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

I started MSM 5 days ago for Osteoarthritis pain and have had terrible headaches and bloating/gas. I got molybdenum yesterday and while it cured the headache, I still have tummy issues. (Arthritis is already better! )

I am taking 4 Doctor's Best MSM 1000 mg/1 gm capsules split between am and late afternoon. I took 450 mcg of molybdenum this morning with 2 gms of MSM and did the same this afternoon. Again no headache but my stomach feels bloated/gassy.

Health History;

I had hair analysis done a while back and each time it showed very high amounts of calcium and copper. (I had a copper toxicity using a skin care product on my clients. I absorbed a lot of copper through the palm of my hands doing facials.) Since then I have been doing a lot of detox's over the years.

Supplements;

I take Iodoral iodine, K2 and D3, CoQ10, boron/borax, tart cherry capsules for the OA and gout, and topical magnesium.

Today I have taken 900 mcg of molybdenum and feel it is working somewhat but not to the extent that Dr. Ben Lynch says on his podcast. Which he states molybdenum will eliminate bloating/gas associated with MSM. Also, in Dr. Lynch's podcast he list all the symptoms of a molybdenum deficiency which I answered "yes" to all. Since I am not worried about depleting my copper levels should I take more? And has anyone taken molybdenum in high doses over 950 mcg?

Thank you for any insight on high dose molybdenum.

Nicole,

Re nausea when taking MSM with Orange Juice;

Idea: Orange Juice is acidic and the combo might cause the reaction. Try taking the MSM with a milder juice. I take MSM with water...along with a dozen other nutrients...never get nausea.

I NEVER drink orange juice unless I know I'm alkaline. OJ is worse than coffee and is hard on the body.

I'm still having this problem if anyone can please help me. When I take msm in a glass of orange juice I either feel nausea or actually throw up.I try taking it in low dosage and build it but but it eventually makes me sick. Could it be because I don't drink enough water during the day?

Nicole: This could simply be "die-off" reactions as the detoxification is undergoing. You may want to consider taking Vit-C at different time than MSM as they will compliment each other. Alpha Lipoic Acid will also sync w/ the C & MSM. 3-12mg Melatonin prior to retiring w/ help detox as well as sleep.

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:)

MSM has triggered severe insomnia in me, but it's because it is dealing with parasites in my body. They are always much more active at night and the MSM is driving them nuts. Hopefully this will pass.

If MSM is keeping you awake, it may not actually be the MSM that is the real issue...

Also, the body does its housekeeping at night when we are resting and not diverting our energy to other things. As Sulfur is one of the elements that helps the body detox, and absorb nutrition better, which helps in the healing process, it is very likely to trigger rashes, headaches, nausea, diarrhoea, coughs, colds, etc., in fact anything that could be used as a route to get unwanted matter out of the body.

We assume these things are 'illnesses', but they are just the body's way of cleaning itself. We go and get medications to suppress these processes, often driving toxins even deeper into the body instead of giving the body the tools, and the recognition for its amazingly designed ability to heal itself.

The body does a lot of healing and cleansing at night, so taking elements that help this process can trigger insomnia.

Some say that taking MSM late can keep them awake, but it's more likely the healing and detox response. Also some people may be unaware they have parasites. They become active at night. Taking MSM can help to deal with them, but initially it may make them very aggravated, and trigger a lot more activity.

Persevering with the MSM will usually find those detox or other issues resolving. Sulphur (MSM) aids the detox process and helps the body assimilate and use nutrition far better, so healing responses are often enhanced.

One time I couldn't go and had to drive to town to get some cranberry juice.... One cup and my urine was back to normal. Now I keep cranberry tabs and extra bottles of juice in the pantry, save an expensive trip to town during the night.... Love, Joy

Seeking information and assistance on the following:

I started on MSM several months ago hoping to alleviate a trigger finger and thumb condition. I took it in the morning along with fruit and high quality Kefir that I make myself.

After some two months the trigger problem finger diminished, however one day after an increased dose of the msm I developed an inability to urinate. I stopped the MSM and Kefir and the dysuria condition abated. When I resumed the MSM and Kefir it came back. I've done this three times so I believe I have established the connection.

Now that I've been off the MSM a few weeks the trigger finger has shown up again. Please share your thoughts with me. William

Re MSM side effects. I purchased MSM in crystal form. When I put 1/8th teasp. to my mouth I had instant pictures in front of my eyes of people in panic and an allover anxiety message. Now I am not suffering of anxieties nor do I do drugs. But since then I have sprinkled it over my pets' food but have not the courage to try it again. I don't think I swallowed it.

I wonder if this supplement works on the lower chakras as I have had experience with herbs and even homeopathics causing effects that, lets say, were not "wholesome" and in effect were psychedelic experiences. I believe these supplements work differently on the individual, as in old and established medicine systems it is imperative to know ones Doshas, otherwise healing can be mere guess work.

I don't like unwelcome mental experiences so I stay away from a product if this happens. Om

Hi, you can try Paida and Lajin, it is introduced by Hongchi Xiao. You 'clear' the meridians with Lajin (streching) and toxins will be expelled by Paida (slapping on the joints). It's is a holistic approach and is good for your overall health.

I am one of those people for whom MSM did not work. I had insomnia. What does this mean? Do I need to detox? My joints are very creaky and noisy but are less painful than they used to be. MSM might not be an option for me. Any advice? Thank you!

I was so happy to find this site. I took 2 tsp MSM for 2 days and 1/2 tsp for 2 days and 3 weeks later I'm still having reactions. I wake in the middle of the night with my body buzzing and I'm having headaches (which I've never had in my life). My energy level is very low. I'm 75 and very healthy otherwise; I'm still working as a substiture teacher. I'm allergic to sulfa and that may be the problem since some others on the site said they were unable to take MSM because of that. I was really hoping it would help with my shoulder problems. I have a damaged rotator cuff (inoperable) from hairstyling for 34 years.

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.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I have been taking MSM for over a year now and had some symptoms of rash(not as bad as what you describe) and hardening of my lymph glands and ducts when I started taking it. It is a side effect of MSM but is probably due to your system releasing toxins. I lowered dosage and continued taking until symptoms went away and then began increasing dosage. I currently take 24 grams/day split between morning and afternoon(215 lb bodyweight). It has worked well for my asthma, joint swelling, and pain. I was worried I would need another knee surgery but don't think it will be necessary for the time being. Make sure you are buying very pure crystals so you don't have other fillers that could cause problems.

I take it 2x a day and never experienced any problems. Sounds like you are allergic to it. If you want to try it again, buy another brand, and maybe lower your dosage. It's one of those things our bodies need but can't store, just like vitamin C, so doubtful you are allergic, you get it from a lot of foods you eat. It's a real basic form of sulphur that comes from the ocean if I remember right.

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!

I had been suffering with horrible muscle pains for a few years. So I started to read on what would help this pain. I started to take MSM and the pain I endured was worse but then.. read on to find out what happened.

MSM can and will reawaken your previous injuries. When I first started taking MSM I was in horrible pain.. So I stopped taking it and the pain went a way. Then I read that MSM detoxifies the body and will reawaken old injuries.. That you need to keep taking the MSM until the pain is gone (usually 2-3 weeks) So I started to take MSM again and the same pain returned. I had a horrible two weeks. After that the pain was less and less. That moment when I woke up and there was no pain at all I was in disbelief, as I was told by my Doctor's I would always suffered pain.. So I say.. If this causes pain, it means its cleaning out your system so drink lots of water while you are taking it and know that it's getting rid of that pain for good. :) A usual dose to start is one three times a day.. Work up to two three times a day. Of 1000mg each. Best of Luck all

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.

Karen: It souns like you are having a reaction not due to allergy, but simply from the almost unique beneficial effect MSM has in greatly increasing cell membrane porosity throughout the entire body!

As such, any toxins will be mobilized in greater amounts, and that includes any Rx drugs or their metabolites.

MSM thus has the effect of amplifying the drug dose! So you have to increase the dose of MSM slowly over several weeks, and/or do not be on any Rx drugs when you do, if possible.

Drink lots of water to aid in flushing them out.

For the anemia, you are on the right track in that it can be caused by a lack of essential minerals, which can be had from things like a complete cane sugar, as near to unprocessed as possible:

www.wisegeek.com/what-is-demerara-sugar.htm

To make demerara sugar, sugar producers press sugar cane and steam the juice of the first pressing to form thick cane syrup. The cane syrup is allowed to dehydrate, leaving behind large golden brown crystals of sugar. Because demerara sugar is not heavily refined, it has a rich, creamy, molasses-like flavor which enhances baked goods. The large grains also remain crunchy through cooking, which makes demerara sugar a great choice of sprinkled topping on scones and similar dishes which might otherwise have a uniform texture.

As such, you might want to move up from the "brown sugar", since it is merely white table sugar (sucrose) sprayed with molasses to turn it just dark enough!

Could someone help. This is strange. I started talking MSM a couple days ago and after second dose had palpitations and they don't stop and have been going on 24 hours now. I stopped taking MSM after it began and its still happening. Breath is hard to catch sometimes and I do not have these but maybe 2 a month and it's usually once. My BP is spiked at times and I have always had LOW LOW blood pressure. This is really creepy. I am also getting off white sugar at the same time and using brown for 4 days. So what's going on here? Don't yang about going to a Dr. If I hadn't already I wouldn't be here. They say nothing wrong but anemia.

Any 'anxiety' reaction to the MSM is not seen in the majority, and even when it is it is likely simply the reaction to the body having too many waste products moving around at the same time due to MSM's nearly unique property of opening up cell membrane porosity for better efficiency moving things in and out across that membrane. This is for ALL organs and tissues, so in fact one minor problem but one to note well is that in addition to this temporary condition, there may well be a reaction ALSO caused by taking RX meds at the same time as being on a MSM regimen, because the increased porosity will cause the RX drug dose to be in effect multiplied, maybe 25%, 50%, or even double or triple! And what is one symptom of too high a dose of anti-depressant/anxiety medication? Why, it's ANXIETY! (Just do a Search. )

Also, remember it takes days at least even once stopped taking any RX drug for it to be really well cleared out by the liver and kidneys. So even if one goes off the drug in order to take MSM, it is best to wait several days at least before starting MSM. (one can lessen this down to non-existent by simply slowly increasing the daily MSM dosage, a week at a time, starting at the lowest dose for body weight and then after a month or two getting up to the highest). BTW, the antidepressant RX drugs have what must be the highest placebo effect of any drug class, at least for 'depression'(placebo effect for this drug class on other prescribed conditions like OCD, anxiety, etc. not given):www.newsweek.com/2010/01/28/the-depressing-news-about-antidepressants.html

It seems I am not alone in having moral qualms about blowing the whistle on antidepressants. That first analysis, in 1998, examined 38 manufacturer-sponsored studies involving just over 3,000 depressed patients. The authors, psychology researchers Irving Kirsch and Guy Sapirstein of the University of Connecticut, saw as everyone else had that patients did improve, often substantially, on SSRIs, tricyclics, and even MAO inhibitors, a class of antidepressants that dates from the 1950s. This improvement, demonstrated in scores of clinical trials, is the basis for the ubiquitous claim that antidepressants work. But when Kirsch compared the improvement in patients taking the drugs with the improvement in those taking dummy pills clinical trials typically compare an experimental drug with a placebo he saw that the difference was minuscule. Patients on a placebo improved about 75 percent as much as those on drugs. Put another way, three quarters of the benefit from antidepressants seems to be a placebo effect. Remember this is NEWSWEEK talking, THE Establishment mass news outlet, so for them to put it out there means it's already long obvious to most.

Did you read over the ANXIETY section?:
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/anxiety.html

If anything, there's too many things there you can try! So pick one that's cheap, easily available, and has some YAYS behind it.

MSM is a natural substance (as is cortisol), found even in the oceans. It could be that your symptoms were simply caused by one of the healing aspects of MSM which very few other nutrients can replicate:

It increases, dose dependent and therefore also depends on body weight, the cellular membrane porosity , thus rate and amount of nutrient, metabolic waste and signaling molecules across the cell's membrane. This holds for all or nearly all tissue and organ cells. So perhaps you actually suffered a slight reaction to a too-fast re-balancing from too many toxins on the move at the same time?

This is why with MSM one should start with a small dose for the first week, then increase over many more weeks in increments to the maximum suggested dose based on body weight.

I have read all the feedback on msm. Now I am confused. I am having pain in my knees and legs. Have for sometime. I mix 2 capsules of msm in lotion and apply as much as needed. This seems to help, but not for long. I would like to start taking msm by mouth, but now if it causes anxiety i can't do that. I already have chronic anxiety and am taking zoloft, have been for ten years. The msm i use is pure. What can i do?

I don't take steroids and when I started the MSM, after a week or so, it caused me problems with elevated cortisol levels. So then, How would you explain that?