> Kermaline, this is no mystery.  When exposed to a hypertonic solution,
edema
> will move out of cells.  Epsom salts provides a hypertonic solution.  --

First of all, do we know that Epsom salts are actually absorbed through the
skin?  Notwithstanding certain topically applied drugs, the skin has a
limited ability to absorb most substances.  This is an important
evolutionary adaptation.  If skin were capable of easily absorbing
substances that come in contact with it, we would be unable to regulate our
internal environment and probably wouldn't have survived this long.

Epsom salts may or may not be absorbed.  I am sceptical about whether they
are, because magnesium is an electrolyte, and the body likes to regulate its
electrolytes very carefully -- the results are quite drastic (and can be
fatal) when serum electrolytes are out of whack (former ICU nurse talking
here).

The other thing is that edema is a phenomenon of *extracellular* fluid (ie.
interstitial), not intracellular fluid.  Electrolyte movement in and out of
cells is also a regulated  - ie. not entirely passive - phenomenon.  The
only way that magnesium from Epsom salts absorbed through the skin could
reduce edema would be if it entered either the bloodstream or individual
cells, thus making them hypertonic relative to the extracellular
fluid/interstitial space, and the fluid would then follow the electrolyte
(magnesium).  The magnesium would have to be transported from the
extracellular fluid into those areas, either actively or passively.  Would
it do that?  Without digging into my physiology texts, my educated guess is
no, but I don't know for sure.

If anything, absorbed magnesium would most logically increase edema, not
decrease it.

The other possibility is that the magnesium in the water would draw fluid
out of the breast through the skin.  This also seems unlikely to me, again
for the reason stated above, that the skin generally likes to keep what's
inside in and what's outside out.  Where there is a breach in the skin, as
in a cut or burn, fluid does move out, of course.

And in areas such as nipple pores and breast ducts, the ability to keep out
substances coming from outside the body may be less than that of the skin.
Is magnesium absorbed up into the duct system of the breast itself and then
into the interstitial fluid and/or bloodstream?  It seems unlikely to me,
but again I don't know.

The other thing I wanted to note is that no one (in this discussion so far)
seems to have tried the warm/hot water treatment and compared it to Epsom
salts.  Since Epsom salts are of unproven value *so far*, and warm or
moderately hot water applied for a reasonable amount of time (ie. not too
long) is likely one of the most benign treatments possible, why not
recommend it to some of your clients and see what you think?

Would someone with a better knowledge of physiology than me like to comment?

Barb Strange

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