Google on DMSO and FDA regulatory issues if you want some strange pharmaceutical political history. DMSO is regularly used to prevent brain swelling in closed head injuries as well as in other severe injury.?It has FDA approval for use as a preservative of organs for transplant and for interstitial cystitis, a bladder disease.?There are claims that it fights cancer, and it's a fantastic antioxident and free radical scavenger. The European medical community accepted it first, while the medical community in the US has had fights with the FDA for years.?
It's hard to do testing on it, because the odd flavor announces itself immediately, and there is no placebo that will do the same.
Part of the issue with using DMSO is the purity. My understanding is because of the FDA fights, originally, vet grade DMSO was hard to get, and because it was also used as an industrial solvent, there were issues with toxicity and possible infertility/poisoning in people that had gotten it on their skin. Now if you notice on the bottle, it will say 'medical grade.'?
The main issue with using DMSO for inflamation is the fact that it is hard on the liver and kidneys. It's a wonderful, wonderful anti-inflamatory and pain killer for arthritis, and I will confess to using it on a broken toe that has healed with 80% mobility loss (which will be plated later this year) But use very sparingly, if you do, and make sure your skin is absolutely clean. I wipe with rubbing alcohol and then rinse. Oddly enough, my doctor has told me, and I have read, that while it is hard on the liver and kidneys, it's not as harsh as many of the other non-steriodal anti-inflamatories.?
In his (and my) opinion, the rejection from Big Pharma, and thus the FDA was due to the fact that it's like aspirin--can't be patented, and therefore no big profit in studies and manufacture.?
