Sometimes home remedies really are the best.

[Lady Neysa]

I know there's an old thread on here somewhere about home remedies for various ailments, but didn't want to dredge up too old a thread...You may find this pointless and boring but I just wanted to share this.

About 3 and a half weeks ago, I got a splinter of glass in the bottom of my foot, up near my toes.  It was in real deep, and I couldn't find it anywhere. Days went by and my foot got more and more sore.  I dug at it a lot with a needle and tweezers, but could never get anything.  I wasn't even sure if the glass was still in there, I only knew that my foot was getting really painful.  A week or so went by and the spot started to fester up.  I got some ick out of it, but when it still didn't get better I went to the doctor.

Well, she said there wasn't anything in my foot that she could find, and I probably just had it all irritated from constantly digging at it. So.. another week goes by with no change and this was starting to get really old.  I didn't care what the doc said, there just had to still be something in my foot, you could see the spot, and it looked all inflamed and weird.

Well, I finally got smart, and on the advice of a family member, soaked my foot in epsom salts.  I was skeptical as to how this would help, but was desperate for some relieve.  I soaked my foot for a good while last night after being on my feet all day, and this felt pretty good. The spot was extremely painful but I tried once more to pick at it.  Well surprise, surprise, I guess the soaking helped, 'cause I FINALLY got that darn  piece of glass out!  I knew I wasn't crazy!  Now I feel like calling that doctor back and going "thpppppppptttttt"  at her!  She was wrong! 

Maybe it's obvious I should have soaked my foot right away,  but I was pretty clueless.  I guess good old fashioned rememdies really are best sometimes...

[Bonny Pearl]

I'm always looking at home remedies on the internet.  I hate having to take meds unless I absolutely have to.  I'm glad you brought this thread up.  I would love to see what people have tried and what worked or didn't, etc.

[Femme Falchion]

I'm with you Bonny.....

Last week one of my sons was running a 103 temp.  I was ready to give him some Ibuprofen but was waiting a bit. (I'm of the opinion that a fever is the body's natural defense and natural killer of viruses)  A wise friend recommended putting cabbage leaves behind his ears (you crinkle up and roll around a large cabbage leaf to release it's chemical properties and then place it behind the ears) and Connor's temp dropped almost a over full degree within 25 minutes.  I also remember my Lactation consultant recommending cabbage leaves in your bra for moms who are tapering off breast-feeding.

**I do want to say that I'm not advocating allowing a child's fever to burn high without close monitoring**

[Auryn]

This is a great thread.
Glad to find people of like mind in this subject.

Here is one for you that suffer from joint and muscle pains, arthritis and the like.

You need a Angel Trumpet tree, or access to one.
You want to collect some leaves and flowers if you can, wash them in case there are pesticides.
chop them up finely- make sure you use a knife and cutting board that are not used for food.

Take the chopped up plant and stick it in a jar full of rubbing alcohol.
leave it at least a few days, the longer the better.
You can take this alcohol and rub it on your muscles and joints that ache. You can do it several times a day.
Just make sure that you have no cuts or scrapes on the skin and that you wash your hands really really well and don't ingest it or get it in your eyes.
its a great pain reliever even for chronic and deteriorating arthritis.

[Lady Neysa]

Does anyone have any good, cheap remedies for migraine?  My daughter has had a gut wrenching, blinding headace for days that won't let up.  Regular over the counter meds are of no help including those for migraine. She tried the usual lying down in a quiet dark room with a warm compress on her head-no help.  She even took a percocet she had stashed away (from a previous injury) and she said it didn't help either.  She has no insurance and no cash right now to pay full price for a doctor visit until she gets paid tomorrow. I may end up lending her the money but wanted to see if anyone had any useful suggestions. I have a feeling she may have a sinus infection that could also be contributing to the headache, but I'm no doctor, so who knows.   

[Tygrkat]

Lady Neysa, If your daughter has a sinus infection, one thing that may help would be for her to alternate hot and cold compresses over the sinus region at (approx.) 10-15 min. intervals.
The alternating hot & cold will cause an expansion & contraction of the blood vessels and help to move congestion out of the sinus cavities (think of being out in the cold, then your nose running when you come into somewhere warm - that's why)
If it's a migraine, using a feverfew herbal supplement can help - it's a neurovasodilator, which means it increases bloodflow to the brain, relieving the constriction that can trigger migraines (she should consult her primary healthcare provider to be sure it's safe for her to use, especially if she's taking any other meds).
I've also used something called migra-stick when I get them (although they are thankfully few and far between for me), which is a stick-shaped applicator containing lavender and peppermint essential oils in some kind of neutral oil base. You just gently massage it into the temples, and then I would find a dark, quiet place to lie down. You can find the migra-stick at most health food stores or in the 'natural stuff' section of your grocery store (if it has one). You could also make your own, using the essential oils mixed in a neutral oil (almond oil is a good one and not too expensive, but I've used olive oil or vegetable oil too)
I've used the lavender-peppermint blend massaged into my temples for allergy/sinus related headaches, and even hangover headaches and had relief - so even if it's not technically a 'migrane' , she may get some relief as well.

HTH! 

[Anna Iram]

This is a great thread.

I've never used this myself, but a friend swears by this. Maybe won't take the migraine away, but could help until she gets to the doc.

http://www.drugstore.com/qxp91467_332828_sespider/headon___apply_directly_to_forehead/migraine_relief.htm

I'd also do a saline nasel flush. Affrin makes a good one from purified sea salt. I think there's an ad on the link above.

Neysa, I would contact your doctor that so misdiagnosed your foot problem and ask for a refund of fees and then use that for you daughter's doctor visit. Try to find a homeopathic doc in your area, one that won't want to put your daughter on prescriptions, but who will heal her. Diet too can be the cause of ongoing migraines. Wheat is a big culprit. If migraines are reoccuring I'd look into a change of diet.

Because I found the cabbage thing interesting I did a google on it. Apparently crushong cabbage and placing it as a compress over the forehead can releive migraines too! Who'd have thought.

*This is not a diagnosis nor does it refect the views of Renaissance Festival.com or it's owners.* 

[Auryn]

my chiropractor who is big into homeopathic alternatives and pressure points explained to me that there are several pressure points on the head and other parts of the body that help relieve headaches and sinus pressure.
Unfortunately I was more focused on my vertigo at the time,
but I bet if you do a search you will find them.

[Zoë]

This one might be fairly obvious, but ginger and peppermint is amazing for an upset stomach.  About 2 years ago I had an upset stomach for about 2 months straight, and the drs couldn't figure out what it was--one diagnosis after another after another.  I never got any permanent answers for it, although it did go away in time, but for temporary relief I drank a lot of peppermint tea or even nibbled on gingersnap cookies.  Green tea is also a good settler for the stomach--the green tea ginger ale is fabulous, because it's got the ginger, green tea, and some carbonation to get some relief via burping in there.  I swear by any combination of these things whenever a bad tummy strikes. 

[knarlyknot]

Lady Neysa,
   Thanks so much for starting this thread.  I had just read it this morning when my husband came in with a tiny splinter in his hand.  Some of the woods he works with are really irritating and it was already festering, so we used the epsom salt trick and got it right out!  Thanks!

[Lady Neysa]

Knarlyknot, so glad I could help!  These are all such great ideas, I've never heard the one about the cabbage leaves before.  Very interesting indeed.  Well, turns out my daughter did have a sinus infection as well as a double ear infection so they put her on meds.  I'm definately gonna try some of these ideas next time I get a headache. I don't like taking lots of meds either if I don't have to. 

One of my favorite remedies is making fresh mint tea for a sore throat, and chilled mint tea does wonders for me when my asthma flares up.  I've read that wet black tea bags will help to soothe canker sores (don't know if I'd want a squishy tea bag in my mouth though).

I'm a firm believer in chiropractics.  I was seeing one a few years ago after a car accident.  I quit going though, cause the one I liked was too far away and became too inconvenient.  Chiro can help with a number of ailments.  I know several people whose kids had chronic ear infections.  Instead of having tubes put in they tried chiropractic first.  They do a neck adjustment that helps to properly align the eustachian tubes in the ears.  The kids started getting regular adjustments and the ear infections went away.  Another trick I learned from the chiropractor is;  when you have sinus trouble, massaging your face will help to relieve pressure.  Start with your fingers in the middle of your forehead at the hairline, and with constant gentle pressure, run your fingers down the forehead over the bridge of your nose and across  your cheekbones.  Do this for a few minutes at a time to get some relief. 
For a minor headache I've found that massaging and gently scratching your scalp helps, preferably have someone else do this while you relax.  If feels wonderful even if you don't have a headache.

Keep the great ideas coming!

[Blue66669]

I actually have a home cure for mild strep throat! I always know when it is strep, because there are tiny white pustules on the back of the throat...

Gargle with a shotglass of apple cider vinegar for 1 minute. After you gargle, and this next one will be hard, swallow it. Repeat three times a day. In between, for comfort, drink my hot lemon and honey drink!!! Recipe is as follows...

Cut up one whole lemon into 8 wedges. You will use one half of the lemon. Squeeze the juice into the mug, then plunk the little bastard rinds into the bottom of the cup. Remove any stray seeds. Fill your mug with boiling hot water. After about a minute, add honey. LOTS OF HONEY! Let cool for a couple of minutes, then drink. You can use the same rinds for awhile, maybe one or two more mugs. This will help the pain of a sore throat within about a day or two.

[Gwen aka Punstergal]

Usually I don't think about home remedies unless someone is talking about a particular ailment, but today, one awesome one came to mind:

TOOTH PAIN- The root of all evils! I have a bad tooth- it's not infected or anything, but I broke it a while back, and occasionally I get a bit of pain when I stick the area with a chip or something. To help with the temporary pains (without running up the bills on Orajel and the like), I keep clove water in a bottle in my fridge. You just take whole cloves (like you buy in the spice section) and boil them in some water for just a minute, and then seal it up tight in a bottle (I leave the cloves in there, and just let them settle to the bottom, but you can strain it if you want). Then, throw the bottle in the fridge and swish with it like mouthwash when your mouth is bothering ya (toothache, gum pain, canker/cold sores.. whatever). Alternatively, you can just take a whole clove and press it against the area that hurts in a pinch. Clove oil is what the dentist will put on your gum if you go in with a dry socket after an extraction. It's a miraculous pain killer that costs pennies to keep on hand.

[Lady Neysa]

Oh wow Blue, thats awesome!  Does the vinegar actually cure the strep infection without having to use antibiotics?  It makes sense, vinegar is known to be an anti-infective.  I'm definately gonna try that!  I get strep at least once a year.  Does it only work if you catch it early?  

[Blue66669]

I've noticed that it completely kills the strep. I'm back up and better in about two or three days. I get it fairly frequently (yearly, every other year) and it puts me down forever, even with the antibiotics. I've never had a relapse when I did it. I normally start using it when the throat goes white. That's when I KNOW it's strep. My husband and I both use this method, as I'm poor and don't have insurance, and don't like doctors anyways. I've been curing myself and my kids at home for years.

*but sometimes, mamma just needs a vicodin LOL*