List Your Home Remedies for What Ailes Ya

[Le Taz Hot]

So, I'm still on this self-sufficiency kick (a.k.a. sustainability movement) and I thought it might be a good idea for DUers to offer up some tried-and-true home remedies for common problems. Requisite Disclaimer: MOST DUERS AREN'T MEDICAL DOCTORS AND ONE SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT ONE'S PHYSICIAN BEFORE APPLYING ANY REMEDY.

Before Western Medicine and Big Pharma we had home remedies for common ailments. With claims from the government and pharmaceuticals we were trained to believe that the old remedies were superstition and not based on science. We've been so brainwashed that virtually any ailment now has us running to the pharmacy instead of running to our pantries and/or gardens.

All contributions are welcome. Here's a starting place:

Athlete's Foot. Soaking the affected area in a solution of 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of very warm water for about 20 minutes will kill the fungus. It's one of MANY uses for vinegar.

Bug Bite. Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the bite. Something in the baking soda draws out the irritants (usually saliva) and soothes the itch.

Arthritis Pain. A paste of Wintergreen Oil and cayenne pepper applied to the area. The cayenne pepper inhibits the "pain" signal to the brain. CAUTION: Wintergreen Oil is toxic and should be used sparingly. Asthmatics should NEVER use it.

Hydrogen Peroxide. Disinfectant -- much cheaper than Bactine.

Your turn.

[catbyte]

1. Blackberry juice/berries for the stomach flu

Old Native American remedy. Easiest way: buy a can of blackberries in syrup. As soon as you stop *really* retching, sip some juice then proceed to nibbling a few berries. It really speeds things along and calms the jumpiness after illness.

Diane
Anishnabe in MI

[handmade34]

12. elderberry is also good for this....

lots growing wild in MI! ((Used to make elderberry wine every year when I lived in Michigan. Yum!))

[dixiegrrrrl]

39. Same thing for diarrhea.

Which is why I keep a couple cans of blackberries in the cupboard.

[Warpy]

91. Blackberry brandy was my mother's cureall

I was a very happy child.

[DrDan]

2. I use vinegar for sunburns

[demwing]

3. Bleach for Minor Burns

Minor Burns. Small, superficial burns still hurt like hell. If you get one, before the ice or cold water, pour a small amount (maybe 1/8th cup) of bleach over the burn. The burn will stop smarting in seconds, and in many cases will not even blister. Watch out for clothes, and please keep away from the face. Major burns, or burns that break the skin, require medical attention.

[otohara]

56. Chemical Burn

I could see if the minor burn was on your hand/fingers - but anywhere else - on more sensitive areas, you could get a chemical burn on top of your minor burn.

[demwing]

72. try it sometime - NOT in sensitive areas

please dont pour bleach on your bum

[Warpy]

92. Bad idea. Bleach on the skin is never a good idea.

From Wiki: "Household bleach and pool chlorinator solutions are typically stabilized by a significant concentration of lye (caustic soda, NaOH) as part of the manufacturing reaction. Skin contact will produce caustic irritation or burns due to defatting and saponification of skin oils and destruction of tissue. The slippery feel of bleach on skin is due to this process." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_hypochlorite

Any accidental splash onto the skin should be flushed with water immediately.

Get yourself an aloe vera plant. They're cheap and hard to kill. Break off a leaf or part of a leaf and rub the juice over the burn. Pain gone.

[The Straight Story]

4. Vodka mixed with Mt. Dew

Cures it all.

[Le Taz Hot]

8. LOL!

There's always one! :toast:

Let's add to that "breakfast roll" but that's not legal in very many states.

[pacalo]

44. Hahaaa! I like Seagram's with Dr. Pepper. :)

[notadmblnd]

5. marijuana for irritability caused by cabin fever and miserable weather

[Cal Carpenter]

31. +1000

But I would add housework to that list. Without marijuana I don't even want to know what my house would look like, I'd never clean it.

[stuntcat]

43. :)

:)

[handmade34]

6. I have enough to fill a book...

I studied with Dr.(John) Christopher when he was still alive and I swear by cayenne pepper for a number of things; stomach and circulation problems and blood pressure... I try to drink a heaping teaspoon in Tomato Juice every morning. (Must build up gradually) Dr. Christopher also suggested direct contact with the Earth everyday... try to go out barefoot (no matter the weather) for a few minutes each morning. I was blessed to have known this awesome man!

[BlueIris]

7. Garlic for...just about everything. Warding off opportunistic illness,

strengthening immunity, yeast imbalance, energy boost.

[handmade34]

13. Yes, Garlic

also good for internal parasites... eat it raw, a couple of cloves chopped up (a few times per day)

[BonnieJW]

89. That would only work

if you lived by yourself and worked from home. How could you deal with another human being after munching raw garlic all day???

[aquart]

15. Garlic for loosening phlegm.

Lemon juice in hot water for post nasal drip.

[pipi_k]

29. Glad to see that others do it as well

My "garlic season" lasts through the fall and winter from October to around March.

One clove a day, crushed and minced, taken in warm water, or mixed in with some olive oil and rice vinegar in ramen noodles.

In the five years I've been doing that, I haven't gotten another case of bronchitis. Any head colds I do get (typically only one per year) are way less severe and about two days shorter than usual. I did get one cold this winter, but it was before starting the garlic regimen.

The only down side to raw garlic is that it seeps out from every pore. Breath, urine, sweat, everything. But I guess that's a small price to pay for not coming down sick, or having reduced symptoms.

[Jamastiene]

42. Garlic is good for just about everything for me too.

It is also good for getting rid of nausea.

[pnorman]

53. Heat the garlic buds in an oven or in a fry pan,

until they become soft. Virtually all the bitterness is gone. They can then be 'popped' from the skins, and eaten like peanuts!

[Jamastiene]

70. Thanks for the tip.

I haven't tried it that way before. Will do now though. Usually, I either cut it into tiny pieces and let it blend with potato soup or spaghetti sauce, or I smash it into a paste like consistency. I'd be interested in eating it your way though too. Thanks for the tip. :)

[pnorman]

78. I don't know what extent, if any, heat would lessen the thereaupetic effects of garlic.

My guess is that it wouldn't be all that much. But in any event, it could easily be made up by quantity. ie: You could toss a handful of garlic buds down your throat, like so many salted peanuts.

(Caution: you'd probably REEK of garlic to your Significant Other!)

[pnorman]

84. "The Garlic Shoppe"

I just got this email notice, since I had once ordered a string of braided garlic from them: http://www.garlicdude.com/index.html

My recollection was that garlic is "seasonal", and wasn't shipped during a portion of the year. The braided lengths not only add "decor" to the kitchen, but should stay reasonably fresh for quite some time. Caution: keeping intact a lengthy stalk, seems to be the key to maintaining the freshness. I had once bought a length of "braided garlic" that turned out to be bogus and dried out pretty quickly. It turned out to be bulbs with SHORT stems, that were just stuck into some braided material (perhaps not even garlic!)

[BlueIris]

57. Oooh, see, for me, too much garlic causes nausea.

I actually went off garlic for a while because of it.

[Jamastiene]

69. I'm a firm believer in a variation of the saying,

"One person's trash is another person's treasure." My variation is: "One person's elixir is another person's poison." It truly does work that way, IMHO. My aunt swears up and down that popcorn helps nausea, but garlic helps it better for me than anything. Popcorn just messes with my mouth and my teeth too much. If I don't have garlic at the time, I use Ovaltine (one and a half dose 6 Tablespoons instead of 4). That works too if it is rather mild nausea.

My grandmother swore by a "medicinal dose" of wine per day decades before it was proven to have health benefits. For me, it would have to be vodka. I've never been able to handle wine or beer without nausea. Nausea is a big problem for me. Has been since I was a little kid. So, anything that causes me to be nauseated, I avoid. Still, my grandmother did the "medicinal purposes" wine trick (only 1 glass a day) and lived to the ripe old age of 83, and what took her from us was complications from a broken hip. Back then, that wasn't very treatable like it is nowadays.

[eShirl]

9. warm-hot tea

most any kind

[remember2000forever]

17. Hot Toddies

Sip Steaming Hot Tea With Rum. Get Under Many Blankets. This Sweats Out A Fever Every Time.

[LWolf]

10. Tea for insomnia:

chamomile, catnip, and lavender.

[stuntcat]

47. a spo' a' tey

I have a spot o' nighty-night tea to make me sleep, I could not live without that stuff

[xchrom]

11. Home made chicken soup. Nt

[HopeHoops]

14. Apricot brandy.

For "whatever".

[Odin2005]

16. Wasabi for opening up clogged sinuses.

[Le Taz Hot]

19. Jalapenos

are really good for that as well.

[Warpy]

93. Horseradish works, too

as do hot peppers.

Still, I tend to squirt a little warm saline up there. That liquefies the plug and allows me to blow the crud out of the sinuses.

[TexasProgresive]

18. Ginger in any form for nausea.

Baking soda paste for wasp stings works better then other products. It is alkaline and maybe it neutralizes the venom.
Ammonia water or Windex (ammonia and alcohol) also work for jelly fish stings. Haven't tried baking soda on them but if my reasoning is right about alkaline vs acid perhaps so.

[BlueIris]

35. For nausea I like clove oil. Either that, or the scent of fresh coffee grounds.

Acupressure points on the inside of either wrist can help with nausea, too.

[nc4bo]

20. Peroxide is excellent for clearing ear wax and itchy ears, you can use it as a mouth rinse too.

We boil fresh rosemary sprigs and drink the tea when we have chest congestion from colds.

For mouth ulcers, dab your pinky into some salt and apply to the sore. Lessens the pain and helps healing.

Sore throat, gargle with salt water - frequently.

[Warpy]

94. The best thing for ear wax is mineral oil, warmed to body temperature

and followed by a cotton wad at the entrance to the ear canal. The mineral oil dissolves the cerumen (ear wax) and the cotton ball sucks it up.

[H2O Man]

21. There is a book

titled, "North American Indian Herbology" that was recently re-released, which I would recommend to anyone who is seriously interested in this subject. When I was young, I worked with an old man, Jay, gathering herbs and roots from the fields and swamps. As a "traditional," Jay did not sell these herbs and roots, but gave them to those who came to him. The "price" was a simple request to assist others in need.

[Le Taz Hot]

24. My great-granmother

learned herbology as taught to her by her half-Cherokee mother. She could literally go out in the woods, come back with leaves, roots, berries and bark and, along with her herb garden, made up her medicine chest. She must have done something right because, despite dipping snuff for 80 years, she died 9 days before her 99th birthday.

Thanks for the book suggestion.

[eilen]

22. For a bad headache

sniffing the fumes of vinegar is supposed to be helpful.

If you are feeling teary and unloved, take a nice bath with some yarrow root in it.

Plaintain-- make a paste to help heal wounds, a tea for irritated gi tract. It is a common yard weed.

Dandelion is a diuretic if you are retaining water. A nice tea will help (particularly if PMS).

Lung issues with lots of congestion (nasal and chest)-- sage tea, coltsfooot, comfrey
Dry cough-- licorice tea.
Both: bath or steam inhalation of eucalyptus
Sore throat: make an infusion with sage, cider vinegar and honey, after it cools, gargle with it 4x day.

Keep some ginger chews or peppermint in the car for car sickness.

[Uben]

23. For chronic soberness, use.....

...... .750 liter bottle of Crown Royal. Works every time!

[stuntcat]

49. roffles

:rofl:

[somone]

25. Sex, for depression

It's an age-old treatment. Long walks also work very well.

[progressoid]

26. Lexapro and Merlot

[Le Taz Hot]

27. That sounds dangerous.

I probably should have stipulated healthy but what do I know? May I suggest some nice ganja instead?

[progressoid]

30. Oh, yeah.

I kind of remember my doctor also saying not to mix those two.

[hobbit709]

28. Eat garlic and hot peppers.

[nebenaube]

75. that's close to mine

qt jar of habanaros/garlic/onion/shaved-ginger in pure apple-cider vinegar (at least a year old).

for flu we a drain off some of the vinegar, mix that with honey and drink it.
for sore throats, nausea or just the pleasure we eat the shaved ginger slices.

[pipi_k]

32. Nose nasties and other things...

Nasal rinses are great for clearing out tons of nasal mucus. I make my own saline solution...1/4 teaspoon non-iodized salt and a pinch of baking soda in an 8 oz. nasal rinse bottle. This can be done many times during the day, and helps to soothe the nasal passages and keep them from being irritated from blowing, blowing, blowing all day. The gunk just slides right out...


Mosquito bites...a slice of raw onion rubbed on the bite will stop the itching. So will a dab of Vicks® Vapo-rub.


PS...for the nasal rinse, don't forget the water...ha ha

comfortably warm... :)

[rucky]

33. I used to get sinus infections every winter

Started doing the nasal rinse religiously about 3 years ago and haven't had an infection since. Heck, I barely need a tissue anymore.

[Kalyke]

50. I don't have them anymore, either, but what I do have, now,

I haven't found a "cure" for.

The salt nasal rinses work GREAT for keeping my sinuses clear, but I always lose my voice or sound hoarse all winter! I've tried gargling with salt (that actually makes it worse), apple cider vinegar, over the counter meds, ice, heat and humidifiers - and I can't make it go away!

My throat does not hurt, at all. In fact, I forget I'm hoarse until someone says "Hi" at work and all I can do is squeak in their general direction.

[rucky]

67. If you do them right before bed...

the saline could travel to the back of your throat & dry it out.

:shrug:

[niceypoo]

34. In my great great grandmothers medical book:

My brother and I found a toothache cure: Tie an onion to your wrist.

Another gem: "If you have a blister, pop it after the sun goes down, that way it won't fester up!"

[Warpy]

95. The second one makes a little perverse sense

although you should never pop a blister, just let it pop on its own after a new layer of skin has grown under it. The fluid inside a blister is sterile. If you pop it before new skin has grown, you're just opening the door to infection.

However, it was less likely to get infected after dark when the heavy chores were done for the day.

[cilla4progress]

36. Kefir (like liquid yogurt) to boost your immune system!

It contains live cultures that line your intestines and otherwise balance out and support the good bacteria in your gut. 70% of your immunity comes from your gut! Esp. if you've been on repeated courses of ANTIbiotics through the years,the PRObiotics in live culture yogurt, and esp. kefir, will resupply your system with needed good bacteria -- acidopholus, etc. Keeping us healthier this winter, so far.

[intheflow]

37. When feeling a cold coming on, sleep with a heating pad along your spine.

Stops he aches. I also eat wasabi peas and hot and sour soup to clear the sinuses. And make a chicken soup with lemon juice, tumeric and hot pepper.

Here's the soup recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/west-african-lemony-chicken-okra-soup-7581
It calls for okra, but I prefer artichokes in it, if I can afford them

[LiberalEsto]

38. Ginger tea

I start drinking it at the first sign of a cold.

Other things I do to prevent/shorten the life of a cold:

Mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts water. Dip clean cotton swabs in it and use to clean out your ears and nostrils - one swab to an orifice, naturally. Gargle with the rest of the mixture.

Neti pot - wonderful for clearing sinuses.


Tea for a chest cold:

1 black tea bag
1 peppermint tea bag
honey
lemon juice
dash of cayenne pepper

Use the teabags to brew a pot of hot tea. Add honey and lemon to taste and stir in a dash of cayenne pepper.

[revolution breeze]

58. Ginger tea is also great for migraines

The oils in fresh ginger root have been shown to actually releive the inflammation in blood vessels in the brain. Peel and slice a one inch piece of root into 2 cups of water, boil and allow to steep 15 minutes. Sweeten or add lemon, headache is gone within 20 minutes. And no nasty side affects.

[lonestarnot]

40. Prune juice for political tolerance.

[rosesaylavee]

85. ...

:spray:

[Jamastiene]

41. Garlic. Just about everything.

Chocolate. Everything else.

[lightningandsnow]

45. Kimchi for colds and flus.

It boosts your immune system and clears your sinuses.

[oldlib]

46. Colds!

I found that rinsing my mouth each night before I go to bed and each morning may have prevented colds. I didn't have a cold last year and I suspect that the mouth rinse may have helped. I buy the least expensive rinse and it is probably mostly alcohol.

[dixiegrrrrl]

48. for fire ant bites:

dab mentholatum ( found in Vicks Vapo Rub and other brands) on the bite soon as you can and repeat 3x a day.
the bite will not blister up and will not sting/burn/itch, it just goes away and leaves no scar.
Those who have fire ants know what I mean by the blister/scar bit.
I have been doing this for the past 4 years.
I think it might work on other insect bites, have not had to find out.


Let my add that a sinus rinse with warm salt water DOES work, prevents colds.

And strong sage tea as a gargle IS a great sore throat treatment, repeated several times a day.

[Warpy]

96. I love the stuff on superficial itchy stuff

and do a dab on top of the cortisone cream I put on to lessen the reaction.

[InvisibleTouch]

51. Echinacea tea for almost any internal or external infection.

Chamomile is good for almost everything too, but some people are sensitive to it. It has a bit of a calming effect, so it's good before bedtime.

Ginger tea for upset stomach/digestive issues ... also wonderful against motion sickness in dogs. (The trick to getting a dog to drink herbal tea is to add lots of honey.)

I've had dramatic success with horsetail poultice on a ganglion cyst, and it's supposedly good for most other lumps and bumps and growths also.

I'm on a self-sufficiency kick myself. :) Been on it for years. I'm big on independence, and have always had an acute sense that if you're dependent on others for your basic necessities (food, water, heat, even affection), then they have power over you and can turn the screws on you. And I abhor being dependent.

[ehrnst]

52. Garlic, straight up, "Russian Pennicillin." (nt)

[otohara]

54. RX Grade Sesame Oil w/ Mint - Sinutitis

it's the only thing that has given me hope - and I don't wake up with a sinus headache anymore - that alone is a big effing deal.

[Ricochet21]

55. Vinegar - Athlete's foot

Athlete's foot, I poured distilled vinegar over my feet, simply once, no more itching for the past 6 years.

[Ichingcarpenter]

59. Christiania

Just got back after picking up my meds.

[RadiationTherapy]

60. Cayenne pepper. Sore throat gargle, Small wound disinfectant and coagulator

[MorningGlow]

61. Aloe for burns

I always keep a potted aloe plant in my kitchen. The split second you get a burn, head over to the plant, break off a spear, and rub the raw end on the burn. Nothing else like it.

[pnorman]

83. In Japan, it's custumary to keep some aloe plants growing in the yard for just that purpose!

It's frequently referred to as "isha-daoshi". (ie: bankrupting the doctor")

[Celebration]

62. here are some

lemon mixed with water for energy, or getting over a hangover

sugar plus betadine cream= great for wound or burn treatment

zinc oxide- (the old *traditional* Desitin, for anything skin related

[renate]

63. tea tree oil for nail fungus

Apply with a Q tip to the nail and the area around it, then cover with a band-aid. Smells like Pine-Sol but it works great. Sometimes I've quit applying it when the nail starts growing out clean, and then the problem comes back, so I'd keep doing it for a while even after it looks like the fungus has been killed.

[Lucian]

64. Dr. McGillicuddy's Cherry and Dr. Pepper.

Cures most things.

[babydollhead]

65. RESCUE REMEDY for when I freak out

[LiberalLoner]

66. Hot water bottle or rice in a sock heated in microwave for any aches and pains and

also for things like ear infections or a boil or acne cyst.

[spinbaby]

68. My sure cure for everything

Hot bath, hot tea, trashy novel. This combo will make nearly anything feel better.

[Blue_In_AK]

71. Garlic poultice for earaches.

Steam the garlic until soft, put it in the ear and hold it in with some cotton. In the morning, the earache should be gone, and the blob of garlic comes out with the cotton. This always worked for my kids when they were little so they very rarely got antibiotics. It got to the point where they would ask for it whenever they felt an earache coming on.

[defendandprotect]

73. Apple Cider Vinegar --

the mother --

check it out on the internet -- helpful with Arthritis and other problems --

It's taken in water -- and you have to add either honey or molasses to it --

I use HONEY which provides other benefits --

You take it in a glass of water -- with two teaspoons ACV and two teaspoons of honey -

3X a day with your meals --

you'll know after a few days if it is helping you or not --

If it is after a week you reduce it to one tablespoon ACV/one tablespoon of honey --

TWICE a day with meals ---

Good luck!!



PS: Get a good HONEY -- usually glass jar -- you might find it helps with other problems/

ailments!

[Delphinus]

90. Thanks for the tip

on honey.

[defendandprotect]

74. STOP diarrhea immediately ... with a teaspoon of scalded milk ....

It's amazing --

but if you put a small amount of regular milk in a small pan and

heat it to the point of scalding it --

You only need the tiniest amount to stop diarrhea!!

It takes immediate effect.

And the effects will last --

in other words you can go about your day confident the problem won't retursn.


:)

[reformist2]

76. Aspirin.

I know it's not exactly a "home" remedy, but it's so ubiquitous I think it counts.

[asdjrocky]

77. Here's mine-

Athlete's Foot, cannabis.

Bug Bite, I like to use cannabis.

Arthritis Pain, I like to use a cannabis rub, it's amazing.

Headaches, well, I use cannabis.

Works for me.

[eShirl]

79. almost forgot my homemade elderberry-vodka tincture

I take a shot of it when I feel myself coming down hard with a head cold, and another shot 4-6 hours later. In four years I've only needed a third shot once.

[morningglory]

80. Nail fungus, etc

-Nail fungus: vinegar splashed on 3 times a day, for a frikken year. Takes a long time, and keep the nail short.
-Acid reflux, indigestion: chew a 1" square piece of comfrey.
-Big painful pimple: take ibuprofen. Apply heat to the spot.
-Sunburn: take an aspirin every 4 hours during the sunbathing, and after till bedtime, with a little food. Prevents peeling, and pain.
-Red peeling around eyelids and corners of mouth and nose: This is an allergy. Put Caladryl lotion on the area (calamine lotion with benedryl in it)
-NeilMed Sinus Rinse thing is miraculous for sinus problems and colds.
-Infection such as ingrown nail. Mix a paste of vinegar and flour. The flour just holds the vinegar. Apply poultice to wound that is infected with gauze or torn clean cotton fabric. Pour vinegar over the gauze. Refresh the vinegar when it gets dry.
-Pinworms: diluted vinegar enema

[Name removed]

86. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HuckleB]

81. Bananas, potatoes and hot dog stir fry, fried in high fructose corn syrup!

Cures everything!

[BeFree]

82. Sauerkraut

Feel a cold coming on? Eat some hot Sauerkraut.

[Zoigal]

87. Anyone ever use ACV for kidney stones?......z

[plcdude]

88. ED treatments

Haven't run into any home remedies yet.