Topical or taken internally? There was a recent story in the news of an elected official who took colloidal silver internally. It turned his skin to a bluish tint. It is PERMANENT! Do a little research and you'll find that the term "blue-bloods" referring to royalty is due to the old practice of taking silver internally. Topical colloidal silver is probably harmless. I know that silver is used in some bandages to cover open wounds. Silver has strong antimicrobial properties, but I don't know if the kind of stuff you can buy on the Internet has the same quality. The trouble is that you really don't know what you are getting from any given manufacturer. You're probably better off saving your money...

Got this off of the GNC website:

Colloidal Silver

What it does

Where found

Helpful for

Are you deficient?

Amount to take

Safety check

References

What does it do? Silver, like mercury, was used as a medicine in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its prime application was as a topical antiseptic. Use of silver, in the form of silver nitrate solution, is still required by law in most states to be used in newborns as a topical eye drop to prevent eye infections.

In the early 1990s colloidal silver began appearing in the marketplace as a aoenutritional supplement.a? aoeColloidala? describes the fact the silver is suspended in water. Although tremendous claims and testimonials have been made for colloidal silver, almost none of these are documented with scientific research. Silver is an effective antimicrobial agent; however, the effective concentrations required for any sort of systemic effect with colloidal silver are not likely to be obtained safely with oral administration.1 Yet, colloidal silver is promoted by certain distributors as an alternative to antibiotics and as treatment for almost every infectious disease.

In response to the growing popularity and unsubstantiated claims, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Final Rule on August 17, 1999, stating that all over-the-counter (OTC) products containing colloidal silver or silver salts are not recognized as safe and effective.2 Colloidal silver products are classified by the FDA as misbranded because adequate directions cannot be written so the general public can use these drugs safely for their intended purposes. The products are also misbranded when their labeling falsely suggests there is substantial scientific evidence to establish the drugs are safe and effective for their intended uses. According to the Final Rule, a colloidal silver product for any drug use will first have to be approved by the FDA under drug application procedures.

Despite this Final Ruling from the FDA, colloidal silver will likely continue to be sold as a trace mineral supplement without medical claims or claims of specific benefits, even though its need in human nutrition is unsubstantiated.

Where is it found? Colloidal silver is sold as a water-based solution.

Colloidal Silver has been used in connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual health concern for complete information):

Rating Health Concerns

Minor burns (topical antiseptic)

Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit.

Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit.

An herb is primarily supported by traditional use, or the herb or supplement has little scientific support and/or minimal health benefit.

Who is likely to be deficient? Silver is not an essential nutrient, and thus no deficiency state exists.

How much is usually taken? The typical recommendation is 1 teaspoon per day, with each teaspoon (5 ml) containing 10 parts per million (ppm) of silver or 50 mcg of silver. This amount is in keeping with the average amount of silver consumed from food and water: roughly 350 mcg per day for most people. However, little in known about the relative absorption and toxicity of colloidal silver, compared with that of the silver naturally present in our diet. Because of the lack of long-term safety or efficacy data for colloidal silver, its use cannot be recommended.

Are there any side effects or interactions? When taken in low amounts (e.g., 50 mcg daily), the body appears able to efficiently excrete silver. However, any silver the body is unable to excrete accumulates in body tissues and can result in argyriaathe depositing of silver in the internal organs, tissues, and skin.3 Argyria causes the skin to turn gray or bluish gray and to turn dark on exposure to strong sunlight. This discoloration is permanent and there is no known effective treatment for it. In addition to argyria, the intake of very large amounts (far in excess of the amount that causes discoloration of the skin) of silver can cause neurological and organ damage and atherosclerosis.

The estimated amount of silver accumulation over a one-year period that is required to produce argyria is 1 to 6 grams. This amount is very large compared to the 50 mcg typically recommended and consumed by people using OTC colloidal silver products. Using the most conservative figure, 1,000 mg (1 gram) of silver corresponds to the silver content in 100 liters of 10 ppm colloidal silver, 50 liters of 20 PPM colloidal silver, or 33.3 liters of 30 PPM colloidal silver.

At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with colloidal silver.

References:

1. Russell AD, Hugo WB. Antimicrobial activity and action of silver. Prog Med Chem 1994;31:351a70 [review].

2. FDA TALK PAPER, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. August 17, 1999.

3. Hollinger MA. Toxicological aspects of topical silver pharmaceuticals. Crit Rev Toxicol 1996;26(3):255a60.

Thanks again. Think I'll stay away from collidal silver. 😕

I've used colloidal silver a couple of times in the past. I bought one bottle about 7 months ago and saw some improvement before I ran out. I never got around to buying another bottle and since my acne tends to vary in its severity I'm not sure if it was just naturally getting better or if the silver was helping. I do know that using it topically didn't do anything for me. It was only when I took a little bit orally per day that I saw some results. Then, last month I got an ear infection, but couldn't afford prescription medication so I turned to colloidal silver again. Again, I took it orally and within 12 hours the pain in my ear had significantly subsided. At the time I was taking about 3-4 swigs from the bottle per day and swishing it under my tongue. By the time I finished that bottle I noticed that in addition to getting rid of my earache, my skin had cleared some. It can cause the disease (I forget what it's called) that causes blue skin, but it's my understanding that that only happens if the particle size is too large or if there are too many parts per million (ppm). Besides, in my opinion, that is no worse than the risks you take with prescription acne medication. There are many many different types of colloidal silver sold both online and in stores so I recommend doing thorough research before buying any. Not having taken it for extended periods of time, I can't say that it's completely harmless, but I have had nothing but good experiences.

What!? The risks are no worse than prescription acne meds? Hmmm, last time I checked, my prescription meds did not have the ability to turn my skin BLUE - PERMANENTLY! I'll say it again. There is NO regulation for the industry that produces colloidal silver. You don't know what you are getting or how much. If you want to take the chance. so be it...

Ok, well, nobody's trying to force you to take it, I just thought I'd give my opinion since no one else who's posted in this thread has tried it. And when I mentioned the risks, I personally would much rather risk my skin having a blue tint (this is after all a risk, not something that's guaranteed to happen) than risk severe liver damage, future brain damage to my children, having the glands that provide mouiture to my eyes, mouth, skin, etc. dry up permanently, and other such side effects associated with things like Accutane. You are absolutely correct in saying that the production of colloidal silver is not regulated so if one should choose to use it he should be careful (and do a good amount of research before purchasing so you at least know what kind of colloidal silver you're looking for with regard to particle size, type of water used, ppm, etc). But some of us who have been plagued by acne for years are to the point where we're willing to take risks. Why else would we be spending extreme amounts of money paying for products that we know probably won't work, and taking massive amounts of things like zinc (where there are HUGE risks involved)? If you don't feel comfortable taking colloidal silver, that's totally fine. It may or may not work for you and you may not feel comfortable with the risks involved. But if you're willing to do some research and take a risk no bigger than other risks you've probably already taken, it's worked well for me and I've had no negative side effects.

Colloidal Silver was the answer to getting rid of my acne! I started using it a couple weeks ago twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, using a small cotton pad to apply. I have been using it in combination with the AcneFree system by University Medical, but the AcneFree system did not do much for me until I started using the silver. I have seen a drastic improvement in the appearance of my skin. Not only are the pimples mostly gone, but red spots and blotchiness that has been left behind is also fading. It works by counteracting acne-causing bacteria in your skin. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS STUFF! It is really cheap to buy compared to other products and it works. I highly recommend trying it out for at least a couple weeks. It might not be powerful enough to get rid of acne alone, but try using it in combination with your regular routine. Hopefully this helps you as much as it helped me! Good luck