Oh No! Here We Go! Smelling Like D-M-S-O!

By John Ortiz, edited by Jonathan Atleson

My personal story and experience with DMSO—Dimethyl Sulfoxide—starts about 30 years ago. I was working in a physical therapy office, where I met a former trainer in pro sports. He had been the head athletic trainer for the San Francisco 49ers, back when they were winning Super Bowls under Bill Walsh. He told me that they would use DMSO to speed up the healing of the players’ injuries. It would reduce inflammation, pain and swelling.

I asked if there were any contra-indications. He said it was very safe and had no contra-indications unless you were allergic to it. He also told me that it was used to keep horses in top condition, enabling high-intensity workouts with minimal injury, as a prophylactic. In addition, it was used in organ transplants to protect the organs in transit and preserve them until they got to the recipient.

I asked where it came from. He told me it was derived from tree bark. I did a bit of research and found that it had been banned by the FDA. When I told the trainer about this, he told me it was a Big Pharma conspiracy to suppress the remedy.

At that time, that was enough to make me wary and keep my distance. Beyond that, he also told me it made you smell funky and have garlic breath. That was strikes two and three for me!

Twenty years passed. One day I encountered a client who swore by DMSO. She had been a competitive distance runner and believed it was key to her ability to run competitively into her 70s. She gave me some—I put it in a spray mister and applied it to my hands and feet. It immediately gave me a warm sensation, and within minutes I had a garlic taste in my mouth. I wasn’t sure if this odor effect was some sort of detox or just a harmless side-effect of the therapy.

That evening, my wife told me I smelled kinda funky. I explained to her that I was wearing a new cologne, called “Eau de DMSO.” This did not work—she instructed me to go take a shower in Listerine.

The next day, I felt dramatically better. I did a little more research, and found that DMSO was a very powerful solvent. It went straight through water and oil. Because of this, it can be used as a transport mechanism to drive another medicinal substance deeper into the tissues.

One idea I have considered is that DMSO is anti-candida and anti-parasite—that it is a protective plant chemical produced by trees and stored in the bark to repel invading organisms.

I had become aware that 80% of Americans were deficient in magnesium and had developed a spray to apply topically. I put a layer of my magnesium spray on my hands and feet, and then added a layer of DMSO. I could feel it getting very warm.

That day, I felt even better. But, according to my wife, I smelled even funkier. I started taking liquid chlorophyll as a natural body deodorizer, but my wife told me it didn't help much. Was this just detox, and would my body odor and smelly breath pass eventually? Or was this the price of health that would eventually cause the lack of passion?

My friends and clients began to notice an improvement in my energy—albeit coupled with an increase in my body odor. I experimented with a few of my willing clients and had dramatic results. But ultimately, the smell was too much.

Much to the relief of my wife, my children, and my cats (yes, really), I ceased the experiments. I figured that was the end of DMSO in my life—or so I thought.

I have had a certain mid-back pain on my right side for 30 years. I attribute this to years of exuberantly hitting volleyballs and tennis balls, and throwing baseballs and softballs. Every once in a while, it would kick up to another level. But most of the time, it was manageable.

Avoiding painkillers, I would work on it every day with acupuncture, massage, saunas, trigger point release, yoga. Then a different client asked me to go in with him on a DMSO purchase. I declined, telling him I'd “been there, and smelled that.”

“But have you taken it orally?” he asked. I said I had only used it on my hands and feet and a little bit on my back. Spirit told me I should go ahead and buy some.

It's best bought in pharmaceutical grade, and in a glass container. I still had some at home, so I made a concoction with coconut milk, aloe vera gel, chlorophyll, olive oil. I only added a teaspoon of DMSO.

Note: Using Epsom salts and lemon as a chaser is one of the nastiest things I've ever tried in my life, not to mention you have to spend the weekend near a toilet with sudden diarrhea attacks.

The next morning, my wife immediately accused me of resuming DMSO usage. My experiment had failed. I prayed and meditated on this and was told that the odor would dissipate soon. I also was told that it was a safe, effective, and gentle way to cleanse the liver, which is our internal detox organ.

Note: There is a liver/gallbladder flush product that's marketed on the Internet. It is very intense and very inconvenient!

After three days, my back felt dramatically better. My wife had stopped complaining about my odor. Was the odor gone, or had she just become desensitized over time?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I may take a teaspoon a day until all my issues are gone.* The challenge is dosage and not falling into the Mocebo Trap. Well, I'll keep your posted. In the words of Will Smith: “Smell you later!”

Note: If you're going to attempt this by a bunch of breath mints and use them liberally!