In the United States, the FDA does not regulate supplements the way it regulates prescription drugs.
That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says.
Verywell / Laura Porter
What Is Colloidal Silver Used For?
Verywell / Laura Porter
It’s been promoted as a cure-all for everything fromtuberculosisandarthritistoherpesandcancer.
Silver was also used as an antimicrobial for wounds.
Modern colloidal silver products are sprayed or applied to the skin.
Some colloidal silver products are meant to be taken orally (by mouth) or injected into a vein.
However, colloidal silver has no known function in the body.
After the FDA ruling, many drug stores stopped selling colloidal silver products.
Since then, some manufacturers have rebranded these products as dietary supplements orhomeopathic remedies.
That’s because these don’t need FDA approval.
They found that the silver particles had antibacterial properties that helped treatdiabetic ulcers.
However, it should be pointed out that this review article does not specifically reference colloidal silver.
Rhinosinusitis
One prospective cohort study looked at colloidal silver for resistant chronicrhinosinusitisin 20 participants.
Researchers compared a topical nasal spray containing colloidal silver to a topical nasal spray containing saline.
After six weeks of therapy, colloidal silver showed no clinically meaningful improvement in rhinosinusitis symptoms.
A study also looked at the safety and efficacy of colloidal silver in people with chronic rhinosinusitis.
Researchers compared a nasal spray containing colloidal silver to oral antibiotics.
No severe side effects were seen with colloidal silver.
Colloidal silver’s effectiveness for rhinosinusitis doesn’t seem great given the outcomes of the studies.
Further studies using colloidal silver would need to be made before making firm conclusions about its use for rhinosinusitis.
Dosing depends on the condition, dosage form, and other patient-specific factors.
Safety considerations: Argyria, ocular argyrosis, and discolored fingernails
Is Colloidal Silver Safe?
Topical products containing colloidal silver may help treat wounds, burns, or skin infections.
However, its safety when ingested, injected, or inhaled is unknown.
No supplement is intended to treat, cure, or prevent disease.
Discard colloidal silver supplements according to the expiration date listed on the packaging.
Keep colloidal silver out of reach for children and pets.
Most concerns are related to the long-term effects of colloidal silver use.
It’s unclear how toxic silver is to internal organs.
A case of kidney injury associated with colloidal silver has also been reported.
It involved a 47-year-old woman taking colloidal silver to treat her cancer.
Additionally, one case of death has been linked to colloidal silver use.
The case report involved a 71-year-old man who developedmyoclonic status epilepticusand died.
He had taken a daily dose of colloidal silver for four months before his death.
They cannot prove colloidal silver was the cause of such severe outcomes.
Interactions
Colloidal silver may interact with some medications, such as thyroxine and specific antibiotics.
It may weaken the way your body absorbs these drugs.
Tell your healthcare provider if you take colloidal silver, even for short-term use.
Furthermore, the concentration of silver particles can vary from one product to the next.
Should You Take Colloidal Silver?
Researchers haven’t studied colloidal silver enough to know whether it’s safe to use as a supplement.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you’re considering using colloidal silver as a dietary supplement.
Keep in mind, though, that even tested products are not guaranteed safe or effective.
Alternative to Colloidal Silver
For its antibacterial properties,honeyis a good alternative to colloidal silver.
Studies have found that applying honey to an infected wound may help scrub the infection and speed healing.
Honey is also believed to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Summary
Colloidal silver is a solution made of silver particles suspended in a liquid.
Bottom line: Don’t be swayed by unsupported health claims.
Colloidal silver has no known benefit when consumed, injected, or inhaled.
And it may cause more harm than good.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s not illegal to put colloidal silver in products.
But the FDA doesn’t tightly regulate supplements or homeopathic products.
As such, colloidal silver is still used in unregulated products.
Therefore, more research is needed before recommending its use for preventing COVID-19.
Topical products (products used on the skin) that have silver may have some benefits.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Colloidal silver.
Dakal TC, Kumar A, Majumdar RS, Yadav V.Mechanistic basis of antimicrobial actions of silver nanoparticles.Front Microbiol.
2018;5(3).
2019;62(13):5923-5943. doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01439
PubChem.Silver (compound).
Food and Drug Administration.Rulemaking history for otc colloidal silver drug products.
Mota L, Dinis-Oliveira RJ.Clinical and forensic aspects of the different subtypes of argyria.J Clin Med.
2020;15:10425-10434. doi:10.2147/IJN.S287730
Code of Federal Regulations.
21 CFR 310.548 -Drug products containing active ingredients offered over-the-counter (OTC) for use as an oral bronchodilator.
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
