Update: Waay off topic for me -- health and pain relief

[earlmck]

So I've been keeping up with my DMSO since this post and after getting down my morning dose I thought it might be time for an update.

After the initial pain relief which came soon after starting, the other "chassis improvements" have come very slowly. A slight additional improvement in range of motion of the stiff neck, a little less pain from the danged old hip when I walk, although after three months it has got good enough I was able to take a batch of gkids on a hike up the local butte last Saturday for the first time in nearly a year. And it is a little easier to get down on the floor and then back up when I do my daily "stretchers". And a couple weeks ago as I set out to brush my teeth I noticed I was squeezing the toothpaste in my fist, which I had not been able to do for a couple years now. I don't even know when I started being able to do it -- just one of those automatic things you don't notice until you can't do them anymore. Very slow but helpful improvements in the old crikity body. And I had some instructive adventures in DMSO purchase, as I had given away all my initial order to friends and family so thought I'd get a gallon. Which I found a "deal" on and got a different brand. Ohhh nasty! There is a difference in taste between 99.9% pure and 99.95% pure which is dramatic. So when you try this stuff out I can recommend the "DMSO Store" brand and unrecommend the "Stellar" brand especially if you take it in juice. May not make any difference if going topically. And now continues the original post for those who might just need to give the DMSO a second look ...



Seeing as how a bunch of us levergunners are "of a certain age" we've been putting up with the effects of slowly ageing. Unlike fine wine we don't seem to improve with age and end up with stiffness and chronic pains that we just have to put up with. My back was so bad it had all my attention for years until I finally figured out that if I slept in the semi-sitting position like you would in a lounge chair the back quit being so obnoxious.

Next item to have my attention is my old stiff neck which I have been unable to turn more than a few degrees for the last couple decades, along with the little constant nagging pain of around 0.5 on the "10" scale. Along comes "A Midwestern Doctor" who I have been following since early Covid days with the following article on DMSO: https://open.substack.com/pub/amidweste ... dium=email

I remember my dad using DMSO that he got from the vet. But I'd forgot all about it and hadn't even heard the term in many years. Apparently that was a deliberate tactic of the FDA at the behest of their buddies "Big Pharma" because it would not be good for their obscene profits if we all knew about DMSO.

And since she has a lot of credibility with me I ordered up some DMSO off Amazon and started using it. My skin is sensitive to the stuff and it gives a very attention-getting itchy burn when I dab it on my neck even after diluting to 70%, so I have been putting about a half-tablespoon in my morning juice. Kinda' ruins orange juice but not too bad in apple or grapefruit.

And within a week the pain in the neck was gone (I didn't even realize it was so constantly with me until it went away and I felt this large relief -- way outside what you'd think from such a low-level barely registerable "pain in the neck"). I thought I hadn't particularly gained any additional range of motion in the neck but yesterday backing the car out of a parking spot I noticed I was able to get a little better look over the shoulder than I have for a long time. So there has been a little slow improvement there also. Anyway, thought I'd pass the info along to them that can use it.

[GunnyMack]

I wasn't aware DMSO could be taken internally- thought it was for topical only?

[AJMD429]

.
I need to read up on this topic - many patients have used it over the years - the type of patients who know stuff (veterinarians, nurse practitioners, etc.) and the type who would use it even if I told them not to...

It seems safe enough, though I've ONLY known of patients to use it topically.

AND I'd NEVER use any product not made in the USA, and by a reputable company (one that wouldn't risk using a shoddy batch of raw materials to save a buck, because their corporate reputation is actually valuable).

It usually produces a garlic-like taste upon application - even on the feet - rather rapidly, so I'm guessing it is absorbed and sort of 'goes everywhere' no matter where applied.

Nonetheless, I'd still be hesitant to ingest it.

The big difference in whether one swallows medication versus almost all other ways, is that if swallowed, it pretty much all goes to the liver, and literally has to pass THROUGH the liver to get elsewhere.

Thus:

toxicity (if any) to the liver would be magnified if ingested
the drug is modified to other (more active, or less active, more toxic, or less toxic) chemicals in the liver

So some things only work if swallowed, because that 'first pass effect' is required to activate the molecule to a different form that is useful. Some become less active that way, so are best applied to the skin or otherwise somehow to bypass the liver, so they get to the affected tissues before being degraded. It can get quite complex, with multiple pathways, multiple chemical modifications, and multiple steps involved, some of which may differ greatly between patients due to genetics or other medications (or even foods) ingested.

So I'd "use caution", but I can say I've had patients tell me they get great results, but they are using it topically, and hopefully in modest ('the least amount required for effective results' is usually the best dose - of anything) amounts and a quality product.

If I find out any 'useful tips' I'll pass them along.

Personally, I use turmeric orally, diclofenac gel topically, and an electric mattress cover in the winter so the heat is under me rather than just on top like an electric blanket does. Magnesium orally for muscle cramps, too. Some studies show that 81 mg of aspirin a day (for those who can safely take it) may reduce the risk of colon cancer dramatically, so that isn't a bad idea; I don't do it that way but I take maybe two of the 325 mg ones once a week.

[Bill in Oregon]

Glad you found some relief, Earl. I remember when every gas station in Oregon had a sign in the window saying "DMSO sold here." That was long before the "Growlers filled here" signs seemed to replace them.
I never tried it, being somewhat concerned about anything that passes through the skin like brake cleaner unless well vetted by the FDA.
I have been trying to avoid the OTC pain killers just because, although the top and bottom ends of the four fused lumbar vertebrae give me hades most days. Been using Salonpas roll-on Lidocaine with some success.

[earlmck]

.
I need to read up on this topic - many patients have used it over the years - the type of patients who know stuff (veterinarians, nurse practitioners, etc.) and the type who would use it even if I told them not to...

It seems safe enough, though I've ONLY known of patients to use it topically.

AND I'd NEVER use any product not made in the USA, and by a reputable company (one that wouldn't risk using a shoddy batch of raw materials to save a buck, because their corporate reputation is actually valuable).

Hah! Well that answers that for sure -- there was a period of time there when I thought AJMD might be "A Midwestern Doctor" writing on Substack because this doctor (I later concluded this is a lady doc for reasons I can't even remember) writes about the medical establishment/bureaucracy much the way you do doc. But she is not nearly so well organized and succinct in her writing and I sure wish you could help her out with some editing

I've got product from two different sources at this point and both say "Product of USA". It is a wood-products waste product I believe of which industry my home state of Oregon used to be a big player. And much of the early research on DMSO was done here.

And this stuff penetrates so well I doubt it hangs together long enough to spend any more time in the liver than it does anywhere else. My Midwest Doc talks about oral use as being one of the ways of using it and it seems to be working OK for me, though I cut way back from my original dose because I was getting quite the loose stool with a tablespoon twice a day!

Glad you found some relief, Earl. I remember when every gas station in Oregon had a sign in the window saying "DMSO sold here." That was long before the "Growlers filled here" signs seemed to replace them.
I never tried it, being somewhat concerned about anything that passes through the skin like brake cleaner unless well vetted by the FDA.
I have been trying to avoid the OTC pain killers just because, although the top and bottom ends of the four fused lumbar vertebrae give me hades most days. Been using Salonpas roll-on Lidocaine with some success.

Bill, you were one of the "olde pharts" I was thinking about when I posted. Yeah, Oregon was the epicenter of DMSO production and research way back then. And yes, it penetrates the skin like nobody's business and can take other stuff right along with it. You don't want to come in from spraying insecticide in the garden and go applying DMSO without a thorough hand washing, that's for sure! Recommendation is to put it on after showering. And one of the big benefits of DMSO is to replace the dang painkillers we get over the counter that can be so hard on our bodies.

[Gobblerforge]

This isn't for everyone, but I get a lot better sleep and less back pain when I sleep in a hammock. No mattress has given me a good night's sleep. My recliner is better, but the hammock is best. No hard spots and it seems the curve is just right. A small pillow under my knees to keep them from hyperextending and I am out like a light. Gobbler

[earlmck]

This isn't for everyone, but I get a lot better sleep and less back pain when I sleep in a hammock. No mattress has given me a good night's sleep. My recliner is better, but the hammock is best. No hard spots and it seems the curve is just right. A small pillow under my knees to keep them from hyperextending and I am out like a light. Gobbler

I'm kinda' with you on the hammock Gobbler -- when I figured out I couldn't sleep flat I thought my backpacking days were over until I tried a hammock. Yep, gotta' bundle something up under the knees, and my hammock is narrow enough I use my slightly customized walking stick in the "short" position to put across over my chest to stretch the hammock and give me some breathing room and this works mighty fine for the old crickety back.

[Rexster]

This isn't for everyone, but I get a lot better sleep and less back pain when I sleep in a hammock. No mattress has given me a good night's sleep. My recliner is better, but the hammock is best. No hard spots and it seems the curve is just right. A small pillow under my knees to keep them from hyperextending and I am out like a light. Gobbler

Thanks! I might well try this.

On the larger topic of health and pain, I tried “zero drop” shoes, starting a few years ago, after a number of years of using orthotic inserts. The net effect was that my feet took much time to adjust, but decades of right knee pain went away, and my back felt 20 years younger. The support that I had been getting, for my arches, by using orthotic inserts, had transferred stresses to my knees and back. The orthotics had been prescribed by a podiatrist, and been seen and OK’ed by an orthopedist, so, were not simply off-the-shelf. Yes, now, using zero-drop shoes, my feet do feel considerable discomfort, after several hours, or a long day on my feet, but, they are better by the next morning.

To be clear, it does take time to adjust to wearing zero-drop shoes. Another term that is thrown around, in relation to zero-drop shoes, is “barefoot” shoes, but, “barefoot” shoes is probably more accurate when the soles are extremely thin without any arch support, whereas a “zero drop” shoe can have some amount of cushion in the sole, and a some amount of arch support.

[LeverGunner]

Glad to hear you've made some improvement.

I've got some minor things I deal with now, at 41. I've already given up the big recoiling handguns and rifles. Never liked heavy recoiling rifles much anyways. I'm hoping I can still shoot when I get into my 80s.

[Woodsloafer2]

Some things that really helped me are Wim Hof guided breathing and the McGill big 3 exercises. Both on youtube. After adding these in to my excercise program I am pretty much pain free with full functionality.

[mickbr]

I went onto the paleo or caveman diet permanently some time ago,. I was always big about 6'3" 250-260 in my 40's and on that diet I dropped back to my old age 20's weight about 225-230 lean without trying. Also a range of other things cleared up, I dont want to make too much of it like it has any mystical properties but I noticed I felt less pain from bumps and scrapes, thought more clearly and wasnt craving processed foods all the time. Made me wonder how addictive some of the additives in food are these days. I also recall in the army the fellas who had major injuries, like knee blowouts and even spinal fractures had the best chance of recovery the more active they tried to stay and closer they got to their young man fighting weight. It was pretty much the formula. The guys who gave up and got fatter and moved around less, did a lot worse, and a lot still are.Just my 2c on exercise and diet.

[Bill in Oregon]

Woodsloafer, thank you so much for mentioning the McGill Big Three! Will start this routine ASAP as the old back has been giving me Hades all day and night.

[earlmck]

I'm thinking this DMSO is going to be very useful for extending the life of the chassis us olde pharts are living in. Did an update but apparently it won't go back to the top of the topic list unless you do a "reply", so that's all I am doing here.

[Ray]

a simple reply of "B.T.T." (back to top) is the traditional method.

[Bill in Oregon]

Glad it is helping, Earl! I just put in a brutal morning on the line filling boxes at the food bank and had to use up one of my last prescription lidocaine patches. I am supposed to be retired, but this getting old business has turned into a full-time job.