The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Cell Salt Silica
Posted by Kirsten (Santa Fe, NM) on 05/22/2009
★★★★★
My family has been using the homeopathic cell salt silica to stop boils in their tracks. It is #12 of Dr. Schuessler's tissue remedies and should be available at most natural grocers which sell homeopathics. It is indicated in abcesses,boils,and any other skin conditions with thick,yellow discharges. It also helps to deacidify the body. As with any homeopathic you should increase the frequency of the dosage to about every 15 minutes in an acute situation and take it less frequently in maintenance doses. There is no way to overdose on homeopathics and taking silica should not interfere with any remedy you are currently using. Silica usually comes in lactose tablet form and about 4 tablets under the tongue or in some water is the dosage. If this remedy works for you, you can keep it going forever by following these simple steps (by the way this works for all homeopathics and Bach flower remedies). Take 4 of the lactose tablets and put them into a new glass bottle with a dropper. Add any liquor or hard alcohol to the bottle, filling it 3/4 of the way to the top. Allow the tablets to dissolve for a few minutes. Succuss the bottle 100 times, by tapping the bottle on the palm of your hand. Since homeopathics are vibrationally based you have simply transferred the vibration to the liquid. This process can be repeated again when your bottle gets low. 4 to 6 drops can be taken as a dose.
Boil Tips: Prick the Boil
Posted by Charity (Stockton, California) on 01/11/2012
I have a book on natural remedies that recommends applying warm fig pulp to a boil. It also promotes healing so it may be better to prevent scarring.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Sudha (Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India) on 03/11/2009
★★★★★
I get boils in the inner thigh and on my bum regularly, especially during my period. I discovered that by application of coconut oil, once every 1/2 hour or one hour, the boils subsided or broke and disappeared within two days. However, this seems to work only for boils below the navel. I have boils on my chest which don't respond to this. Hope this works for all of you.
Turmeric, Black Salve, Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Lon (Stanhope, NJ) on 02/18/2009
★★★★★
Boils, possibly MRSA, and tumeric:
My son was hospitalized for serious, rapidly spreading cellulitis, which started with a boil. He responded well enough to antibiotics to come home, but although the culture indicated the boil was not MRSA, the boils did not respond to the various antibiotics the Drd tried. He developed multiple boils on and around his privates which wouldn't go away. By the way he's been hospitalized, had many surgeries and on intravenous and antibiotics many times for a digestive disease he was born with. The celulitis came back three times, while following the infectuous disease Dr's advice to control it, which was exhausting, frustrating for both of us and ineffective. Of course the Drs think you're not following their directions if their strategy doesn't work. Then I found this site! I gave my son one turmeric capsule three times daily for three days. A nutritionist suggested I watch the acid alkaline balance of his diet. Topically I applied black salve to any full blown boils. If I noticed any small emerging boils which have not yet formed pus at the tip, I apply straight tea tree oil to the tip only, being careful not to get it on the surrounding skin. I discovered the effectiveness of these particular topicals by observation after using so many topical remedies.The advantage of the black salve is that it stays on without a dressing. I couldn't use bandages/poultices because of the location of his boils. Nothing has worked like the turmeric, supported by the topical application of black salve and tea tree oil for healing the boils, as well as watching the diet. He now takes one turmeric a day for prevention. The origin i think is candida, but we're working on that.
My son has Down Syndrome, Hirschsprung's disease (never could spell it.), and an ileostomy, so you can imagine the difficulties with nutrition. It was an ordeal I thought would never end. I worried constantly that the celulitis would return. It's been almost a year without boils or cellulitis. Thank you for this site! If it wasn't for this site we probably would have continued with the endless cycle of antibiotics and hospitalization.
EC: So glad to hear the remedies have helped. We have just created a new cellulitis remedies page with your post -- thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
Boil Prevention Tips
Posted by Morley (Flanders, Nj) on 01/06/2010
Are you sure you should wash your face last? i always try to do it first bc i thought last was like rubbing your genitals, feet and armpits all over your face.
Breakfast Cereal
Posted by Peter (Nelson, New Zealand) on 08/01/2008
★★★★★
My ten year old son over a period of about three months was suffering from boils around his rectum and after taking antibiotics which cured the problem for a week they returned. He returned to the doctor and was scheduled to have the boils lanced and kept like that for a couple of weeks to remove the staff infection. I asked a friend who had been a surgeons assistant during WWII if he had any answers. His reply was that during the war the soldiers suffered from boils and that the doctors of the day did not know whether it was due to hygiene or diet. I knew that it was not my son's hygiene and earlier that same friend had given me a breakfast recipe that he had found beneficial to his health through the years. I had to remove some of the ingredients to get my child to eat it but to my astonishment within the week his boils had disappeared never to reappear.
This worked for my son. I hope that it will work for you.
Recipe:
2 cups Rolled oats
2 cups museli
1 level desertspoon brewers yeast
2 level desertspoons wheat germ
3 cups of milk
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and leave overnight in the refrigerator. Serve the following morning.(Serves 3 to 4)
All ingredients were purchased from Binn Inn in Nelson, New Zealand as they appeared to have the best quality available.
I fed my child this everyday for a week and a couple of weeks after that then he lost interest in the breakfast. He hasn't had any boils since. You should expect results within the week.
Colloidal Silver
Posted by Susan (Carmichael, California) on 06/11/2008
★★★★★
I started having boil in November of 2007. I was going to the emergence room and having them lace them. Then in January of this year I was took I had MRSA and then a month later my 20 year old daughter found out she had it.She had a boil in the front between her legs and and on the sids of her finger nails. We both have trouble with bandaid. They leave marks on the skin, but not on the bottom. In March I went to a Health Food Store to buy something I read about and a clerk told me about his staph he had and what he used. I bought hight potent Colloidal Silver (500ppm) and MSM lotion. He told me to take a MSM lotion in my hand and a drop of Colloidal Silver, mix it together and rub it on my boil. It worked on my side boil, but not on my bottom because anything I put on my bottom will be saoked up and the boil gets bigger. I put a drop of the Colloidal silver on my finger and rub it in and it works. I only use it when the boil is small. I even take 3 drops by mouth 2-3 times a day all the time and my boils are geting smaller.
I was told by a doctor not to soak in a hot bath because you can reinfect the boil and that is true. I stoped going that and my boils don't get as big. I even found out by using a hot compress it does the same thing(boil gets bigger) Now I jut use Colloidal Silver, cover it and forget about it and it goes away faster.
Boil Outbreak Theories
Posted by Timh (Louisville, Ky) on 05/07/2012 2048 posts
Gavin, so I suppose that we (humans) are personal only as a secondary trait from our evolutionary predecessors, as your post may suggest??? Which begs the question of how can one properly get personal over boils (which are impersonal)???
Zinc
Posted by Sharon (Valdosta, Georgia) on 06/03/2008
★★★★★
Boil remedy: A powder that contains Zinc (Ammens) applied several times a day seems to work best for me.
Epsom Salt
Posted by Teddy Spence (Exmore, Virginia) on 05/10/2008
★★★★★
Epsom salts help to pull toxins out of the sore ... It saved my dad's hand back in 1960 when he got bit by a crab ... He nearly lost his arm but this "old fashioned" West Va mountain MD told him to soak it in Epsom salts ... and it healed .. nicely ... We don't have dr like that today .... PS- My first comment on this great site.
Cream of Tartar
Posted by Mortie (Las Vegas, NV) on 04/25/2008
★★★★★
A cure for boils that I have used since the 1960's: one teaspoon of cream of tarter, 3 doses, eight hours apart for the first day; then one teaspoon per day for 5 days. Other people have tried it and it seems to work universally. My father called it Canadian Folk Medicine. It works by correcting a potassium deficiency.
L-Lysine
Posted by Juanita (Little Rock, AR) on 04/02/2008
★★★★★
Some of you that are suffering from boils may want to take L-lysine 500mg daily. I had a boil appear on my buttock back in October of 2003. I didn't know what it was, but I worked in a clinic at the time and told one of the nurses my symptoms. The first thing she asked me was "have you ever had herpes"? I was somewhat taken aback and told her no. I was told to soak in a epsom salt bath. The second time the boil appeared I aksed the doctor in my clinic about it. He too asked me about herpes, I gave him the same answer that I gave the nurse, a resounding No! He gave me Cipro (which did NOT work) and sent me on my way.
Ok to make a long story longer, my cat has allergy/upper respiratory isssues. The vet gave him some antibiotics, but he told me my cat's condition is chronic and he would eventually become immune to the medicine. He told me to build up my cat's immune system by sprinkling L-lysine on his food. I read up on L-lysine and it does help your immune system and it helps with herpetic symptoms. I decided to try it the next time the boil appeared. I can always tell when it's coming because it tingles in the area just below where the boil appears. I started taking 500mg (one table daily in the morning on a empty stomach) at the first tingle. Low and behold, the boil never really appeared. I had a little itching in the area of the boil and the skin became a tiny bit raised, but after 2 days I had NO symptoms. This is amazing because this boil was so painful, it was hard for me to sit and it itched like crazy!!! I now take L-lysine daily to keep the boil way.
L-Lysine
Posted by Labrina (Florida) on 02/13/2017
Well boils do itch. I've had them since I was a little girl, and was told that by me being diabetic, while it's healing, it itches. I don't have herpes, aids, or nothing but diabetes, and a boil sufferer, or how us African Americans call it, Risen's. So yes, believe me, when it's healing, it does itch. Thanks for letting me share. Lifetime risen sufferer. Painful.
Garlic
Posted by Leslie (Pascagoula, MS) on 04/02/2008
★★★★★
It seems that ever since hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast we have been battling more and more cases of boils. I have found that GARLIC helps get rid of boils. At any stage in the cycle of the boils if you get the 1000 mg GARLIC capsules and squeeze the gel onto the boil it will get it to come to a head and drain or the boil will disappear completely.It generally takes a few days but it does work to eleviate the swelling and pain and its effective in healing the boils. Its safe for children.At the first signs of even a bump take one gel capsule and sqeeze the gel onto the bump then rub it in aftewards throw away the used capsule and wash your hands. Repeat this at least three times daily until the boil is gone.
Ph Balancing and Clay Poultice for Boils
Posted by Liz (Scranton, PA) on 06/17/2009
Tina, I am so sorry not to have answered you, but I have not checked back to this section of Earth Clinic for a while. In answer to anyone who might be reading about the clay/silver poultice: I wore the thick poultice from the time I came home, through the night, until I showered. During the day at work, I smeared the silver clay thinly over the area and covered it with gause. I would then wrap my hand with a clean, flesh toned, ace elastic bandage. I wore a long sleeve cotton shirt to cover most of the dressing. On the weekends, I wore the poultice day and night. As the boil improved, a large bandaid did the trick. Of note: The boil has never come back (well over a year now). There is absolutely no way to tell where it once was. Liz
Bacon and Onion
Posted by Sarah (Fort Worth, Texas) on 01/25/2008 5 posts
★★★★★
Bacon and onion. Cut a slice of onion and seer in a hot skillet till almost' transparent, one side. Remove and set aside. Cut a square piece off of a slice of bacon and put in the still warm pan for only a few seconds on both sides. Take the middle rings out of the onion large enough for the boil you are trying to cover, put the bacon closet to your skin with the seared side of the onion behind the bacon piece, wrap with gauze and leave on for as long as you can (hours). Repeat several times till the boil starts to drain or the plug comes out. Works very well.
Drawing Salve
Posted by L (USA) on 01/04/2008
Hi Ted- I've been reading on earth clinic about the boils and I took the survey. Here's the deal- about three weeks ago I took my board exam for nursing- i was really stressed and it rained the same day. About a week later I got 2 bumps on my forehead that took turns going up and down, but remained there. Then last week i got 3 more, 2 about an inch below my eyes on each side of my nose, one on my chin. I avoid sugar and anything white, I immediately started turmeric,mag and zinc. I went to my acupuncturist. She gave me herbs for my liver. The boils started growing and got soo painful and hideous. So i put the black drawing salve on them on the 31st. I kept them covered until last night. My head was pounding and i began to have flu-like symptoms-fever,bodyaches, extreme headache. I could feel it drawing up all the toxins. But now it looks like i have thes big craters on my face. Did it eat away alll of my skin. The skin doesnt feel raw, its covered with a brownish grayish crust. The instructions say to put rubbing alcohol on the spots till the crust comes out.. but then i got worried about scarring so i just applied some rosehip seed oil. but i notice the edges around the crater are a little pink so now im concerned with infection. should i cont with alcohol or tea tree or what? i am scared now. Thank you soo much Ted. sincerely L."
Turmeric, Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Brad (Atlanta, GA) on 12/12/2007
★★★★★
I have had a boil break-out' regularly for the past few years, usually about once a year. They seem to be getting more frequent and progressively worse each time. This last time I started with one itchy red bump and it turned into about 12 all over my buttocks and legs within 3 weeks. I tried the turmeric (which I had never tried before) after about 2 weeks because they got so bad, and it helped SOME, but not a lot, I was still getting new ones. It was painful to sit down, to walk, to do anything really. I decided to try "the Holy Grail" from Sean and it really seemed to work.
I was taking 4 caps of the Turmeric 3 times a day. It did seem to slow the intensity of the boils but I didn't get the type of relief that others seemed to get. When I started taking the supplements Sean recommended along with the Hibeclens and the tea-tree oil it stopped dead in its tracks. Here's what I did:
Coninued with the turmeric as I was taking, took the other supplements once a day, and used antibacterial soap to clean my whole body twice a day. Then in the shower or bath I thoroughly washed anywhere boils usually came up with the Hibeclens. Then after I bathed I put some tea-tree oil in the palm of my hand and also put that anywhere I was susceptible to the boils. And I started with the q-tip of KY and tea tree oil in my nostrils twice a day. This combination immediately started healing the boils I had and since I've started the regimen I have not had any new ones.
A couple things:
I think the Hibeclens is very important to use to aid in the appearance of new boils, but it doesnt necessarily help in the healing of the old ones.It keeps the ones you have from spreading though because it puts a protective antifungal type layer on your skin that repels the bacteria and for hours and keeps you from getting new ones. Hibeclens can be bought at most pharmacies just ask the pharmacist where it is. It's kind of expensive but SO worth it.
When I started on Sean's regimen, I also cut out virtually all of the processed sugar and white flour from my diet. This was VERY hard for me, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make to get rid of the boils. This site has taught me how important this is. The sugar freezes your bodies ability to fight off the infection for up to four hours after you eat it. So in that time the boil is free to manifest itself and get worse and grow new ones with no fighting response from your body until the sugar works its way out of your system. The turmeric purifies your blood, but the sugar and white flour puts the toxins right back in. So you're fighting an uphill battle . If you want to keep boils under control you HAVE to cut down on your sugar and white flour intake.
Do not ever ever touch a boil with your bare hands and do not ever ever ever try to squeeze it. You can put hot compresses on it all you want, and if it pops under the heat thats fine, but the oils on your hands and skin will IMMEDIATELY make a boil worse if you touch it. And I've also found, especially with the boils I have had on my butt, that any pressure on them makes them fester and grow into the skin instead of outwardly. The lesson here is to keep the pressure off the boil as much as possible. If you have them on your butt use a hemmorhoid pillow or some type of cushion that keeps the pressure off the boil. Especially when you drive. I personally don't like to use band-aids or bandages on them because I feel everytime I do it just creates pressure by being covered and makes them worse and more painful. Of course several places on this site it discusses how important it is to keep them covered especially when they burst or drain - so use your own judgement here.
Also advil helps considerably with the pain.
I hope this helps some people.
Watch Your Sugar Intake!
Posted by Sage (DETROIT, Michigan) on 09/06/2007
★★★★★
re: Turmeric works but not with a lot of Sugar consumption. Thanks to this site,' Turmeric has helped alleviate my boil problems in the past. However after a recurrence last month, I was reminded that sugar does inhibit the immune system. I ate some cotton candy (Straight spun sugar), and four boils popped up in the groin area two days later. I have already cut out pop/soda drinks which helps. Again I was reminded that plenty of water, fresh fruits, and veggies help keep the boils away. I know now that I am asking for problems when I consume too much sugar (also candy) and baked sweets. I hope that this helps others and I am very thankful for this site.
Watch Your Sugar Intake!
Posted by Sage (Detroit, Michigan) on 06/20/2008
I have also discovered Black seed oil recently and use it when I have a major boil outbreak. I mixed a tsp of Black Seed Oil with 1/2 cup of plain unsweetened yogurt, 1 tsp of Turmeric, and 1 crushed clove of garlic. I also drink Burdock/Goldenseal/Echinacea Teas to help boost my immune system.
Ice Cubes
Posted by Megan (St. Louis, MO) on 09/04/2007
★★★★★
I have always gotten boils since I was young. I recently came across some information regarding them and a simply cure that I tried. Putting a whole ice cube on the boil 3 to 4 times a day and waiting until it completely melts will kill the boil. The information I came across said that boils need heat to grow and that the ice cubes stop them in their tracks. When you put the ice cube on it has a burning sensation and after 3 or 4 days the boil went completely away that I had. Just thought I'd share. An inexpensive remedy.
