However, several businesses advertise colloidal silver pills as cure-alls. It can improve your immune system, relieve chest congestion, and cure or prevent viral infections like the common cold or COVID-19, according to the company. You may also hear that colloidal silver can assist with cancer, HIV/AIDS, shingles, herpes, and vision difficulties. These assertions, however, are not supported by research.
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How much colloidal silver should I take a day?
Although colloidal silver is absolutely non-toxic and can be taken in any amount, one tsp per day is the suggested daily dosage. During times of illness, more might be taken as needed.
Can colloidal silver damage kidneys?
A consumer caution on colloidal silver products has been issued by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). http://www.nccam.nih.gov/health/alerts/silver/index.htm is the link to the advisory.
Small silver particles suspended in a liquid make up colloidal silver goods. They are sold as dietary supplements and claim to boost the immune system, eliminate disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and treat diseases like cancer, HIV/AIDS, AIDS, TB, syphilis, scarlet fever, shingles, herpes, pneumonia, and prostatitis, among others. These assertions have not been substantiated.
According to the NCCAM, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not consider over-the-counter colloidal silver products to be generally recognized as safe and effective for diseases and disorders. A number of companies have been fined by the FDA for making drug-like claims concerning these items.
Colloidal silver has a lot of negative side effects. One is argyria, a bluish-gray skin discoloration. Argyria is incurable and irreversible. Neurologic issues (e.g., seizures), kidney damage, stomach upset, headaches, exhaustion, and skin irritation are some of the other negative effects. Furthermore, colloidal silver may interfere with the absorption of prescription medications such as penicillamine, quinolones, tetracyclines, and thyroxine by the body.
Does silver fight infection?
Silver's bactericidal properties have been widely documented. Its anti-infective properties can be seen in a variety of applications, including as a topical treatment for burns and chronic wounds, as well as a coating for both temporary and permanent medical devices. However, silver has failed in some situations, such as the failed silver-coated sewing ring of the Silzone heart valve, and its value in others, such as orthopedic hardware coatings, has yet to be proven. Continued testing of such devices will be required to narrow down the areas in which silver is beneficial.
An up-to-date tally is practically impossible to keep track of because new devices incorporating silver into their infection-prevention design appear all the time. This review attempted to cover all of the key applications of silver in medicine. While additional products with antibacterial qualities have evolved for some of these purposes, silver remains a reasonable supplement to the armamentarium against infection with few adverse effects. However, when choosing the most appropriate medication, one should compare the benefits of silver-containing products against the known negative effects and other options available for the specific purpose.
Can colloidal silver cause liver damage?
Many organs, including the colon, bladder, pancreas, and renal papillae, had severe silver staining at autopsy.
Fine black pigments were seen in nearly all basement membranes, including the epidermis, glomeruli (see Figure), choroid plexus, and cardiac connective tissue, under a microscope.
The basement membranes of the patient's original liver included similar tiny granules, but not the newly transplanted liver.
For nearly 15 years, the patient acknowledged to drinking one pint of colloid silver virtually every day. Many illnesses have been claimed to be cured by this homeopathic treatment, including the common cold, cancer, diabetes, and HIV. On the internet, you can find all of the necessary equipment and recipes, and as a result, you can save a lot of money “Silver cures sold as “food supplements” get under regulatory restrictions. Colloid silver can be easily generated by putting two silver wires in a tub of water with a 9-volt battery. Silver is drawn off the wire and into the water by the electric reaction, resulting in liquid silver elixir.
Silver deposits permanently in the skin after consumption, causing argyria's distinctive color variations, which are notably noticeable in sun-exposed places where sunlight converts the metal to an inert salt, similar to the techniques employed in photography. Although ingested silver is known to alter skin color irreversibly and deposit broadly throughout the body, the long-term effects of silver intake on extracutaneous organs have yet to be proven. As a result, argyria is still a cosmetic issue that isn't a contraindication to a liver transplant.
Colloid silver recipes, like other homeopathic treatments, are available to the general public. Despite the fact that there is no peer-reviewed scientific evidence to support its use, public testimonies promoting silver as the new panacea will continue to circulate. Physicians must educate themselves and their patients about the dangers of colloid silver “Youth's fountain.”
Can you drink colloidal silver?
It can be found in trace amounts in drinking water, food, and even the air you breathe.
However, the environmental and physiological effects of silver nanoparticles remain unknown, and colloidal silver ingestion is deemed dangerous.
The most serious side effect of persistent colloidal silver exposure is argyria.
Due to a buildup of silver metal particles in the body and skin, argyria causes the skin to turn a blue-gray color. The intestines, liver, kidneys, and other organs can all have silver deposits (16).
Is colloidal silver good for joint pain?
An adolescent female developed leukocytoclastic vasculitis after taking a naturopathic medication. Drug-induced acute onset leukocytoclastic vasculitis instances have been demonstrated to respond to the removal of the inciting substance in studies. When our patient stopped ingesting colloidal silver, she noticed a significant reduction in pruritus and irritation in the areas of her rash, as well as a shrinking of skin involvement. Her recuperation was aided by the start of steroid and colchicine treatment. In our patient's situation, there was no justification for a skin biopsy or histopathologic proof of illness. The presentation and response to therapies were used to make a clinical diagnosis of leukocytoclastic vasculitis.
Antibiotics, particularly beta-lactams, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, propylthiouracil, levamisole-adulterated cocaine, warfarin, hydralazine, minocycline, indomethacin, and, most recently, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole are among the drugs that cause leukocytoclastic vasculitis, according to the literature. In the pediatric population, rare occurrences of leukocytoclastic vasculitis generated by anti-tuberculosis therapy have been described in Japan with ethambutol and rifampicin therapy, and in India with rifampicin and pyrazinamide therapy. There have also been reports of leukocytoclastic vasculitis caused by the anticoagulants dabigatran and rivaroxaban. Naproxen has also been associated to the development of leukocytoclastic vasculitis, with a severe case that necessitated amputation being reported in the Journal of Medical Case Reports. There hasn't been much research or reporting on the link between naturopathic medications and supplements and leukocytoclastic vasculitis.
Our patient was taking a colloidal silver supplement in liquid form (warm tea) several times a day with the objective of “internal cleansing,” according to the product distributor's website. Silver colloidal use is common among naturopathic and alternative medicinal treatments, despite the fact that it is not thoroughly investigated. A suspension of submicroscopic silver particles in a colloid base is known as silver colloidal. The medicine has not been recognized by the Food and Drug Administration for any use or treatment; however, it is used as a homeopathic therapy for a variety of illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, and arthritis, to name a few. The use of silver colloidal silver has not been proven to be safe or beneficial for these ailments. On the product distributor's website, there was no mention of any negative effects associated with using this medication. Silver colloidal has been known to produce argyria (skin deposition of silver generating a blue-gray coloring of the skin, especially in skin areas exposed to the sun) and argyrosis (deposits in the eye), both of which are permanent adverse effects. However, our study of the literature revealed no link between silver colloidal and leukocytoclastic vasculitis.
The prognosis for cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis is good, especially when there is no systemic illness, as in our case. Substance-induced leukocytoclastic vasculitis is frequently described as a localized disease with only cutaneous symptoms that resolves when the inciting drug is stopped. The presence of arthralgias and cryoglobulins, as well as the absence of fever, indicate the chronicity of leukocytoclastic vasculitis, according to the International Journal of Clinical Rheumatology.
Treatment depends on two primary elements, according to guidelines published in the International Journal of Clinical Rheumatology in 2013. These are the etiology and the degree of the disease. If there is systemic involvement, treatment should be based on the most severely affected organ, with a combination of steroid and immunosuppressive drugs being utilized.
In cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis, symptomatic treatment is always indicated, including analgesics, antihistamines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, compression stockings, and leg elevation. Dapsone and colchicine are two medications used to treat dermatoses, particularly chronic or relapsing dermatoses, and have been proven to be beneficial in the treatment of leukocytoclastic vasculitis in some cases. Corticosteroids have been shown in multiple studies to lessen the incidence of severe renal insufficiency in children. More study is needed into the best ways to treat and manage leukocytoclastic vasculitis. There are currently no large, randomized prospective trials on the successful therapy and management of any cause of this condition, and no research directing treatment of patients with uncertain etiology and chronic, recurrent symptoms.
Because many over-the-counter supplements are marketed as “safe” and with “no negative effects,” the likelihood of individuals providing this information during a medical history taking is minimal. During routine evaluations, patients should be informed about safety profiles, including potential side effects of over-the-counter supplements.
Can you put colloidal silver in your mouth?
Colloidal silver is probably dangerous when consumed by mouth. Colloidal silver contains silver, which is deposited in the skin and numerous organs. This might cause a permanent bluish color in the gums, which occurs first.
Does colloidal silver work for wrinkles?
While we'd like to think of ourselves as skincare experts, every now and then a new ingredient emerges that demands additional examination. This time, the color is silver. We've seen copper and gold, and now silver appears to be experiencing a renaissance. However, it turns out that the use of silver in skincare isn't all that new. Silver has been utilized for millennia for its excellent antiseptic and anti-inflammatory characteristics, and it was used to treat antimicrobial conditions before antibiotics were developed.
Is colloidal silver good for sinus infection?
Worse, drugs are ineffective against fungal infections, which proliferate unchecked. Furthermore, antibiotics are taken systemically, which means they affect the entire body even if only the sinuses are infected. This changes the body's microbial flora, which might lead to various illnesses.
Understanding the enemy
The issue is two-fold: First, you're fighting a fungi-bacteria symbiotic relationship with an active substance that only kills bacteria. Second, the medicines used to kill bacteria only kill a portion of the bacteria. Microbes that are resistant to the antibiotic used will take over the feeding grounds of those that were killed.
This is a recipe for taking a bad neighborhood and exacerbating it by eliminating only the weakest criminals.
Many fungi can be found in the sinuses. They feed on the mucopolysaccharides (mucus) that line the sinus passageways and produce exotoxins that irritate the membranes of the sinuses. The immune system does its hardest to destroy these invaders, but it's a never-ending war because molds, bacteria, and viruses are present in every breath a person takes.
Fungus works as a layer of insulation on which bacteria can grow and thrive, exacerbating the situation.
2 The bacteria can breakdown the fungus's mucopolysaccharide conversion and thrive on top of it. They are so isolated from the immune system and, as a result, from antibiotics that are distributed through the microcapillary bed.
Searching for solutions
The use of a systemic antibiotic to destroy the bacteria that causes sinusitis is just a partial treatment. You'll also need an antifungal to reduce the number of molds in your sinuses and protect the germs from the immune system's and antibiotics' reach. 3
Furthermore, taking medications orally results in a large body load, with little of it reaching microorganisms in many circumstances. A direct application of an antibiotic to the infection is required.
It is also critical to select an antibiotic that is capable of killing all germs. Antibiotics can kill three different types of bacteria in three different ways. Only a fraction of the fauna will be killed by each antibiotic.
What you need is a broad-spectrum antibacterial that kills all types of bacteria evenly so you don't simply kill the weak ones, as well as one that kills fungus.
Pure aqueous colloidal silver is antifungal and antibacterial, as it turns out (although it is more effective against bacteria than it is against fungi). It destroys all germs, albeit some are killed more effectively than others.
It is extraordinarily successful when pure aqueous colloidal silver of adequate potency (more than 35 ppm) is coupled with a surfactant (such as polysorbate 20) to increase penetration into cells, with kill rates exceeding 1 million in less than 20 minutes.
4
Clinical studies have shown that increased colloidal silver can cure mild sinus infections in a week or less, significantly more quickly than sinus surgery or medications.
It can also be sprayed directly into the sinuses, eliminating the need for systemic administration. This allows for a significant reduction in the amount required.
Because the antimicrobial is given only where the illness is present, a patient will avoid having a potent antibiotic coursing throughout his or her entire body.
Protocols for use
When a person has a sinus infection, their mucosal flow is usually quite high. In less than 10 minutes, an antibiotic can be flushed from the area. 5 The antibacterial agent must be renewed in the environment every 20 to 30 minutes to ensure the efficacy of this therapy.
Because not only does the mucus transport away the antibiotic, but bacteria and fungi can double in number every 20 minutes, reapplication is required on a regular basis. Spraying them frequently to kill them is the only way to get ahead of their reproductive rate. The key to making the therapy work is to apply it repeatedly at 20 to 30 minute intervals.
The proper active agent, in the right concentration, in the right area, and with the right procedure are all important components of this balanced holistic treatment to sinusitis. If done correctly, the patient can reduce the infection while conserving the usual microbial flora, restoring a healthy power balance in the nose.
If you've ever used a Neti Pot, you're aware that it can reach even the most remote parts of your sinuses. The majority of Neti Pot procedures recommend using saline, but bacteria and fungus love saline, thus the only benefit of doing so is that part of the bacteria and fungi would be rinsed away. 6
Filling the sinuses with a strong antibiotic (e.g., enhanced aqueous colloidal silver) and then closing the nose with your fingers is another option. More bacteria and fungus will be killed by sitting in this position for 10 minutes than by taking antibiotics for a week.
When aqueous colloidal silver is flushed into the sinuses, it stings a little at first, but it quickly reaches osmotic equilibrium and the discomfort goes away. This should be done in the morning and evening to have the best results in treating tough sinus infections.
New Programs and Discoveries Aim to Combat Antibiotic Resistance, Hampton T. JAMA, 313(24), 2411-2413, 2015.
Bacterial biofilms on the sinus mucosa of human individuals with chronic rhinosinusitis, Sanderson AR, Leid JG, Hunsaker D. The Laryngoscope, 116(7), 1121-6, 2006.
Bacterial biofilms: an emerging relationship to disease pathogenesis, Parsek MR, Singh PK. Annual Review of Microbiology, vol. 57, no. 7, pp. 677-701.
Cornelius A., Frank S., Cornelius A., Frank S., Cornelius A. (2006). Silver Colloids and Silver Iontophoresis Antimicrobial Testing (p. 84-88). Klearsen Corporation, Boulder, CO.
5 Al-Rawi M, Edelstein DR, Erlandson RA, Al-Rawi M, Al-Rawi M, Al-Rawi M, Al-R A clinicopathologic and electron microscopic investigation of changes in the nasal epithelium in patients with severe chronic sinusitis. 1998;108:1816-1823 in Laryngoscope.
6 Pynnonen MA, Mukerji SS, Kim HM, Adams ME, Terrell JE, Mukerji SS, Kim HM, Adams ME, Terrell JE, Mukerji SS, Mukerji SS, Mu A randomized controlled study of nasal saline for chronic sinonasal symptoms. 2007;133(11):1115-20 in Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.
Will colloidal silver help kidney stones?
A: I'm sure he had no notion that consuming liquid (colloidal) silver could colour his skin Smurf blue over time, or that its medical benefits are minimal at best.
Colloidal silver has been used as an antibiotic and disinfectant for hundreds of years. Colloidal silver was utilized for short-term therapy of illnesses before the advent of penicillin, sulfa medicines, and other contemporary antibiotics.
Colloidal silver was generally pushed to the unregulated “alternative medicine” category as newer antibiotics proven to be safer and more effective.
Colloidal silver has made a comeback in the last 20 years as an untested alternative medical treatment for cancer, TB, HIV, and infection prevention in general.
There are no evidence-based therapeutic uses for colloidal silver at this time. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has issued a warning against its use, claiming that its marketing claims are unfounded. Nonetheless, some people believe it is beneficial to them.
The disease you witnessed is known as “argyria,” and it's caused by long-term colloidal silver consumption or topical use for a skin problem. While people who have gone blue due to colloidal silver staining appear to have no organ damage, argyria's blue coloring is regarded irreversible. Check out this Wikipedia page for some blue people: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyria.
Does colloidal silver help antibiotics?
According to new research, tiny concentrations of silver can dramatically increase the antibiotic effect on bacteria, making them up to 1,000 times more susceptible to the treatments. The researchers anticipate that their discovery will reintroduce ancient antibiotics, including those that have become resistant to microorganisms.
In an article published online on June 19 in Science Translational Medicine, Jim Collins of Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and colleagues present their findings.