Cheney on MSM: detox, anti-yeast, allergies, pain, supplementation

[Guest guest]

There has been some discussion on MSM. I posted this about two months ago.

Take care. Carol

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Much of this info was posted by Laurion early this year. (Thanks Laurion - you

prompted me to ask Cheney about it.)

Cheney said " I really like it. It's wonderful stuff. Have you read 'The Miracle

of MSM: The Natural Solution for Pain' (by Stanley , Regelson &

Zucker)? Great book. Everything you'd ever want to know about MSM - by a

physician who's used it for 30 years in his patient population. " Dr. Cheney went

on to describe five benefits, tell a cautionary story, and warn about poor

quality MSM.

(1) " MSM itself has the toxicity of water - it's non-toxic. But it's a very

potent detoxifier. But if you take too much MSM, you can mobilize too many

toxins too quickly. It can even mobilize heavy metals, so you have to be

cautious about the dose. Start low and go slow - work up gradually to the

therapeutic dose, which is 6 to 9 grams a day. Most CFIDS patients can work up

to 6 gms a day, but from there it can be a rocky road. "

(2) " MSM is a very potent anti-yeast medication. It causes yeast to blow up.

Well, basically they melt. Their cell walls are destroyed. Again, you see

herxheimer reactions if the dose is too high. "

(3) " Pain relief from MSM can be significant, particularly at 6 to 9 gms a day.

This applies to most any pain, because most pain is toxicity related. Some of

the pain relief accounts are pretty impressive. It's typical to hear, at 6 gms

nothing, 8 gms no relief, then suddenly at 10 gms the pain is gone. There seems

to be a threshold you have to reach and then boom. The threshold will vary from

person to person. I encourage patients to work gradually up to 9 gms. If the

pain still has not resolved, I may try to push some patients to 12 gms. I always

get a little bit concerned though, when they get to 12 gms because of one

patient's experience, which I'll tell you about. "

(4) " MSM also helps allergies. The mucous barrier is a sulfur barrier, and the

sulfur binds to allergens and keeps them away from your nasal and sinus mucosa

so you don't get allergies. "

(5) " Another reason for CFIDS patients to take MSM is that if you measure sulfur

levels in their blood and urine, most patients are usually very low. " Patients

get sulfur depletion very quickly trying to cope with the toxicity of this

illness.

(The story) Cheney had one patient who decided on his own to start at 12 grams a

day. About a week into the treatment he had what Cheney called " sudden

spontaneous detox " . He was extremely ill - diarrhea, vomiting, achy and

flu-like. He also experienced " suicidal ideation " - he couldn't stop wanting to

kill himself. It lasted almost 12 hours and then stopped. Just like that.

(Cheney snapped his fingers to illustrate the abruptness of it.) The patient

then felt much better. Now why the suicidal urges? Cheney believes some of the

toxins that were mobilized went to his brain and destabilized him

psychologically. For a temporary period. This is obviously very dangerous and

definitely to be avoided. So start low and go slow. Cheney has never had a

patient who gradually worked up to 12 grams experience an episode like this, but

he warns them to be very cautious with the high doses.

(Warning about quality) You've got to be sure you're buying a pharmaceutical

grade MSM. As already mentioned, sulfur binds to toxins, which make this so

potent and effective. But it also means that if manufactured in a nonsterile

environment, it will pick up whatever is in the environment. (If it's made in a

garage in Mexico, it will absorb the toxins in the garage.) MSM can be among the

most toxic supplements on the market if it's exposed to toxic materials during

production. Buy a quality product.

(NEEDS now sells many of the more popular products under their own label,

" NutriNeeds " , and MSM is one of them. I order my MSM from them. www.needs.com.

MSM is also available from immunesupport.com.)

Take care. Carol