If you are interested in taking an even deeper dive into DMSO, go to the “Forgotten Side of Medicine” Substack by A Midwestern Doctor. They have written extensively about it
First-hand experience is what cuts through the noise.
My approach is simple: pay attention to what your body actually does with something over time—relief, function, side effects, the whole picture—not just the first impression.
When people share honest field reports like this, it helps everyone make more informed choices for themselves.
That’s usually where the real signal shows up first—outside the official channels.
DMSO has been used in the animal world for a long time because it works, and the body doesn’t care whether relief came through a human label or a horse label—it cares whether the burden went down.
For me the same question always applies:
does it help the system overall, or just mask something and create a new problem later?
So far, most of the firsthand reports I’m seeing lean in the “helpful” direction when it’s used carefully and respectfully.
My father, long passed, used to go to the local hardware store and buy a bottle of horse ligament rub and apply it to his knees. The smell was worth the pain relief. I later came to learn it was DMSO.
I frequently wake up with leg cramps so bad, I grab my jar of a popular dmso compound and rub it in. The pain usually diminishes in about five minutes. I take magnesium supplements to avoid the night cramps, but sometimes I miss the night dose and will pay for it later with cramping.
There is a substack writer who publishes frequently on the anecdotal evidence his readers send him. I believe his substack is A Midwestern Doctor.
I use A Midwestern Doctor for inspiration... I give him credit first thing at the top of my essay.
And Anna, thank you for sharing that. Those kinds of lived experiences carry real weight, especially when they repeat across generations like that.
What you describe—fast relief from topical DMSO for cramping or joint pain—is exactly the kind of feedback that keeps people curious about it. At the same time, it’s good that you’re also paying attention to the basics like magnesium and hydration, because the root causes of cramps can vary from person to person.
With something like DMSO, the key is awareness: clean skin, minimal additives, and paying attention to how your body responds each time. It’s a tool, and like any tool, it works best when used carefully and intentionally.
Appreciate you adding your experience to the field—stories like this help others think for themselves and compare notes.
Thank you Lone Wolf! I realized after I posted that link that it was at the intro to your article. My first glance, all I saw was DMSO!
Another use. My granddaughter has autism, not vaccine related, as she is unvaxxed. But Midwestern Doctor includes anecdotal stories on dmso being used to help autistic children. We were rubbing a small amount on her abdomen or back daily for quite awhile. Then she got very sick from a mold/fragrance exposure and we stopped. I felt like it helped her, but not to the extent we were hoping. Our household was severely mold compromised a few years ago. Mold doesn't impact everyone the same way, but for those who are, it is a devastating situation to recover from.
Thanks again for your kind and thoughtful response!
Anna, thank you for sharing more of the backstory. Mold exposure can be a heavy layer for any family to carry, and you’re right—people respond very differently to it. For those who are sensitive, it can throw the whole system off.
It sounds like you approached the DMSO thoughtfully and paid attention to how your granddaughter responded, which is the right way to handle any tool like that—observe, adjust, and respect the body’s signals.
On the mold side, along with the basics of fresh air, dehumidification, and removing any remaining source materials, some people find that periodic use of an ozone generator can help reduce mold spores and lingering odors in the environment. If you ever explore that route, just make sure it’s done when no people or pets are present and the space is aired out thoroughly afterward, since ozone itself needs to be handled with care.
As always, it comes back to the simple principles—clean environment, gentle support, and steady observation of what actually helps.
Appreciate you sharing your experience and what you’ve learned along the way.
Dougger, I hear what you’re saying about DMSO acting like a carrier and I respect that you’ve worked out a routine that feels effective for you. At the same time, that “opens the door” property is exactly why I treat it with caution. If it can carry helpful compounds through the skin, it can also carry whatever else is present — clean or not — straight into the system.
For me, that makes it less of a casual tool and more of a precision instrument. Clean surface, clean inputs, and a clear reason for using it — otherwise the risk of bringing something unintended along for the ride is real.
I appreciate you sharing your field experience. It’s a good reminder that intention and cleanliness matter just as much as the substance itself.
thanks for the info on how to use it. I take Lugol’s iodine and it’s been a game changer for my energy and body heat regulation. Would you recommend this for tendinitis?
inflammation of a tendon sounds like a good use, trial and error... I use a cream that is 70% DMSO and 30% aloe Vera... have done so for years, good stuff. I use Lugol’s iodine also, couple of drops now and then. In fact my home is like a mini hospital for alternative remedies... got a little bit of everything here. I do not recommend any thing per se since I am not a white coat liar. LOL
And then there are a few voices on Substack which say how foolish we are to believe in DMSO for healing our bodies, that it's poison, not a healing substance. I like the voices which say it's a good thing, but what do I know? 😀
Donna, you know more than you think. Most of us don’t need a white coat to recognize when something actually helps the body.
DMSO has a long track record of real-world use—especially for pain, inflammation, and circulation. It’s also true that it’s a powerful solvent, which means it can carry things through the skin, so it has to be used with awareness and respect. That’s where the caution comes from, not from it being some kind of poison.
The pattern you’re noticing is familiar: anything that is inexpensive, widely available, and difficult to patent tends to get labeled dangerous or foolish. Meanwhile, many people quietly use it and report real relief.
At the end of the day, each of us has to weigh information, listen to our own body, and decide what feels like it reduces our total burden rather than adding to it.
Thanks for your reply, encouraging and polite as always! If a regular white coat tells me DMSO is bad or not useful, I tend to believe the opposite. But there are voices from some apparently natural health-conscious folk on Substack (and other places) who present very opposing views about DMSO and call us who use it to be very misled. Again, as you say, curiosity and discernment are needed in all things.
Donna, I appreciate your tone and your willingness to look at both sides.
DMSO is one of those tools that tends to trigger strong reactions because it doesn’t fit neatly into the approved lanes. It can carry substances through the skin barrier, which is exactly why some people value it and why others warn about it.
That means two things can be true at the same time:
It has real potential.
It also requires real care.
Where I land is simple:
Discernment over dogma.
Not everything dismissed is dangerous, and not everything promoted is harmless. The key is being mindful about what you combine it with, how you use it, and how your own body responds.
We each carry responsibility for our own bodies and our own decisions. That includes listening to our own experience while staying open to new information.
Curiosity, caution, and sovereignty can all coexist.
I have been using a solution of DMSO and MSM for a few months. Along with other protocols and therapies. I am feeling encouraging improvement as pain lessens a little and mobility increases a little. I have severe osteoarthritis in both knees bone on bone. I do not want replacements so I have been sourcing alternatives for over a year. The most improvement is with DMSO and MSM.
Jacky, I’m glad you’re seeing some movement in the right direction. Even small gains in pain and mobility matter—especially with knees that have taken that kind of wear.
DMSO + MSM can be a useful support for some people. The key is exactly what you’re doing—using it as part of a broader plan, paying attention to how your body responds, and adjusting as you go.
With knees, I’ve seen folks get added benefit by supporting the surrounding terrain too—things like circulation to the area, gentle range-of-motion work within comfort, reducing overall inflammatory load, and making sure the whole chain (hips, feet, posture) is working as smoothly as possible. Little shifts there can take pressure off the joint itself.
Keep listening to your body, keep it clean and consistent, and take the wins as they come.
Charlene, that sulfur/garlic smell is a pretty common report with DMSO. It’s tied to how it metabolizes and off-gasses through the breath and skin, so you’re not imagining it.
A couple of simple things some people try that can reduce the intensity a bit:
Use smaller amounts or space applications out more
Good hydration so your body can process and clear it more efficiently
Very clean skin before applying so it’s not carrying extra compounds in with it
Some find that topical magnesium or Epsom salt baths help the body clear sulfur compounds more smoothly
Peppermint is a clever workaround, by the way—simple and effective.
As always, it comes down to balancing benefit vs. side effects. If the relief is worth the trade-off for you, then you’ve found a tool that helps. If not, there are always other ways to support those joints.
Appreciate you sharing your experience—it helps others compare notes and make their own decisions.
This reminded me of an article I came across when I was in college (and you literally had to read printed articles in a library) saying that saccharine didn’t actually cause cancer, and that the carcinogen was the vehicle they used to deliver the saccharine to mice.
This happens consistently across pharmaceutical research. Because the placebo needs to be identical to the study drug minus the “active ingredient” under study, placebos are usually not just saline solution, but rather, contain the whole host of “inactive” ingredients included in the surfy drug formulation. And many of those ingredients are anything but “inactive”. This skews the safety data that eventually gets reported.
DMSO cannot be studied in blinded, placebo-controlled trials because it has a particular odor, so both doctors and patients can tell whether it was being administered or not. And while I’ve read many good articles from people I trust (eg, @A Midwestern Doctor) as well as thousands of anecdotal accounts, the little bottle I purchased over a year ago remains unopened, and here’s why:
Nobody knows the effects of consistent, long-term DMSO use. And… while it provides immediate relief for many people, it’s still just masking symptoms. And not repairing the cause of those symptoms.
While I agree we can all use help in mitigating symptoms in order to function, especially people with chronic pain or other chronic conditions, I believe these alternatives should be used only temporarily while we find something that actually takes care of the root cause, and not as a long-term solution. Pain and inflammation are not bad. They are the body’s way of signaling that there is something that needs to be looked at. So we also don’t want to “do away with them” entirely, unless this happens because their source was corrected.
Let’s take Ivermectin, for example. Yes, it’s a “safe” drug when used intermittently to clear parasites. But when used prophylactically over a longer period of time (which is how it is now being recommended for the “vax”-injured and shedding-sensitive), the side effects are disastrous. Truly mind-blowing.
So yes, it may be helpful in mitigating symptoms, which is sometimes necessary in order to function, but don’t rely long-term on anything that was not intended by Nature to go into your body. And keep searching for root-cause solutions. Otherwise, it’s just symptom-chasing on repeat.
Apapach, I appreciate the way you’re framing this—especially the point about “inactive” ingredients not actually being inactive. That alone should make anyone pause before blindly trusting trial results.
I’m with you on the root-cause principle. Pain and inflammation are signals, not enemies. If we only silence the signal and never ask what’s generating it, we can get stuck in a loop.
Where I land is this: tools like DMSO (and others) can be bridges. Sometimes a person needs enough relief to function, to sleep, to think clearly—so they can actually do the deeper work of addressing terrain, toxicity, nutrition, structural issues, or whatever the underlying driver is. Used consciously, they can create space for healing rather than replace it.
The long-term question is valid. None of us should be on autopilot with anything we put into our body—natural or synthetic. Observation, adjustment, and personal responsibility matter more than dogma on either side.
So for me it’s not “use it forever” or “never touch it.” It’s: use wisely, pay attention, and keep moving toward root cause while supporting the body along the way.
That middle path seems the most honest to the complexity we’re dealing with.
Dr. Robert Malone, Meryl Nass, A Midwestern Doctor and others have written about this wonder substance for several years now. I'm happy to see you join in. And to think that it is a by product from trees used to make paper!
If you are interested in taking an even deeper dive into DMSO, go to the “Forgotten Side of Medicine” Substack by A Midwestern Doctor. They have written extensively about it
Done that, been there, am a big fan of M Doctor. Thanks
I have used DMSO often now that I’ve been introduced to it over the past year from these excellent stacks. Many thanks!
Glad to hear it’s been useful for you, Chef.
First-hand experience is what cuts through the noise.
My approach is simple: pay attention to what your body actually does with something over time—relief, function, side effects, the whole picture—not just the first impression.
When people share honest field reports like this, it helps everyone make more informed choices for themselves.
Appreciate you adding your voice to the stack.
— Lone Wolf
A horse vet game me some for sore muscles and it is wonderful!
Good to hear a direct field report, Joseph.
That’s usually where the real signal shows up first—outside the official channels.
DMSO has been used in the animal world for a long time because it works, and the body doesn’t care whether relief came through a human label or a horse label—it cares whether the burden went down.
For me the same question always applies:
does it help the system overall, or just mask something and create a new problem later?
So far, most of the firsthand reports I’m seeing lean in the “helpful” direction when it’s used carefully and respectfully.
Appreciate you sharing your experience.
— Lone Wolf
Works exactly as stated from my personal view. This wonderful information & so appreciated.
Appreciate you sharing your direct experience, Twig.
First-hand reports matter more than second-hand noise.
For me it always comes down to one thing:
does it reduce total burden on the body, or just move it somewhere else?
So far, what I’m seeing lines up with what you’re saying.
People quietly getting results while the loud voices try to shut it down.
Keep observing, keep reporting what you actually experience.
That’s how the fog clears.
— Lone Wolf
My father, long passed, used to go to the local hardware store and buy a bottle of horse ligament rub and apply it to his knees. The smell was worth the pain relief. I later came to learn it was DMSO.
I frequently wake up with leg cramps so bad, I grab my jar of a popular dmso compound and rub it in. The pain usually diminishes in about five minutes. I take magnesium supplements to avoid the night cramps, but sometimes I miss the night dose and will pay for it later with cramping.
There is a substack writer who publishes frequently on the anecdotal evidence his readers send him. I believe his substack is A Midwestern Doctor.
Thanks for your article! Much appreciated!
I use A Midwestern Doctor for inspiration... I give him credit first thing at the top of my essay.
And Anna, thank you for sharing that. Those kinds of lived experiences carry real weight, especially when they repeat across generations like that.
What you describe—fast relief from topical DMSO for cramping or joint pain—is exactly the kind of feedback that keeps people curious about it. At the same time, it’s good that you’re also paying attention to the basics like magnesium and hydration, because the root causes of cramps can vary from person to person.
With something like DMSO, the key is awareness: clean skin, minimal additives, and paying attention to how your body responds each time. It’s a tool, and like any tool, it works best when used carefully and intentionally.
Appreciate you adding your experience to the field—stories like this help others think for themselves and compare notes.
Lone Wolf
Thank you Lone Wolf! I realized after I posted that link that it was at the intro to your article. My first glance, all I saw was DMSO!
Another use. My granddaughter has autism, not vaccine related, as she is unvaxxed. But Midwestern Doctor includes anecdotal stories on dmso being used to help autistic children. We were rubbing a small amount on her abdomen or back daily for quite awhile. Then she got very sick from a mold/fragrance exposure and we stopped. I felt like it helped her, but not to the extent we were hoping. Our household was severely mold compromised a few years ago. Mold doesn't impact everyone the same way, but for those who are, it is a devastating situation to recover from.
Thanks again for your kind and thoughtful response!
Anna, thank you for sharing more of the backstory. Mold exposure can be a heavy layer for any family to carry, and you’re right—people respond very differently to it. For those who are sensitive, it can throw the whole system off.
It sounds like you approached the DMSO thoughtfully and paid attention to how your granddaughter responded, which is the right way to handle any tool like that—observe, adjust, and respect the body’s signals.
On the mold side, along with the basics of fresh air, dehumidification, and removing any remaining source materials, some people find that periodic use of an ozone generator can help reduce mold spores and lingering odors in the environment. If you ever explore that route, just make sure it’s done when no people or pets are present and the space is aired out thoroughly afterward, since ozone itself needs to be handled with care.
As always, it comes back to the simple principles—clean environment, gentle support, and steady observation of what actually helps.
Appreciate you sharing your experience and what you’ve learned along the way.
Lone Wolf
https://amidwesterndoctor.substack.com/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=pfhz4
Here is the link to his substack.
DMSO is the key master so to speak. Whatever is in solution gets through the cell "door".
I use DMSO topically at 70% in distilled water or 30% for tender areas with Lugols iodine applied after for most issues; I have both in my travel kit.
Be careful what is on the skin before applying: tap water, povidone, lotions etc. because of the suspect ingredients.
Dougger, I hear what you’re saying about DMSO acting like a carrier and I respect that you’ve worked out a routine that feels effective for you. At the same time, that “opens the door” property is exactly why I treat it with caution. If it can carry helpful compounds through the skin, it can also carry whatever else is present — clean or not — straight into the system.
For me, that makes it less of a casual tool and more of a precision instrument. Clean surface, clean inputs, and a clear reason for using it — otherwise the risk of bringing something unintended along for the ride is real.
I appreciate you sharing your field experience. It’s a good reminder that intention and cleanliness matter just as much as the substance itself.
— Lone Wolf
thanks for the info on how to use it. I take Lugol’s iodine and it’s been a game changer for my energy and body heat regulation. Would you recommend this for tendinitis?
inflammation of a tendon sounds like a good use, trial and error... I use a cream that is 70% DMSO and 30% aloe Vera... have done so for years, good stuff. I use Lugol’s iodine also, couple of drops now and then. In fact my home is like a mini hospital for alternative remedies... got a little bit of everything here. I do not recommend any thing per se since I am not a white coat liar. LOL
And then there are a few voices on Substack which say how foolish we are to believe in DMSO for healing our bodies, that it's poison, not a healing substance. I like the voices which say it's a good thing, but what do I know? 😀
Donna, you know more than you think. Most of us don’t need a white coat to recognize when something actually helps the body.
DMSO has a long track record of real-world use—especially for pain, inflammation, and circulation. It’s also true that it’s a powerful solvent, which means it can carry things through the skin, so it has to be used with awareness and respect. That’s where the caution comes from, not from it being some kind of poison.
The pattern you’re noticing is familiar: anything that is inexpensive, widely available, and difficult to patent tends to get labeled dangerous or foolish. Meanwhile, many people quietly use it and report real relief.
At the end of the day, each of us has to weigh information, listen to our own body, and decide what feels like it reduces our total burden rather than adding to it.
Curiosity and discernment are your allies.
Thanks for your reply, encouraging and polite as always! If a regular white coat tells me DMSO is bad or not useful, I tend to believe the opposite. But there are voices from some apparently natural health-conscious folk on Substack (and other places) who present very opposing views about DMSO and call us who use it to be very misled. Again, as you say, curiosity and discernment are needed in all things.
Donna, I appreciate your tone and your willingness to look at both sides.
DMSO is one of those tools that tends to trigger strong reactions because it doesn’t fit neatly into the approved lanes. It can carry substances through the skin barrier, which is exactly why some people value it and why others warn about it.
That means two things can be true at the same time:
It has real potential.
It also requires real care.
Where I land is simple:
Discernment over dogma.
Not everything dismissed is dangerous, and not everything promoted is harmless. The key is being mindful about what you combine it with, how you use it, and how your own body responds.
We each carry responsibility for our own bodies and our own decisions. That includes listening to our own experience while staying open to new information.
Curiosity, caution, and sovereignty can all coexist.
Lone Wolf
Thank you. Totally agree with your comments.
I have been using a solution of DMSO and MSM for a few months. Along with other protocols and therapies. I am feeling encouraging improvement as pain lessens a little and mobility increases a little. I have severe osteoarthritis in both knees bone on bone. I do not want replacements so I have been sourcing alternatives for over a year. The most improvement is with DMSO and MSM.
Jacky, I’m glad you’re seeing some movement in the right direction. Even small gains in pain and mobility matter—especially with knees that have taken that kind of wear.
DMSO + MSM can be a useful support for some people. The key is exactly what you’re doing—using it as part of a broader plan, paying attention to how your body responds, and adjusting as you go.
With knees, I’ve seen folks get added benefit by supporting the surrounding terrain too—things like circulation to the area, gentle range-of-motion work within comfort, reducing overall inflammatory load, and making sure the whole chain (hips, feet, posture) is working as smoothly as possible. Little shifts there can take pressure off the joint itself.
Keep listening to your body, keep it clean and consistent, and take the wins as they come.
—Lone Wolf
DMSO helped my hip pain. Unfortunately, I off-gas sulfur or garlic/onion smell. Have to carry peppermint extract around so can mask that smell.
Charlene, that sulfur/garlic smell is a pretty common report with DMSO. It’s tied to how it metabolizes and off-gasses through the breath and skin, so you’re not imagining it.
A couple of simple things some people try that can reduce the intensity a bit:
Use smaller amounts or space applications out more
Good hydration so your body can process and clear it more efficiently
Very clean skin before applying so it’s not carrying extra compounds in with it
Some find that topical magnesium or Epsom salt baths help the body clear sulfur compounds more smoothly
Peppermint is a clever workaround, by the way—simple and effective.
As always, it comes down to balancing benefit vs. side effects. If the relief is worth the trade-off for you, then you’ve found a tool that helps. If not, there are always other ways to support those joints.
Appreciate you sharing your experience—it helps others compare notes and make their own decisions.
Lone Wolf
This reminded me of an article I came across when I was in college (and you literally had to read printed articles in a library) saying that saccharine didn’t actually cause cancer, and that the carcinogen was the vehicle they used to deliver the saccharine to mice.
This happens consistently across pharmaceutical research. Because the placebo needs to be identical to the study drug minus the “active ingredient” under study, placebos are usually not just saline solution, but rather, contain the whole host of “inactive” ingredients included in the surfy drug formulation. And many of those ingredients are anything but “inactive”. This skews the safety data that eventually gets reported.
DMSO cannot be studied in blinded, placebo-controlled trials because it has a particular odor, so both doctors and patients can tell whether it was being administered or not. And while I’ve read many good articles from people I trust (eg, @A Midwestern Doctor) as well as thousands of anecdotal accounts, the little bottle I purchased over a year ago remains unopened, and here’s why:
Nobody knows the effects of consistent, long-term DMSO use. And… while it provides immediate relief for many people, it’s still just masking symptoms. And not repairing the cause of those symptoms.
While I agree we can all use help in mitigating symptoms in order to function, especially people with chronic pain or other chronic conditions, I believe these alternatives should be used only temporarily while we find something that actually takes care of the root cause, and not as a long-term solution. Pain and inflammation are not bad. They are the body’s way of signaling that there is something that needs to be looked at. So we also don’t want to “do away with them” entirely, unless this happens because their source was corrected.
Let’s take Ivermectin, for example. Yes, it’s a “safe” drug when used intermittently to clear parasites. But when used prophylactically over a longer period of time (which is how it is now being recommended for the “vax”-injured and shedding-sensitive), the side effects are disastrous. Truly mind-blowing.
So yes, it may be helpful in mitigating symptoms, which is sometimes necessary in order to function, but don’t rely long-term on anything that was not intended by Nature to go into your body. And keep searching for root-cause solutions. Otherwise, it’s just symptom-chasing on repeat.
Apapach, I appreciate the way you’re framing this—especially the point about “inactive” ingredients not actually being inactive. That alone should make anyone pause before blindly trusting trial results.
I’m with you on the root-cause principle. Pain and inflammation are signals, not enemies. If we only silence the signal and never ask what’s generating it, we can get stuck in a loop.
Where I land is this: tools like DMSO (and others) can be bridges. Sometimes a person needs enough relief to function, to sleep, to think clearly—so they can actually do the deeper work of addressing terrain, toxicity, nutrition, structural issues, or whatever the underlying driver is. Used consciously, they can create space for healing rather than replace it.
The long-term question is valid. None of us should be on autopilot with anything we put into our body—natural or synthetic. Observation, adjustment, and personal responsibility matter more than dogma on either side.
So for me it’s not “use it forever” or “never touch it.” It’s: use wisely, pay attention, and keep moving toward root cause while supporting the body along the way.
That middle path seems the most honest to the complexity we’re dealing with.
—Lone Wolf
I agree 100%
Dr. Robert Malone, Meryl Nass, A Midwestern Doctor and others have written about this wonder substance for several years now. I'm happy to see you join in. And to think that it is a by product from trees used to make paper!