Weird side effect from MSM?
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free skin care · Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:33 pm

nadjazz wrote:

Pachouli wrote:

It is not very likely MSM will purge through your skin like that. It sounds like contact dermatitis or dust mites. Both will cause little blisters. Did you take your spring clothes out of storage or are you using a new soap?

Yes, I did think it was unlikely to be a purge, but that floating white thingy freaked me out.
No new soaps, and spring clothes have been stored in my usual walk-in closet. Confused

It will probably go away. I get all sorts of strange itchies in the spring. But I understand your reaction, because I have a couple strange little bumps on my arm that are weirding me out. One time I got a red oozy rash after being at a water park, over my *entire* body except my face, hands, and soles of my feet. The derm did a biopsy and the result was (drumroll): I had a strange rash and they had no idea what from.

I see you take borage oil? How long have you been taking it? I get flare-ups on my elbow from borage oil and evening primrose oil. I know its odd because they are supposed to help with skin conditions. But they exacerbate mine.

Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:06 pm

cookie wrote:

I switched to Rich's which is a pure MSM and along came the anxiety.

We actually see that a lot from people that were taking a less than pure MSM and then switching to a pure MSM. It is usually a good idea to reduce the amount of MSM you are taking when you switch to about half and then work back up again.

Reducing caffiene (instead of eliminating) may be an idea as well. Remember that at some point as you get older, you will probably have to consider switching to decaf anyway. Now might be a good time to try to work it in at least occasionally.

free skin care · Thu Apr 26, 2007 1:26 pm

Yesterday, I reduced my MSM to 2 g. Today, I did not take it at all. No new blisters! Very Happy

I agree, Jakee, this forum should not be used for medical advice, and any decisions one makes based on info posted must be tempered with plain ol' common sense. My main reason for posting about this was to find out if any other members had experienced something similar, and just hadn't bothered to post their own experience.

Pachouli: I have been taking the same dosage of borage for about a year now (sorry, I'm at work, so can't check amt). Honestly, I'm not sure it's making any difference, good or bad. Confused

free skin care · Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:16 pm

pcnetwrx wrote:

cookie wrote:

I switched to Rich's which is a pure MSM and along came the anxiety.

We actually see that a lot from people that were taking a less than pure MSM and then switching to a pure MSM. It is usually a good idea to reduce the amount of MSM you are taking when you switch to about half and then work back up again.

Reducing caffiene (instead of eliminating) may be an idea as well. Remember that at some point as you get older, you will probably have to consider switching to decaf anyway. Now might be a good time to try to work it in at least occasionally.

Curious: who's "we?"
And why would older people need to switch to decaf? I've actually read that decaf is worse for you than coffee.
Coffee's actually been shown to be good for certain "aging" conditions like diabetes type 2.

free skin care · Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:57 pm

Pachouli wrote:

... The derm did a biopsy and the result was (drumroll): I had a strange rash and they had no idea what from.

free skin care · Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:51 am

I'm taking about 6000 mgs of MSM daily and I am also allergic to Sulfa drugs. I haven't had any adverse reactions except for one weird thing that may or may not be related to the MSM. It seems that some very small blackish-brown flat spots (we onced called "beauty marks?!") are surfacing on my skin,---chest, arms and even a couple on my face. I am wondering if these are toxins, rising to the surface. I am not a young chicken (54) but I don't have any "age spots" yet...just lots of "beauty marks!" PCNETWRX...I would like your thoughts on this.

Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:03 am

jakee wrote:

Curious: who's "we?"
And why would older people need to switch to decaf? I've actually read that decaf is worse for you than coffee.
Coffee's actually been shown to be good for certain "aging" conditions like diabetes type 2.

I can't really say who the "we" is because I promised I would not solicit on this board in any way. As people age, their tolerance for caffiene generally goes down and doctors usually tell their older patients to reduce or eliminate caffiene--and it's not the caffiene part of coffee that is "good for" people. There's also a difference between drinking one or two cups of coffee a day and drinking ten a day.

mountaingirl wrote:

...just lots of "beauty marks!" PCNETWRX...I would like your thoughts on this.

Most people see a reduction of age (also called liver) spots on their skin after using MSM for a while (four to six months), but I have not heard of MSM increasing them. But since it does seem to affect skin marks to some degree I suppose that it is possible.

free skin care · Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:43 am

Ok, totally off topic, but I think the jury is out on coffee/caffeine and aging. Or healthy/not healthy in general.
Sure, some say it's not a good idea. But others:
(and thanks for your posts. i'm always interested in your opinions. and i bring a healthy skepticism to everything! i'm sorry you can't ID yourself. i'm curious.)

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=healthNews&storyid=2007-02-21T190416Z_01_COL168552_RTRUKOC_0_US-CAFFEINE-HEARTS.xml&src=rss

"Caffeine may be good for some aging hearts
Wed Feb 21, 2007 3:05pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drinking caffeinated beverages on a regular basis may provide significant protection against death from heart disease in the elderly who have normal levels of blood pressure, according to data from a large U.S. health and nutrition study.

Drinking caffeinated beverages may induce a "healthy" rise in blood pressure that counteracts the drop in blood pressure that occurs after a meal, a phenomenon that becomes more pronounced as people age, researchers note.

Among 6,594 adults participating in the study, 426 died of heart disease during a 9-year period. For subjects 65 years of age or older, the researchers found that greater daily consumption of caffeinated beverages was associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease. This acted in a dose-response fashion - the higher the caffeine level, the lower the risk, and visa versa.

People who consumed four or more servings of caffeinated beverages daily had a 53-percent lower risk of death from heart disease compared with those who consumed less than half a serving daily. Subjects who consumed two to four servings per day had a 32-percent lower risk of dying from heart disease.

Caffeinated ground coffee and caffeinated instant coffee, both of which have relatively large amounts of caffeine per serving, were the only specific beverages associated with a statistically significant protective effect, the authors note.

This apparent protective effect of caffeinated coffee consumption was not seen in people with severe high blood pressure or those who were younger than 65 years of age.

Studies on caffeine and heart disease have yielded conflicting results, note principal investigator Dr. James A. Greenberg and colleagues from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. "It is possible that the conflict is due to differences between nonelderly and elderly persons," they point out, noting that one study found that drinking coffee increased the risk in younger subjects and that the level of risk decreased with increasing age.

As mentioned, caffeine may protect against heart disease death in the elderly by preventing a decline in blood pressure after meals, a phenomenon that becomes increasing more pronounced with age.

If confirmed, the current findings could have important ramifications, the authors conclude, given that coffee is widely consumed and heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the elderly.
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2007."

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040117/food.asp

Diabetes: Coffee and Caffeine Appear Protective
Janet Raloff

Most studies over the past decade have painted tea as a therapeutic beverage and coffee as its dastardly counterpart—a brew that challenges weak hearts and joints. However, such black-and-white characterizations appear to have overstated coffee's dark side. New data now indicate that drinking java—lots of it, and especially the caffeinated form—can curb type II diabetes.

A related study by the same research group also probed dietary iron's role in diabetes. It revealed that one form of the mineral appears to aggravate risk of developing the disease: the heme iron in red meat, a type that is especially easy for the body to pick up and use.

Together, these studies reinforce that for the estimated 16 million people at high risk of insulin-resistant diabetes—a potentially life-threatening metabolic disorder currently afflicting some 8 percent of U.S. adults—nutritional guidelines should probably extend beyond limiting one's intake of sugar, fat, and calories.
Java jolt

The new coffee findings "are intriguing" but emerge only in heavy consumers, notes Frank B. Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health. Risk reductions linked with downing fewer than 4 cups per day were only about 2 to 7 percent. However, among adults drinking 4 to 5 cups daily, the chance of developing diabetes fell by 30 percent. And for men who routinely rev up their metabolism with 6 or more cups of coffee per day, the risk of type-II diabetes—the type formerly known as adult-onset diabetes—plummeted another 20 percent. Women take note: Drinking more than 5 cups offered females no additional benefits.

The new findings are consistent with reports from a Dutch group last year (See http://www.sciencenews.org/20021130/food.asp). Those researchers correlated diabetes incidence with coffee consumption over a decade in a group of 17,000 adults. Hu observes that his group's analysis looked at a far larger population—some 42,000 men and 84,000 women—over 15 to 18 years and "was also more rigorously conducted." For instance, the Dutch study couldn't separate the possible effects of regular coffee and decaf, nor did it account for other sources of caffeine, such as regular tea, diet colas, and chocolate.

http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food

"Coffee: The New Health Food?
Plenty of health benefits are brewing in America's beloved beverage.
By Sid Kirchheimer
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD
Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?

If it sounds too good to be true, think again.

Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better.

Reducing Disease Risk
After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America's favorite morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. But having six cups or more each day slashed men's risk by 54% and women's by 30% over java avoiders.

Though the scientists give the customary "more research is needed" before they recommend you do overtime at Starbuck's to specifically prevent diabetes, their findings are very similar to those in a less-publicized Dutch study. And perhaps more importantly, it's the latest of hundreds of studies suggesting that coffee may be something of a health food -- especially in higher amounts.

In recent decades, some 19,000 studies have been done examining coffee's impact on health. And for the most part, their results are as pleasing as a gulp of freshly brewed Breakfast Blend for the 108 million Americans who routinely enjoy this traditionally morning -- and increasingly daylong -- ritual. In practical terms, regular coffee drinkers include the majority of U.S. adults and a growing number of children.

"Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful," says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. "For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good."

Consider this: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones.

Coffee even offsets some of the damage caused by other vices, some research indicates. "People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't," says DePaulis.

There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.

Is it the caffeine? The oodles of antioxidants in coffee beans, some of which become especially potent during the roasting process? Even other mysterious properties that warrant this intensive study?

Actually, yes.

Some of coffee's reported benefits are a direct result of its higher caffeine content: An eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee contains about 85 mg -- about three and a half times more than the same serving of tea or cola or one ounce of chocolate.

"The evidence is very strong that regular coffee consumption reduces risk of Parkinson's disease and for that, it's directly related to caffeine," DePaulis tells WebMD. "In fact, Parkinson's drugs are now being developed that contain a derivative of caffeine based on this evidence."

Caffeine is also what helps in treating asthma and headaches. Though not widely publicized, a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams -- what's in a hefty mug o' Joe."

Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:53 am

Very interesting. I had not seen that before. But I think it also goes back to what you said before...just be careful. It happens all of the time where something is said to be bad for you, then good, and then bad again. So all supposedly good things in moderation, right?

free skin care · Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:49 pm

pcnetwrx wrote:

jakee wrote:

Curious: who's "we?"
And why would older people need to switch to decaf? I've actually read that decaf is worse for you than coffee.
Coffee's actually been shown to be good for certain "aging" conditions like diabetes type 2.

I can't really say who the "we" is because I promised I would not solicit on this board in any way.

It's okay for me to say it, right? Wink

Jakee, FYI - pcnetwrx runs a website promoting MSM and other supplements.

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

Very interesting about the caffeine...I don't want to give it up totally, so I drink it in moderation...my body tells me when I've overdone it.

Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:52 pm

nadjazz wrote:

It's okay for me to say it, right? Wink

Oh no! My "secret" identity has been revealed!
Shock

free skin care · Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:10 pm

I just have to say thatwww.msm-msm.com looks very professional, and I'm impressed with the knowledge that pcnetwrx has shared with us EDS members.

free skin care · Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:48 pm

bkkgirl wrote:

I just have to say thatwww.msm-msm.com looks very professional, and I'm impressed with the knowledge that pcnetwrx has shared with us EDS members.

I agree!

free skin care · Tue May 22, 2007 9:48 am

All, I thought I should post an update on this. Through process of elimination, I finally determined that the culprit was doxycycline, not MSM!

I didn't think it was the doxy, because I was fine for the first 5 weeks of taking it. The blisters appeared in week 6, until finally in week 7 I stopped taking it altogether. I guess I hit some kind of doxy threshold.

So I'm happy to report that I'm taking 2000 mg of MSM now, with no probs! I intend to work back up to 4000 mg.

free skin care · Tue May 22, 2007 10:05 am

nadjazz wrote:

All, I thought I should post an update on this. Through process of elimination, I finally determined that the culprit was doxycycline, not MSM!

I didn't think it was the doxy, because I was fine for the first 5 weeks of taking it. The blisters appeared in week 6, until finally in week 7 I stopped taking it altogether. I guess I hit some kind of doxy threshold.

So I'm happy to report that I'm taking 2000 mg of MSM now, with no probs! I intend to work back up to 4000 mg.

Thanks for the update Nadjazz. I have been slacking on MSM. Used to take it 2x a day, but now I don't always do it. Also I'm taking 1/4 - 1/2 tsp each time. I'm not sure if I'm seeing any results on my hair. I did notice that I have to pluck my brows more often.

Wed May 23, 2007 9:45 am

Nadjazz,

Your problem with the tiny blisters on your fingers sounds a lot like Dyshidrotic Dermatitis which is a kind of eczema that affects peoples hands. I get this from time to time and so does my mother. It sounds possible that this is what you may have been experiancing as you previously had dermatitis.
Try doing a search under Dyshidrotic Dermatitis and see what you think.
Anyway it sounds as though it has cleared up anyway so hopefully you will not be bothered by it again.

bella

free skin care · Fri May 25, 2007 9:06 am

bkkgirl - I know what you mean, I have to keep the strays in check DAILY on the brows. I'm really, really getting tired of frequent touchups on my gray roots...but that's a whole different topic, and lots of great advice on that here on EDS.

belladonna - I googled dishydrotic dermatitis, and it reminds me of something that I used to get frequently as a child, when living in a hot, humid climate. And, in fact, I got a touch of it on my HAND while dealing with my recent facial issues. THANKFULLY, everything is resolved now.

free skin care · Tue Sep 03, 2013 12:25 pm

Jackie284 wrote:

Hi Nadjazz,

the symptoms you are describing sound exactly like what I got from taking grape seed extract. I really liked what the supplement did for my skin, and then all of a sudden I got these itchy blisters. They went onto my wrists and legs and I would scratch at them during the night. I sort of knew it might be the supplement, but I went the Doctors anyway, to which I was told to stop taking them and see what happens. Ayway, I stopped for a few days, but as I liked the effects, I carried on taking them. The blisters eventually disappeared, but I began to get really dry sore eyes at which point I had to stop. Now, any supplement I take that has anything remotely like the grape seed in it, my eyes just turn red and really burn,

hope that helps
Jackie x

Sorry to resurrect a thread from 2007.

But I just saw this post, and it intrigued me.

I wonder why grape seed extract would cause such a reaction.

Is it, perhaps, possible this could have been some sort of allergic reaction?

Or could the product itself have been spoiled?

Has anyone else heard of something like this happening?

free skin care · Wed Jan 06, 2016 2:15 pm

Strange but I started taking 2g of MSM along with using CPs and I get weird itching in my digits and palms.
I can't connect it to MSM per se (could be the CPs getting on my hands too, though my face and other areas where I used them haven't itched!). No blisters though.

The only thing I can say with 100% certainty is that I've been getting cramps on the left side of my stomach (above the belly button). Almost as soon as I take MSM I get cramps (30m or so after). It's the only new thing I've added as well as time released vitamin C.

From my research it's natural detox symptoms and should resolve.

I don't know if I need it technically my healing abilities are supernatural... Maybe I don't need extra sulfur ;D

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