By A Midwestern Doctor
The Forgotten Side of Medicine
September 9, 2025
Living with an inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD) like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis is a daily balancing act marked by unpredictability. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, urgent diarrhea, and fatigue can flare up without warning, disrupting plans and demanding constant awareness of diet, stress, and bathroom access.
Severe flares can escalate to the point of requiring hospitalization, where intense pain, dehydration, or complications like obstructions necessitate urgent medical intervention, often involving IV treatments or surgery.
During flares, the physical toll-cramping, bloating, and sometimes blood in the stool-can be exhausting, while remission periods offer relief but never erase the underlying uncertainty of potential hospital stays. Beyond the body, IBD carries an emotional weight: frustration from cancelled outings, anxiety about explaining the condition, and the quiet resilience needed to manage (frequently toxic) medications, doctor visits, hospital recoveries, and lifestyle adjustments. Likewise, owing to their complexity and frequent severity, inflammatory bowel diseases are often quite challenging for physicians to manage, hence frequently requiring specialized care.
Note: one highly under appreciated consequence of inflammatory bowel disorders is that they reduce the absorption of key nutrients (e.g., by up-regulating the liver's production of hepcidin or reducing the ability of the intestinal lining to transport nutrients into the bloodstream) and as such, effectively managing these conditions frequently requires an extensive micronutrient workup.
Recently, I discussed the silent epidemic of chronic constipation (affecting 15- 16% of adults), and the remarkable fact that almost all of it (14% of adults) is constipation that has no known cause-resulting in millions being placed on a lifetime of laxatives rather than the actual causes of their constipation being diagnosed and addressed.
Note: after publication, that article was significantly revised with additional treatments for constipation.
I would argue the situation with inflammatory bowel diseases (which affect approximately 1.17% of adults) is quite similar, as the rate of it keeps increasing. Yet, no one knows what causes it, allowing a costly status quo to perpetuate (where patients have no option except to spend thousands each year on the IBD drugs).
As such, this greatly disincentivizes research into the actual causes of them (e.g., specific pesticides and herbicides-like glyphosate- have been repeatedly linked to IBD-as have junk food diets 1, 2, 3 and food allergies 1, 2). Likewise, we've seen numerous children who get their meningococcal vaccine for college develop Crohn's disease but never seen this link be discussed-which may, in part, be due to Wakefield's infamous 1998 paper showing that children who developed autism after the MMR had significant inflammatory bowel diseases (along with three earlier ones linking the measles vaccine virus to IBD 1, 2, 3) making this topic be taboo to research further (despite numerous therapies being discovered which were able to improve autism by reducing bowel inflammation).
Note: the only research I know of on this topic was a large survey Steve Kirsch conducted, which found vaccinated children were 3.5X more likely to develop Crohn's disease.
Likewise, one of the most common side effects of the COVID vaccines was an exacerbation of a pre-existing autoimmune disorder (e.g., an Israeli government study which found that 24.2% of those receiving a booster developed an exacerbation of a pre-existing autoimmune condition), and throughout the vaccine campaign, I saw numerous cases where this happened with IBD (including cases where vaccine supporting medical students and physicians acknowledged their issues were likely due the vaccine).
Note: the more severe a reaction is to a pharmaceutical, the rarer it is, and as such, the COVID vaccines disabled far more than they killed. While investigating the economic cost of the COVID vaccines, Ed Dowd's team made the horrific discovery that the vaccines caused a massive spike in disability in America ( 16% more Americans are now disabled than they were at the start of COVID)-and this increase shows no signs of stopping (it's actually beginning to accelerate). The above chart came from their investigation of England's disability data (and virtually mirrors England's increase in disability for immunological diseases).
Finally, as severe illnesses are rarer than mild ones, a much larger portion of adults are affected by chronic gut inflammation (e.g., 6.1% of Americans have irritable bowel syndrome)-with many of these disorders (e.g., leaky gut syndrome or moderate gluten sensitivity) being either understudied or outright dismissed by the medical system.
Note: we find irritable bowel disorders are frequently missed (e.g., because the scopes gastroenterologists use don't reach much of the small intestine, and capsule endoscopies, which can do so are rarely used now). As IBD often occurs concurrently with rheumatologic disorders (particularly spondyloarthropathies), and many rheumatologic medications make IBD worse, it is often quite helpful to screen those patients for an antibody test for Crohn's beforehand, and if positive, give them a rheumatologic drug that improves rather than worsens IBD-all of which is discussed further in this article on natural and pharmaceutical treatments for autoimmune disorders.
As such, while reviewing the literature on DMSO, I was immediately struck by the rapid and dramatic IBD improvements reported in many cases. These reports included diagnostic testing confirming complete remission of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, consistent and rapid relief of the colicky pain commonly associated with IBD, and successful treatment of an intermittent, severe colonic paralysis following colon cancer surgery alongside progressing scleroderma. Several authors specifically noted that IBD responded exceptionally well to DMSO-something one reader here also observed in their own ulcerative colitis patients.
Likewise, I periodically have exchanges like this (which I was given permission to share):
Hi! I'm desperately hoping you can help me. How would I take DMSO to help a diverticulitis flare up? Thank you so so much! I don't trust anyone else but you!
I wrote a quick reply 19 minutes later, and then two hours and 12 minutes later received this reply.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! You saved me.
Then, I asked how fast the response was:
It actually helped a lot very quickly!! I think taking it really helped to decrease the pain and inflammation.
I was ready to go to the hospital! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!
Note: since I receive dozens of correspondences each day, I can't respond to most of them. For this reason, I maintain monthly open threads where readers can ask any lingering questions from the previous month, and everyone else can also view the answers. Likewise, I try to answer all the questions I expect to arise in each article (e.g., 95% of the DMSO questions I receive are answered within the articles) or write new ones to address recurring questions I receive (e.g., how do you use DMSO for gastrointestinal disorders).
Umbrella Remedies
Given that DMSO is primarily thought of as a pain treatment ( due to the rapid and dramatic improvement it frequently produces), it seems quite surprising that it could also create the profound bowel benefits described above. However, in medicine, there are a few therapies (e.g., ultraviolet blood irradiation) that have the ability to cure a wide range of diseases, and as such are referred to as "umbrella therapies." This is because, rather than targeting a specific molecular receptor, they can address the root causes of many illnesses, such as poor circulation throughout the body, inflammation, and cells entering a state of shock where they stop functioning and eventually die.
DMSO does that, and in turn, has repeatedly been shown to be remarkably effective for a wide range of disorders including:
- Strokes, paralysis, a wide range of neurological disorders (e.g., Down Syndrome and dementia), and many circulatory disorders (e.g., Raynaud's, varicose veins, hemorrhoids), which I discussed here.
- A wide range of tissue injuries, such as sprains, concussions, burns, surgical incisions, and spinal cord injuries (discussed here).
- Chronic pain (e.g., from a bad disc, bursitis, arthritis, or complex regional pain syndrome), which I discussed here.
- A wide range of autoimmune, protein, and contractile disorders, such as scleroderma, amyloidosis, and interstitial cystitis (discussed here).
- A variety of head conditions, such as tinnitus, vision loss, dental problems, and sinusitis (discussed here).
- A wide range of internal organ diseases, such as pancreatitis, infertility, COPD, and endometriosis (discussed here).
- A wide range of skin conditions, such as burns, varicose veins, acne, hair loss, ulcers, skin cancer, and many autoimmune dermatologic diseases (discussed here).
- Many challenging infectious conditions, including chronic bacterial infections, herpes, and shingles (discussed here).
- Many aspects of cancer (e.g., many of cancer's debilitating symptoms, making cancer treatments more potent, greatly reducing the toxicity of conventional therapies, and turning cancer cells back into normal cells), which I discussed here.
Note: most of the above have also been shown for ultraviolet blood irradiation. Likewise, similar data exists for ozone, another umbrella remedy that I plan to focus on once the DMSO series is finished.
Additionally, DMSO possesses a unique ability to enhance the absorption and potency of pharmaceutical medications and natural therapies by facilitating their passage into the body. This property has transformed the way conventional and natural medicine is practiced, opening up nearly limitless possibilities for incredible therapeutic combinations (discussed here and here), and most importantly, DMSO is extremely safe (provided it's used correctly).
As such, a wealth of data (detailed in the above articles) has accumulated, showing DMSO has a high rate of efficacy in a wide range of conditions. Since DMSO was widely available, it quickly spread like wildfire across America in the 1960s (particularly due to how rapidly it alleviated "incurable" pain). Regrettably, the FDA then stepped in and went to war with DMSO to protect the status quo. In the decades that followed, despite the public, the scientific community, and Congress petitioning the FDA to rescind their prohibition on DMSO, it all fell on deaf ears (all of which I chronicled here).
Eventually, the 1994 DSHEA Act (passed in response to public outrage over the FDA raiding supplement providers at gunpoint) simply took away the FDA's ability to regulate natural medicines, and DMSO was able to re-enter the marketplace. Sadly by this time, despite thousands of studies supporting its use, many American pharmaceutical products using DMSO and it being widely used outside the United States, DMSO had become yet another forgotten side of medicine.
As what they did to DMSO has always really bothered me (particularly due to its ability to rescue people from a life of debility after strokes or spinal cord injuries), I decided to try publicizing it and do all that I could to give a strong case for its use. Fortunately, numerous readers here were willing to try it, bringing it to public consciousness, and much like the 1960s (when it first emerged) it again has rapidly caught on.
In turn, I've received numerous testimonials from readers around the world about the life-changing effects DMSO has had on them. Recognizing the importance of not letting these stories become forgotten, I've devoted a significant amount of time to compiling those I came across here-which has now totaled to over 3,000 reports of DMSO treating a wide range of conditions.
The majority of those testimonials align with the well-recognized functions of DMSO, but at the same time, I've received many astonishing ones, such as the diverticulitis example above. As such, this article will focus on exactly what the data shows DMSO does for the gastrointestinal system, and how many reader reports mirror what is displayed within those studies.
Note: one of DMSO's key anticancer properties is that it causes cancer cells to differentiate (transform) into normal cells. Data also shows it can create this effect in stem cells 1, 2, 3 and hence produce the cells needed to regenerate a damaged organ (e.g., this has been repeatedly demonstrated for the heart 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and kidneys 1).
Stomach
I adore your substance. Your suggestion to try oral DMSO to heal my stomach issues [and my gut] is slowly but surely working. I have been seeing various docs about the issue for over 2 years now- and your suggestion was the first one to actually help! - from a retired M.D.
DMSO has been repeatedly shown to heal the stomach, stop life-threatening bleeds and modulate its function, particularly when injuries follow excess acidity:
• A study of 138 patients with chronic gastritis (stomach inflammation), duodenal ulcers (mostly in remission), or one gastric ulcer found that 50% DMSO applications to the epigastric area often reduced gastric juice volume and acidity in those with duodenal ulcers and hypersecretion, and enhanced antral mucosa neutralization in some with acidic conditions. In chronic gastritis with preserved acid secretion, the effects of DMSO varied (no change, reduced, or slightly increased secretion and acidity). In secretory insufficiency, DMSO had no stimulating effect, either unchanged or slightly reduced secretion. In short, DMSO consistently normalized excessive stomach acid production.
I have been drinking DMSO diluted in water daily for about 3 months with no known side effects...Since starting this pattern my reflux has disappeared and I am feeling great.
• In lab tests, 9% DMSO increased pepsin enzyme activity by 83.4%, lowered the Km value to 1.50 mg/mL, and altered pepsin's molecular conformation without inhibiting aromatic amino acid absorption-hence making pepsin more effective at digesting protein.
Bleeding ulcers in the stomach and duodenum remain a major issue in medicine, with roughly 10,000 Americans dying annually from them, and around 10 billion dollars are spent each year on them. As such, DMSO's ability to treat and prevent them is quite noteworthy:
• In 115 hospitalized patients with pelvic fractures or hypovolemic shock at risk for stress-induced gastric ulcers, 22% of 58 controls developed ulcers, compared to only 4% of 57 receiving DMSO and 3% of 62 receiving allopurinol. Notably, none of the DMSO-treated patients deteriorated or required emergency surgery, whereas 8 controls and 1 allopurinol recipient did, with 3 control patients dying.
• In 101 patients with hematemesis (coughing up blood) due to erosive gastritis, oral DMSO and allopurinol (administered every 6 hours for 5 days) resulted in 8% having further hematemesis episodes, and 9% having endoscopies showing hemorrhagic inflammation. In contrast, 29% of untreated controls had further hematemesis episodes, and 44% showed hemorrhagic inflammation. No treated patients required surgery, while three controls did, with one death.
• In 58 patients with NSAID-induced erosive gastritis, DMSO reduced re-bleeding, stabilized hemodynamics, and promoted gastric erosion healing (7% had erosions at 48 hours) compared to placebo (50% of 59 patients), with fewer patients requiring transfusions or surgery.
• In 40 patients with multiple fractures and hemorrhagic shock, DMSO reduced stress-induced acute gastric mucosal injury incidence to 2.5% (1/40) compared to 23.8% (10/42) with placebo, with fewer requiring surgery.
• In rats with corrosive esophageal burns, intraperitoneal DMSO reduced stricture formation by decreasing malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 levels, lowering the stenosis index and histopathologic damage scores compared to controls.
• In rats, DMSO significantly accelerated healing of reserpine- and 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced acute ischemic gastric mucosal injury, reducing injury severity over 4 days compared to placebo.
• In three separate placebo controlled rat studies, DMSO at (1%, 2%, and 5%) demonstrated significant protection from a variety of injuries to the stomach lining in a dose dependent manner. In the first, 2 days of DMSO pretreatment counteracted ischemic injuries (from reserpine or serotonin) to the gastric mucosa, with 1% DMSO reducing the injury area, 2% protecting 60-80% of the stomach (depending on the injuring agent used), and 5% fully preventing it. In the second study, DMSO prevented ethanol (alcohol) from damaging the stomach, with 1% reducing injury in 70% of rats, while 2% and 5% eliminated it entirely. In the third, 1% DMSO reducing stomach ulceration by 40%, 2% by 80% and 5% by 100% (providing complete protection).
• DMSO (2 or 5% solutions) completely protected rats against aspirin-induced gastric mucosal injury (0% incidence vs. 30% without pyloric ligation and 80% with ligation in placebo) and ethanol-induced injury (0% incidence vs. 100% in placebo), without affecting H+ output.
• In rats subjected to water-immersion stress, DMSO inhibited gastric ulcer formation. Similarly, in rats with cold-restraint stress, DMSO, allopurinol, or their combination significantly reduced lipid peroxidation and stress-induced gastric and lung injuries compared to saline controls.
Note: other studies have also shown DMSO protects against gastric stress ulceration.
Other data also corroborates DMSO's ability to heal severe gastric conditions and support recovery in challenging cases:
• A 1968 patent application reported oral DMSO effectively treated gastrointestinal conditions: 28 patients with acute gastritis resumed work within 5-8 days, free of nausea, vomiting, and pain, with 21 remaining symptom-free after one year; 13 patients with chronic gastritis improved after 1-2 months and stayed relapse-free for a year with periodic retreatment; 5 patients with recent peptic ulcers were cured without recurrence over a year; 6 patients with enterocolitis improved after 8 days and returned to work within 2 months; and 3 patients with mucomembranous colitis were cured after 3 weeks.
• In patients with refractory gastric and duodenal ulcers unresponsive to three months of cimetidine and one month of bismuth chelate, oral DMSO achieved complete healing within four weeks with no significant side effects, compared to placebo.
• In 126 patients with healed duodenal ulcers and Helicobacter pylori infection, oral DMSO reduced one-year ulcer relapse to 6%, compared to 47% with placebo and 24% with cimetidine, showing superior efficacy. No comparison between DMSO alone and DMSO with allopurinol was reported.
• In 12 patients with refractory peptic ulcers (eight duodenal, four gastric), oral DMSO achieved complete healing within four weeks, compared to placebo.
Finally, DMSO has also been shown to alter other characteristics of the stomach (e.g., it made the stomach more transparent, increasing light transmittance by 29%; it increased the stomach's sensitivity to vagal stimulation; and at concentrations above 50%, it decreased stomach acid secretion in a dose-dependent manner).
Note: Numerous key human studies cited in this section and the next (where DMSO was often administered orally with a nasogastric tube) were conducted by a DMSO researcher in Iraq between 1990-1994, during a period when its medical system was robust before economic sanctions and conflicts disrupted Iraq's healthcare infrastructure, a pattern also observed in Libya post-NATO intervention (where pivotal DMSO research was also previously conducted)..