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

I love MSM!! But the first few days that I tried it (1 gram) I had insomnia and a horrible headache. I kept researching and found that lots of people have to started really slow. I bought the capsules and split one capsule into 4 smaller ones. That was only 250 mg. a day. Did this for a week. Then up to 500 etc, and at this low dosage, I felt fine. I am 67 years old now, and I have been taking it for 4 years. I couldn't walk, severe back, hip pain. I had the injections but they did absolutely nothing for me. Decided I would have to help myself.

By the time I hit 8 grams a day, they were definitely working, but I continued up to 12 grams a day, and was totally pain free. I had to retire at 63 years old due to all the pain, but 2 years ago, I decided I felt well enough to get a part time job. I am on my feet at least 6 hours a day, and I run circles around the kids!! Also I think it is important to take Vit C in large doses with the MSM. In any case, good luck to you, and "low and slow" is my motto!!

I agree about msm for allergies.. I truly love this & noticed relief from the first week after talking..

I also love this for my joints (nothing better) & without the side effects for me.. 1,000mgs in my morning coffee!!! Absolutely a great supplement that worked wonders for me.. I will never be without this wonderful supplement msm. No, side effects ever.

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.

Hi ORH, it's me again! Your posting reminded me of an interesting observation my favourite Aunt espoused when I was very small. Amongst other accomplishments, she graduated with a Diploma in Horticulture, which greatly impressed me as a small boy fascinated by all things natural and gardening. I asked her why we had white bread as well as brown bread? Same for rice, flour and sugar etc. She was an environmentalist and an advocate for organics before those terms were coined in the main stream. She was a woman ahead of her time who put her knowledge into practice on the land. I admired her a lot. She famously said to me, "The companies take all the good stuff out and feed it to the pigs and we are left with the rest". I never forgot that but I should have promptly taken up shares in a pig farm I suppose!

Rachel Carlson (sp?) wrote "Silent Spring" about the same time I would guess. Oh my, we have not learned a lot since then have we??

Cheers, Michael

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=======

Dear Robert Henry,

I happened to be near a tractor supply store today so I popped in. I wanted to get some MSM to try out. I know you say you get yours at the farm stores. As you said, this brand they sold has only MSM. I noticed online that powdered MSM costs twice as much and at least one of them had extra ingredients.

I asked an employee if they had MSM for horses. (I didn't mean to imply that I had a horse, but I know that would help them know what I was looking for.)

When I left, she said, "Good luck with your horse! " I decided not to try and explain why I wanted it and that I didn't even have a horse!

I have had to explain to several children why I have a horse supplement on the kitchen counter, though. It has a picture of a horse and everything! ("We are not getting a horse." "It's for me, actually.") I got some raised eyebrows but they didn't get too excited. They are used to me always trying something new around here. :)

I may give some to my dog, too, as a preventative. His breed is prone to hip problems.

Always something new to learn about, isn't there?

~Mama to Many~

For herpes simplex cold sore virus I would try taking around 3000 mg MSM twice a day. This is a powerful immune booster. Read about it. You have to start with 1000 mg twice a day until you detox. Then when the cold sore happens I would try 3 capsules of whole neem leaf twice a day until the sore is gone. I did this and with first dose of neem leaf (3 caps), it died and fell off within three hours and that has been a month and not come back thus far.

I love MSM because my hair had quit growing and I was totally going bald. Also, I stopped having stasis ulcers on my legs and my calf muscles which had been atrophying went back to normal size. MSM increases blood circulation.

Hi, quality organic msm should only be consumed. Also, some people can have a sensitivity, mild gas and bloating. Msm does detox, which can cause heart palpitations, gas, diarrhea, headache. So start off slowly, increasing the dosage over time.

Ok so I read about msm recently for the first time so I ordered the organic powder online. I started low dose with 1/4 teaspoon twice a day. I thought I was imagining it when my lower back pain didn't seem so severe. Then I noticed the redness on my chest didn't look so bad. I upped the dose gradually. My hands are looking 100% better for a 61 year old. The skin tone is beautiful and my nails are finally strong but flexible and really white. I'm now taking one and a half teaspoons in water twice a day followed by a heavy duty vitamin C.

I've lost interest in sweets and am eating less but it's hot and I'm drinking alot. I've had no headaches or any side effects except a feeling of being bloated but that comes and goes and I'm overweight anyway lol. If the external is any indication of what msm is doing internally I can't imagine the improvement. I still have back pain but it's much less than it was and might improve with higher dosage and I haven't touched and anti inflammatory since I started.

I have more energy but it doesn't keep me awake at night which is good.

I've tried other supplement with the best results from wheatgrass but I'm totally won over by the msm and will keep taking it. Just starting on my second 100gm order of powder.

I want to try this on my husband as he has every health issue imaginable. I hope I can convince him.

Pity it tastes disgusting but so does spinach hahaha. I hope there are no adverse long term issues because I intend to take it for as long as it's needed which may well be forever.

goodluck

If you have kidney stones, then you're dehydrated and one effect of dehydration is oil in the urine. So, in a way, it's the illness itself that allows the cure.

Olive oil has special properties that make it different from other oils to begin with, and it is only now being studied more closely to identify those differences.

How would any oil help your kidney's? Any oils are dealt with by your liver and bile, then absorbed by the small intestine - they are long gone as oil before the blood gets near the kidney. I eat a quite high fat diet, but have NEVER noticed any oil slick in my urine, and would be very concerned if I had.

I've been using MSM for 3-5 months now, and only side effects so far have been that my acne healed away and pimples are gone! But it seem I've got more wrinkles around eyes, but that might only be cause I'm aging.

Regarding Vet MSM.

I met a man that told me he was in a car accident a few years ago and broke his neck. A surgeon wanted to operate on his neck and the man refused. The man was told about Veterinarian MSM for human injuries and decided to try it. He told me he purchased the Veterinarian MSM at a feed store. I didn't ask how much he used but he told me that the Veterinarian MSM fixed his broken neck! I thought I would mention this on Earth Clinic.

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”.

A couple of thoughts regarding MSM and kidney stones:

It stands to reason that MSM, in opening cell walls, would flush loose any crystals that are attached to the walls of the renal system.

It also stands to reason that as the cell walls close up, trapping toxins inside, that the crystals COULD attach themselves and grow in the first place. Otherwise, the urinary salts would be suspended in the urine and flush themselves out.

Might not be a bad idea to add lemonade or the "lemon and olive oil" treatment for kidney and gall stones while you're taking MSM - or before you start.

The stones are no big deal as they're easily dealt with, but they can be uncomfortable and create various urinary symptoms that would tempt one to seek out harsh and dangerous "medical" remedies.

Also, vitamin C - ascorbic acid - would break down the crystallized organic matter that holds the stones together causing pieces to detach and creating discomfort that way. So, the occasional dose of olive oil or regular drinking of lemonade or limeade (even more acidic than lemon) in general is just a good idea, regardless - to keep the urinary salts in solution to facilitate natural flushing. Of course, the MSM would prevent them from attaching to the walls and growing in the first place but if they're already there, it's probably best to break them up as they can be extremely painful.

Just a thought.

Had some pain in the kidney area so refrained from drinking MSM water. Had some organic lemon aid and a couple swigs of olive oil.

It didn't really register in my mind until the pain, but initially I hadn't been urinating as much and the urine was darker than usual then, yesterday, I was going a lot and it was lighter. Anyway, with the discomfort, I'm assuming kidney stones.

I had gallstones a few years ago and after that cleared up I got in the habit of drinking organic raspberry lemonade but they quit carrying it a while back and I forgot all about it. Anyway, it makes sense with all of the flushing that there might be stones and this time it appears to be kidney stones, so, there's that.

They still carry the organic lemonade so I'll use that. It's not as yummy as the raspberry lemonade, but it's still pretty darn good!

Back to MSM water tomorrow and I guess I'll be drinking some lemonade, too, and flush out whatever stones there might be with a swig of olive oil every now and then.

I set out some MSM water for the dogs. I set it next to their regular water and they drank it down.

Second day, they didn't drink any but drank a lot of plain water.

Third day, same. No MSM water but plain water though not as much as the day before.

Fourth day (today) they're drinking some MSM but not as much as the first day.

Both dogs seem to be doing the same thing but they're not drinking together. Just consuming and abstaining at about the same intervals.

Same water I'm drinking - with just enough MSM to make it taste good.

Increased water intake and had some sea salt to compensate for the sweating feet and weight is back up so was definitely acutely dehydrated.

Skipped MSM for a day and felt a bit depressed, which is weird. Or maybe not depressed...I'm not sure. I don't get depressed so I'm not 100% sure what it's like but my mind was definitely attracted to the "less than fun" aspects of life and every little "problem" seemed bleak and blown all out of proportion.

Still have the rash and it has spread a bit. The bumps are flattened out but it's more itchy.

Hair seems super soft and more..."flexible" or something.

Still only taking the MSM as "good tasting water".

Might try some aloe with MSM for the itching.

Back to my happy self - very interesting.

Again, it may be because of the flushing of old toxins, but noticed a change in the fit of my clothes and I've lost about 10 lbs...but...where did it GO, is the question.

Also have a rash on my chest that I thought was a regular heat rash, which I usually wash with coconut oil and powder and disappears but this one isn't disappearing. MSM lotion stopped the itch but the skin's still bumpy so - some kind of cleansing rash, I'm assuming.

It occurs to me that my feet are extra sweaty and I forgot I'm using MSM lotion on them - after showering and a couple of times between showers I cleaned them with coconut oil and applied more lotion, due to the sweat. I forgot that the lotion I'm using is MSM lotion. All of my skin is much softer. I would not have classified it as "dry", but, compared to how it feels now, it obviously was.

I've only been using the MSM lotion on my hands and feet. My hands are not sweaty but they are definitely not dry which, again, I wouldn't have classified them as "dry" before now but, comparatively, they must have been.

Could explain where the weight went. Just double the amount of sweat from the foot would be like an extra pound and my feet are sweating more than that. On average, one sweats about 2 lbs per day (1 quart) which can go up to that much per HOUR when one is actively sweating.

This would actually explain why MSM feels so good, initially, AND why symptoms return so quickly when one stops taking MSM - a flush of hydration, initially, and dehydration when stopped.

I will up my water intake to compensate. See what happens.

Tried some water with no MSM in it for the first time in a couple of days and it tasted really...blah. As a huge fan of drinking plain water, I'm wondering if water with this small amount of MSM qualifies as "plain water". Of course, even filtered water isn't actually "plain"...

It sure tastes good so I guess I'll see what happens.

Other than just feeling good and not grabbing a snack every time I walk through the kitchen, I've experienced no symptoms of toxin release or die off. Everything's in working order.

Actually, the not snacking may be a symptom of toxin release, as I used a sort of diet pill when I was both working and going to school full time - WAY back when. So we'll see if the "not snacking" continues. On the other hand, I'm not actually skipping meals, so...I don't know. It's interesting. I wouldn't even notice the good feeling or the not snacking if I wasn't specifically noting changes. It's not like I've stopped eating or I'm feeling euphoric or anything dramatic. I always feel good but I just feel sort of extra good and I'm not craving sugar or salt (snacks) which, actually, might be why I feel extra good but I COULD eat a scoop of ice cream or some chips and salsa, no problem - I just don't crave them.

Another way to take MSM is to mix a strong batch in a jar and add some of the strong solution to whatever water you drink throughout the day. I've been doing that a couple of days after doing a 5g dose and not sleeping well for a couple of days. I didn't take any for a few days and then started with the smaller amounts in my water. Enough to make the water taste really good but not enough to leave that "smoky" taste in my mouth. I can't really say what the amount is - it's just a "taste good" amount.

I'm going to do that for a while and then alternate between MSM water and ascorbic acid water. Just to see what happens.

Hi! I also take MSM - about 5 grams a day, as well as Vitamen C (3g/day), turmeric, cayenne and much more. And I've had chronic severe back pain and depression and dizziness and other symptoms for a long time. Yet, in the past year, all of my symptoms have improved, and I think it's because of a change in my philosophies and practices. You see, none of the supplements can work if they can't get to the sites that need them, even when we take large doses. And helping agents can only get to these sites if they have adequate blood flow. So I've made it a practice to do lots of simple exercise repetitions to enforce good blood flow, and let my body take care of the rest. For example, when I lie down, sometimes my stomach can burn like crazy. And I also feel a big knot in my back. So, to bring blood flow to the area, I simply stand up and swing my arms from over my head to down behind my back from 100 to 300 times. The idea is to move my back muscles with a fairly gentle exercise to get all of the fluids moving there. Moving fluids = toxins moving out = beneficial elements moving in = body heals itself. I do this with the various parts of my body that suffer pains, and voila, the pain subsides and even heals over time. I hope you try this and it works for you. It takes creativity and inventiveness to determine the best simple movements to increase the blood flow. Yoga is a good resource for finding movements to repeat over and over.

I experienced a mild case of tendonitis and learned about MSM. I found MSM in my health food store. I have had great results using a teaspoon mixed with the vitamin C packet.

Hi Cat,

I had the EXACT same response as you when I tried taking MSM - heart palpitations and increasing anxiety and unbearable pressure on my chest when I lay down to sleep. I read that you should stop for a few days and then start again with a very small amount of MSM and work your way up very slowly. I have a giant bottle of MSM powder but have yet to try it again because m first experience was very scary. What if you roll on just the MSM gel and not swallow any? Maybe that's the key. Please let us know how it goes.

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?

For years, "it feels as though I've had a lung transplant" with MSM has been my motto! (I thought I was the only one). I "had" allergic asthma and albuterol (sp) did not work. I also "had" joint pain, and my whole family had joint paint and arthritic, it seems, for generations. I started taking MSM about 10 years ago, and never looked back. My health is great, I can breathe fully and freely, and for the past few years, steady kick boxing -- not bad for a grandmother:)

A great way to test if MSM is pure is to pour a glass of water, pure MSM will quickly sink to the bottom and any fillers will float on the top.

Hope this helps

Hello out there. I am trying to track down pure MSM in crystal form and a good source of sodium ascorbate. I am on a budget in Cairns North Queensland. Have found that the msm sourced from China is available at a low price but I have some reservations. Can you good people make any suggestions?

I'm a 44 year old active mom that loves to do hard work in the garden, bike ride, hike, etc. I am generally healthy, but had a small accident when I was 27. Diagnosed with a ruptured L4. I managed it well though my 30's & pregnancies. When I hit 40, it started to give me trouble. Worse in the past 2 years, esp after a physical therapist did a move on me that sent it into a new stratosphere of pain. A year of painful hell followed. I rehabbed myself after bad advice/treatments from spine drs, orthopedist, physiatrists, chiropractors, acupuncture, and a poorly administered cortisone shot. Trigger point therapy helped a TON. However, I have residual chronic low back pain. I don't like RX opioids, Advil, etc. I am a clean eater - lots of organic fruits, veggies, local meat/eggs/chicken/dairy, filtered water. I've been the same weight for 20 years (5'6,125 lbs) I supplement with probiotics, calcium, zinc, selenium, magnesium, B complex, Vit C with rosehips, those kinds. Nothing too exotic. No juices or sodas for me, one 8 oz cup of coffee a day. No real alcohol consumption.

I read an article on MSM and how it can help manage inflammation. I had a tub of MSM sitting around for a year and would take 1000 mg a day with NO relief. I gave it up. Another useless supplement...UNTIL!

I read another article 2 weeks ago about how you need to really UP your dose to relieve chronic inflammation. So I did.

I could not BELIEVE how much relief I have gotten in the past 2 weeks from 6000-8000 mg of MSM a day (with Vit C for better absorption). No side effects, really.

I am angry that not one single doctor, specialist, PT, etc., ever suggested trying this. Pushing tramadol and valium, ugh! I would be an addict now if not for MSM! I sent my mom a tub, hope she gets some relief from her chronic back pain.

Give it a try, you have nothing to lose with this one. Great book by Dr. Jacob Stanley on it, google it.

The very best MSM is either from Kalahealth or Dr Jacob's own lab in Portland, OR, JacobLab, which is run by his son.