Gusoceros,
So glad you started this thread. I've gotten bits and pieces of my research together and finally settled on a reference book on
DMSO that hasn't yet arrived. I'll let you know what I learn in addition to what has been posted here.
I've been doing my own trial with this stuff because I have a child with
Down syndrome. Some reports indicated that this can help in both
physical and brain development because it helps oxygenate the cells. This has proved very beneficial in children with
autism (I believe because they suffer from a brain injury similar to a stroke victim -- just my opinion). However, I haven't seen a lot of information on children with DS. That, coupled with the fact that I don't have information on dosages, etc. has made me cautious.
Of course, it doesn't help my confidence to read all of the cautions on the label. Because the FDA cannot do a double blind study (You KNOW when this stuff hits your system. So the 'blind' doesn't work as the participants know who gets the real stuff and who gets the placebo), it hasn't been approved for human application.
What I have done is used it on adults. In one case, it has been used to combat a
persistent fungal condition on the feet with promising results. Because any treatment of this condition takes about 90 days of treatment to draw any conclusions, this is still in process. However, there has been some dramatic improvement of the nail bed and surrounding skin.
In this same person,
DMSO has helped with some
old scar tissue, helping to level the raised area. Coloring of the scar has normalized somewhat but it remains visible -- just not as noticeable.
Additionally, this was used successfully on an
infected ear lobe. Within 6 hours, there was an improvement. By the next day, the area was healed except for a little flakiness. Since that time, the topical use of
DMSO has been used on other skin applications, and I have been pleased with the results.
I have learned that it is best to be aware of the type of skin to which
DMSO is applied. It can cause a stinging/burning sensation in some people. I found that when applied to the throat (to support the thyroid), it seemed to dry the skin after several applications. I have noticed, though that the
thyroid function did seem to normalize. So, it may simply be a function of using the product in less generous amounts and not on a daily, but as needed, basis.
DMSO has also shown some promise in reducing (in one area eliminating) some
spider veins. However, I haven't yet tried it on a varicose vein.
In two adult men, I have seen
DMSO help alleviate symptoms. With an
arthritic/muscle ache problem on the lower back, it helped alleviate pain. This was a male in his late 60s. In a younger man (in his 50s), I saw it help alleviate
muscle pain across the shoulders tired from overwork. This may have been counterproductive, as he returned to his work rather than allowing the muscles to rest
.
But, my most promising and intriguing result has been in the use of this product on my 3 yr old with DS. He had bumped his
mouth getting into/out of bed last week. With the cold weather, the place just didn't seem to want to heal. It got better with some
GOOT, but later, the skin cracked again and seemed to be infected with the reopening of the wound.
I decided to try the
DMSO on the area as I had been using it on myself long enough to feel comfortable with the application. I put a little bit on his lip and rubbed a little on his tummy as his abdominal muscles lack some tone.
After the first day, the area had gone from the whitish look to a dark pink which is his normal color for his lips. I repeated the application, thinking only about the wound. It didn't occur to me to look for other improvements.
After the second day, I saw something amazing. Apparently, the oxygenating effects on the cells have helped to
improve the muscle tone and nerve receptors in his oral area. When I was researching
DMSO before, I wondered if it would help normalize his jaw development as he has an under bite that will likely require surgery in a few years. However, I had filed this question away somewhere until this morning.
My little guy has a pretty good vocabulary, but his enunciation isn't the best, and he isn't overly expressive. In other words, his communication is usually one or two words, and meant to convey an immediate need.
Not today; after the second application of
DMSO, I left him to check messages on the computer. He walked into the office and said (very clearly), "Ello, Mama." He walked over to me, and I scooped him up into my lap. "Hey, there!" I replied. "Aaaw," he responded, "Iyuvoo." (I love you). Then, he seemed to wait for a moment until he was sure of my favor, "Aboo?" (his word for Kombucha).
Now, that may not sound like much to some of you. But we've had to fight for every milestone in this child's life. We had to teach him how to crawl. Our neighbor built us a slide to use in our living room for this purpose. We've had to work and WORK to get the muscles he needed to wake up and show him how to walk, talk, etc. etc. For this little one to walk into the room and decide to hold his own little unprompted conversation is quite an accomplishment.
I cannot state that
DMSO was the only factor. But I can tell you that it's the only thing that has changed since this cognitive leap.
My tentative conclusion thus far is that when there is an area that is degenerating or in need of support, the oxygenating effects of
DMSO can be a way to deliver oxygen to the area and speed healing/development.
