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. Although a 1995 study from Germany demonstrated that DMSO gel with a 25% concentration decreased pain when applied to joints, numerous investigations on rheumatological disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, failed to demonstrate a benefit. 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. Industrial-grade DMSO, which may be tainted with industrial pollutants and isn’t meant for human usage, is what you get when you purchase it at a hardware shop.
DMSO is quite effective at delivering additional chemicals to the skin. This works well for delivering drugs, but it can be harmful if the DMSO you use contains harmful chemicals or if you have those chemicals on your skin. Although I can locate DMSO for sale that firms claim to be extremely pure, since it hasn’t been independently tested, you are depending on the company that may or may not have refined it.
On the other hand, I don’t believe that applying DMSO topically will endanger your replacement heart valve.
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Greetings, Dr. Roach An specialist on the gut microbiota recently spoke at a community-sponsored event about maintaining its equilibrium. He claimed that immunizations were harmful to the microbiome at one point, despite the fact that the talk was largely helpful and educational. Does such a viewpoint have any supporting evidence, except than anecdotal evidence? — W.G.
ANSWER: The vast population of bacteria in our digestive system is known as the microbiome, and it can influence a variety of aspects of our functioning. There is disagreement on how much of an impact it has.
COVID-19The microbiota was known to suffer significantly from 19 illnesses, but until recently, nothing was known about how vaccinations affected the microbiome. According to a 2024 study from the University of Cambridge, immunization has very little impact on the microbiota.
In light of this latest study, I disagree with your community speaker and come to the conclusion that being vaccinated and doing other infection-prevention measures would be far more beneficial if your microbiome is a concern.
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