Question: What should people know who are interested in MSM or SAMe to treat arthritis?
Nutritional supplements are getting more and more attention. People are searching for information on both MSM (the supplement touted by actor James Coburn) and SAM-e. What should people know who are interested in MSM or SAMe to treat arthritis?
Answer: Alternative medicine offers arthritic patients a second chance when conventional therapy fails. Most patients are so eager for a cure, or at the least relief from their misery, that they readily accept unproven remedies. Patients are overly hopeful and very anxious to report efficacy, which too often is over exaggerated and difficult to reproduce by clinical study. Two recent additions to the OTC marketplace are MSM (MethylSulfonylMethane), and SAMe (S-AdenosylMethionine).
MSM is found naturally in a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains. Patients on OTC MSM with various musculoskeletal symptoms including arthritis, report relief of pain and stiffness, and reduced swelling and inflammation. This is felt to occur through an increase in immunological competence. SAMe has been reported by the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology to reduce disease activity, pain, and morning stiffness, in patients with fibromyalgia. In OTC form, these preparations are expensive, but appear to have no life threatening side effects if taken at label dosage. Many patients seem willing to take a chance.
(Answer provided by the late Dr. Raymond Federman, aka Dr. Bones, who passed away on September 2, 2003. The care of his patients even in retirement was always his joy.)More Arthritis Q&A