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

I have used MSM powder(Doctors Best) two periods. I started with a small dose 1/4 teasp to 1 tablespoon.

It helped my back pain but what really scared me off was excess hairloss and PMS. I´m not kidding, I lost both periods on MSM half of my hair. I was really sceptical it was MSM what was causing those, but had to believe since it happened twice.

I created very sore breasts and I act like a maniac before menses so I had to get rid of MSM.

Now I´d like to know, since there is so little information of MSM and women hormone balance, what is actually causing this? My own opinion is that women with oestrogen dominance suffer the most of MSM. MSM might somehow decrease progesteron levels on pre-menopausal women. I found earlier a link about the progesterone levels and MSM, but I lost it.

Do you have any information about this?

I recently started taking MSM (about 3 days ago) first day I took 1000 mg tablet on my way home from work (I stopped at a local supermarket at 5:15 am cause I work overnights) and had insomnia that night... should have read not to take it before bed. So I tried it the next day 1000 mg 2x's. Felt exhausted, slight headache and I drank distilled water about half a gallon.

Next day I took 3 tablets (1000 mg each) finished the other half a gallon of distilled water and had same symptoms. I woke up after that my eyes were pounding in my skull worse headache and exhausted more than usual. I want to take advantage of the benefits but I can't do 2 weeks of the detoxing.

Could it be I got a low quality (wegmans brand MSM), taking too high a dose (i weigh 230 6'5 male) , or is it just not for me? I take atenolol for pre hypertension celexa for my social anxiety, and aderal for adhd. my anxiety gives me slight ocd like behaviors as far as "ticks" go. I have zero emotion on the meds so I'm trying to get off them.

Sounds like your dosage is too high too soon. Headaches are a sure sign of that. Start low, and add dosages week by week. If you get headaches or any undesirable affect back down on dosages for awhile then proceed to desirable dosage.

I've had the same experience. Started taking for my back pain I've had since a really bad accident years ago. The pain got excruciating for a week or two then it went away after so kept taking. I still take daily and have none of the severe pains I was living with for the last 15 plus years.

MSM caused severe mood swings in me, then severe depression, so if you have mood disorders, I don't recommend to take it.

WARNING!

re: Side Effects of MSM --

I am so grateful to God for this forum. I can totally relate to DL from CA, that posting is almost a total duplicate of what I just recently experienced. I had been having constant pain in my legs and feet for over a year and had, had my fill. I did some research and came across the MSM. I was also diagnosed with osteopenia about the same time, so I decided to try it.

Two night ago I had my son take me to the ER, I was having a lot of what's been described here concerning the heart beating weird, anxiety(I guess) because I don't know how else to explain how I was feeling, shallow breathing, heaviness of chest etc. All this had been going on for some time and I normally could meditate on scriptures and it would go away, this night was different. My jaunt to the ER, showed irregular heartbeat, palpitations to be exact. However, all of my blood work came back normal, showing no previous heart attacks or heart disease. I have been referred for a stress test. I am going to discontinue my use of MSM and see what happens. I will keep you posted as to what happens after I am no longer taking this product. Oh yeah, one of the other effects is headaches. I also started getting headaches that wouldn't go away. I sorta fluffed that off figuring it was a sinus thing, however, these aren't sinus area specific. So, I'm thinking this is all related. Time will tell.

I am very happy for those folks that this works for. Of course, everybody's metabolism is different, so what works for others may not work for someone else. Anyone else that may have related info. that would be helpful to my situation please feel free to e-mail me. God Bless

...you want to take it slow BECAUSE they're going to open the gates and release the toxins your body has had to lock up, over the years, because it couldn't handle them all in the first place and you have NO way of knowing what those toxins might be.

If you're going to take MSM or DMSO or, actually, if you're going to do any new sort of cleanse, take activated charcoal as well, to attract, trap and eliminate those toxins via the digestive tract but, even so, take it slow. There's no reason to flush everything out all at once.

Unless you've had a lethal poison, once you start eliminating the toxins, the damage they're causing the body to do to itself in trying to corral and lock them up is going to either stop, altogether, or slow way down as they're released, drawn out and trapped.

Activated charcoal pulls toxins out of the blood and into the digestive tract for elimination when you take it internally the same way it pulls toxins out of infection and inflammation, through the fat, fascia and skin when you use it externally.

DMSO and MSM release toxins for elimination but then the body has to deal with them. And multiples of them and combinations of them, given the corruption of the food, water and manufactured goods supplies so, help a body out. Sweep them up as they're released instead of just letting them run around free and wreaking havoc.

It doesn't take as much activated charcoal as you think. One teaspoon of activated charcoal has a surface area of more than an acre. A tablespoon? FOUR football fields.

I took a small amount of MSM one day because I had read about so many health benefits of sulfur. I felt great at first, but then when I took another small dose I started feeling like you did, Extremely tired, lethargic, etc. I felt like I had been drugged and I just wanted to sleep all day. It really concerned me and I read up on what was happening to me. Apparently some of us don't process sulfur well and it can build up in our systems as well as the toxins that it knocks loose. The mineral molybdenum helps to convert the sulfur into a more useable form for the body, as well as helping to get rid of the toxins from the sulfur. I took two doses of molybdenum a few hours apart and felt like a new woman! I strongly suggest you start taking molybdenum to counteract the effects of the sulfur from the MSM. Good luck!

MSM is for repairs and requires added vitamin C.

We purchased pure MSM in November (2020). My husband takes it daily and he feels it's helped his frozen shoulder and joints.

After the 7th day of 1/2 teaspoon MSM, I was besieged by heart palpitations. They finally began lessening in January. Made appt with cardiologist, all tests came back fine. I increased magnesium to 400mg 3x day, a banana and himalayan sea salt, which eliminated the palps.

2 days ago, I tried about 1/8 teaspoon of MSM and yup, a couple palps occurred. I think I'll try 1-2 crystals because my joints were feeling much better to see if that keeps the joints and heart happy.

Sulfa is not the same as sulphur. Two completely different things. When they say "sulfa allergy" it usually involves rx drugs. Sulphur is a very common component to food in low amounts, so it's unlikely one would have a sulphur allergy.

I believe this is my problem! I've had other issues with high acetylcholine with fish oil supplements. I never put two and two together that MSM could affect choline levels. My joints and muscles have gotten terrible since starting MSM. Did your symptoms go away quickly after stopping MSM?

Zach, When I started MSM the first time I could not breath, felt awful. Found Earth Clinic, got off wheat products. Then I tried MSM again. No problems. First check the ingredients if it contains titanium dioxide, it can make you sicker than whatever you are taking the supplement for. There are other ingredients that are not great but titanium dioxide seems the worst offender. I have read much about it and the new nano technology and it is the first additive to be used with this in it. I inadvertently took MSM with it and was very ill for 2 months headaches aches tiredness just terrible feeling. I also had some chest tightness. I upped my usage of alkalizing drinks of Apple Cider Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to three a day, and used hydrogen peroxide spray from Earth Clinic's video to push it out of my system .I am almost over it, it took awhile, about a month. Janet

Hi everyone, I first decided to take msm sulphur because I wanted to detox and see if it could improve my rosacea and keratosis pilaris, among other health problems. I took 1 tsp for a week, the first few days I noticed it make my insomnia worse so I decided to take it in the morning, but nothing changed my insomnia was still worse, I also noticed my constipation was worse. I decided not to take it today and actually had a bowel movement. I just wanted to know am I taking too much? how much should I start off with? I was only taking 1 tsp why was this happening? Thanks in advance for your help:)

I have been taking MSM for the past week or so. I had heart palpitations yesterday. One thing that msm appears to do is purge the body of heavy metals. I suspect it may also take with it some of the necessary minerals that are key for the electrical signaling of the heart to function properly (like some other heavy metal detoxes I have taken before). As soon as I became aware of what was happening, I took a general overall mineral supplement and the palpitations ceased immediately. I will have to monitor this point forward. Less MSM. More minerals. For detox the key is not to take them together as then it is just sweeping out the minerals you took, rather than the heavy metals deeply imbedded in fat and bones. For detox it appears there needs to be 6-8 hours in between the taking of the minerals and the taking of the msm. Hope this helps in your own research.

Re MSM, BACK PAIN, AND MIGRAINE HEADACHES:

MSM and glucosamine in combination were extremely helpful to my lower back and hip pain (arthritis), but it triggered daily migraines, so I had to stop taking it. I can take glucosamine alone without getting the headaches.

But about arthritic pain: I have found that applying arnica gel, which I get at the health food store or from iherb, stops the pain. (It also helps prevent/reduce bruising.) I wake up with a bad backache, apply a tsp or so onto my back and hip (rubbing it in well), and can get back to sleep.

I wish I could take MSM. My husband takes it every day and has no aches or pains.

WARNING!

MSM WARNING: I began having heart palpitations and chest tightness & discomfort after taking MSM for 3 weeks. It did help with hip pain but I had to discontinue it because of side effects. This forum is excellent! I'm glad to know it wasn't just my imagination & that other people have had these side effects.

Dimitra65,

A rash is one of the many known side effect of MSM consumption as discussed here :

https://www.earthclinic.com/supplements/msm-side-effects.html

And here :

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/dimethyl-sulfoxide-dmso-and-methylsulfonylmethane-msm-for-osteoarthritis#:~:text=Side effects of MSM include, consult your health care provider.

If you were taking MSM for arthritis, you might consider borax as an alternative.

Art

Hi Deirdre,

Recently, my husband was having pain in his golf hands, and he read that MSM could be helpful. I told him I had some powder and he is using it with good results. However, when I got it out, I have written in black magic marker, “Not for RW! Allergic! Do Not Take.” I am allergic to sulfa medicines, and I think this is the reason I can't take MSM. It is the only supplement I have marked with a warning. I honestly can't remember what happened, but it may have been breathing or anxiety problems, but must have been bad for me to label it that way. It seems to work well to relieve pain for many people.

I started taking MSM 5 years ago. It has helped me with inflammation in my body. Firstly, always check that MSM is streamed distilled and not solvent distilled, there is a big difference. Most MSM comes from China where it is chemically distilled and not good for your kidneys. I recently found out that my cortisol level is high and this could be due to MSM so I have come off it and can already feel my aches and pains returning.

My point is get your cortisol levels checked just to be on the safe side of MSM.

Also, when MSM is ground into a powder it depletes the benefits by half. They grind it as to make it easier to package. There are companies that do offer steamed distilled MSM but you need to ask them, and most of them don't know. If it comes from China, it will be chemically distilled. To buy MSM from China direct would cost about $12 a kg.

I buy mine from Canada through an agent. I just wanted to share that often we don't know what we are taking or how it's produced. Ask before you buy, only buy granules and be aware your controls level may be elevated from taking it.

It appears you are not properly absorbing the MSM. Try Oil of Oregano softgels + one spoon of Milled Flax Seed once or twice daily for couple wks, then add one gram Vit-C taken with the MSM, and you should notice some positive changes.

I also saw hair loss but then I saw regrowth of what appeared to be thicker strands. I think MSM is a serious nutrient we do not know enough about & it appears to work differently in everyone.

Regarding MSM, I just wanted to warn people that I have had adverse affects with it. I started taking it for joint pain (2 to 4 thousand milligrams a day) and it seemed like it was healing, until about 30 days in one of my knees started to hurt. I thought I may have just injured it slightly and didn't think anything of it. Then maybe another week and a half in my other knee (that never had any pain prior) and both my shoulders started hurting. MSM was the only thing that I had never done before that I was doing differently. I quit taking it and about a week later all of the pain was gone. I also just injured my right knee and have to question whether or not this actually made my joints worse.

I have learned something interesting with MSM. I took the NOW brand for 30 days to help with Lupus. It was working great w/no side effects other than insomnia, which stopped when I cut the dosage down from 4000 mg daily to 20000 mg daily. (take it first thing in the morning) After finishing that bottle, a friend offered me a bottle that she was not going to take. It was a different brand than I had taken previously. Within 2 days, I had hives & swelling up my arms & a severe headache. I talked to the owwner of a Health Food Store in town & she said some MSM products are not as pure as others. This particular brand had 345 mg of sulfur in it. The reaction I had was to the sulfur, not the MSM. I stopped it & the rash & headache went away. I am back to taking the NOW brand with no problems. Make sure you buy your MSM at a reputable dealer, not just anywhere. Talk to the salesperson & be sure it is pure MSM.

It was good to read it's not just happening to me. I've been taking a liquid form of MSM, glucosamine, & chondroitin for one week STOPPING today. I have been experiencing rapid heart rate and chest tightness/pain. One night I didn't sleep at all. I've taken the gluc/chon before with no issues, so I'm sure it's the MSM. No more. Also of note, I'm allergic to sulfa as many women are, and I just learned that a person allergic to sulfa shouldn't take MSM. It was good to read your feedback. I hope mine helps someone too.

Dimitra65, I would suggest a topical pain reliever that is available here in the US, but I'm sure it is not going to be available down under. One thing you can try since you already have the MSM and it worked well for your purpose is to use the MSM topically. Take one level full teaspoon of the MSM and add it to 2 ounces of water and stir until dissolved. Choose a sensitive spot on your inner forearm about a half inch in diameter. Using a q-tip to apply a small amount of the liquid to that small circular spot on your inner forearm. Apply to this same spot 3 times per day for 3 days, all the while watching for signs of a rash or other allergic reaction. If no reaction after the three days is complete, then you can try applying the liquid to your lower spine where you have the pain. Again, pay close attention to watch for signs of a rash or other allergic reaction. If no bad reactions after 3 days and assuming it does offer you pain relief, you can then do this same 3 day experiment on your painful neck. MSM in this liquid form can also be used simultaneously with the mag oil. A tip about mag oil, after applying the first time in the day and after the pain relieving effect has stopped, reapply just water over your original application area as this will reactivate the remaining magnesium chloride on the skin and should offer pain relief similar to the original application. Using water for the second application of the day will use less mag oil and reduce the potential for skin irritation to the mag oil. By the way, does ibuprofen or aspirin offer you any pain relief at all? Keep me posted. Art

MSM SIDE EFFECTS: I accidentally skipped a dose and my body aches are better and no leg cramps... those were severe and nightly and concerning. Have been on normal dose for weeks... but forget it... am done.

Hm. That is a truly unfortunate turn of events.

* Please list the other vitamins you took.

* Has your leg infection changed at all?

Activated charcoal, magnesium sulfate, psyllium husk may help manage any associated detox symptoms. Probably just use according to the package instructions for intestinal cleanse.

Detox may cause severe and varried symptoms similar to your description. Research "stage two detox". You may just have an overwhelming "stage 1 detox" going on.

If you feel it is an emergency, you may consider making an appointment with a doctor.

It seems to me that you were taking an abnormally high dosage so no wonder you had side effects. I was told to take 4 grams which equals 1 teaspoon. This has help my arthritis but with no side effects.

Try soaking in warm/hot water bath with sea salt for 20-30 minutes daily. Some of these toxins might pass out through the skin. That worked for me, though my symptoms were nowhere near what you sadly experienced.

Take some charcoal and clays- bentonite, diatomaceous earth.

Hallo MSM ist nicht Giftig

Das was MSM gemacht hat war das Eigene Körper Gift raus zu holen. ich nehme seit Jahren MSM 2-4 Gr am tag meine Sülfür depos zu füllen und nicht krank zu werden. Wenn sie 2 jahre lang Gift im Körper tragen kommt nicht einfach so raus, dafür muss man Ausleitungen machen Darm und Leber und mehr.. Bitte Informieren sie sich.. Danke

Hello MSM is not toxic

What MSM did was get your body's toxins out. I've been taking MSM 2-4 grams a day for years to fill my Sülfür depos and not get sick. If you carry poison in your body for 2 years, it doesn't come out just like that, you have to clean out your intestines and liver and more. Please inform yourself.. Thank you

The Negative Side Effects of MSM​

I used MSM for several weeks. Though I was very pleased with having thicker, more lustrous hair, stronger nails, No arthritis pain and increased energy, I couldn't help but notice that I gained 14 pounds!! After continued use, I became an emotional mess, along with fatigue as opposed to energy. I stopped for a week and the weight is dropping. I want the beautiful, skin, hair and nails to continue. Is there a comparable supplement?