Borax Side Effects & Safety Guide

I am a 52-year old caucasian woman living in Colorado. I am 5'2" about 120 lbs. I took a lot of anti-biotics for acne over a long-term period 20 years ago and suspect systemic candida. I have joint pain, esp. in hips, with shoulder and neck injuries that frequently go into painful flairs with repetitive motion. I take magneisum which helps with the pain.

I have tried 1/8 Tea in about a liter of water for general alkalizing. I have read to do this in drinking water with 4 days on and then 3 days off. My goal is to raise by body's Ph level and to remove candida. Within a few days, my skin begins to itch here and there and then everywhere and becomes intolerable. My stools also become loose and watery. I discontinued the borax and began 1/4 Tea Baking Soda in water 30 minutes after 2 meals daily. The same thing happens with the itching and loose watery stools. I have also tried Candida Control Program, which is 2 tablespoons before breakfast, starting with their High Potency formula with the plan to do the Phase I and Phase II over a 3-month period. Again I get the itching and loose watery stools. I have tested my Ph urine levels and the readings are coming up in the 6.0 to 6.2 in the morning. I am doing my best to avoid sugar, but not easy.

Does anyone know why this happens and what I can do to correct?

Boron/Borax have been known to work at normalizing the thyroid. This might be what is happening. You did say you are a vegetarian. Vegetarians are known for having unstable thyroid levels due to the lack of animal protein in their diets. If you are uncomfortable with the Borax, try Boron supplements from the health food store. They are made for human cosumption.

That doesn't sound like hives, it is candida die-off. Candida die-off or sometimes called "candida rash" is a by product of almost every successful detox. I got it about a month after I began eating organic produce and using the Borax remedy and ACV. Mine was all up and down the inside of my arms, but cleared up quicker than yours. The candida is just more concentrated in those areas you speak of.

Borax is used for chelating metals and eliminating flouride. You may want to try chlorella for a while to see if you like that better. If you're wanting to address pH balance, try Ted or Bill's alkalinizing remedies. That will also encurage candida elimination. ACV/baking soda at bedtime will also counteract overnight acidity.

I also experienced hives after taking taking the borax water. I get the breakout on my face, neck, hands, legs, and especially my lower back and buttocks (it fades everywhere but my back/buttocks). I initially thought it was from spending too much time with the family cat (I'm allergic), but when the rash didn't go away after taking an antihistamine, I knew something was up. Borax is the only new remedy I have been trying, so I googled "borax rash" and found similar stories. According to a Wikipedia article on borax, borax poisoning can cause the following symptoms: "a beefy red skin rash affecting palms, soles, buttocks and scrotum has been described. With severe poisoning, erythematous and exfoliative rash, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and renal failure."

I have also been experiencing hair loss since starting this remedy that I didn't connect to borax until I read of others experiencing this symptom. I have been urinating white specks for the past 2 weeks or so which could be borax buildup. My naturally soft skin has become dry all over my body; my lips are cracked. If I drink too much of the borax/water mixture at once, I will experience headaches and dizziness almost imediately. To me, these side effects indicate that this is not a very safe remedy, and I will discontinue my oral intake of borax at once. I will continue to bathe in borax water about once or twice a week (to treat my recurrent yeast infection) and hope the side effects disappear after I cease oral intake.

To be clear, my dosage is the recommended 1/8 tsp in 1 liter of water sipped throughout the day, 5 days on & 2 days off. I finish about 1/2 to 2/3 of the mixture in one day; I usually stop when I get a slight headache (it worsens if I continue taking it). I am a 115 lb woman. I eat an almost vegan diet (completely vegan for the past 2-3 weeks) and drink plenty of water. I'm not taking any hormones or anything as Ted speculated may be the cause. I also do not have symptoms of Morgellons disease or any other parasitic disorders aside from a recurrent yeast infection I've had for about a month. I started taking the borax because I believed it would help fight off the yeast infection (which I think may also reside in my gut causing constipation).

I had previously been trying whatever remedy was recommended on this website, forgetting that any nonprofessional individual can submit a testimonial. I rarely bothered to do research or even read the side effects posts on this site. I now realize that even "natural remedies" can be dangerous, and I encourage everyone to do their research so that they are aware of any adverse effects before they experience them.

Want to take borax to protect from radiation coming over from Japan. Read Ted's advice on dosage and went to the store and bought a box of 20 mule team borax. It is now scented! Is it still safe to ingest?

Yes, I would be interested to hear the answer to this too. I have just started taking 1/8 tspn in 1 litre of water today, and am not sure how long it is meant to be continued for and when I need to take a break from it. Cheers!

Hi Jennywren, Drove through Fishy in late January on the way to the beach could have then. My email is pharlapyes-ec [at] yahoo.com. Au

Hi Maria, thanks for your reply! Yes, I use _____s, so fully organic with Mother. I was just reading about the bicarb so might try that in a week or so after all has settled down. PS say hi to me Mum for me. She lives in Fish Creek! ;)

Hi Jennywren, Just a thought if your ACV is not organic and doesn't have the mother then maybe sometime later try one that is and start with only a teaspoon. The other thing to try is to add the bi-carb soda as recommended by Ted. We tried the ACV that is double strength, because my father-in-law thinks its the bees knees, (plus it's readily available so we didn't have to drive through 2 towns to get to the one that has the organic ACV) but I found it was no good for me.

Update 2 - I thought I should add this because it seems it may not be the Borax producing these side effects after all but my ______ ACV. After having loss of appetite, nausea, burping, fatigue and diarrhoea a few days ago (an 80ml dose of colloidal silver in water fixed it), I went off the Borax and ACV drink for a day and all was well. BUT last night I had an ACV/honey hot toddy before bed (without the Borax). And this morning woke up with the same symptoms! Another dose of CS cured it. So I think the ACV may be too acidic for me. Yes, yes, I know despite it being made from acetic acid and having a ph of only 3. 075 ACV it is meant to have an alkalising effect. But as somebody who has a very acidic body, I think I'll stick with drinking my alkalising colloidal silver for now. ACV has never worked for me when drinking for asthma, hayfever, bronchitis, colds or rheumatoid arthritis - perhaps this is why? Mind you, it worked great topically for skin tags and herpes! :)

Anyway, thought I should update this is it doesn't look like the Borax is the culprit after all. If I have the courage to return to the Borax I'll update...!

An update: all has calmed down now and I am taking a 3 day hiatus from the Borax. Will continue it in a 4 days on/3 days off routine and see if it makes any difference to the RA.

Hi there, well I'm on my 5th day of taking borax (one wet fingertip's worth in warm ACV and honey) as I'm desperately trying to get rid of the rheumatoid arthritis in my feet (I'm 43). Yesterday I noticed one eye was bloodshot, and today the other one is red and my face feels hot, like it's got sunburn. Any ideas? I'll give it one more day and if it gets any worse I'll stop taking it. It's made no difference to the arthritis or anything else btw.

Was just reading Ted's comments of 9/16/2010 stating that "For most women the average dose is about 1/8 teaspoon taken for only a month."

I know he has recommented elsewhere to mix it with 1 litre of water and sip it throughout the day for 4 days on with 3 days off.

This is the first time I have seen that it is to only be done for a month. I thought this was suppossed to be an ongoing supplementation and was suprised to see the 1 month suggestion.

I wanted to start this to aid my osteoporosis & arthritis issues. Do I really only need a month's worth of treatment and that's all for the rest of my life? Please, I need someone who knows about the length of treatment to please advise me before I start this treatment.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Hi Aim75, all of these symptoms happened to me also and a few other Earth clinic folks. It goes away. Cheers Lily.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

Hi,

I have a weird side effect of trying Borax for my arthritis. First, I seem to have kidney pain when taking doses of 1/8 tsp and higher. This is nothing new, certain things do give my kidneys problems since I had a E-coli infection in my blood 12 years ago. So I've been taking a little spoon, and just dipping the wet tip of it in and swishing it in my water. Kidney problem solved. Here is the weird side effect... I get this strange headache that is located at the tip of my head... Not really a headache, just a strange pressure or ache at the very center tip of my head. I've had this pain before, years ago, when I was really stressed and it used to be pretty bad that it would affect my thinking. But that went away years ago, and now it seems the borax brings it on again ever so slightly. Anybody have any ideas what this means?

My question is for Ted:

I began trying Ted's recipe of 1/8 tsp of Borax in 1L water and soon after, my period started early with heavy bleeding and cramping. I read on a bottle of Boron capsules at the health food store that Boron affects the estradiol levels, so I wonder if there is a connection. Did this cause me to become estrogen dominant? On the 15th day of my cycle each month, I take Bioidentical Progesterone and was late this month. I experienced heavy bleeding a few years back similar to this. This is when I started Hormone supplementation. But before that, I went to 5 different doctors. All wanted to do surgeries that included: ablation, hysterectomy, a procedure that involved clamping the arteries, etc. One gave me a shot that temporarily stopped the bleeding.

This went on for 6 months until I went to a chinese herbal doctor. I made a tea from the herbs and the bleeding lessened and then stopped in 8 days! I have heard the warnings of lead in chinese herbs, but this is an emergency, so I am going back for more herbs today. I oil pull and use Detoxamin on the weekends, when I have time. Hopefully, that will take care of any lead. I would like to know if Ted has any recommendations. Thanks, Ted. I respect your opinion.

I've been using the borax face solution and the 1/8 teaspoon and have noticed some positive results! However tonight I though I would get into a bath of borax (about 1 1/2 cups) tea tree oil / small amount of hydrogen peroxide all was good when I got out however a hours or two later sitting at my computer got a few rashes on my body, went to bed and it was all over my chest and back! Not sure if its the mites saying goodbye or a rash from the borax itself?

Note: My original problem was itchy bumps on my face (possibly acne rosacea) which has died down quite a bit, during the rash episode my face was completely clear? (i did dunk my face into bath water).

Any help appreciated.

David (Dave) from Surrey, BC Canada that posted on 02/19/2009 saying he took it for 2 weeks then got kidney, testicle, and headaches, only to try it again on 04/15/2009 for 2 days and quitting due to the pain in the same areas.

I'm really glad some of these misinformation artists are dumb. Thank you for exposing yourself Dave!

People that are researching natural remedies, just know that there are many people like this, some paid some not, trying to scare you away from trying things like this.

Hey Chris from Boulder, Co... I know this may be coming late, but can you explain a bit more about what you are doing for your pineal gland with the borax? And also what pill form are you taking? Thanks!

I would stick with it if I were you. I too got extreme headaches and started feeling like I was coming down with an illness. I have been taking it for 3 weeks now and on about the 3rd day I started with the headaches, naseua, extreme fatigue, dizzyness, and just generally feeling yucky. I decided to stick it out and it lasted for about 1 week to 9 days. I am feeling way better now. I think it was the detox that my body was going through. I am hoping to get rid of all of the flouride in my body and I do not want to give up. I also had some pains in my kidneys and read Ted's post about making sure to take magnesium with it. I have not had any pain since.

Ted, ... In doing a study on Borax uses today I was just wondering why you said this about a year ago, .... "Calcium deposits occur if too much diets are high in that, usually found eating coral calcium "........ Based on what evidence Ted? as I know pure coral powder (simply powdered coral) helps eliminate calcium deposits as it is an alkaliser and "system cleaner", .. Also what the body does not use it will naturally eliminate, .. Having been the Australia agent for pure coral calcium on behalf of the worlds largest supplier, for about 10 years now... This I can say I do know from the papers, studies, our own clinical studies in Qld Australia and from my own personal testimony, Pure coral actually has a different matrix that makes it ideal to help clean other types of calcium, toxins, wastes, heavy metals, etc, deposits from the body, .. Such as in particular synthetic calciums, etc...... Of the thousands of customers in Australia we have never heard of this as a problem, .... It is practically impossible, if you look at above sea coral (powdered and pure) under a microscope you will see why, ..... Now put pure coral powder and kelp together, .. WOW! Good Super Fuel! Thats why they live together in the ocean, ..... Regards, John

Yesterday I tried the Borax as suggested (1/8 tsp. To 1 litre of water) and got THE WORST cramping diarrhea EVER. Today my right kidney hurts severely and my sinuses are very painful. When I eat, I have a searing pain up over my right eye, into my forehead. I'm very unhappy over this, as I was really hoping for something that would help my rosacea and the possible fibromyalgia I suffer. :(

Ohh, well.. I guess I will use the rest for laundry and around the house!

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I have been taking the borax from the grocery store for three day. I have been feeling more energize but I also am experiencing kidney pain. Is it detox symptom? And should I take something else with it to ease the pain?

I'm not a chemist, but in the calculations set forth on June 29, 2011 it seems the 2160 mg of borax which equals 1/4 tsp should be divided by 60 kg to get 36 mg/kg as the highest dose recommended by Ted. Which would seem to be only 1.38 % of the MINIMUM lethal dose of boron of 2.6-3.5 g which he stated. Really need to understand because I am dealing with so many health issues but really want to try to the borax regimen.

It seems like boron is the culprit for long-term effects, not necessarily whether it is in acid or salt form.
Borax is about 11% boron, boric acid is about 17% boron

MINIMUM lethal dose of boric acid in human adults 15g - 20g boric acid = 2. 6 g -3. 5 g boron (This is not the LD50. LD50 is defined as the dose that kills 50% of the population, so the LD50 may be somewhat greater than this, but it certainly won't be less than this amount. )

Take a 60 kg individual and that gives 43 mg B/Kg - 58 mg B/Kg minimum lethal dose.
I'm assuming the individual who died at 15 g was 60 Kg, as well as the individual who died at 20g. FYI my fellow Americans, 60 Kg = 132 lbs.

The density of borax is 1.73 g/mL

A teaspoon is 5 mL
So 1/4 of a teaspoon gives (1.73 g/mL)*(1/4)*(5mL) = 2. 16 g = 2160 mg borax = 245 mg For a 60 kg person 245 mg B-> 4 mg B/Kg

So taking 1/4 of a teaspoon of borax gives 10% of the MINIMUM lethal dose.

Now on to the report from the European Center for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC). Report No. 63. This is available free online.

The report is quite long, so I will concentrate on two sets of findings.

First, they review the fertility effects of acute exposure to borax and boric acid, in rats. That is, a one time exposure followed by monitoring. The lowest 'No observable adverse effect level' (NOAEL) is 88 mg B/Kg. They find testicular atrophy and decreased sperm volume above that level, but reversible up to 700 mg B/Kg. Beyond that concentration, the damage was not reversible.

Second, they review the fertility effects of repeated exposure to borax and boric acid. The lowest NOAEL is 17.5 mg/Kg /day for 2 years.

Based on that second review, they calculate a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for humans. Assuming a 60 Kg person:

TDI = NOAEL * 60Kg / [(UF intraspecies)* (UF interspecies)]

They use an interspecies factor of 3, accounting for the fact that humans may not tolerate boron as well as rats, but they state that interspecies differences are expected to be small. 3 is just a large safety margin.
"The toxicokinetics of borates in man and animals is similar irrespective of the route of administration. Borates are not metabolised and so there is no potential source of variation among species, with respect to metabolic competence. The same critical effects are found in all animal species examined. "

They use an intraspecies factor of 10, to account for the fact that some humans may be far more sensitive to boron than others.

They finally arrive at a TDI = 17.5 mg/Kg/day * 60Kg / [3*10] = 35 mg B/day for fertility effects. 1/28 of a teaspoon of borax
This is based on 2 years of daily consumption, so a human could theoretically consume this amount every day for 2 years and experience no adverse fertility effects.

If we apply this same standard to the acute exposure numbers, we get:
88 mg B/Kg * 60 Kg / [3*10] = 176 mg B for fertility effects
This is over the course of a single day. 176 mg B corresponds to 1600 mg of borax or about 1/5 of a teaspoon

Some individuals may be sensitive at this level, and that may explain why some people have reported adverse effects. However, these numbers are based on very large safety margins, so the vast majority of individuals will not have any adverse effects at these levels. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, there is no test for boron sensitivity.

The LOAEL for acute exposure was between 88 and 175 mg B/Kg. Translating that to humans and using the same factors means that adverse effects from a single exposure may start somewhere between 176 mg and 350 mg B in a single day.

I've been using boron on and off at the 1/4 teaspoon per day level for 2 weeks now, and have noticed very good effects. I will post a more detailed report on my own experience later.

Hi, I just read the article you linked and noticed that they mentioned garlic and cayenne pepper as two foods that may trigger these burst blood vessels in the eye. I've recently upped my intake of both of those spices, so that may be the cause of the hemorrhage, rather than the borax.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I had the same side effect. I took 1/4 of a teaspoon for 3 days, then skipped 3 days, then started again. I got a burst blood vessel in my right eye the first day back on. This same blood vessel has burst several times before so I'm not worried about it.

Otherwise, the borax has made me feel great.

I experienced the same side effect on the fourth day. I used 1/4 tsp on days 1-3. On the fourth day, I started using that same amount in the morning, but then I read more info on Earthclinic and the side effects some people had, I realized I already felt much better, so I decided to stop drinking the borax solution for a few days.

That fourth afternoon/night, I started feeling very hungry but no other side effects besides some flatulence. Then late that night I went out for drinks and noticed that bitter soapy taste you're talking about after drinking beer. Today is day 5, I haven't noticed any side effects today. I plan to stay off the borax for another couple of days. I will post if anything changes.

Randy, did you ever get a reply from the company? Also, I am wondering: if the ingredients are

Boron = 11.56%
Sodium = 12.06%
Trace Minerals (0. 5%) found at the mining site

for Borax, is it possible that the remaining 75.88% is only oxygen and water?

Ted,

I would like your opinion on my reaction to borax I have taken borax as written about on your posts and have had a strong reaction on it. I was taking it for 4 days and felt a headache that moves from place to place with a bad taste in my mouth. Leading up to this dose I was sprinkling borax over coffee grounds of my coffee maker. I stopped taking it and started now for 2 days taking Idoral Potassium Iodine and the first day took two and had a stronger reaction and even felt vains of pressure on my face around my head (like a poison) sleeping all day and drinking plenty of water throughout this.

I feel much better now without stopping the Idoral suppliment. I only feel a pressure in my kidneys. Also I had strong feelings run through my body when I heard different sounds and is still there but minor now. I have had this reaction to sound for a number of months and is one of the reasons I am looking into causes. I suspect a fluoride/bromine build up but no tests have be taken and would like to figure this out on my own as much as possible. I have always thought I was much smarter than I am throughout my life. My memory isnt that great and have sensed a fog with me in some degree through childhood onward. I had odd stage fright as a child and onward but am a very confident person. I suspect that myself and family have been exposed to toxin in some form. My mother died of breast cancer when I was young, my sister has dystonia, and my dad has very bad brain fog and generally lost. I'm glad that I'm feeling better and plan on taking Iodine for some time for a long term detox if that is indeed what is happening. Also through my adult life I have had body parts fall asleep very easily during sleep and a certain sensation on the top of my legs. I can tune it out but I have had it for a very long time. Any thoughts you might have would be helpful. I see the world alot like you do.

dave /36

Thanks! I have been taking like 300 to 400% of the fillers because the boron is such a small amnt in each pill. So I might have to go back to 6 to 9mg a day or less instead of 12 on account that they have such a high amount of extras. It seems to be working well at any rate - I have much more success with everything pineal related :)

Hi Chris, sometimes taking too much magnesium can cause diarrhea. Try cutting back on the amount you are taking and see if that helps. Everybody has different tolerance levels so you just have to play around with how much you take to find out what is right for you.

I just wanted to comment on my treatment so far. I have been taking between 9 and 12mg of boron a day, in capsule form which also includes magnesium and calcium, so I am getting over 100 to 200% RDV of those last two but I dont think that is a problem.

The only side effect I have noticed besides increase in clarity of mind and more vivid dreams is a slight diarrhea. Like half-diarrhea. Is this common as a sign of your body removing toxins? Sorry to be unpleasant ;) It hardly counts as such as I am still going on normal schedule once a day, but juts noted that difference. Wanted to make sure that is not a sign of anything negative.

I am taking the boron with distilled water and stopped drinking tap water as I feel I get all the minerals I need in food and supplements. I am detoxing from fluoride for metaphysical reasons.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. Once you feel you are cleansed of fluoride what would a smaller dose of of boron daily be to merely neutralise your intake (as it is in everything nowadays, food etc) as opposed to cleansing old buildup?

Garrett, I went to the link you posted and at the bottom of the page they had about five references, four of which had links to click on and the one that didn't I googled, they make for interesting reading and have yet again reminded me how important this mineral is to us and also animals. Very interesting one of the references tells of the study where bones from the unsupplemented (no boron) were easy to saw through and yet the bones from the supplemented with boron were harder to saw.

For some more research (you may have already seen it) I have included a link about boron from: Mineral tolerance of animals, By National Research Council (U. S. ). Committee on Minerals and Toxic Substances in Diets and Water for Animals, National Research. Scroll to the start of Boron which is page 60.

books.google.com.au

It looks like some of the older studies were done using boric acid, which should not be taken orally. In the studies that used boric acid they call it boron, so I wonder if this is how boron got its undeserved reputation. After all we know that a small amount of salt is good for us but large amounts are bad. It is the same principle for boron (not boric acid) although the amounts are smaller as explained by Bill. I am very thankful for Ted's advice on Borax and everyone who have posted their experiences here on EC. Bill thanks for such a good clarification on boron safety.

Hi Garret... Although it is appreciated that you have great concern over people's use of Borax and the dangers therein, personally I would not trust any information put out by Medline, Pubmed or the FDA -- their only driver is to support the Pharmaceuticals profit. After all, would you really trust your doctor's recommendation if he advised that you must take anti-depressants for a problem? ALL anti-depressants contain fluoride (far more poisonous than Borax) which -- amongst its many other dangerous physical effects -- causes suicidal and aggressive tendencies. But you will take this anti-depressant because you trust your doctor.

The fact remains that Borax is about as poisonous as table salt.

Here is the MSDS(Material Safety Data Sheet) -- which is the Bible standard for all chemists and biochemists regarding toxicity -- for ordinary table salt:

http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/SO/sodium_chloride.html

And here is the MSDS for Borax:

http://www.omnia.co.za/pebble.asp?relid=1496

Notice that the Oral Rat LDL50(Median Lethal Dose) for salt is 3000 mgs/kgm whereas the Oral Rat LDL50 for borax is 2600mgs/kgm.

From these datasheets notice that the LDLo (Lower Lethal Dose) for man for salt is 1000 mgs/kgm and the LDLo for Borax is 709 mgs/kgm.

This means that to kill a 100 kgm person with salt(sodium chloride) would take 100 GRAMS (3.52 ounces) of salt and to kill a 100 kgm person with borax would require that he would have to ingest 70. 9 GRAMS (2.50 ounces) of borax.

Ted advises daily doses(4 days a week) of between 500 mgs(1/8 tspn) and 1000 mgs (1/4tspn) of borax in a liter of water per day(1 tspn = 4000 mgms approx). These amounts equate to 0.01 ounces and 0.03 ounces respectively.

I've also been using and ingesting Ted's Borax remedy in solution for four years for various problems -- I know borax well -- and I've had no problems or side-effects whatsoever from its use. It is a very powerful anti-fungal and fluoride remover. Cheap too.

All right, I've been doing research for about two weeks now and it seems to me that ingesting Sodium Tetraborate is potentially dangerous due to the fact that you are not VERY SPECIFICALLY measuring the amount of Boron you are receiving. The upper alowable limit for boron is around 17-20 mg per day for HEALTHY ADULTS. Now when you take borax, in amounts such as 1/4 teaspoon per day, this is very unregulated. The boron atom in sodium TETRAborate is multiplied by four so anyone taking this amount is putting themself at risk. Just do it right by taking a boron supplement.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read this info on Boron. It's very simple and straight forward. It explains ALL your negative side effects. I will be using this as a guys to my anti-flouridation efforts upon myself.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/894.html

I tried drinking at the suggested rate. I found that my hair started falling out much more than normal. A friend told me that that hair falling out is a sign of kidney problems. I stopped drinking and my hair stopped falling out at such a drastic rate.

I will bath in it. I bath my kids in it too. I think your body absorbs things from baths-magnesium, boron. I haven't found any harm in bathing with it. I put about a 1/4 to a 1/3 cup in the water.

In laundry, if you wash colours in hot with laundry soap and about 1/4-1/3 cup of borax the colours come out remarkably bright. The water has to be hot, not warm.

I don't like the sound of those trace minerals found from the mining site. My concern is that these 'minerals' might be metals or other harmful substances. I sent an email to the company asking to be more specific about the minerals. I will repost if/when I hear back.

Hi Everyone,

Peter from Chicago emailed me yesterday to ask if I would contact the manufacturer of 20 Mule Team Borax to find out if there are additional ingredients in the Borax. (Thanks, Peter!) Below is the customer service response I just received.

Deirdre

P.S. Here's their product page for more info: http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/about - click on the FAQ tab at the top.

October 7, 2010

Dear Ms. Layne:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding Twenty Mule Team Borax.

Borax consists of the elements: Sodium, Oxygen, Boron & Water

Boron = 11.56%
Sodium = 12.06%
Trace Minerals (0.5%) found at the mining site

Thank you again for contacting us.

Consumer Affairs

I just saw my post... Correction it is 1/8th of a teaspoon of borax, plus I added a lot of other "stuff" like sea salt, baking soda, acv, kelp, took l-cysteine a few times as well as acetyl-l-carnitine, 1 drop of clove oil from time to time, olive leaf extract and cayenne and h2o2 3 drops in 8 oz. Of water , sodium ascorbate of course ALWAYS paying attention to the amounts as to not get too much or a bad mix, I did not take ALL at the same time or anything, just trying to make sure and follow All instructions to rid myself of any bacterium and rebuild my system. I am grateful for this site. None the less weary of being here in the States were they do not have to list all ingredients. I will still self heal, just gotta make sure and get a good source for the products!

To clcball: Surely you don't really mean 18 tsp in one litre of water? Please correct this amount to read 1/8 tsp in one litre (approx 32 oz) of water, or I just might hyperventilate at the thought of you drinking that much borax!!!

I started using 20 mule team borax for killing mycoplasma and rebuilding my bone structure and hormone regulation. It has been close to a month and I used it approximately 11 times 18 tsp to 1 ltr of water. I don't know if this is the cause or not, but I have developed 100`s of cherry angiomas all over my body and now have muscle spasms visual disturbances and an overall not right feeling(shakes, lungs hurt, and involuntary muscle movements). Also I have been using it to wash my hair and body. I started looking into the reason for the angiomas and found that it is possible for cleaning companies to add certain components without labeling it! They are not required to add it to the label when they add ingredients according to San Francisco chronicle. "It's difficult for consumers to know whether their favorite cleaner contains the chemical because manufacturers aren't required to list it on the label. "

So I urge you EC to please ask one of your multitalented partners to find out if this product may possibly contain 2-butoxyethanol so that we may find a different source of the very useful borax. Plus, if it this harmful substance is found to be in the 20 mule team borax, how can I get rid of the toxic side effects I am experiencing, and are they reversible? Thanks a mil... CLC

This is in response to Dave from Surrey, BC. My Genetics doctor decided last year, I'm in remission. I said, "Huh, that's funny, I've done the opposite of what you tell me. " With my kidney, liver, and heart condition, I'm told not to take potassium and magnesium. Well, I not only take those, I also take baking soda with the magnesium and potassium, once, twice, or three times a day. Additionally, I did take borax and H202, for four years. All these supplements, I started with small doses, as mentioned on earthclinic. Over time, I increased the dosages of all of these. So, I think there might be something else not quite right, going on with you:)

Sorry, don't have time to answer all the details, but briefly please refer to "UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION International Programme on Chemical Safety, Environment Health Criteria 204, Boron"

http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc204.htm

1.1.3 Kinetics and biological monitoring

The pharmacokinetics of boron appear to be quite similar across species in the following respects:

a) Absorption of borates is essentially complete (approximately 95% in humans and rats), and boron appears rapidly in the blood and body tissues of several mammalian species following ingestion.

b) Distribution of boron in mammals appears to occur by passive diffusion throughout the body fluids. In contrast to soft tissues and blood, bone shows selective uptake of boron (>4 times higher than serum) and significantly longer retention times.

c) Metabolism of boric acid is thermodynamically unfavourable in biological systems. Thus, the ionic species in systemic circulation are expected to be equivalent across mammals. This eliminates a major source of potential uncertainty for risk extrapolation, as interspecies differences in enzymatic pathways and/or metabolic rates do not need to be taken into consideration.

d) Elimination kinetics (especially route of elimination and terminal half-life) also appear to be similar for humans and rats. The similarities in pharmacokinetic parameters between humans and rats, the species defining the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for laboratory studies, reduce the uncertainty for risk extrapolation between these two species.

Miroslav, Have you have got your math wrong by chance? Are you mixing up mg (milligram's) with mcg, µg or ug (microgram's) by chance? Too many folk get their '00's/'000's all mixed up (such a mix-up cause's many, many deaths in hospitals). It seems to me that Ted's arguments (and math) are very, very sound indeed. I personally must report that I have been taking Borax (a [sea salt-like dash / quantity in my porridge daily) for about 3 years, and have nothing but positives to say about it. My partner is a little bit bashful about such matters, but she would otherwise confirm this! I'm nearly 60 by the way, and go about life like a 30 year old. I would hate that folk here on Earth Clinic forego the undoubted all round benefits of borax - as I'm sure some perspicuous posters like 'Bill' and 'Alain' would also heartily attest. Tra-la! It's borax forever for me!

Ted, I'm writing the same. Except one important detail: You assume doses for rat (per body weight) can be applied to human. But I'm confident we are not rats. Possible fatal intake for adult human was found at 15 to 20,000 of boric acid (or 40 mg boron/kg BW). And as I noted before, this value was established for a reason. Rat is more tolerant to boron intake likely by a factor of 10. So this is why I'm having concerns about dosage and this is probably the reason why people are reporting adverse effects. It is also worth to warn 1 tsp of borax is not 4 g, but rather about 100 % more.

There are a couple of wrong information here. The LD50 of boric is 2.66 grams per kilogram, but not borax, but for convenience purpose in calculation I used just 2. gram per kilogram, just to be safe. The borax LD50 is LD50 for borax was 5400 mg/kg in male rats and 5000 in female rats, see Borax Pesticide fact sheet. Toxicity Category IV, Table I, Oral. The correct name for borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate. It's molecular weight is 381.37 while it has a boron molecular weight is 10. 81. In a typical borax, there is 11.33% boron content. That means there is 4 boron molecules in a sodium tetraborate hexahydrate. The dog and rat studies on testicular atrophy is based on boron content rather then borax content or boric acid content.

So if they were to calculate that the limit of boron is 20 mg per kilogram content per dose, this would mean if I were consuming borax, to get the same amount on a per kilogram basis, I would need to consume 20/.1133 = 176 mg per kilogram per dose. This means, I weigh 70 kilograms, I would need to consume 176 mg x 70 kilogram = 12,320 mg of borax, or 12.32 grams. Assuming that one teaspoons has 4 grams per teaspoon, this would mean consuming 4 teaspoons per dose to get a testicular atrophy. In a typical dose of 1/4 teaspoon this would be only 0.25/4 x100 = 6% of the unsafe dose. Animal studies of LD50 is based on per dose, rather then per day. This means the scientist has to literally stuff the chemicals down the throat. In a typical borax diluted in one liter of water, few people actually drink this in one sitting. The likelihood from suffering from death by water intoxication of taking all 4 teaspoon would require taking 16 liters of water in one sitting.

Sorry, but I can't go into further details, regarding individual studies, I have limited time at the moment.

Ted

Interesting information Miroslav.. Thanks.. In my experience I found just a few sips (about 4oz) from a 1/4tsp, per liter solution before bedtime, had relatively strong effects, with increased night sweating and vivid dreams along with a calmness.. My intuition told me this was enough... So I would used up the bottle over a 4 or 5 days. Though I really did like the effect it seemed to wane on the following nights. I also need to hear more positive long term results do this for any legth of time..

Ted, your experiences are interesting and welcome, however I was looking for more informations about boron which I'd like to share. There are many science papers about boron & rats. It was stated sterilization occurred on rats/dogs exposed to boron. 300 mg boron/kg BW/day is usually fatal to rats and around 600 mg/kg BW in single dose is fatal to rats. Based on accidental intake of boron by humans, lethal dose is guessed at 15,000 to 20,000 mg of boric acid, which equals to 3 000 mg of boron, which (70 kg person) is roughly 40 mg boron/kg BW. Looks like rat is more tolerant to boron by the ratio of 10 . Regarding to studies made, it was found that around 20 mg boron/kg BW/day is a level which does not affect testicles/health of rats. Higher boron intake leads to testicles atrophy either temporary or permanent, depends also on dosage. If 20 mg/kg BW/day is a threshold for rat, considering 10 ratio, it could be less than 2 mg/kg/day for human.

For 70 kg person, it is less than 140 mg of boron or 1400 mg of borax (safe for daily human intake). Now 1/4 teaspoon of borax is 5 ml/4 = 1,25 ml of borax or 2,000 mg of borax. Since measuring 1/4 tsp is not accurate in all cases and some people tend to take more the stuff to improve results of remedy, one can expect dosage can reach 4,000 mg/day or 2,500 mg boric acid/day. It is more than 10 % of dosage which is being lethal. It is 3 times more than safe level I guessed above. Therefore I've concerns this remedy/dosage is quite dangerous with strong damaging potential. It is also a fact people experienced side effects. Anyone can search Internet for document boron. Pdf, title 'Boron in Drinking-water', which is a comprehensive review of known facts about boron and laboratory tests on animals.

If the concern of borax or borates is converted to boric acid, then just add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in case the hydrochloric acid of the stomach should convert to boric acid. Also stomach acidity varies greatly throughout the day. It is very high before meals, but is very low acidity after meals. Therefore this can be taken after meals, or before sleep. If kidney problem does occur, simply discontinue them until it does get better. To neutralize any borax negative effect, I usually take magnesium chloride drops and just skip a week or at least three days, allowing the body to get rid of excess borax from the body. Most lower back pain I have found turns out also taking excess calcium and not enough magnesium also.

Yes, I do receive emails of testical pain from taking borax from a few men. I got one person from Vietnam who is an earthclinic reeader and came to Bangkok on a tour packaged, and managed to find time to see me about his hair loss condition. He mentioned that taking borax did cause his testicular pain, but that went away because he masturbated. Apparently what I found was borax caused the pain from higher sperm volume and sperm count and as resulted the masturbation reduced that and made him feel more like a man. In other words more sexually responsive (getting it up) when having sex. It's the viagra effect for people who have low male hormone levels. Apparently, this particular person thought not masturbating was a normal thing because he had no desire, and got used to that line of thought. The borax remedy made him change some behavior to masturbate at least weekly, as he reports of much larger sperm volume he never he had it before. It should be noted that if person does not wish to masturbate at least weekly or need to abstain from sex, then borax is clearly not good.

The other problem concerning borax used is it's tendency to make women get pregnant too easily. If people do not wish to conceive, and have unprotected sex, you get pregnant much more easily. I have over four cases here in Bangkok of women becoming pregnant from taking this, but luckily most of them are married, or wish to have a child, so they were happy. One has been struggling to have a child for 10 years and got pregnant in just 1 month after taking the supplements. It seems it increases women's fertility and men's fertility also, through increasing sperm count and sperm volume. Therefore borax is not something a person will use if that person does not wish to have a child or requires sexual abstinence. The opposite is also true.

According to Wikipedia "Borax is also easily converted to boric acid and other borates, which have many applications. Its reaction with hydrochloric acid to form boric acid is: Na2B4O7·10H2O + 2 HCl --> 4 B(OH)3 [or H3BO3] + 2 NaCl + 5 H2O"

There is enough HCl in our stomach so I expect borax is being converted into boric acid inside. Borax is not as rich in boron as boric acid is. Therefore I undestand receiving borax is equivalent to receiving lower doses of boric acid. I'm on day 5 of 1/4 teaspoon of borax solution daily (against mites) and my testicles started to hurt. Sometimes also feeling presence of my kidneys now. I'm terminating the remedy and hoping there was no irreversible damage made.

If you think it's causing kidney problem stopping them is just fine. Boron increases both magnesium and calcium retention for the bones. Too much might cause kidney pain. However, I haven't had a single case of problem at that dose here in Bangkok. For most women the average dose is about 1/8 teaspoon taken for only a month. Most kidney pain I have encountered with had do to with taking excessive calcium, which can really cause kidney pain and muscle pain. So obviously foods high in calcium with borax supplements may worsen the condition of kidney pain that way. Calcium deposits occur if too much diets are high in that, usually found eating coral calcium, potatoes (high in calcium) and nearly all calcium supplements. Obviously the antidote for excessive calcium retention is to take lemon juice for an entire day for about 2 to 4 days. This will significantly reduced calcium retention from either taking too much calcium, or diets too much with boron and calcium.

Ted

Borax is fine in moderation, but skin problems usually means you have an acidic body and deficiency in omega 3 oils, as well as vitamins A, D, C, and E. You must take mineral and enzyme supplements at each meal, and drink ionized water as much as possible. Once a day take a tablespoon of cod liver oil and a non-synthetic multi-vitamin. In addition take 4000I. U. Of vitamin D3 everyday (must be D3 only). Avoid acidic processed foods and eat mostly organic fruits and veggies (raw - use blender) with the usual meat, fish, eggs, butter, and virgin olive, coconut, and palm oils. Avoid table salt as much as possible, but use plenty of sea salt and crystal salt instead (trace minerals). Don't forget that a good probiotic is always necessary.

I had an itchy scalp and problems with acne and was using borax to cleanse mites and parasites - borax water 1/8 tsp in a litre of water and borax baths. I also used borax to clean home and in laundry. I was doing the borax regime for a couple of weeks and I started to experience hair loss and that may indicate kidney problems. I have now stopped drinking borax water. I do use Ted's mange cure for a facial wash and it is great. Any signal from your body should be heeded. Borax may help, but too much may not be good either.

Upon further reflection and 3 total days in pain, I realize it was most likely intestinal pain (front) rather than kidney pain (usually manifests in the back). I fasted for a day and then upon eating the pain was significantly reduced.

I am on day 3 of the borax remedy, taking 1/4 teaspoon in 1 liter water and sipping throughout the day. I am getting a very bitter soapy taste on my tongue when I eat. Just wondering if this is normal. I don't get this taste from drinking the borax solution. The taste will go away 1/'2 hour after eating and then return as soon as I eat again.

I also am having kidney pain today after having 1/8 tsp. in over a liter of water yesterday. Also curious to know if Ted has a possible scientific explanation for this as I really don't want to mess with kidney damage but I could really use the benefits borax is supposed to provide.

Last year I tried 1/8 teaspoon borax and sea salt in 1 liter of water to test if flouride was causing my health issues. After a couple of days I too experienced kidney pains. Since I had never felt internal pains like that before, even after trying many natural remedies and supplements over the years, I was quite scared. I stopped taking borax immediately. It didn't make sense to me that kidney pains would be a sign of detox. In conclusion, I no longer believe borax should be taken internally.

Response to "Jgrau from Coquitlam, Bc"
Clearly, you have NOT read anything on this Web site regarding the differences between "boric acid" and "borax". They ARE NOT the same!! One is acid aka boric "acid", and one is alkaline - borax. Even the Web site you noted states "boric acid". COME ON, PEOPLE. TAKE THE TIME to "READ". This is a forum for sharing experiences, not one in which to exhibit your shortcomings... Furthermore, boric acid IS used medicinally, often for women who do not respond to conventional therapy for yeast infections. It is put into a capsule, placed into the vaginal canal, and actually works very well.

This is a response to "David from Surrey, BC". And it is important for anyone trying Borax as a remedy.

No male should ever expose themselves to Borax or Boric Acid. David's symptoms (testicle and kidney atrophy) are classic case of Boric Acid poisoning -- just a few weeks of daily exposure to Borax is known to cause testicle atrophy and sterility in dogs and is suspected in sterility of humans that work with the chemical. It also damages kidneys and to lesser extent the liver. Please, people do not even let Borax touch your skin if you're a male. Look it up on Google and you'll find articles like http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/boric_acid_risks.htm

While there is a threshold below which Borax is fairly safe, if you go over that threshold it is quite dangerous. The threshold is very dependent on body weight -- definitely don't let Borax anywhere near an infant or a pregnant woman. So there certainly may be people who use it without noticeable adverse affect, it is not worth it to have some people seriously injured by it -- it is dangerous advice.

I understand your suspicion of flouride, but then you should be suspicious of all environmental chemical exposure -- why are you exposing yourself to a chemical with more proven risk than flouride?

I am on day 4 of the borax protocol (1/8th teaspoon in 1 liter of water, sipped slowly throughout the day). I didn't experience any side effects until this morning when I felt slight brain fog. At about noon I looked in the mirror and discovered that a blood vessel had burst in my left eye. I have had these before, but usually only after flying. I am guessing that this is related to the borax. I have also been regularly taking lugol's iodine (3 drops a day in water) for months but have never noticed this side effect. Anyone else experience this? I found some information on Dr. Weil's site about how certain supplements can cause a burst blood vessel in the eye, but nothing mentioned about borax or iodine.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400019/burst-blood-vessels-in-the-eye.html

I stopped the borax solution right away and am going to wait 3 days to pass before trying again. Will send update.

on my secound day of borax, i have just got a hot itchy prickly rash all over, really worried, is this normal?

Hi Rob. Thanks for the reply. I will try to do it slowly. I am taking borax primarily to detox as i had done 2 yrs back and found that it created an alkalizing environment and prepped the hormones conducive for pregnancy. Ted had replied to the same effect but unfortunately that had ended in an ectopic pregnancy. After waiting for an yr, I have been trying again for almost 8 months without any result so I am trying my luck with borax as well as lot of other supplements like manganese zinc wheat germ oil etc .

Thanks
Siri

1/4 tsp per litre and a whole glass is most likely too much. Try 1/8 and little sips throughout the day. When experimenting with this I found strong effects at this amount (1/8tsp per liter) and would only consume about half the bottle in a day. Also, why are you taking it? If to get pregnant there are most likely other safer and time proven ways.

Hi, I have been following Ted 's remedy for borax. I had done it last yr and suddenly got pregnant. It resulted in miscarriage. Now i am trying to get pregnant and want to alkalizs my body. I have a question regarding the side effect. I am taking 1/4 tsp of borax in 1 ltr of water . As soon as i drink 1 glass of this water my head starts spinning i feel a feeling of rush in my head. I want to keep on doing the drink , but would really apprecitate if ted or someone can throw some light on it. Thanks.

I would be so grateful if Ted could address this question. I'm at the end of my second day of taking 1/8 tsp borax in 1 liter of water for treating rosacea and like some others experienced, beginning this morning I could feel slight kidney discomfort. I wouldn't say the kidneys hurt exactly, but they're making their presence known. In all other respects I feel fine. I tend to believe this is a sign my body is detoxing, but I don't want to be too little worried :) Could this be a sign of detox or is it a sign that I should stop immediately?