Clinical Drug Experience Knowledgebase

DIMETHYL SULFONE is a compound that contains sulfur. It is a naturally occurring organosulfur compound utilized as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) under a variety of names including dimethyl sulfone, methyl sulfone, sulfonylbismethane, organic sulfur, or crystalline dimethyl sulfoxide. Its most common use is as anti-inflammatory agent. DIMETHYL SULFONE has been claimed to relieve stress, relieve pain, treat parasitic infections, increase energy, boost metabolism, enhance circulation, and improve wound healing, but there is little supporting scientific evidence. Due to its enhanced ability to penetrate membranes and permeate throughout the body, the full mechanistic function of MSM may involve a collection of cell types and is therefore difficult to elucidate. DIMETHYL SULFONE is recognized as safe by the FDA, but efficacy has yet to be proven. In rats, no adverse events were observed after daily doses of 2 g MSM per kg of body weight. Published clinical trials of DIMETHYL SULFONE did not report any serious side effects, but long-term effects are unknown.   ^NCATS