Subject: Re: DMSO

From: Liz Jones <[email-masked]>
Date: 5 Oct 1995 12:12:53 GMT

Really dumb question: I've been following this thread for awhile and 
still have not figured out-- What the heck is DMSO? What is it used for? 
 Obviously  I missed the first post...(blush)
You are welcome to respond by e-mail and not waste the bandwith on the 
clueful.
Liz ([email-masked])

---

From: [email-masked] (Pliny A Smith)
Date: Sun, 08 Oct 1995 10:23:09 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] wrote:

> There are several problems using DMSO,  I've
> heard:  1) It makes your breath smell like rotten eggs (it's a sulfate
> compound).  2) It takes whatever is on your skin with it inside your
> blood stream,  which could be bad,  so you're supposed to rinse your
> skin off with water before you do -- perfumed soaps could be bad.  And
> 3) It's not supposed to be used in this manner,  so it might be bad for
> you;  I've heard it might even cause cancer?  

> Ciao for now,
>   - Steve Weigand
>     ([email-masked])

I've tried to accumulate some information on DMSO (DiMethylSulfOxide) and
have found nothing implicating it as a carcinagin.  It is possible to have
dangerous substances in a DMSO solution pass through the skin, but that
can be avoided by purchasing a pure grade.  Also, the LD50 (dose that
kills 50% of the test animal) of DMSO in most animal models is between 5ml
and 10 ml per kg of body weight.  That's about half a liter for most
people.  Since most people use 100 times less, I think the toxicity is
realitively nil.  Finally, refractive index changes in the lens were seen
in beagles give high doses continuously over 6 months, but at low doses no
such changes are seen.  DMSO is an FDA approved drug  for certain bladder
problems and no warning is given as to cancer in the drug prescribing
literature.