Dimethyl Sulfoxide

DMSO is used as a topical analgesic, a vehicle for topical application of pharmaceuticals, as an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant. FDA has approved the use of DMSO only for palliative treatment of interstitial cystitis. DMSO also use in the veterinary field as a liniment for horses.Use of DMSO in medicine dates from around 1963, when a University of Oregon Medical School team, headed by Stanley Jacob, discovered it could penetrate deeply through the skin and other membranes without damaging them and could carry other compounds deep into a biological system. Some people report an onion- or garlic-like taste after contact with the skin. This is likely due to catabolic processes which reduce DMSO to dimethyl sulfide. Because DMSO increases the rate of absorption of some compounds through organic tissues including skin, it can be used as a drug delivery system.