MSM
Health Benefits

Top Health Benefits of MSM for Pain Relief, Skin and Lungs

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 10/14/2008 490 posts
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

At the end of August my 59 year old active male relative fractured, I believe it was 3 cervical (neck) vertabrae in an accident. He remembers floating face down in the water and thought he was going to drown before someone turned him over. He said he remembers telling them that he couldn't feel anything at that time. He was airflighted home on the ventilator and went through surgical repair after extensive studies of his injuries. Because of heavy sedation, still on ventilator, and complications of pneumonia communication was very limited, but about the only progress noted during the next two weeks was in trying to wean him off the ventilator, to find that he could do some breathing on his own, but he was still on the ventilator much of the time, however the respiratory rate was set much slower which means that he was doing a lot of breathing on his own (vent doesn't kick in as long as the patient is breathing adequately without it). When moved to rehabilitation, he had some sensory function of upper and lower extremities, very slight motor function of the upper extremities. When asked for prognosis, about the only thing his doctors would tell the family was that the longer he went without regaining use of arms & legs, the less likely that he would ever regain it.

About 2 or 3 weeks after entering rehab, he and his wife decided to restart him on MSM since it had helped his arthritis so much before the accident. Approximately 1 week after restarting MSM, when she carried carried him for walks in his wheelchair, he suddenly started talking about getting what he described as a "total body electrical buzz" everytime the wheelchair hit a bump, which was a new experience for him. He has regained more use of hands and fingers also. We are hoping that continuation of the MSM will awaken the motor function pathways in his spinal cord as it apparently has in the sensory pathways. His need for pain medication decreased after the "total body electrical buzz" began also.

Of course he has also had a lot of prayers sent out by many people which we are sure have made a difference also.

P.S. I googled MSM and found that DMSO is converted into MSM by our bodies and is composed of a methyl group (chemistry lingo) and two other methyl groups they mentioned were folic acid and Bl2. It also said that it is active in regenerating connective tissue. I think I told you about my brother starting what I called CNS twitching, my sister-in-law motioning me into another room and telling me that the oncology doctors at VUH saying it meant metastases to the brain and he didn't have as much chance as a snowball, you know where. After saying bull, I'll be back in a few, I went to the drug store and purchased that methyl group called folic acid to add to his macro vitamin/minerals we already had him on, and got rid of the CNS twitches in a few days. So just maybe old methyl group MSM can also regenerate neuron pathways in the spinal cord too.

Side Effects and Warnings
Posted by Troy (Dublin, Va, Usa) on 04/26/2010

Folks, you have got to understand what detox is. A detox can do all sorts of strange things, until it runs its course. The best thing may be to go slow in the beginning. I highly doubt there could be a true allergic reaction to pure MSM. Because, it is in pretty much every cell in your body, and in pretty much every living thing on the planet. It is a very important nutrient. If you are allergic to it, you would be allergic to your own body.


Arthritis, Hair and Nails
Posted by JoJean (La Grande, OR) on 02/23/2007
★★★★★

I also take MSM, however, if you read the literature...it tells you not to take it after 2 pm as it may cause sleeplessness. I have never experienced anxiety. I take 4 100 mg caps in the morning and 4 at noon with no problems. It does help my arthritis and my hair and nails grow like crazy.


Arthritis
Posted by Jane (Poulsbo, WA)
★★★★★

I have found that taking MSM seems to reduce pain from old injuries and arthritis. Also, MSM seems to add an essential nutrient to the system. It would be good to read one of the books written about this ingredient, nutritional sulphur, since it will answer many questions that people will have.

I told a friend about MSM and he started to take it, and found he felt immensely less pain in his back.


Dosage and Tips
Posted by anji (wales) on 02/11/2022
★★★★★

Regarding msm side effects, I've been taking this for years off and on, and what people seem to be describing are effects from the detoxification. When taken by mouth it takes a little time for your body to get used to it so it's a little bit at a time, also it's so important to drink water throughout the day to help flush the toxins out of your body. A good way to keep a low dose is to start with the capsules until you feel confident enough to use the powder to increase amounts.

I can't bear the taste of msm so I take it with mango juice to lessen the sharpness but others prefer tomato juice. Don't expect overnight wonders as it takes a body a full month at least before really feeling the effects, every herbal remedy takes a month before beginning to help you.


Cardiovascular Health
Posted by Tessa (Okanagan) on 02/13/2021
★★★★★

I do have MSM crystals but keep forgetting to take it.

However, after receiving an email regarding MSM and cardiovascular health, followed the next day by Earth Clinic's email about MSM's benefits, I have resolved to start taking it twice a day (with Vitamin C to enhance the effects).

I now leave the jar on my kitchen counter as a reminder – I'll see if that works.

The information about keeping our heart healthy was from a company that sells MSM but their information is free and they do provide references and sources at the end of the article if you want to do some more research.

https://happybodystore.com/blog/health-health-and-sulfur/?mc_cid=e05d0d8f0f&mc_eid=9424f320ec

Speaking of hearts, Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow!

Take care,

Tessa

Dosage and Tips
Posted by Lisafrequency (North Carolina) on 03/05/2017
★★★★★

It is my understanding that the skin assist the excretory system in elimination of waste. The body may push waste out thru the skin that it does not want to send thru the liver and kidney or, the waste maybe closer to the surface so it exits thru the skin.

The alternative health people seem to want to call a rash a detox symptom when detoxing substances are being consumed. Some say to increase the detox substance while others say back off and go slower.

I think itching with a rash while taking MSM could be caused by not drinking enough water and/or, not taking it in conjunction with vitamin C. We must not forget that it is recommended to do both while taking MSM.

There doesn't seem to be total agreement on what should be done about experiencing detox symptoms. If a rash is indeed a symptom of something being pushed out of the body to stop taking something altogether that is assisting the body to eliminate a toxin seems to defeat the purpose. I can see wanting to slow it down if the rash or other symptom is really sever.

I have worked to detox my body in many different ways. My first real cleaning was about 30 years ago. I was young and I did get some really sever symptoms lots of fever, congestion, and rash. At the time I choose to take more of the substance that I was taking my theory being that I would get it over with and done. I had about 2 weeks of discomfort. After that my health level increased by leaps and bounds.

Other times I have backed off and did it slower. The only symptom I have ever had that made me stop using something is if my throat closes and I can't breathe or if I have chest pains. Unfortunately honey and other bee products does this to me so I can't take anything that is made by bees.

The main thing about learning to have good health is to pay careful attention to your body and how you feel. Ask your body if a symptom you are experiencing is something your body is doing to get rid of something. Your body will tell you the truth so pay close attention to it if you really want to be in good health.

Sometimes we crave things that are really bad for us. I don't know why that is. I gave up soda many years ago and now I can't even swallow it. Yet I still want to drink it also, I crave sweet tea. I have found that every time I give in to the craving and drink it the next day my whole body hurts. I have decided that there is no amount of sweet tea I can drink without it making my body hurt the next day so I just don't ever drink it.

I look for things to keep me healthy yet I do not take many supplements. Eating what I know is good for me does the most good. I eat as much raw foods as possible. I eat a lot of slaw. I also eat fermented vegetables.

I decided to try MSM. I have experienced some itching which seems to have gone away now that I have upped my water intake and taken some vitamin C. I am taking it in a very low dose (1/8 tsp). I am also giving it to my dogs as I found out that it assist their body in eliminating parasites.

I have noticed that my skin and nails are looking better and, a pain that I have in one of my hips feels a little better.


Joint Pain
Posted by Paula (Mississauga, Canada) on 11/12/2013
★★★★★

I totally agree that too many people aren't taking the right dosage and the right brand of MSM to see result. I was experiencing really bad headaches that were 24/7. I had low energy and I hate to say I was having trouble sleeping.

But the pain relief in my joints has been amazing and getting better by the week.

I have arthritis in both knees (bad), in both hips and lower back. I have terrible pain in both feet. (Sport injuries) Had surgeries on one foot and both knees, one twice.

I started off I thought on a low dose and increased gradually over the weeks but still suffered the headaches. I went for acupuncture 2x and got amazing relief. I will gladly suffer the detox symptoms knowing they are releasing from my body and knowing MSM is healing my body pain.

I take absolutely no medication for anything other than Advil when in dire straits. I will try anything natural and give it ALOT of time before I give up. It has been 6 weeks since starting on MSM and I am up to 8 grams a day. I plan to get to 12g. Every week I feel improvements and I am hopeful for a complete remission from my arthritis within the year with the help of acupuncture or other natural means to assist MSM to get me there.

I gotta say I love what MSM is doing for my skin, hair and nails. My hair is staying beautiful and curly and FULL when it always goes flat and pretty straight in our Canadian winter climate. My skin is hydrated and healthy for the 1st time in my whole life. This is only after 6 weeks. I can't wait to see how I feel months from now. Pain has been my mate for too long and finally I am feeling the distance from it. Give it time. Give it at least a year. You all owe yourselves that. Change the brand if you have to until you find one that works. Don"t just try one.

Distilled MSM and a reputable brand is paramount.


Dosage and Tips
Posted by Diane (Los Angeles, Ca) on 12/25/2011
★★★★★

If you are having side effects/herx/die off from MSM, start very slowly & work your way up, but also try taking with Molybdenum (the liquid form). I have read that MSM can deplete Molybdenum (there is controversy over this, but it might be a good idea to take them both together anyway). Also, Molybdenum helps to break down a toxic by-product of yeast called Aldehyde. I could not tolerate MSM because detox symptoms were too much to handle until I took it with Molybdenum, and now I feel like I different person. Try taking Molybdenum 300 micrograms 3 times a day (with food).

Caution: You can detox from Molybdenum, too (I felt angry at first and very revved up - after a week this feeling went away completely). Then I addded MSM and for the first time I can tolerate it and I feel great on it. Google "MSM Molybdenum" and read "The Candida/Aldehyde Detox Pathway And The Molybdenum Connection" for more information.


Skin Pigmentation
Posted by Jodie (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) on 03/10/2009
★★★☆☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I have used msm for 8 months for pigmentation. At first I had many symptoms of an adverse reaction such as lethargy, headaches, diarrhea and felt dizzy constantly. I also had gradually increased the dose over a couple of weeks. After a couple of months I could no longer stand it and stopped taking it. I eventually started taking it again after I stopped drinking Alcohol and coffee for a couple of months and began eating a lot of fresh veges and fruit. I also changed the brand of msm to a pure crystal form (100% crown msm). To my surprise I have had absolutely no reaction this time and am taking up to 12 mgs daily. My pigmentation is slowly breaking up and fading slightly. It has reduced my pigmentation by approximately 30% (It covered most of my face).


Pain
Posted by Art (California) on 08/29/2020 2366 posts

Hi Rsw,

Regarding borax, a few things. Borax has a low toxicity that is even lower than table salt or roughly similar. If you look for studies on kidney toxicity from borax, if you can find any, they will have used dosing that is way beyond Ted's recommendations and there will be health issues under such conditions just as there would be if you consumed similar high doses of salt. You will be more likely to find studies showing that borax may have positive effects on the kidneys. Borax moves through the system quickly and Ted's actual protocol prevented any potential for toxic borax buildup because he called for 4 days supplementing and 3 days off.

The 3 days off was long enough to allow borax to clear, yet still get the very long lasting benefit of borax against multiple forms of arthritis with the 4 days on borax. I look at borax as more of an actual treatment that can reverse arthritis for every extended periods of time or possibly indefinitely, but I consider MSM as a very good pain reliever and antiinflammatory for some, but not me.

My experience with borax even when I was doing 5 days on and only 2 days off, is that it put my arthritis into remission for over 12 years now and I had a kidney and liver test done about a year ago with no problem with my kidneys or liver. I was concerned about taking borax when I was first contemplating starting on it, so I did as much reading as possible on it and I think that is what finally convinced me to start taking it as the very first box of borax I bought sat on the shelf for at least three months before I finally started taking it!

Another point is that I do not even take borax 3 days a week now. I probably average two times per week at most now and have gone well over three months with no return of symptoms after years of use. My psoriatic arthritis was "severe" and affected the majority of joints in my body. I may even be cured, but I won't stop taking borax because of its many other health effects in humans.

Topically applied borax is very poorly absorbed through the skin and that is why when I made a hand lotion for my brother in law, I was not sure if enough would be absorbed through the skin and dermal layers to be effective. It was, but it was slower than had he taken it orally. I think Ted once said that lower dosing would work, but it would just take longer to work and I think my brother in law's case tends to confirm what Ted said. I do not mean this as a knock on MSM because MSM works very well for some people in relieving pain and reducing inflammation and you can not really compare apples to oranges.

In the case of your husband, where he believes that borax will or could damage his kidneys at the dosing that Ted came up with, it may be better to follow what he believes rather than always being bothered by the idea that he is damaging his kidneys by taking borax. How are you doing and does the problem (OLP) persist or have you been able to figure out a resolution?

Art


Dosage and Tips
Posted by Sheila (Toronto, Canada) on 10/17/2015
★★★★★

You must try Organic sulfur which is why you did not get the desired result from MSM. It is not NOT MSM or Methyl-Sulfonal-Methane.

Many MSM products are not true organic sulfur because they are tainted with chemicals (e.g. preservatives). Even the powder and crystal MSM products may not be true organic sulfur because they contain chemicals. It is REQUIRED that the label says “Organic Sulfur”.


Arthritis
Posted by Cat (Elko, Nevada) on 02/16/2015
★★★★☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I began after using the MSM gel for my arthritic knees and thumb. I experienced almost immediately within 2 days better movement and no pain in my knee, hip and thumb. On the 4th day I even walked a mile with my grandchildren which I was unable to do since April of 2014. My allergies were gone, and so was brain fog, I felt fantastic and could move around and be normal but? I began experiencing heart palpitations on day 5 and felt quite uneasy. They continued until I became frightened. I wrestled with feeling fabulous or heart problems as I do not like feeling disabled at 56, but have discontinued the product. This morning my walking is worsened, the pain is coming and my allergies are terrible. So extremely sad. I was taking 1/8 teaspoon once a day and had increased to 1/4 2 times a day. Any ideas?

Dosage and Tips
Posted by Ds (Us, Usa) on 09/04/2011
★★★★★

Not only with MSM, but with all of our wonderful alternative therapies and supplements, I'm wondering if often the problem is that we're not incorporating those oh-so-important "skip days. "

That is, it's probably not a good idea in general to take most any supplement every single day. The body doesn't seem to appreciate it--it likes a rest, it likes change. And it makes sense that taking these things every single day is more likely to throw something out of balance. Changing our routine gives the body a chance to rest and re-balance, lets nature do her thing without us interfering.

I remember reading Edgar Cayce, well-known health-reading psychic from the past, said that it's best to get our nutrition from food, but if we take supplements to maybe take them a week on, and a week off... Or take them for a few days, then stop for a few days. As someone who has been taking supplements for lots of years (and lotsa mistakes along the way), I'm finding that this does make my body happier. Including the apple cider vinegar elixir, oil pulling and the rest. Just give the body a "vacation" from it every few days or so.


Tennis Elbow
Posted by Mark (Albany, NY) on 04/28/2009
★★★★★

I just read about MSM for tennis elbow. My elbow has been killing me for like 3 days. Cracking, snapping, just all around pain like you wouldn't believe. I don't play tennis or golf, I'm a plumber so I use my hands all day. I think it's from sitting at the computer with my elbow hanging off as I use the mouse. Anyways, I was ready to cut my arm off with a sawzall until I read about this MSM and decided to give it a shot. I went to the local Health store and they had come 15% pure MSM cream. Cost like $8.00 for a small bottle. Got home, still in pain and rubbed it on. Okay, so within like 1 minute...pain gone. I am not kidding, this really works! So whatever is in it totally works and I'm a believer. Magic bullet...pain gone! Still a little soreness but the aching, snapping is gone! Thanks Earth Clinic and your posts people! Love this site !!! Keep posting !!!!!


Spinal Cord Injuries
Posted by Lynn (Tn) on 10/14/2008

Yesterday was the appt with the Neurosurgeon. He said Ronnie's neck is healing good, but that alot of bone still needs to grow at the graft site. That usually takes 4-5 months to complete. He also said that the "electric buzz" feeling that Ronnie has when he hits a bump in the sidewalk, is in fact, the nerve pathways healing, trying to make connections. That is good news, for sure...

EC: The above email was sent to Joyce by her nephew's wife.

Reprinted on Earth Clinic with permission.


Joint Pain
Posted by Aujah (Huntington Beach, CA) on 01/06/2006
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

When i was a child my right hip would make a popping sound when i walked. Later on in life, after having a full pain in my hips i found out that my legs are different lengths and was on my way to having arthritis at the age of 21. A friend recommended MSM to help with my nail and hair growth (i can't keep up with how fast my hair and nails grow now). After a week of taking MSM my joint pain was completely gone!!! i was not expecting it at all. Every once in a wile i will forget to take MSM for a few days and my hip pain is back in full swing. I am hooked and it sure is nice to have such strong nail's and healthy long hair.


How to Avoid MSM Side Effects
Posted by Dave (Nampa, ID) on 11/18/2021

Hey neighbor, Madelyn

MSM is stimulating, heightened alertness. It will give you whatever brand of insomnia you're prone to if too much is taken too late in the day. That's why some folks just bang the whole dose first thing in the morning. I like to spread it. So that last dose of the day takes a little experimenting to get right--where there's a little boost in the evening (no yawniness at 8pm), but no insomnia either. It also matters how quickly you process it using moly. If you've spent years moly deficient, you process very slowly. So a 5pm dose, day after day, isn't going to end well. After saturating with moly for a few months, processing speed comes up and a small late dose becomes possible.

I tried compressing the total daily dose of molybdenum into the late afternoon and evening, but early morning headaches erupted again. Went back to spread out over the day, back to normal. Apparently, when given an adequate amount of moly in the moment, I process. But doubling or tripling the dose of the moment doesn't increase the processing rate. I either eek along at the pace or I don't. Given all of this, the only real course of action is take MSM skewed toward the morning, tapering down toward evening. And then take the moly first thing in the morning, get the processing going, and keep it going through the whole day with further doses, taking care not to overrun the day's moly with the day's MSM. Until additional experiment bears fruit, this is where I'm at.


Arthritis
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 02/06/2017

MAMA,,,,,,,, at our Co-Op there are several brands of MSM, but only one is 100%. My Tractor Driver picked up the 99% and we returned it for the 100%. Like anything else you have to read the labels.

You are right about supplement suppliers raising prices as the the demand goes up. Like Big Pharma, they will " sock it to you baby". I stole a diddy from my an ole boss back in '61 when he told me that "all companies are " chicken sheet. The only difference is the degree". Then, I thought that was a terrible thing to say, but 56 years have passed under the bridge, and I now agree.

========ORH=======


Bad Knees, Weight Loss
Posted by Plumhappy (Eugene, Oregon) on 07/26/2012
★★★★★

I have some interesting results from taking MSM. I am gluten intolerant (not celiac). Normally when I get into gluten, I get sores in my mouth, on my tongue, my tummy hurts bit, left side hurts, gas, bloating, burping, etc. Very loose stools the morning after. Last night, as I was making hamburgers, I decided to through caution out the door and have a bun with mine instead of wrapping in lettuce. HMMMM, none of the usual except for some slight roughness in my mouth and some sinuses plugged up.

I have been taking MSM since May for my knees (works like a charm). I started with 500mg 3x a day and am up to 10,000 per day( not all at once). I also went off coffee in may and started drinking Yerba Matte (a lot, lol. With a tad of stevia in it). I take Vit. C with the msm and nothing more for supplements. I never thought this might help my stomach troubles but it has. Also dairy has been a issue and is better. I don't plan on going hog wild with gluten but was wondering if anyone else noticed this when taking MSM. I have also lost 14lbs. Yeah, I am not a big gal, 5' 3" and usually wear size 8/10 so am very pleased since I needed to drop a few. Would like to hear from others on this. The tea has curbed my appetite nicely. I did the research on Yerba Matte and it seems that some of the bad hype on it is because they don't tell you that the research done was on native south americans who also smoke. Hard to trust all research since some of it is so biased.



NEXT 
Previous Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Page