Greetings, Dr. Roach I would like to take dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). I’ve read that it will speed up the mending of strained muscles, ligaments, and shattered bones while destroying the cancer’s source. I want to know if taking the recommended dosage of DMSO is safe.
Three years ago, a mechanical valve was installed in place of my aortic valve. I was instructed to enjoy life after a year of follow-up exams, which revealed that the valve had sealed flawlessly. — W.H.
ANSWER: The Food and Drug Administration recommends DMSO to treat the symptoms of interstitial cystitis, a painful and chronic bladder ailment. Although there is no proof of its effectiveness, it is sometimes used for various urinary disorders and is directly injected into the bladder for this purpose.
For musculoskeletal problems, DMSO is frequently applied topically, and some users report feeling less discomfort. Numerous studies on rheumatological conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, failed to show a benefit, although a study from Germany in 1995 showed that DMSO gel with a 25% concentration reduced pain when applied to joints. This was not confirmed by other investigations.
There are no compelling studies demonstrating a benefit for cancer, while some have found that DMSO increases the proliferation of breast cancer cells.
I advise against using DMSO because of research that indicates both possible risks and little benefit. More importantly, the research was conducted using medical-grade DMSO, which can only be obtained with a prescription. When you buy DMSO at a hardware store, you are getting industrial-grade DMSO, which is potentially contaminated with industrial toxins and isn t intended for human use.
DMSO is very good at bringing other substances with it into the skin. This is useful as a drug-delivery system but dangerous when the DMSO you use is contaminated with dangerous chemicals — or if you have those chemicals on your skin. While I can find DMSO for sale that companies purport to be very pure, you are relying on the company that may or may not have purified it, as it isn t independently tested.
However, I do not think that the topical use of DMSO is likely to be a danger to your prosthetic heart valve.
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Greetings, Dr. Roach Recently, at an event sponsored by our community, an expert on the gut microbiome gave a lecture on how to keep it in balance. While the lecture was generally informative and useful, at one point, he stated that vaccines were detrimental to the microbiome. Is there any evidence (other than anecdotal) that supports such an opinion? — W.G.
ANSWER: The huge number of bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract is referred to as the microbiome, and our microbiome can have effects on many aspects of our functioning. How much of an effect it has is debated.
COVID-1919 infections were known to have a marked detrimental effect on the microbiome, but the effect of vaccination on the microbiome was not well-studied until quite recently. A 2024 study from the University of Cambridge found that the microbiome was only minimally affected by vaccination.
Based on this recent study, I disagree with your community speaker and conclude that if your concern is about your microbiome, you d be much better off getting vaccinated and taking other steps to prevent infection.
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions [email protected] send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.
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