MSM - I lost body fat & tighter skin - anyone else too?
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free skin care · Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:11 pm

I've lost an inch off my waist line (from 25" to 24" now), and also I lost all the weight I gained from my trip to Thailand in November (finally!), and the coolest thing is I have not been religiously exercising, and I eat whatever (no big Mac or french fries though..sorry). I mean I eat donuts, pasta, but not going overboard or anything. I was so paranoid that I would gain tons of weight, but when I weigh myself, I am back below 102 again. Then my underarms also look firmer, and my tummy is flatter. I have to attribute all these wonderful results to MSM. I can't think of anything else that would be responsible for it. I do take CoQ10, ALA, and Carnitine, too. Unfortunately I also lost 1/2 inch off my boobs (from 34" to 33.5"). My hips are still 34". But my butt is much more firm and lifted.

Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:27 pm

Chrissie wrote:

KathyJ wrote:

I started taking MSM crystals yesterday at noon. I used one half of the scoop dissolved in a glass of water. Within 2 hours I had a raging headache! Anyone have any wisdom for me...should I stop taking this, or how much should I cut back? How do I increase the dosage? I really want to take this for so many reasons, among them asthma, allergies, arthritis, 51 year old skin, acne...need I go on?! Any and all experienced users jump in please.
KathyJ

maybe it wasn't from the MSM..did you take it today???

It was definitely the MSM. It happened again today when I took it. I cut it way back down the last few days...to just a tiny amount without any problem. Today, guess I got cocky and tried about half a scoop. Within 30 minutes, I had a migraine. Very strange, but I have spent this evening reading about the detox effects.

Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:32 pm

Tangal wrote:

Kathy - you are have a reaction to toxin release in your system, this is the Detox issue I mentioned earlier. You started with to high a dose, to fast.

You should start with closer to 500 mg once a day at first, and drink lots of water through the day to flush your system, then after a week or so SLOWLY go up, maybe up another 500 mg.

On my container 1/4 tsp is 1000 mg. You should only sytart with 1/8 to 1/4 tespoon at first. No more. If your scoop WAS 500 mg, then start with a lower dose - maybe 250 mg. And again drink LOTS of water.

I posted this link earlier in this thread, please read it . It discusses the Detox issues.

http://www.msm-msm.com/faq.html

Thank you for this information...just spent the last hour reading about detox...sounds like that is what happened to me. It happened again today, when I got a bit cocky and took a half scoop again. Embarassed

This may sound like a dumb question, but just what toxins could be released? It mentions past drug use...but honestly, I am not and never have been a drug user. I am on thryoid medication and asthma meds, too. Could those be releasing some form of toxins? I am also a coffee drinker...about 2 cups a day, which I didn't think was that bad.

free skin care · Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:51 am

Tangal, thanks yet again for critical, helpful information!

I read the link, and I was more than a bit alarmed that they advised taking a bath with half a cup of chlorox bleach added in order to help with removing toxins from the body. Bleach?! Does anyone have any experience with this or more information? Wouldn't that damage healthy cells and cause SERIOUS irritation you know where? I would think the harm would outweigh the good.

Tangal wrote:

Kathy - you are have a reaction to toxin release in your system, this is the Detox issue I mentioned earlier. You started with to high a dose, to fast.

You should start with closer to 500 mg once a day at first, and drink lots of water through the day to flush your system, then after a week or so SLOWLY go up, maybe up another 500 mg.

On my container 1/4 tsp is 1000 mg. You should only sytart with 1/8 to 1/4 tespoon at first. No more. If your scoop WAS 500 mg, then start with a lower dose - maybe 250 mg. And again drink LOTS of water.

I posted this link earlier in this thread, please read it . It discusses the Detox issues.

http://www.msm-msm.com/faq.html

free skin care · Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:26 am

I agree with you on the bleach, I would personally never recomend that. I was refereing to the explaination of what the "Toxin" issue is, and about drink water adjusting dose etc.

I personally don't recomend a Bleach bath. But I am guessing they feel, because it is so dilute it is "safe" for occassional use. One cup to a half a cup for a large tub full of water is pretty dilute, and in general probably won't damage destroy any tissue. Could be an irritant depending on your skin of course.
But its much like swimming in a public pool of chlorinated water. Which typically have high chlorine levels.

I think a plain bath would work as well.

free skin care · Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:37 pm

Just reporting in on my experience. I'd gained some weight over the Christmas holidays and am now slowly working it off; in the meantime, I increased my intake of MSM to 4g about 3-4 weeks ago. Although, I'm not losing weight any faster than normal, I noticed today that my skin is noticeably tighter on my body. At this weight, I would normally have cellulite in my problem areas but I took a look in the mirror today and was pleasantly surprised to see that my problem areas were looking pretty good, albeit, bigger than I like. Smile

Since I am comfortable at this dosage, I am going to increase it to 5g and see how that goes. If I experience any detox symptons, I'll back off, though. BTW, I found some 5 and 3 dram containers on eBay with snap-on lids. I'm using them to store my twice daily doses of powdered supplements (morning is 1 tsp. glutamine, 1 tsp. amino acids, .5 tsp. MSM; evening is 1 tsp. MSM). I add them to a small glass of juice or my occasional breakfast smoothie along with 2 tsp. silica gel (only in my AM dose) and my nails are losing their ridges and looking very smooth these days with few to no cuticle problems, hair's growing quicker than normal and, as I mentioned, my skin is looking nice and tight (I'm really happy with this little discovery) since my husband has a hard body!!!

free skin care · Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:46 pm

Thats what I noticed too - firmer skin - dont you just love MSM?! Very Happy

Also, I have been eating a lot more the last four weeks, including sweets and other rich foods I normally couldnt eat without gaining weight, and I havent gained anything. I cant believe this.I wanted to see what would happen if I ate like this. I figured I monitor it and stop if I see the scale go up LOL. I know sugary foods are not healthy, but I wanted to see what wouild happen if I did. Well, I still ate plenty healthy foods too, lots of veggies, salad, fruit, but way more calories. Its nice to know that with MSM I dont have to fear gaining fat if I indulge sometimes. Plus - and I mentioned this before -my nails are healthy and strong now - I had peeling nails forever and nothing helped.

free skin care · Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:27 am

is anybody taking MSM that is on daily medications (prescription)? i am on some fairly potent ones (i don't have a choice in the matter) and the detox hits me even in very small dosages (500mg) taken with a meal. does this mean it's just a no-no for me or that i just need to be patient???

free skin care · Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:21 am

Part of the way MSM works, is BECAUSE it detoxs you. And if you are on alot of medications, then it is probably not something you can avoid.

However you can still drop your MSM dose down farther say 150mg a day for example with lots and lots of water and see if that is easier tolerated. Then slowly bump up, knowing you are probably going to have simular effects with every dose adjustment for awhile. But it should only last a few days.

Some choose to just keep a higher dose and force themselves through the detox issues all at once, until they pass thaat area. Though dose-ups can still cause that effect, depending on your body and health.

I also suggest you visit thewww.msm-msm.com messageboard. They have more users on there in situations like yours, and they can probably give alot more accurate and practicle advice on how to manage it.

free skin care · Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:26 am

Hi everyone.

Two things I've noticed taking the MSM -

1. I get thirsty after taking it, and so I drink more water each day.

2. My lips are fuller!?

As for the slim thing... I think it's happening, but I cant quite tell, because I've started using a home made DMAE cream at the same time as taking this, and everything is tightening up really well. I looked down the other day and noticed my thighs looked a lot slimmer.. dont know if DMAE would achieve that on it's own..

Oh, and a third thing!

3. No hair coming out when I wash it!

free skin care · Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:06 am

Hi guys,

Has anybody noticed increased acne breakouts from MSM??? I started with MSM approximately a month ago. I started with 1000mg 2x a day and then increased to 2000mg 2x a day. Soon after - my face and my chest started breaking out like crazy.
Approximately at the same time I started using Baby Quasar (for acne), so i thought my reaction was due to the BQ forcing all the gunk out of my skin. Now, 4 weeks later, James (of AdvanThera) feels that this breaking-out phase is lasting way too long and that by now BQ should have helped things calm down.

So, now I'm thinking that it is perhaps the MSM that is causing my bad, bad breakouts.

What do you guys think?

R. Confused

free skin care · Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:17 am

its possible, try dropping your dose down, cut by half. Your breakouts should stop in about a week and if you have no more after 2 more weeks - then it may be related.

The level you are at may be to high for you personally, so you may need a lower level.

free skin care · Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:32 am

Tangal wrote:

try dropping your dose down, cut by half.

I'll give it a try.
Thanks Tangal.
R. Smile

free skin care · Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:59 am

I did want to add, some people do experence acne in the Detox phase, when upping a dose. But that should clear quickly within a week or so. If its going on after 2-3 weeks, then I would suspect to high a dose for your needs.

free skin care · Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:43 am

There are lotions too with 15% MSM content, I am experimenting with the NOW MSM lotion right now, trying to introduce in my very busy skin care routine. Anyone out there using MSM lotions with success stories?

Thanks.

Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:37 am

Being at least somewhat of an expert on MSM, I thought I might chime in here to try to answer some issues that have come up over the past several days.

Regarding detox, the worst detox experiences are generally felt by those that eat poorly, those that take in a lot of caffiene or other stimulants like nicotine or any other drugs that the body would regard as "toxic", and those that are just generally in poorer health. On the plus side, those that seem to experience the worst detox episodes are the ones that tend to see the most improvement if they stick with it and get past the detox stage.

The reason for the detox is that something in the MSM seems to be required for the body's waste management system. Once the body gets this nutrient, it immediately is able to release the built-up toxins in the tissues that it was not able to get rid of before. These toxins flood into the blood stream and the liver and kidneys have to work to clean them out of the blood and finally eliminate them from the body. If too much MSM is taken at one time, this toxin load can be too much for the liver and kidneys to handle thus causing problems for the rest of the body, usually experienced as some kind of pain, but can also be experienced as the effects from the toxin (i.e. caffiene can cause your heart to race). Drinking more water during this detox period will aid your body in eliminating these toxins faster. But the main point is not to take too much MSM too fast--start small and work up slowly.

Regarding gas issues, one of the things that MSM does is to help rid the body of parasites, both macro-parasites and micro-parasites (like candida yeast). Very often times gas or a bloated feeling indicates the beginning of die-off of these parasites in the gut so again, this can be a positive indication that the MSM is doing its job and things are happening that you really want despite the unpleasantness at the time.

Regarding weight loss, we have not really seen any correlation between MSM use and weight loss (or gain). However, that being said, if MSM makes you feel better then you may be more active and therefore burning more calories. But we have also seen it go the other way for those that were experiencing stomach or gut issues. When they felt better, they felt like eating more than they were so they ended up gaining some weight.

I hope this information is helpful and answers some of the questions that some of you might have.

free skin care · Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:53 am

I used to take MSM about 6 yrs ago. I stopped taking it because there was really no research behind it then, and I didn't know if it would cause more harm than good. I've been retaking it now for almost a month. The results I've seen are: tighter skin, fuller hair that is growing like crazy, and I'm able to tolerate the sun better. Meaning that once I take it, my skin doesn't sting like before...I'm thinking of using it 2x a day. I take about 1000 mg a day, but I'm not sure if it is too soon.

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:46 am

I have gradually upped my dose of MSM but unfortunately have absolutely no weight loss or skin tightening to report. On the up side, the gas problem has been less of an issue and was glad to see Pcnetwix post about the parasite die off. I still believe there are benefits to taking MSM...particularly for the joints.

Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:57 am

I been taking MSM 1500mg for couple weeks now. I defentily see a difference in my skin, it appears firmer and very little hair falling off. I had huge problems with hair falling for couple years now. I been also applying coconut oil to hair, that helped as well, lots of new hair growing. I was wondering if MSM tablet can be crushed and applied like Aspirin Mask? will it be beneficial to skin? Confused

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:22 pm

pcnetwrx wrote:

Being at least somewhat of an expert on MSM, I thought I might chime in here to try to answer some issues that have come up over the past several days.

Regarding detox, the worst detox experiences are generally felt by those that eat poorly, those that take in a lot of caffiene or other stimulants like nicotine or any other drugs that the body would regard as "toxic", and those that are just generally in poorer health. On the plus side, those that seem to experience the worst detox episodes are the ones that tend to see the most improvement if they stick with it and get past the detox stage.

The reason for the detox is that something in the MSM seems to be required for the body's waste management system. Once the body gets this nutrient, it immediately is able to release the built-up toxins in the tissues that it was not able to get rid of before. These toxins flood into the blood stream and the liver and kidneys have to work to clean them out of the blood and finally eliminate them from the body. If too much MSM is taken at one time, this toxin load can be too much for the liver and kidneys to handle thus causing problems for the rest of the body, usually experienced as some kind of pain, but can also be experienced as the effects from the toxin (i.e. caffiene can cause your heart to race). Drinking more water during this detox period will aid your body in eliminating these toxins faster. But the main point is not to take too much MSM too fast--start small and work up slowly.

Regarding gas issues, one of the things that MSM does is to help rid the body of parasites, both macro-parasites and micro-parasites (like candida yeast). Very often times gas or a bloated feeling indicates the beginning of die-off of these parasites in the gut so again, this can be a positive indication that the MSM is doing its job and things are happening that you really want despite the unpleasantness at the time.

Regarding weight loss, we have not really seen any correlation between MSM use and weight loss (or gain). However, that being said, if MSM makes you feel better then you may be more active and therefore burning more calories. But we have also seen it go the other way for those that were experiencing stomach or gut issues. When they felt better, they felt like eating more than they were so they ended up gaining some weight.

I hope this information is helpful and answers some of the questions that some of you might have.

Hi, thank you for your informative post. I was just wondering if there's a limit as to how many grams one can take per day. I am currently taking 2 g in the morning, and 2 g in the evening. I also take it with Vit C each time, and was wondering if I can just take one of the times with Vit C and the other time without.

Do you know if there's any correlation between taking MSM and helping someone to quit or reduce the alcohol consumption? I saw someone posted this on another forum of the msm-msm.com site. Have you heard of this before?

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:02 pm

Great information. I'm going to have to try this, because I been struggling with hair falling out. Thanks.

Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:12 pm

bkkgirl wrote:

Hi, thank you for your informative post. I was just wondering if there's a limit as to how many grams one can take per day. I am currently taking 2 g in the morning, and 2 g in the evening. I also take it with Vit C each time, and was wondering if I can just take one of the times with Vit C and the other time without.

Do you know if there's any correlation between taking MSM and helping someone to quit or reduce the alcohol consumption? I saw someone posted this on another forum. Have you heard of this before?

You can take quite a bit more than 4 grams a day. I personally take about 8 grams a day and my wife, who is half my weight, takes about 20 grams a day and has been at that amount or more, both of us for the past 10 years or so. The vitamin C does not need to be taken every time you take the MSM. If you start taking more MSM, you may want to take more in the morning than in the evening--it does not have to be equal amounts.

The only thing I have heard about MSM and alcohol consumption is an unverified statement that someone reported feeling the effects of the alcohol faster and by drinking less. That same person felt it was helping him in his decision to cut down and that he had less of a craving for it. But I don't know how much can be inferred on the basis of one report.

Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:13 pm

bkkgirl wrote:

Hi, thank you for your informative post. I was just wondering if there's a limit as to how many grams one can take per day. I am currently taking 2 g in the morning, and 2 g in the evening. I also take it with Vit C each time, and was wondering if I can just take one of the times with Vit C and the other time without.

Do you know if there's any correlation between taking MSM and helping someone to quit or reduce the alcohol consumption? I saw someone posted this on another forum. Have you heard of this before?

You can take quite a bit more than 4 grams a day. I personally take about 8 grams a day and my wife, who is half my weight, takes about 20 grams a day and has been at that amount or more, both of us for the past 10 years or so. The vitamin C does not need to be taken every time you take the MSM. If you start taking more MSM, you may want to take more in the morning than in the evening--it does not have to be equal amounts.

The only thing I have heard about MSM and alcohol consumption is an unverified statement that someone reported feeling the effects of the alcohol faster and by drinking less. That same person felt it was helping him in his decision to cut down and that he had less of a craving for it. But I don't know how much can be inferred on the basis of one report.

free skin care · Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:46 am

Hi pcnetwrx,

Thanks for the info.

I was just wondering what are the benefits of taking MSM at the dosage that you and your wife do?

TIA!

Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:13 am

catski wrote:

I was just wondering what are the benefits of taking MSM at the dosage that you and your wife do?

My wife mainly takes it for the energy level that we, at 50 years old, need to keep up with our 7-year-old daughter. As a side-benefit, it got rid of a melasma patch she had on her upper lip and a nodule in her finger that had surrounded a thorn.

I started taking MSM for stomach problems with higher than normal acidity, urping, and bloating, and for getting rid of a very bad candida yeast systemic infection that nothing else would even touch. It did the trick on both of those. As side-benefits, I lost a patch of eczema/psoriasis (don't know for sure which one it was), my eyes improved a bit (2 levels according to the eye doctor), I no longer have any TMJ pain, and I also see increased energy. I also used to get anxiety attacks (which may have been related to the candida yeast infection) which are completely gone. We have also noticed much less stiffness and soreness after unusual physical activity, especially if the MSM is taken just before the physical activity.

But still, the main reason we continue at this amount is just the energy level and feeling of well-being.

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