Colloidal silver contains a liquid base with a suspension of submicroscopic silver particles. Some people use colloidal silver products for alternative health care. Although the substance is claimed to be effective for treating a wide range of diseases, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) site explains that no clinical research has confirmed health benefits of taking colloidal silver. Ingesting large amounts of silver or taking it for long periods of time can lead to serious negative side effects.
Minor Side Effects
About 4 percent of 214 poll respondents at the Silver Medicine website reported minor side effects associated with colloidal silver. These included diarrhea, gas, digestion problems and difficulties with calcium absorption. Two people reported symptoms they interpreted as a Herxheimer reaction, or detoxification. This reaction occurs when bacteria are killed, causing toxins to enter the system more rapidly than the liver and kidneys can eliminate them. Effects can include fever, chills, headache and muscle pain.
Neurological Effects
A report published in a 2004 issue of "Neurology" described the case of an elderly man who developed myoclonic status epilepticus, or a state of prolonged seizure, after taking colloidal silver daily for four months. The man had high silver levels in his blood and cerebrospinal fluid. He became comatose and died about five months later. The authors concluded that silver supplements can result in irreversible neurologic toxicity.
Contraindications
Pregnant women should not take colloidal silver because it may cause birth defects, as noted by the MSKCC. People with kidney disease should not take colloidal silver because the substance has been linked to kidney damage. Colloidal silver also decreases absorption of the antibiotics quinolone and tetracycline, as well as the drugs penicillamine and thyroxine.
Permanent Skin Discoloration
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a consumer advisory about skin discoloration linked to dietary supplements containing silver. This condition is known as argyria. It involves skin permanently turning ash-gray or blue-gray after an individual takes high doses of silver supplements for a long period of time. Argyria also causes discoloration of internal organs and tissues, as well as mucous membranes, eyes, nails and gums. The disorder is not reversible, although the Silver Medicine website notes that some cases have been resolved with laser surgery.
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