colloidal silver

[westilina]

This is not so much a recreational drug question, but a medical question.
Hypothetically, what would happen to one, if one were to inject colloidal silver? Eg, is it safe?
I'm just curious.
My search within Bluelight has failed to recocognise colloidal silver.
Colloidal Silver info:
http://www.advanced-colloidal-silver.com/science.htm
(Many sites on colloidal silver exist)
Can anyone help?
Thanks, Westilina
[ 08 November 2002: Message edited by: westilina ]

 

[phase_dancer]

This would not be a good idea!
I’ve had a little experience with drinking a colloidal silver / ionic silver/ water mixture, after repairing a small electrolysis unit used to make it. This was a cheap and simple to make device, and once working it bubbled away hydrogen to form silver salts from silver ions, and silver metal present as a fine grey suspension. This undoubtedly also contained the insoluble silver chloride from reaction with chlorine in local water. Anode and cathode of the device - called a colloidal silver maker - were thin silver strips.
I didn’t really drink it long enough to notice any changes ( 10-11 days), although reports indicated it is some benefit to some people. You could certainly taste the silver. The practice from memory stems from Egypt.
Silver is a metal able to form coordinate bonds with proteins. While silver may be considered an inert metal like gold, it does form conjugates which can have severe effects on enzymes. Indeed, gold too can be toxic in high enough amounts. Colloidal silver proteins are used as stain markers and can release some other protein bound heavy metals, enabling the degree of toxicity to be measured.
I imagine that injecting colloidal silver would be a very dangerous practice. Silver ions are known to be caustic (used for antiseptic action) so any high level of plasma silver would be expected to display this irreversible effect on cells. The condition known as Argyria has been reported from absorption of silver particles through the skin.
From Emedicine
Argyria

Background: Argyria results from prolonged contact to or ingestion of silver salts. It produces a gray to gray-black staining of skin and mucous membranes produced by silver deposition. Silver may be deposited in the skin either from industrial exposure or as a result of medications containing silver salts.
The most common cause of argyria is mechanical impregnation of the skin by small silver particles in workers involved in silver mining, silver refining, silverware and metal alloy manufacturing, metallic films on glass and china, electroplating solutions, and photographic processing. Colloidal silver dietary supplements are marketed widely for cancer, AIDS, diabetes mellitus, and herpetic infections. Cases have followed the prolonged use of silver salts for the irrigation of urethral or nasal mucous membranes, in eye drops, wound dressing, and the excessive use of an oral smoking remedy containing silver acetate. Argyria also has been attributed to surgical and dental procedures (eg, silver amalgam-tattooing, silver sutures used in abdominal surgery). Blue macules have appeared at sites of acupuncture needles and silver earring sites. Great individual variability exists in the length of exposure and total dose needed to result in argyria.
From Pubmed
Silver still poisonous

Vet Hum Toxicol 2002 Oct;44(5):291-2
Believe it or not--silver still poisons!
Hori K, Martin TG, Rainey P, Robertson WO.
Washington Poison Center, Seattle 98125-8012, USA.
For centuries, silver has been endowed with therapeutic benefits. It is still used today as a "caustic" for superficial bleeding. Within 7days, we had 3 cases of "argyria" and then 2 more over the next month. The first 2 cases involved a husband and wife with a 3-y exposure to naturopathic hydrolyzed silver treatment. The third casewas a 37-y-old male in a state psychiatric facility noted to have darkly "discolored" skin probable obtained from herbal tea. The last 2 cases were a married couple into herbal medications who developed bluish discoloration of face and hands. Current cases due to "alternative medicine" may get worse as rumor reveals its popularity as prophylaxis against anthrax. The skin's grayish discoloration, made worse by sunlight, may persist for life.
Silver in an appropriate preparations, does display amazing properties in aiding the healing of wounds. The product silverzine containing silver sulphadiazine is remarkable in treatment of burns. I always carry a tube in the fridge. Unfortunately, because it is an antibiotic, it requires prescription. It is not without its problems, with increased serum and urinary levels of silver noted from topical application
Increased serum and urinary levels
If you are inquiring about this as a radical treatment for someone with a terminal disease, I can understand the desparation. But please realize this is not a viable option, as it is not without considerable risk and likely consequences.

 

[johnboy]

I was wondering why this term sounded so familiar...