LONGECITY

Hi everyone,

 

I want to take a substance in the form of powder, but the proper dosages for this substance are as low as 1.5 mg. My options are (a) buy an $ AUD 1800 scale that will allow me to measure out such quantities reliably or (b) dissolve it in DMSO and use a dropper. 

 

My question is whether taking DMSO is safe? Now I know that some people take DMSO on its own, but that doesn't convince me. Is there a particular grade of DMSO that is safe for human consumption. Also, I note that DMSO comes in different concentrations, i.e. 70%, with the remaining 30% I assume being water.

 

Can someone help me out with these issues?

 

Regards,

 

tolerant

I personally know bodybuilders who have no problem administering it orally, and I have used it extensively as a transdermal agent and for it's anti-inflammatory properties.  But there's just something about drinking an industrial solvent that is off putting to me!

 

Also, as an anti-inflammatory, it works fantastically to reduce bruising and swelling after initial injury, but use just a little too much and your breath will REAK of garlic/rotten cherries, to the extent that once you have experienced the smell someone using DMSO could be in a crowded elevator and just from his breath you would know someone in the elevator is using it.

 

As for the solution strength, the rest is indeed water.  If you are using it as an anti-inflam it is always wise to dilute it even further with distilled water.

 

The other thing that always worries me about DMSO is it's such an effective transdermal agent you need to be vigilant about cleaning the area of application.  Back when Kennedy was in office, one of the plans to sabotage Castro was to coat doorhandles with DMSO/LSD.  I always thought it might have worked and that was the beginning of Castro's famous marathon speeches!

The only thing I'm worried about is damage to the brain: http://www.longecity...-dmso-toxicity/

I was going to administer it orally, but now I'm not sure. There's really no other way or vehicle for the substance I was looking to dissolve in it.

Out of curiosity, what use is it to bidybuilders?

There are actually a few separate issues to address here.  First off, unless you have access to a high-grade, analytical pharmaceutical balance that weighs down to at least milligrams, and preferably down to ten microgram units, then yes, volumetric dosing using a solvent that will distribute your active compound(s) into a suspended, homogeneous solvent solution is definitely the way to go to avoid over-dosing.  (Those cheap jeweler milligram scales will sometimes work in a pinch, but are generally horribly inaccurate).  A quality laboratory balance scale is an essential piece of laboratory equipment.  However, if you do not have access to one, volumetric dosing is the only safe option.  (Depending on the level of biological activity and/or the potential toxicity of the compound, in question).

 

Second, I would be able to give you much better feedback if I knew the identity of the compound in question that you are working with, to even verify that it is soluble in Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to begin with.  Also, it is important to consider what form said compound is in. - For example, the solubility of the compound's freebase or free acid form will vary greatly from the solubility of the same compound in the form of some kind of polar or water-soluble salt (ie. a hydrochloride, hydrobromide, sulfate, aspartate, monohydrate, etc).  Also of consideration is the polarity and pH of the solvent solution once the active compound is added to the solution.

DMSO is a very low toxicity (non-toxic) polar organic solvent that is used in a very wide array of medical applications, most notably as a transdermal (through the skin) drug delivery vehicle.  Also, being a protein ligand, when consumed orally, it is processed by the stomach CYP40 series cytochrome enzymes that are responsible for breaking down, metabolizing, and clearing (both renally and hepatically) it and similar structured proteins from the body.  So, yes, DMSO is a very safe organic solvent, right on-par with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) for forming medicinal solutions of active compounds that are insoluble in water, alcohol, or Polyethylene Glycol.  I definitely do not think that I would ingest large volumes of it just for the hell of it, since it's high polarity would probably cause marked gastrointestinal distress.  However, when used in the appropriate amount and application as a drug delivery vehicle, or for non-toxic volumetric dosing of potent active compounds, it is indeed a good choice.

 

 

-J. Gona
Psychopharmacologist
Psychotropic Treatment Specialist

Oracle Laboratories
NeuroPsych Institute