Monday, November 06, 2006
MSM is Bad for My Palms
Some time before AIDS/Lifecycle 4, the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet suddenly dried up. Not only were they not producing the typical amount of oil, they also stopped sweating normally. At the time, I thought the culprit was a guaifenesin product called Mucinex, which I had been taking because it helps keep my sinus cavities and eustachian tube on the right side of my head clear. It seemed within the realm of possibility that a product designed to "thin" mucus could have caused dry hands and feet. I also surmised that maybe it was the Bullfrog waterproof sunscreen I was using; ie, maybe it was blocking my pores.
What I did *not* connect it to at the time was my joint supplement, which contains Glucosamine, Chondroitin and MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane). I had started taking this joint supplement after taking up massage, since it is desirable to protect one's joints with any repetitive movement and certainly any compressive ones, as we have with deep tissue work.
I stopped taking Mucinex and stopped using that particular sunscreen... but my hands and feet didn't return to normal. I began to worry, especially after a year or so, that I had somehow caused myself permanent skin damage.
After a while I switched from using a harsh astringent face wash to a glycerin-based, gentle one. I stopped using hair product, in case there was something in that clogging my pores. No dice. I even switched shampoos to see if that helped. No change.
I began to suspect MSM when I remembered that my dad has an allergic reaction to the sulfites (sulfur dioxide) in wine. My mom also mentioned that she has problems with sulfur compounds and couldn't take MSM without breaking out in hives. Then I poked around on the 'net a bit and found that in some people, MSM could cause skin rash or "thin skin". There was certainly enough information to be suspicious of MSM, which is called by some, "natural sulfur."
So about a month ago I stopped taking my joint supplement, and now my hands are nearly back to normal. They sweat again. They produce oil again. They're no longer dry and scaly. Dry hands begone.
Now it's possible that it wasn't the MSM and may have been the Chrondroitin, since Chondroitin is typically in the form of Chondroitin Sulfate, yet another sulfur compound. Glucosamine is sometimes packaged in the form of glucosamine sulfate (HCl is another option). It could also be that the combination of ingredients leads to simply too much sulfur, and I may better tolerate smaller quantities.
The next step is to try taking a Glucosamine/Chrondroitin supplement without the MSM and see if the symptoms return. I'm not looking forward to the possibility of my hands drying out again, but I am looking forward to the possibility of protecting my joints.
What I did *not* connect it to at the time was my joint supplement, which contains Glucosamine, Chondroitin and MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane). I had started taking this joint supplement after taking up massage, since it is desirable to protect one's joints with any repetitive movement and certainly any compressive ones, as we have with deep tissue work.
I stopped taking Mucinex and stopped using that particular sunscreen... but my hands and feet didn't return to normal. I began to worry, especially after a year or so, that I had somehow caused myself permanent skin damage.
After a while I switched from using a harsh astringent face wash to a glycerin-based, gentle one. I stopped using hair product, in case there was something in that clogging my pores. No dice. I even switched shampoos to see if that helped. No change.
I began to suspect MSM when I remembered that my dad has an allergic reaction to the sulfites (sulfur dioxide) in wine. My mom also mentioned that she has problems with sulfur compounds and couldn't take MSM without breaking out in hives. Then I poked around on the 'net a bit and found that in some people, MSM could cause skin rash or "thin skin". There was certainly enough information to be suspicious of MSM, which is called by some, "natural sulfur."
So about a month ago I stopped taking my joint supplement, and now my hands are nearly back to normal. They sweat again. They produce oil again. They're no longer dry and scaly. Dry hands begone.
Now it's possible that it wasn't the MSM and may have been the Chrondroitin, since Chondroitin is typically in the form of Chondroitin Sulfate, yet another sulfur compound. Glucosamine is sometimes packaged in the form of glucosamine sulfate (HCl is another option). It could also be that the combination of ingredients leads to simply too much sulfur, and I may better tolerate smaller quantities.
The next step is to try taking a Glucosamine/Chrondroitin supplement without the MSM and see if the symptoms return. I'm not looking forward to the possibility of my hands drying out again, but I am looking forward to the possibility of protecting my joints.
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