/Glutathione.htm

I followed the case of this young adult female for a couple of years. She got some gains but AC chelation was not a fix-all for her. She was so sensitive.
http://onibasu.com/archives/amc/49336.html

Kicking up heavy metals is not a minor decision. The mice in the Gregus study that received LA excreted more Hg than control mice but ended up with *more* Hg in the brain and organs! Cutler explains here.
http://onibasu.com/archives/am/74605.html

Do your homework. Choose wisely.

Wishing you ATB

Joe