MSM Side Effects: What You Need to Know Before You Take It

MSM for back pain and hair thinning.

I started taking MSM organic powder in a glass of water every morning. I started taking a quarter of teaspoon for four days then started taking half a teaspoon for another four days and I reached taking one teaspoon around about the fourth week. I had much more energy, the extreme pain in my lower back had gone by 90% and my hair started to have some volume at the roots. I was over the moon. I thought that I would never stop taking it.

Then on the fourth week I got this horrible rash all over my body. Little welts that itched so much I just wanted to rip my skin off. There was nothing else in my diet that could have caused this except for the MSM. I stopped it and after about four days the rash stopped itching and the rash went away after a week. I am so disappointed. Now I contemplating about the fact that it is not supposed to be toxic and if it was the amount I was taking or is truly an allergic reactions or that my body was detoxing all the heavy metals and other crap from my body.

I am asking the community if anyone can give me answers and if there is some way to mitigate the rash? I would be truly grateful for some answers because I can't get a straight answer from my doctor or anyone else for that matter.

My sister rages about MSM, so I started taking it! Maybe after 2 weeks, I started itching. It seems like everywhere, even my ears! Now I am trying over the counter remedies but nothing helps!! I will stop it and see what happens!

I've also had an extreme skin reaction (itchy rash that looked like psoriasis on lower arms and legs) when taking MSM. And yes, MSM seemed to be the culprit, since I was taking nothing else new; and when I stopped it, the itching stopped immediately and the rash gradually faded. Would like to hear from others who experienced a similar reaction? It's wonderful to read about the advantages of supplements, but it would also help if we take the time to report setbacks as well. Thanks!

Ann, Can you or anyone else offer a little more reassurance about the side effects of MSM? I started using it in the powdered form about a week ago. The label suggested 1/2 tsp. In 8 oz. of water. After about 2 days I noticed a mild rash on my arms and stomach. By day 4 the mild rash became severe and also spread to my thighs and backs.

It's late spring and I first suspected flea bites, but our pets have been treated and my husband had none of these little red marks. After racking my brains I realized the only new thing I'd introduced into my diet or environment was the MSM. On day 5, I stopped the MSM and the marks on my back largely went away. Those on my thighs and stomach persisted; perhaps they shrank slightly.

To test MSM as the culprit, on day 6 I took the merest pinch of it -- an 1/8 of a tsp, if that. Within an hour, the rash on my legs and stomach intensified. It spread to my chest area for the first time. Additionally, on two spots of my stomach, the redness resembled hives more than a rash. Whether as rash or hives, btw, it itches!

I'm 49 years old, was diagnosed as hyperthyroid three years ago, and have been slowly healing myself through diet and vitamins, acupuncture and meditation. I've been off the methimazole for months and returned to my customary weight (about 10 lbs over the normal range) about a year ago. I'm perimenopausal, so my hormone levels are undoubtedly fluctuating, and what bugs me the most, health-wise, is my on-going fatigue and hand/wrist numbness (I call it carpal tunnel, which is commonly associated with thyroid problems, but I've never seen a neurologist to have it formally diagnosed. You know--money issues.)

In short, I'd love to reap the benefits that MSM seems to promise most people here on Earth Clinic, but the intensity of the rash has me worried. I've never had a skin condition before, so to be wearing a rash for a week, so to speak, is a little creepy. Others have talked about cutting back on the dosage, but to cut back on the miniscule amount of a pinch is to eliminate it entirely.

I bought what seems to be a good quality form of the powder. The brand label asserts no wheat, dairy, gluten, sugar, yeast, etc. , I. E. , it claims to be hypoallergenic and suitable for vegetarians. I bought it from a reputable grocery chain.

So...suggestions, reassurances, tales of similar experiences from braver pioneers than me, anyone?

Thanks in advance for any help provided!