MSM Powder Warning

[Eva]

I can't say I agree with everything, but these are interesting thoughts. I do think that where there is a money trail, you can often also find greed at the source. I suspect that with all this superfood craze, there are people who did and do not have my best interests or that of you and your mother's best interests as a top priority.

That's a real shame and very sad.

I am so thankful that there are people like Alissa out there -- who even sells classes, food, supplements, etc. -- that are part of the face of what the public sees about raw food. Her philosophy? Just eat whatever suits your body's needs, as long as it's raw.

Mine is pretty similar to that, but I obviously have a brain of my own! I make decisions day to day, and almost always I end up raw. There have been occasions where I have chosen cooked food or "live" but not raw tamari or whatever. And the cool thing is... it's my life = my choices = my body = my health.

I'm not the only one out there with a brain of my own. Yes, there are the sheep who always will simply follow where they are herded. But there are many who simply exist on their own path.

Please, please email me if you want to talk to someone about anything. Someone with an open (enough!) mind and plenty of empathy.

[raweyes]

I also have had bad reactions to various substances. I have had chronic insomnia for about 15 years. It was so bad that I couldn't sleep for days at a time, and the only sleep I got was in the form of short naps now and then. This continued for about 12 years. What helped me was when I began to fast, and then eat raw foods. Foods high in glutamine like almonds, bananas, nuts, spinach, broccoli, walnuts, brown rice, oats, vegetables and citrus helps boost GABA which helps me. Foods high in B-vitamins like brewer's yeast and wheat germ helps. Foods high in tryptophan help like wheat germ, avocados and oats is also helpful. I found that melatonin helps, but I have to take more than the recommended dosage.

[RawPaw]

So sorry for your loss. Food is food. Some things are more important than that. But I'd caution you and say that a low fat fruit and vegetable diet has helped a lot of people regain their life on their own. Man shall not live on bread alone. And food is not the most important thing in life.

[Ebmin7b5]

Hi Yvette and all.

I went searching for anyone that has had side effects from MSM. I literally have chills reading your Mom's symptoms. Many of which I too have been experiencing for the past 5-6 years I've been taking the supplement, and it's increasingly become worse each year. Although, I always had problems sleeping, so I didn't really rule that as a factor, but I do have problems now with my thyroid. At first, I thought the symptoms I had that dr's couldn't diagnose were related merely to a small thyroid problem. However, I had other symptoms that are not related to thyroid. I think your Mom should also see an endocrinologist, as myself.

I too have had serious complications from taking MSM. I found out about this supplement years ago, and I loved how my skin and hair was responding to it. People would say I look far younger than my years. I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. My joints also didn't hurt, as I have arthritis in my knees from previous sports injuries. I've always tried to look after myself and take care of myself.

I was taking at least a teaspoon a day, which came out to about 5000mcg's a day in one of the powder forms of MSM. Little did I know that the anxiety and neurological disorders I was experiencing and the further blockages and other serious symptoms (even siezures) could be related to my intake of this supplement.

Let me elaborate:

I was a singer and performer and a writing, working successfully behind the scenes in the record and film industry. Not just an amateur...a professional.

Over a period of time, I had suddenly developed a nervousness or muscle problem that made it difficult to speak. I went to do a gig for a producer, and suddenly I couldn't get a note out. I developed anxiety and had a very difficult time breathing. For a horn player/singer..that is the death-mill.

I also started experiencing depression, memory loss, a mysterious blockage on my right side, toe nail fungus, lowered immune system, and other neurological problems which inhibited my air supply and prevented me from talking. It was like I would try to say something, but couldn't produce the sound. At first I thought this was hormonal, like a nervousness, as I would feel better just two days before my menstrual cycle. But during the cycle, the symptoms would return with a vengeance. My personality and other things changed, due to the complications. I thought for years that it was something else.

Recently, I quit taking the MSM. After about two weeks, my voice started coming back and it suddenly became easier to talk and I have less anxiety. People were literally treating me like I was crazy. I also had problems with concentration, etc. I did notice that I would have bowel movements previously when I took the supplements. This has stopped and I have been going through a period of constipation, but started taking colonics (senna/cascada, psyllium, etc) to help me clean out my system.

I still have some type of nervousness or anxiety, but it is not to the extreme nature has it has been in the past. In fact, this is the first time in a long while I could speak and actually start vocalizing without feeling the "shaking." Also, I noticed I did have heart palpitations and other things related to my airways, have suddenly been relieved. At first, I thought this was related to other things.

I'm not 100 percent by any means. I'm not sure if I ever will be. I'm not a person that gets nervous, etc. I am believing this supplement was poisoning me slowly. I do believe that you can recover from some of the symptoms...or at least I notice vast improvements and I'm breathing better. I do have blockage like your Mom as well. and I've also experience blood thinning and bruising - there have been great improvements since quitting this supplement. I'm very confident it has been MSM that has really thrown a "monkey-wrench" into my life.

I would be glad to communicate with anyone that has had reactions to this supplement. I think there should be a warning about it. At least these companies owe it to their consumers to make them aware of possible side-effects that could potentially ruin their life.

Thanks for the forum. Yvette, I wish your Mom good health and I hope for her recovery. :-)

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MSM is touted as a wonder supplement. It claims to make your skin clear and radiant, make your hair strong and thick, increase flexibility and relieve pain etc but this is not the full picture. I want to tell you my experience of msm because I have been mislead about this substance and I don’t want others to go through what I have.

My mom and I had heard such good stuff about msm so we were in no doubt about its safety when she stated taking it four months ago to grow her hair. However shortly after taking it she had some worrying side effects . She was taking one teaspoon each morning for two weeks, and then in the second week something strange happened with her sleep cycle and she started sleeping only once every two days, or in other words she would sleep one night and then the next night be awake all night. By the end of that week it dawned on her that it was the msm that had done this, so she stopped it immediately and thought in a few days or so she would go back to normal, but it has now been four months in all and she still cannot sleep!
It was definitely the MSM that disrupted her sleeping cycle as she is on no medication, healthy and was not taking any other supplements, the strange thing is that the MSM seems to have caused some kind of blockage in her body and nothing seems to cut through this blockage and make her better.


She has now spent hundreds of pounds trying every sleep remedy in the health shop and ayurveda and acupuncture and nothing worked at all. She has had to resign to sleeping pills from the doctor, the only thing that will allow her a few hours sleep a night.

We are so desperate to know how to reverse this side effect of the msm. Everywhere we look for information says msm is completely harmless and non toxic and yet it has caused this major side effect for my mom. We have emailed the raw food company we purchased it from (Detox your World) and called them about the situation and were very disheartened when they completely refused to know and kept declaring that msm is so wonderful and couldn’t possibly have caused my mom’s sleeping problem. But we know 100% that it did.

We have come to the realisation that even so called ‘harmless’ things are harmful to some individuals, and it really hurts when people refuse to believe you when you tell them that it has caused a problem. I am so sorry I ever found out about raw foods now, because if I hadn’t I would not have known about MSM, With raw food companies there is no comeback if you ever have any problems with their goods. Right now me and my mom feel so alone with this problem and we wish someone would help us.

I have watched her health go downhill, she is barely recognisable to the person she was before and it has been such a strain on the family. She is 60 years old and until now has been remarkably healthy and never had to take medication for any health problem. But since this has happened she has become suicidal and I’m worried if she doesn’t find a way to get better she will take her life. She often blames me for recommending the msm to her, but I never knew it could be harmful to anyone, everyday I live with the guilt that I have contributed to her distress, and if she doesn’t get better I will never forgive myself.

At the time she took it we were not aware msm is such a powerful liver detoxifier. She has spoken to a very qualified Harley Street Nutritionist whom she is going to see soon who told her over the phone that he believes the msm have upset her nervous system due to the liver (sulfation) pathway it detoxifies. As of now, we don’t know if this can be reversed but we are hoping it can be cured.

In my research on MSM I have also found on a particular forum that many people have terrible vivid nightmares when taking MSM. So bad, that many have had to discontinue use of it.

It is all too easy to get carried away with the good things to do with the raw food lifestyle, but by sharing the bad side it can help others. So if anyone has had a similar situation on MSM or any other side effect please share. If any one can help me with any suggestions on how to cure this problem I would be so grateful.

[sport]

My bottle of MSM says that you should not exceed half a teaspoon per day. Perhaps people are taking too much.
I do think that it helps with my ostioarthritis and would hate to give it up but would reduce to a quarter teaspoon per day and see what happens.

[Dimond]

My mum never got better. She sadly died in October.

Please note this comment by the original poster instead of asking still about her mom.

[Ebmin7b5]

Dear Yvette,

I didn't see this in earlier posts. I'm very, very sorry to hear about the loss of your Mom. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Please note this comment by the original poster instead of asking still about her mom.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Dear Yvette, i didn't see your early post either. I hope you are feeling better. Please reply here to say that you are ok.

I pray for you and thank you for taking the time to share your experience, as some already mentioned you could have saved someone else life. I was taking MSM too as supplement and i am definitely stopping until i find out more about it.

Again, i am so sorry for what happened to your mother, please don't blame yourself for there isn't any way you could have known.

[brydee]

MSM has given me headaches before but i figured that was just the detoxing.

I find that when i first detox i need lots and lots of sleep, but after a month or so, my sleep pattern gets messed up, especially if i am eating lots of supplements. im not qualified to give advice because i dont know enough, but i just thought that if the supplements were not full of caffine or anything bad, then my body was not needing as much sleep because i was eating better?

[maria84]

wow, this really makes me not want to take MSM

i have an anxiety thing too and i'm not about to soak my body in epsom salts everyday

yvette, it's not your fault. you had good intentions for your mom.

[trulyrawhuman]

WOW!.. I just came across this link somehow searching for Raw Food Scams!... I read each and every post carefully.. and it does not leave with a good feeling ....to say the least.... I registered here just to post a note to this topic. I had no idea that MSM can have such negative effects... i was considering taking this for CANDIDA .. as the other big SUPER water the ADYA CLARITY did not do anything .. after having spent 200 dollars.. hopefully it hasnt caused any damage that i am still unaware...

I agree that the Raw Food Movement although it may have began as something helpful for the body as slowly or rapidly .. who knows ...turned into a huge SCAM.. it has now become a Supplement and Super food money making machine....

here is my experience on it...

I was looking for reviews on 'Adya Clarity'.... when i say reviews i was looking for all 'Good', 'Neutral' or'Bad' reviews.. but was very curious that there was ONLY 'Good' reviews.....interesting.. I was wanting to heal from a medium case of diarrhea issues and a naturapath wondered if it could be candida related... i was following these rawfoodworld 'M and A' people at that time and found that they were selling this latest and greatest Adya Clarity for 200 dollars that they claimed HEALED A of candida... so i decided to spend my savings on it...reasoning it as my health is more important than money... i drank it... and it did not change anything for me... my case was 'neutral' hoping it has not caused any harm...

well recently i found that these same people 'Rawfoodworld' are selling it at half price 'At cost' specials ...the first thing that comes to mind is .. why is it being sold at 100% profit? the second is, is it really 'At cost' now or is it still marked up? Why is it so expensive when Black mica is found cheaply? It was pretty frustrating that there are people out there that show that they are interested in the health of people but are very similar to car salesmen just selling something different...the targeted group is people who are trying to heal...

Ofcourse posting this frustration on their youtube links only led to being deleted.. why would they keep it? wont it affect their sales and their life style depends on it.. M and A remind me of the characters in the movie 'the Jonses' if you havent seen it, worthwhile watching! just selling products thats about it... even when they are showing a recipe for a Smoothie... they are still selling products...it is unreal how people can get sucked into believing anything... it is no different than Fox News..


Thank you yvette for posting here and you very well may have helped a lot of us out there considering taking MSM..

Hoping you are Still Alive and if you are KNOW that you are helping others immensly.. I am no expert on LOVE but know that it can have its magical times...Try it on yourself!

[RoseGreen]

I work in pharmaceuticals, and was hoping to shed a tiny bit of light on this subject. For myself I have had great success with MSM, but I did research before selecting a brand.

In the United States, the FDA only very loosely (in my opinion) regulates herbal and dietary supplements. From the FDA website:

"As with most foods, there is no requirement for manufacturers of most dietary supplements to provide evidence of product safety to FDA prior to marketing. Accordingly, FDA regulates the safety of dietary supplements primarily through a post-market evaluation of whether the product is adulterated under one of the provisions of the FDC Act. The burden of proving lack of safety rests with the Federal government."

Prescription and over-the-counter medications as well as biologicals must pass rigorous clinical trials of safety, purity and efficacy before being allowed to be dispensed, and are subject to various levels of recalls after marketing. Even adverse events from vaccines can be reported to VAERS [Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System]. Why supplements are not held to similiar standards, I don't quite know. Very often, it is not the active ingredient itself which is dangerous, but the fillers in the product.

"There is a 75-day pre-market notification requirement for dietary supplements that contain certain dietary ingredients that were not marketed in the United States before October 15, 1994, or “new dietary ingredients.” Specifically, the manufacturer or distributor of a supplement that contains one or more new dietary ingredients must submit a pre-market notification to FDA unless all new dietary ingredients in the product have been present without chemical alteration in the food supplement as articles used for food. In its notification to FDA, the manufacturer or distributor of the supplement must submit information, including citation to published articles, that forms the basis for the firm’s conclusion that the dietary supplement containing the new dietary ingredient will reasonably be expected to be safe. Unless there is a history of use or other evidence of safety establishing that the new dietary ingredient will reasonably be expected to be safe when used as recommended or suggested in the labeling of the dietary supplement, the supplement is deemed adulterated."

Only a 75 day notification prior to marketing? But evaluations post-marketing? This is why I am careful about supplements and take nothing herbal, because herbals in particular can react badly with prescription and nonprescription medications with serious consequences unless listed as GRAS [Generally Regarded as Safe].


In conclusion: If you or someone you know has an adverse reaction to something, PLEASE make it known.! It will keep others safe and force manufacturers to raise their levels of quality/purity.

[Stina]

I'm wondering if there is a superior source. David Wolfe sells some that is incredibly expensive.

[rawbroccoli]

I was taking MSM for a week, and I started to have difficulty breathing. I want tight skin since I have a lot of weight to lose. But, I don't need it that badly. I had to stop taking it, it was really scary.

[Aleesha Sattva]

I took MSN for months... never had an issue with it (that I can remember)... other than weird dreams... but i was also fasting and since then I've discovered that I have weird dreams while fasting... so it was probably that.

Just thought I'd chime in... since everyone doesn't have a negative reaction to it.