Colloidal Silver
Silver hydrosol · Ionic silver
Snapshot
| Indications | Contraindications |
|---|---|
Colloidal silver (silver hydrosol, ionic silver) is a suspension of tiny silver particles in liquid5, and it acts by binding proteins and inactivating enzymes3. Silver has no known function in the body5, and long-term oral use deposits it in tissue as permanent bluish-gray skin discoloration (argyria)5. It is taken as a self-directed antimicrobial for infections, immune support, diabetes, and cancer3.
Human research is limited to about two small trials, in recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis and in children with viral rhinitis. A 2017 randomized crossover trial found colloidal silver nasal spray gave no meaningful improvement in recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis6. A 2011 trial in children with viral rhinitis found better symptom scores with a colloidal silver and carboxymethyl beta glucan device than with saline2. A 2020 case report described acute myeloid leukemia in a patient who habitually ingested oral colloidal silver for over ten years; no trial has tested a link7. Products listing colloidal silver are common, and those sampled are liquids; see Form comparison.
Memorial Sloan Kettering states that pregnant women are not to use it because of fetal harm3. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) reports it can cause poor absorption of certain antibiotics and thyroxine5.
Last updated October 17, 2026. Read how we make monographs.
In the full monograph
19 sources, 8 studies
- When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
- SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
- InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
- Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
- How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
- Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
- Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
- Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.
Sources
- 1[Use of "gelatamp" colloidal silver gelatin sponge to prevent dry socket after extracting mandibular impacted teeth].pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govWang, Guan, Li et al. · Shanghai kou qiang yi xue = Shanghai journal of stomatology · 2013 · Pubmed
- 2Efficacy of a new medical device based on colloidal silver and carbossimetyl beta glucan in treatment of upper airways disease in children.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govDamiani, Di Carlo, Grappasonni et al. · Minerva pediatrica · 2011 · Pubmed
- 3MSKCCmskcc.orgMemorial Sloan Kettering — About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products
- 4US product labelsdsld.od.nih.govWarnings printed on US dietary supplement labels with this ingredient, from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements' Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD). Manufacturers' precautions, not evidence of harm
- 5NCCIHnccih.nih.govNational Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- 6The effectiveness of topical colloidal silver in recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis: a randomized crossover control trial.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govScott, Krishnan, Rotenberg et al. · Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale · 2017 · Pubmed
- 7Acute myeloid leukemia with complex cytogenetic abnormalities associated with long-term use of oral colloidal silver as nutritional supplement - Case report and review of literature.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govKeung, Wang, Hong-Lung Hu · Journal of oncology pharmacy practice : official publication of the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners · 2020 · Pubmed