How Borax Can Help Alleviate Arthritis Symptoms Naturally

Ted's 1/8 teaspoon of borax in 1 liter of water dosage for women is working incredibly well for my stiff hands. It has slightly helped the stiffness of my trigger thumb which is almost now locked into a straight position after a 2nd cortisone shot wore off in April.

I drink about 1/2 liter per day of the borax solution and that seems to be enough at alleviating stiff joints. I did have a severe detox reaction the first few days of drinking it - mostly stomach pain, which I cured by taking activated charcoal.

Highly recommend activated charcoal for anyone going through a detox or for stomach pain. 2-3 charcoal capsules and plenty of water. Take them at least 1 hour before or after other supplements and/or food.

Borax worked for me! Shortly after starting a Borax regimen, I noticed that I stopped popping ibuprofen and acetaminophen all day like candy.

In context: I am days from 70, and previously made lifestyle changes to overcome prostate issues: high PSA and BPH. Three years ago, my right shoulder started to hurt a little, maybe from mousing all day at work.

I started some shoulder exercises with Dick's #10 bands, and have worked up to about 3 hour workouts twice a week with #40-70 bands, and mow with a push mower. Still, there was continual right shoulder pain. If I do a 40# bench press, it will creak and squeak a dozen times per down and up.

So I had a heating pad, and a car heating pad, applied Icy Hot and Capzasin-HP and other salves, took the allowed daily limit of Ibuprofen, and Acetaminophen, and all these supplements: Turmeric-Curcumin, Glucosamine-Chondroitin, a Multivitamin, C, Omega-3, Ashwagandha, and Alpha Lipoic Acid, plus three for prostate/testosterone/libido. Still, chronic pain.

About 2-3 months ago, I learned of Steve Mabey's Borax video, goggled hard all the facts, did the math, and added this daily:

When I wake up, I drink two 12-oz mugs of water with 1/2 tsp baking soda in each cup, first thing, to hydrate and alkalize my body. Then, spread out over the day, in about three of my many frequent mugs of Green tea + Instant coffee + Cacao, I drop in about 1/16 tsp of Epsom Salt (for Magnesium) and 1/16 tsp of laundry Borax (for Boron). That's small enough to barely taste. In perhaps a couple of weeks, real relief has come upon me. Nice!

I have been taking Borax now for several years after reading an Australian doctor's trial result. It has certainly reduced my arthritis symptoms in my hands and if I miss a dose for a few days, the pain quickly returns.

I was unable to knit for many years, now it is easy again. I would recommend it.

I know borax therapy mostly as an arthritis cure...(straight out of the laundry box)... After 6 months of approximately a quarter teaspoon every day cured the arthritis in my ankle...

In Response to:

Posted by Brian S. (Coombabah Qld) on 08/04/2017

I have arthritis in my fingers and knees. Last December I was told about Borax. I mix 1 1/2 teaspoons in 600 mils of water, then take 1/3 of a small glass each morning; now virtually no pain. Last Easter I was away for 5 days, but did not take my Borax. After 2 days the pain started to return.

That is rather strange. The original researcher that discovered Borax as a treatment for Arthritis and many other researchers have said the opposite. After patient had been on Borax for a few months to a year that if they suddenly stopped the pain relief lasted many months to a year after treatment stopped. If you stop and think about it that makes sense because borax is absorbed mostly by bones in the body and they have not found any plateau effect in bone like they see in soft tissues. So you should not see results of supplementation disappear in 2 days or even a few weeks time. Think about it you stop taking calcium and magnesium you bones do not turn to dust in days! If our bodies where that bad with regard to mineral maintenance we as a species would have died off many thousands of years ago. In fact even when you water fast your body does a good job holding onto sodium, magnesium and calcium with phosphorous being the problem child we just can not hold onto well when water fasting. If you are having this much problem when you stop for a 2 days or more you might need to up your does of not only Boron but also magnesium, K2 and vitamin D3. Borax/Boron works synergistic with these. You might also want to look at your faty acid profiles because lesions on articular cartilage are directly related to some fatty acid's but not other's. Remember once your bones are loaded with calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, boron it is like money in bank or a swimming pool full of water a little daily leak is no big deal even if it goes on for weeks if the bank/pool is full. If it the bank account or pool is almost empty though even a tiny leak will have you in trouble fast.

As near as I can tell if you have osteoporosis it takes 75mg-150mg of Boron a day combined with 400mg-600mg of magnesium a day to reverse it. So you might consider these things and a bone mineral density test to see where your at. You do not need DEXA X-Ray study anymore a lot of doctors have in office bone mineral density testing that just has you insert your lower leg into a small device and it reads bone density! Bottom line is that after weeks or months of Boron supplementing you should be able to easily go 2 days with out it and not be in pain. The studies using low doses like 3mg-10mg a day are all over the place with either no statistically significant results or hit and miss results.

The people that have been preaching about Borax for 20+ years usually talk about 50mg-150mg daily doses. Some even advocate 5 days on 2 days off to guarantee that you never over do it since Boron is water soluble and is flushed regularly from your body. Also keep in mind placebo effect works both ways if you think something is a cure or will help with pain often id does even if it is just a sugar pill or salt pill but if you think you can not go with out something guess what placebo works that way too and any interruption of the "cure" and you spiral out of control. Most nutrients are not a daily thing unlike rodents humans do not balance the metabolic books every day.

Sincerely, John

Follow-up from my 1st post 3/19/23. Today is 8/27/23, and I wanted to give a follow-up report.

I'm still taking the borax, I'm now taking 1/8 teaspoon a day, Mon-Fri, and none on weekends. I'm still pain free, no arthritis, no sciatic nerve pain in back and legs, and no carpet tunnel. I initially felt a surge of energy and well-being, but that reduced after about a month of taking borax. Although I was basically pain free, I started to have less energy like I had before taking borax. But I tried changing my diet, and so far I've felt better and have more energy. I've gone basically (added)sugar-free, wheat-free and corn -free, and I definitely feel better with more energy!!! I still eat some potatoes, some rice, fruit, but I try to eat half the portions I used to, and this has helped my energy a lot!!! I've cut out sweets, candy, cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream, cereals, milk, (everything I love! ). I've gone from 193lbs to 177. If you have low energy, you will know in 2 weeks if this diet change works! Do not try to go carb-free!!! It will ruin your metabolism like it did mine years ago!

Hi Art,

I hate to say this, but I recently took a Rapid Gut Reset online course and those green juice drinks could be exacerbating the issue. I know we've been told how great they are, but if you do a bit of research they are loaded with lectins and oxalates, the oxalates are the really bad ones as they settle in the joints and can cause loads of pain. They make them to keep the bugs from eating them (smart yea?) and for the bugs it's like shards of glass, but for us our mouths and teeth are so big that we just gulp them down and the body deposits them in joints and muscles.

I am a long distance runner since my mid-teens, now in my late 40s. I was feeling horrendous aches and pains in all joints, esp feet and knees the past few months. Arthritis was setting in! Upon extensive research, I found the borax remedy and started it up immediately last week after locating the borax in a grocery store in my town. It's early days on the protocol but I just wanted to report that within 2 days on 1/8 teaspoon in 1 liter of filtered water (Brita filtered), aches and pains in all joints completely disappeared!! I am stunned that the borax worked so fast. Guessing I became severely deficient deficient in boron recently and my body desperately needed it. I plan to continue the borax indefinitely. Let's spread the word, guys!!

I started using Borax for arthritis three weeks ago. It is very effective. Arthritis might be a combination of boron deficiency and parasite and fungal infection.

Borax for arthritis

I use I every day. Last year, I was a month out from getting a knee replacement and my nurse sister told me about borax. Well 1 week of using it, I didn't get a total knee replacement and am 90% pain free.

1 tablespoon in a 1 liter bottle mix. Take a tablespoon-sized drink of this concentrate. Mix with water or coffee whatever you like to drink.

I have suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for twelve years and found this wonderful site a few weeks ago. I started taking a quarter teaspoon of borax in a liter of water sipped throughout the day and within a week my arthritis pain was gone. It was miraculous. I felt great. Then I got flu like symptoms and then I got really sick with flu. I stopped the borax and went to the doc who gave me a antibiotic. Once I was over the flu the arthritis returned so I stared taking the borax again at the same dose.

This time however it seemed to have no effect on the arthritis. It has been six weeks and I still have a lot of pain especially in my hands. I do feel some benefits like the fatigue is not so bad. Can someone help as to why borax would work so well the first time and then have very little effect. Feeling hopeful.

A friend's sister from Texas was out visiting her sister near me about 8 months ago and she was telling me that she thought this would be her last time coming to visit her sister because her arthritis hurt so much that the travel by plane to visit her sister was really difficult and painful because of her arthritis. I suggested that she might give some consideration to borax, but she seemed really reluctant at first so I told her that I have used borax to keep my arthritis in remission for about 15 years now. She told me she would try it because the pain was really getting unbearable. By the time she went home to Texas, she had started taking borax water at 1/8th teaspoon per day on the weekdays with weekends off.

I picked her up at the local airport last week to take her to my friend's house. I told her that I thought she wasn't going to visit her sister any more because of her arthritis and she said that was her plan, but since being on borax for about a month or so, she no longer has any arthritis pain, so she can now come visit her sister regularly again, thanks to borax! She told me she still takes it and has recommended it to her friend's mother in Texas because it has worked so well for her.

Art

1 month taking a tiny little pinch of borax in my drink like water or coffee ☕ a day. Have noticed a very significant decrease in my arthritic pain in my hip which was at a range of 4 to 8 now it is at a 2 to 5 . I could hardly do anything, including walking, going up and down stairs, shoes, even stretching was excruciating! Now I can do treadmill for 15 minutes to half an hour, not be in wincing pain stretching, no pain sleeping, and the hip has not been giving out like it did. Finding these vids was really a great gift 🎁 from God !! Thank you so very much for sharing this vital lifesaver info 😊 ❤!

I too experienced flue, fever symptoms but after speaking with some people I now believe that these symptoms are some of the ways that your body gets toxins out. Boron helps to get rid of toxins / bad bacteria that cause inflammation which can result in arthritic and other diseases. I have no pain after taking borax. I dilute 1 rounded tsp in a litre of filtered water which I store in the fridge in a glass jar. I then take two tsps of this in a small glass of water 2x a day, usually 4 days on and 4 days off. It also helped me with candida.

I am measuring out 1/8 and adding small amounts from the measuring spoon to my coffee throughout the day. I drink a lot of coffee, lol. It works for me and I'm still drug free. I had to use 5mg of prednisone a few times until the Borax kicked in. I'm still not at the max timeframe for results yet. I still have 2 swollen fingers but I can use them, they're not painful and swelling is somewhat reduced, my elbow is not completely straight yet but that does not hurt either and is much straighter than before. My sciatica seems to have almost completely disappeared. I'm extremely grateful to find out about this miracle. Thank you everyone.

3 months, taking one pinch of mule team borax in my Starbucks coffee. My super painful hip pain, from arthritis, is almost gone. I am still limping but pain is so I can put shoes on, jeans, leggings, = no pain, also pain from sleeping and sitting is almost gone. Added coral calcium/ magnesium and iodine drops. My teeth, nails, whites of eyes, mental sharpness= all improved. Highly recommend a pinch a day of borax!

Also, I did feel the detox effect, I just took aspirin or migraine meds and took a day off from borax. Will continue to update.

The pain in my knees and hips was too painful to go up stairs too quickly.

After 1 week on borax: I went to the movies and the steps up were so hard and painful before borax-- this time I found my self running up the stairs with very little pain in the knees and no pain in the hips--wow--I thought its been years since I did that stair stepping with no pain wow--borax is a miracle for me.

I'm 51 and for 25+ years, I had ankylosing spondylitis, psoratic arthritis and osteoarthritis, with various related/resulting conditions like hay fever, depression, anxiety, addiction, eczema, tinnitus.

Three and a half months ago, after eliminating all pharmaceuticals, I started daily with 4 teaspoons of borax solution (solution is one teaspoon of borax mixed with a liter of water) and 500 mg's of magnesium (1000 mg's for the first ten days); and since I thought I also might have Pyroluria, I included zinc, B6, D3 and Omega 6 supplements. All my conditions are 90% better.

The healing reactions were tiring at times, especially in the third month when most severe. After three months, I reduced the borax to a maintenance dose of two teaspoons daily. Any persistent minor healing reactions are declining and no longer problematic.

Maria,

I understand you feeling fearful about taking borax. I felt the same before I started. I bought the box and it sat on my shelf for 3 months before I finally decided to try it at the dose recommended by Ted. The arthritic pain won out and I took it. I don't know how it will be for other people with arthritis, but it was life changing for me, as in I was able to function normally with no pain again. If read about it on EC and around the internet, you will see that many people with arthritis have greatly benefited from borax.

Art

I can't speak for Mike but when I discovered the borax cure years ago it only took a day or two until I noticed significant improvement, fingers and knees no longer stiff and with in a couple weeks back issues were gone! It works really fast...just be sure to stop your fluoride intake...use distilled water and get the fluoride free tooth paste

I wonder if Ted would be able to jump into this conversation, and give us (even) a little bit more on Borax. I confess I am feeling a tiny scared today about using it, but I believe it must be good, and I want to continue. Let me tell the story: I found Earth Clinic a while back, and got addictid to it. I started using some of the treatments and protocols prescribed here, and I am happy, even though I don't have any reason for fireworks. ACV+baking soda and molasses became integral part of my life. For me it is the general sense of well being that counts, and I am feeling good. About a month ago I started feeling a increasing pain in my left arm, which came from nowhere. I went to the doctor, and an xray was taken, and the doctor said I have a mild arthrits in my shoulder junction (it hurts a lot, and I don't take medications). Instead of going to another doctor, I came straight to EC, where I spend a couple of days reading everything possible about the use of Borax, and finally yesterday I started. I put 1/8 of 20 Mule Team borax in one liter of water, and sipped it throught the day, without any complication. Today on the other hand, things changed: I went to the bathroom again and again, until I felt empty. I felt a general weakness in my body and my heart seems to be working harder, there is a heavy sensation on my left side (heart?) and in my chest. As I said, I want to continue taking it, and resolve this pain the way God and nature intended me to, but this sensation in my heart and the weakness is making me a little bit weary. Please, give what you have, as much as it is possible. I will stop it until I get an answer. Thank you so much, this is a great place to be, and I appreciate all the people hanging around and exchanging information and support. You find love in the most unexpected places!!!!!

I took a pinch of borax in my drinking water before bed last night and had a stretch of 4 and a 1/2 hoursof deep sleep before waking, which is about double of my normal. Question - you say to keep boron in your system throughout the day, but you also say you just put a pinch or 2 or 3 in your coffee and drink just once a day. Could you clarify whether you do the pinch once per day or more often throughout the day. Thanks much!

Hello Ted,

I want to thank greatly you share all their knowledge and good work with us. This page has been and is of great help for me.

I have approximately 3 months taking borax, solution 1/8 teaspoon in water (a little less volume) mixed with the juice of half a lemon and sea salt (1/8 also). I have several issues that I wanted to try: rosacea and rheumatoid arthritis, all a result of perimenopause, with hormonal imbalances also.

I take this solution 5 days a week. I want to keep taking it because it helps me a lot (already do not hurt me the bones of the hand and is being corrected me enough inflammation of the index finger), but the problem is that it makes me very sleepy. What should I do? Am I doing something wrong? Sorry for my English and many thanks again.

Greetings and best wishes.

P.S. I take tablets of vitamin E, D3+K2, magnesium, and vitamin B2. I guess it is important

Thanks a lots

Nobody has done a post in removing the FEAR out of taking borax. This is what is creating so many questions on borax. This also needs to be put in the Question and Answer posts on borax.

Fear is created by the "Not for internal use" warning on the box and from some of the posters who haven't looked into it enough.

It took me a while to understand borax more clearly. Many posts gave impression it is dangerous to use. This is not true.

First, salt is as toxic or more toxic than borax. How many people go into mortal fear for their life when they sprinkle salt on their food. Not many. (as an aside, salt has no connection to heart disease).

Ted has the 5 days on and 2 days off protocol but the 2 days off is really OPTIONAL. You make the decision. Since no medical tests are being done to determine your levels of boron etc, this is just Ted being cautious. I can perfectly understand this when giving advice to other people. This is why you want to be familiar with boron overdose just to be aware of the warning signs.

Some people do experience herxheimer or other reactions. This is the reason for going slow. It isn't because your going to die from it. This going slow approach is OPTIONAL. If you do have reactions, just use common sense and pull back.

Some people take medications and other things. That could be a factor on how much you take.

Females dose is 1/8 tsp. Male dose is 1/4. I think it really comes down to your body weight. Heavier and larger people should probably take higher amount.

It is not some deadly substance unless consumed in some very extraordinary high amounts. You have to eyeball your own particular health situation.

I am 6'2" and 255 lbs (btw, I am slim). When I started taking it, I took 3/8 tsp divided up in 3 doses. I took this amount because my body weight is higher and I wanted an initial load period. I am not having herxheimer reactions etc. I will bring the amount down the longer I take it. I will eventually add days off. Down the road as the boron builds up, I will keep decreasing it. I don't have any objective measurement that tells me when enough is enough. I will keep on guard for overdose symptoms. We have to use common sense when taking anything. Ted's philosophy is taking as little as possible. I generally do that with any supplement over the long run.

I also don't use the liter of water. Nobody has explained the rationale for that. Experience tells me it is to mask the soapy taste. The soapy taste is no big deal for me. I use anywhere from 1/2 to 1 cup of water. No need for that litre crap. The only other reason for that amount of water is it could help wash a little more toxin out of one's system but if you're getting enough water (the color of your urine will tell you if your getting ewnough water), why bother.

I also don't drink the water throughout the day. That is a terrible inconvenience for me. I just spread the dose. At some point I will adjust that. If one is having herxheimer or other reactions then maybe that has some validity but it is not necessary to do it that way unless your having problems with it.

Do not be in mortal fear or terrified state of using borax. One poster took 1 tsp a day for 10 days and had no problems. You need to overcome the psychological mortal fear of taking borax.

Bottomline: The general protocol gives you a framework for how to take borax. Just understand the rational behind it. You need to adapt that protocol for your own situation. Don't be afraid to do things differently.

I would lessen the amount to half... Start low then work up slowly. I'm a believer in borax. I used it in my hair when it began to fall out dramatically after I got covid. In one week's use, it reversed my hair problem.... Yet I did get some hives and was uncomfortable.

Wendy,

This is a complicated subject.

Judging by the available studies, which are very limited, there could be a risk for kidney issues at high enough dosing. That would tend to make me look at borax and boron as last ditch supplements for you, but you can talk to your transplant coordinator or doctor about possibly using boron at their highest allowable dose. Boron has shown anti-arthritic activity and anti-osteoporosis activity in people also. That seems like it would be a safer option than borax, but your doctor's approval would definitely be needed.

If your medical team says no to borax and boron, another consideration would be a supplement that has shown kidney protective qualities as well as a potent anti-inflammatory, anti osteoarthritis and anti-osteoporosis activities. You could consider a higher bioavailable liposome form of curcumin such as Meriva. While it is not as antiarthritic as borax, it does have anti-osteoporosis effects, it also has multiple protective effects throughout the body and your medical team may be more open to its use because of these multiple health protective activities that it has displayed in hundreds of studies. Curcumin doesn't stop osteoarthritis the way borax can, but it can significantly reduce the damaging inflammation and oxidative stress that it causes and consequently, significantly reduce joint damage, potentially making it possible for you to live with osteoarthritis indefinitely. Curcumin has shown benefits in transplant cases. Curcumin and Meriva have a very good safety profile. The downside to curcumin is it has shown reactivity with Tacrolimus, a common transplant drug.

Another option is to use higher dose lysine, vitamin C and glycine as a means to replace damaged joint material at a rate faster than the rate of joint destruction from osteoarthritis, but this is a little controversial and your medical team may not be open to this idea, but a definite consideration if they are.

Another consideration is melatonin which has a very good safety profile, may be beneficial in transplantation cases, has shown protective effects against the articular damage caused by osteoarthritis, is a potent ani inflammatory, has anti osteoporosis activity and is also protective of the kidneys while having very potent antioxidative stress qualities which seems like significant positives in your situation.

Those are the ideas that come to mind off the top of my head for your situation, Wendy. Being a transplant recipient, is a special circumstance that can make taking supplements a much more complicated proposition. In any case, you can run these ideas by your transplant team and doctor to see if they are open to any of these options.

Highly potent prescription biologics are sometimes used for osteoarthritis, but in transplant patients who are already taking drugs to lower their immune system, the biologics add to this immune lowering effect in order to reduce the osteoarthritis inflammation and damage. Consequently, the chance for infections increases, so it would be nice to avoid biologics and their associated complications. On the positive side, biologics may reduce the potential for osteoporosis.

Art