Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a solvent that was first listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference in 1980 and has since been prescribed in various countries for a wide range of medical uses. Despite being declared to have the widest range and greatest number of therapeutic actions ever shown for any other single chemical, the drug is not popular among the orthodox medical community. This is because it encompasses an entirely new method of treating disease and has been classified as a drug that is useful for a single disease or class of diseases, when it actually is much more than a drug.
DMSO has around 40 pharmacologic properties that may be advantageous in the prevention, symptomatic relief, or pathology reversal of human organic disease. These include blocking pain by interrupting conduction in the small c-fibers, anti-inflammatory properties, and the ability to transport numerous pharmaceuticals across membranes, among others
It has also been reported to bring about interferon formation in the organism and stimulate healing of wounds. DMSO is a potent diuretic, especially when administered intravenously. Additionally, it enhances antifungal and antibacterial agents when combined with them, is a vasodilator, probably related to histamine release in the cells and to prostaglandin inhibition, and inhibits the release of cholinesterase.
One of the most significant advantages of DMSO is that it attacks the disease itself rather than just the symptoms. It is worth noting that fair-skinned people with red or blond hair and blue eyes are more sensitive to DMSO, and should be treated with topical, oral, or intravenous concentration of 50 percent or less, especially around the face and neck.
We will be going over some of the medical uses for DMSO, but since there are so many we cannot list them all. For a more complete and more in-depth guide please look at our DMSO E-book, which you can get for free if you sign up!
Arthritis
Arthritis is a debilitating condition that affects over 21 million Americans and is the number one cause of disability for people over 65. Conventional medical treatment involves the use of painkillers such as aspirin, cortisone, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which do not correct the problem but only provide temporary relief. Some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can even be harmful to the patient’s joints. The use of more natural medications such as glucosamine sulfate and MSM has been reported to have positive effects and reduced pain, with no negative side effects. There is general agreement among medical professionals and patients that DMSO is thebest treatment for arthritis, whether it is osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. DMSO works by reducing pain and muscle spasms, improving blood flow, providing sulfur, reducing inflammation, and being a potent free radical scavenger.
Protection against Radiation, Freezing, and Thawing
DMSO has radioprotective properties that can protect cells, cellular systems, and whole animals from the lethal and mutagenic effects of X-rays. The radioprotective effects of DMSO occur at the cellular level and it has been demonstrated to protect bacteria, human kidney cells, and mouse tail bones from X-irradiation damage. Topical application of DMSO can protect
nestling rats from X-ray-induced damage. DMSO has been used in a method to prevent radiation injuries to the urinary bladder and rectum in cervical cancer patients, resulting in significantly lower expressions of early reactions and late injuries of the rectum and urinary bladder in DMSO-protected patients compared to a control group. DMSO has also been shown to sustain red blood cells during freezing and thawing, making it an effective agent for cellular preservation against the damaging effects associated with freezing and thawing.
Carpal Tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a repetitive strain injury caused by compression of the median nerve, leading to numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle damage in the hand and fingers. The conventional treatment involves night splints, cortisone injections, and anti-inflammatory drugs, while surgery is used in severe cases. However, some patients have reported negative results
with surgery. DMSO, a natural substance that is also an anti-inflammatory, has been reported to provide benefits to people with carpal tunnel syndrome by reducing pain and improving circulation in the area.
Burns
DMSO lotions containing aloe vera have been found effective in treating severe burns. A cook with second-degree burns was treated with a 50% DMSO and 50% aloe vera lotion and recovered in just two days, with no major complications or scarring. The lotion was applied every eight hours for two days. DMSO lotions have also been used to prevent blisters from
forming on hot pan burns and to relieve sunburn. The best results are found when DMSO is combined with aloe vera, according to doctors who treat major burns with the substance.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disease that affects mainly women over 50 and is more common with increasing age. Unlike arthritis, it affects muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Diagnosis is difficult because of the symptoms’ similarity to other problems and is generally done when widespread pain lasts more than three months and affects all four quadrants of the body. Some
patients also have bowel and bladder problems and difficulty in swallowing, and the condition is often associated with anxiety and depression. The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, and conventional treatments, such as painkillers, cortisone, and antidepressants, have not been effective.
Shingles & Herpes
DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of viral infections, including herpes. DMSO has been used in combination with other anti-inflammatory and antiviral medicines, as well as by itself, to achieve positive results. Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a serious disease that can cause permanent blindness if it affects the face. The pain of postherpetic neuralgia, which can last for years, can be reduced but not eliminated with DMSO and other medications. The best way to prevent neuralgia is to treat shingles in its early stages.
A clinical study conducted by Dr. William Campbell Douglas in 1971 found that DMSO was effective in treating shingles, with the best results obtained when treatment was started early in the disease process. DMSO has also been used in combination with lysine to treat both herpes zoster and herpes simplex. Lysine has been proven to retard the growth of the herpes virus and inhibit viral replication