About Colloidal Silver Side effects- Argyria & The Herxheimer effect
Posted by Jewel on Jan 18, 2024
No it won't turn your Poodles Blue!! You'd need blue hair dye!
Let's talk about silver and how much is okay to take. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has set a guideline for the amount of silver that's safe to take every day. They call it the "reference dose" (Rfd). It's basically the amount you can take daily without risking any health issues over your lifetime. For silver, it's about 5 micrograms for every kilogram you weigh each day. ( Or your pet) If you weigh about 150 pounds, you should stay under 350 micrograms of silver a day. Which is such a small amount compared to the dose that would case argyria.
The amount that might be harmful was equivalent in silver content to giving [per day] a 150 pound adult between 150 litres and 570 litres of 10 ppm colloidal silver, or between 75 and 285 liters of 20 ppm colloidal silver or between 50 and 190 litres of 30 ppm colloidal silver.
Argyria
Some folks worry about a condition called Argyria, where the skin turns a blue-gray color after taking too much silver. It turns out you'd have to take a whole lot of silver for that to happen – like, way more than what's in the colloidal silver products we use.
In the past, when people took silver in different forms, like silver nitrate, and in really high doses, some did develop Argyria. But with the colloidal silver we have today, which has really tiny silver particles, there hasn't been a single report of this happening.
Every day, we all naturally eat a tiny bit of silver in our food, and that's totally safe. The amounts in colloidal silver products are just a small bit more than that, still in the safe zone
Now, you might have heard of a condition called Argyria, where the skin turns a blue-gray color. It happens in a way similar to how old-school photos are developed. In photography, when you expose silver salts to light and add a developer (like caffeine) in an alkaline environment (like our blood, which is normally alkaline), the silver turns into metallic particles. In photography, this creates the image on the film. In the body, these growing silver particles can cause Argyria.
But here's the thing: colloidal silver, the kind many people take for its health benefits, doesn't have these silver salts. It's more like the developed photo in our analogy. If you leave a developed photo in the sun, it fades instead of turning darker, right? That's because all the silver salts are already turned into silver particles. So, in the same way, colloidal silver can't really cause Argyria.
Of course, theoretically, if you took a massive amount of colloidal silver with a really high concentration, it could be a problem. But you'd likely have issues from drinking too much water before the silver became a problem. So, as long as you stick within the safe limits, you should be okay.
Other Side Effects
You might have heard some scary things about colloidal silver, like it could hurt your organs or even be deadly. Let me clear that up.
The scary stories usually come from a study where dogs were given super high doses of silver — way more than anyone would ever take. Just to give you an idea, they got as much silver as what you'd find in hundreds of liters of colloidal silver all at once. That much of anything isn't going to end well.
And there's this other story about someone who took a huge amount of silver nitrate over many years because he had some health issues and then turned blue. But the amount they took was massive compared to what’s in colloidal silver products sold on the internet today.
The bottom line is, these stories are about extreme amounts that don't have much to do with the colloidal silver products we use. It's important to keep things in perspective and remember that balance is key in everything.
But here's the thing: colloidal silver, the kind many people take for its health benefits, doesn't have these silver salts. It's more like the developed photo in our analogy. If you leave a developed photo in the sun, it fades instead of turning darker, right? That's because all the silver salts are already turned into silver particles. So, in the same way, colloidal silver can't really cause Argyria.
Of course, theoretically, if you took a massive amount of colloidal silver with a really high concentration, it could be a problem. But you'd likely have issues from drinking too much water before the silver became a problem. So, as long as you stick within the safe limits, you should be okay.
Herxheimer Effect
There's this thing called the "Herxheimer effect" that some new users of colloidal silver might experience. It's when the silver is doing such a good job fighting off bad stuff in your body that you might feel a bit off while your body gets rid of all the gunk. It could be a runny nose or maybe you'll feel like you need to hit the bathroom more. If that happens, it's just a sign to take it easy on the silver for a bit.
When your dog starts taking colloidal silver, it can be really effective at fighting off bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other unwanted bugs. If your dog hasn’t had colloidal silver before, or if they’re on a higher dose, it can quickly start to kill these bugs. But, as these germs die, they release toxins.
Normally, your dog’s body would get rid of these toxins through their liver, kidneys, intestines, skin, and even breathing. But if a lot of these germs die at the same time, it can be a bit too much for their body to handle all at once. This is what’s called the Herxheimer effect, or a “healing crisis.” It was first noticed by a doctor named Karl Herxheimer.
The signs that your dog might be going through this include seeming tired, acting like they have a headache or muscle pain, maybe a slight fever, looking like they have a cold, or even skin issues. It’s basically how their body reacts to getting rid of all these toxins at once.
If you see these symptoms in your dog, don’t worry too much. It usually means the colloidal silver is working. You might just need to give them a smaller amount so their body can catch up and get rid of the toxins more easily. Making sure they drink plenty of water and get some rest can also help them get through this detox phase.
If you’re ever unsure or worried about your dog’s symptoms, it’s always best to check with your vet. They can help you figure out if what your dog is experiencing is the Herxheimer effect or something else, and give you advice on what to do next.
The key if you or your dog os experiencing these symptoms is not to panic. It's usually a sign that the colloidal silver is doing its job. You might just need to slow down and take a smaller amount to give your body time to adjust and eliminate those toxins more comfortably. Drinking plenty of water and resting can also help your body through the healing crisis.
