

When used to control inflammation in strains and other soft-tissue injuries, DMSO is usually applied topically.
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DMSO is a free radical scavenger that slows or halts this process. These free radicals are often the byproduct of inflammation and, in turn, cause more swelling and inflammation as they accumulate. Specifically, DMSO binds with “free radicals,” which are oxygen compounds-leftovers from normal biochemical reactions-that damage or destroy healthy cells. You may be more familiar with anti-oxidant sources in nutrition, such as vitamin E or lycopene, but DMSO has a molecular structure that allows it to function in the same way. Unlike bute, however, DMSO controls inflammation primarily by acting as an antioxidant. DMSO’s anti-inflammatory properties come primarily from its antioxidant action.ĭMSO is classified as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), just like phenylbutazone (“bute”). In 1970 it was approved for topical use in horses and dogs. In human medicine, these include use as an organ preservative and as treatment for a bladder disease called interstitial cystitis. Since then, DMSO has been approved for some specific applications. Work done in his laboratory soon sparked a rush of research into DMSO’s possible medical uses.īy 1965, however, the FDA closed down clinical trials citing safety concerns.

Then, in the 1960s, Stanley Jacob, MD, began investigating DMSO as a preservative for organs destined for transplants.

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This intrigued chemists, who began researching how the liquid could so quickly pass through skin and mucosa, but the work was generally limited to exploring non-medical applications. As people worked with the chemical, they noticed that if they spilled a bit of DMSO on their hands a distinct garlicky taste would be on their tongue shortly thereafter. The therapeutic properties of DMSO were discovered more or less by accident.Ī byproduct of paper production, DMSO was first developed as an industrial solvent. So here are seven things you might not know about DMSO use in horses: 1. But learning more about DMSO may help you appreciate how it can be useful in maintaining your horse’s health and comfort. Nonetheless, DMSO is a little like aspirin-something that many people use without necessarily thinking too much about how it works. When the DMSO’s distinctive garlicky smell wafts through the barn these days, people are more likely to nod knowingly than wonder what’s going on. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for topical use on horses, but veterinarians regularly use the chemical “off-label” in other ways to treat a wide array of inflammatory conditions, from laminitis to neurological problems. Back then, this industrial solvent turned anti-inflammatory therapy was relatively new to the horse world, and even if people had heard of DMSO they viewed it as an unusual or even mysterious option. Two decades ago, if you mentioned dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) around the horse barn you may have gotten puzzled looks in response.
