Cysts - Editor's Choice

Over the years, Earth Clinic readers have sent us many reports about their treatments for Cysts. The editors at Earth Clinic consider the below posts to be some of the most helpful and informative and have named them 'Editor's Choice'. We hope that you will find this useful.

Castor Oil

Posted by MGA (Sydney) on 02/12/2024
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My brother had a massive and painful cyst on his back. he was going to have it operated on. I put a castor oil poultice on it, and I also put castor oil in his navel before bed and got him to sleep with it in place. The VERY NEXT DAY the cyst burst and drained and has not come back. Incredible. For some reason castor oil in the navel seems to help a lot of issues. Give it a try! Good luck!


Iodine

Posted by Katherine (California) on 10/11/2021
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Dr. David Brownstein of Bloomfield Michigan said that ALL CYSTS are caused by low iodine. I had a ganglion cyst on my finger for several years that would get very sore and large. I had three on my knee cap and had breast cysts. Surgery was the only option I covered each cyst area with the iodine tincture from the drug store and in about three days they were gone! I then started supplementing with Lugols 5% iodine at 2 drops a day. No more cysts. Dr. Brownstein gives the iodine loading test to check iodine levels. He says 90% of patients are deficient! Dr. Brownstein says the prostate, being a gland, is affected by iodine too!


Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Gennie (NL, Canada) on 02/27/2021
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My husband had a cyst on his back. It was red, painful, and hadn't erupted yet. Saw family doctor who referred us to a specialist. With COVID and Surgery pending, I was concerned. ( He has COPD).

I soaked some sterile cotton pads in ACV with the Mother. Placed it on his back and covered it with Plastic Wrap. Taped it in place. I did this twice a day until the cyst began oozing. Then it required more changes. A week plus later all evidence of cyst had disappeared. He was healed without surgery or scarring. I canceled his day surgery. I was asked and the appointment clerk was amazed.


Castor Oil

Posted by Beth (Alabama) on 01/25/2021
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My husband has had terrible cysts his entire life. Many times he has been forced to undergo surgery to remove them. I saw the castor oil remedy on your site and it has worked every single time we've tried it for his cysts.

Most recently he had a large/painful one coming up and immediately smothered it in castor oil. Within two days it was gone.


DMSO, Lugol's Iodine

Posted by Colleen (Wisconsin) on 12/26/2018
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I had a sebaceous cyst in my groin area for years that was pretty small, not really visible, but if you felt around for it, was always there. I had one bout with a cyst in this spot as a teen; it appeared suddenly, got quite big within a few days, and drained on its own. Painful but over with quickly and no recurrence until I was in my 30s. This time it was a bit bigger but never irritated and sadly never threatening to burst or progress at all. So I finally decided to see if I could make it go.

I started with castor oil, which did seem to shrink it a little, but after several days seemed to stop having any further effect. I next tried ichthammol salve, which smelled god-awful to me, but if it made this thing come to a head and be over with, was worth enduring for a few weeks. After several days of keeping it coated, not much was happening so I started taking warm epsom salt baths while continuing with the ichthammol.This did make it slowly start to grow in size, soften up, get irritated, and kind of come to a head. It was not totally effective though. I think the warm baths may have had as much to do with it progressing as the ichthammol, not sure.

But regardless, although this protocol did bring it to a head (I could see a white dot forming) when I went to express it, maybe only a third of the material (white stuff) came out. Huge disappointment. I considered going back to the ichthammol again, but I was starting to suspect that a true boil might be better treated with that stuff. My cyst was perhaps too old and dry to be coaxed out.

I decided to totally switch to another remedy I'd seen hinted at: Lugol's iodine. I've had really good success with other ailments by increasing iodine in my diet (eating dulse flakes) in the last few years, and I know I've been deficient of this essential element in the past. I'd also read that mixing Lugol's with DMSO (50/50) would do a better job of getting it to absorb at the site. I had both ingredients on hand though I'd never used the DMSO before.

Mixed up a few ounces in a small glass container and applied it twice a day for about a week. (I used Crow's 5% iodine and pharmaceutical grade DMSO--both purchased on Amazon.) Right away I could feel something happening, a tingling. Within a day or two, the cyst, which as I mentioned had become larger and inflamed and only partially drained, was much smaller and starting to dry up. It was probably less than ten days before it was entirely healed over.

What really surprised me was that it was completely flat at that point--no sign of a bump--for the first time in maybe ten years. It's now been about three weeks. I stopped applying the iodine/DMSO once it was healed and flat and it so far has not come back at all. If it does, I won't be going back to the ichthammol again. I'll just try the iodine/DMSO.

One tip: I used a Q-tip to apply the solution directly on the cyst and would "paint" it thoroughly for about a minute to get as much of the stuff to absorb as possible. Because of where this thing was, I didn't bother to try to get a band-aid to stay in place and just used panty liners to keep my underwear clean. Once absorbed it didn't seem to be very wet or getting all over the place, so this was more of a precaution than a necessity, but keep in mind iodine does stain clothing. Also, iodine will spread all the way up the Q-tip, which seems to waste it. I wanted to saturate just the end, so I eventually figured out that dropping oil (I used castor oil) onto the part of the cotton about halfway down from the very tip would block the iodine solution from "running, " if that makes sense.

Definitely try this if you have a stubborn old sebaceous cyst. Hopefully you can avoid the attempts to poke at it and get it to come to a head--it really is possible to get even an old cyst to absorb and clear out with your body's help if you use iodine. Good luck!


Castor Oil

Posted by Karen (San Francisco, Ca) on 06/07/2017
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I had a painful cyst between the skin and muscle on my hip, about the size of a grape. My doctor said that it was unlikely to go away, and that I should consider surgery. Instead I consulted Earth Clinic and tried the castor oil suggestion. I rubbed the oil onto the skin over the cyst a few times a day. When I had time, I used a heating pad after application. Day 2 and the cyst was the size of a lentil. By Day 3 it was nearly gone. Gone on Day 4. Miraculous, really.

Told my daughter about my experience. She is a gymnast and has always had large marble-sized ganglion cysts on her wrists. They are painful and inhibit movement. She has been using the castor oil for a few days (only 1-2 times a day), and the cyst is nearly gone! Truly amazing.


Iodine

Posted by Carolanne (Maryland) on 09/22/2016
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I am so surprised that the section on CYSTS did not list Iodine as a remedy! Iodine tincture (commonly a 2% liquid in an alcohol/water solution, found at smaller pharmacies) has a emulsifying effect on the waxy, oily substance inside common dermal cysts. Much like a warm compress would, iodine emulsifies the substance inside the cyst, making it thinner and less viscous so that it can be reabsorbed by the body.

I've had several sebaceous cysts on my scalp and, although dousing them with rubbing alcohol helps a bit, I found that iodine painted on with a Q-Tip works very quickly to shrink the cyst without having to squeeze it and break the skin (which opens you up to infection).

Iodine tincture comes in a tiny dark-colored bottle ad it found at smaller pharmacies; the big box stores are more likely to have a larger bottle (3-4 oz) of povidone iodine solution, which is more dilute but should be effective as well. The added bonus is, these solutions are powerful antibacterials (even against the dreaded MRSA) and are used in hospitals.


Garlic

Posted by Nicole (Montreal) on 09/09/2016
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Hi,

I had a cyst on my forehead, for the last 4 years, the size of a green pea.

Last night (2016/09/09) at 2:30AM, I crushed a clove of garlic and applied it on my cyst and around it. I held the crushed garlic in place with scotch tape. It burned quite a bit for half an hour. I went to bed with the garlic and scotch tape in place.

7 hours later, I woke up and looked at my forehead. Under the scotch tape, the crushed garlic had turned green overnight.

I removed the scotch tape and garlic.

To my great surprise, the cyst had COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED. A small puncture mark was left, probably due to where the liquid was drawn out by the garlic.

Also redness of the skin; better than that cyst that reminds you of witches.

I am on a waiting list to get a family doctor. I should be waiting another 4 years to get one.

That is the reason I tried the garlic treatment and it WORKS.

Nicole


Serrapeptase

Posted by Shawnamc (Canada) on 05/08/2016
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Hi my name is Shawna I was diagnosed finally with Tarlov Cysts, I have over 20+ cysts, I was in excruciating pain most of the time ... I took Gabapentin and Tramodol for pain ...I ended up with edema in my neck and needed to take anti inflammatories, but I can't take them.... I looked up some natural ways and stumbled across "Serrapeptase". I have been taking it now for three weeks and within the first 3 days I felt no pain ... And I still continue to feel better everyday ... I actually feel good from the inside out!! I hope this can help you too!!

Cheers!!


Baking Soda

Posted by Jill (England) on 07/29/2015
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Hi, I came on this site when I was told I had a cyst. I had never had one before but I instictively 'knew' how to treat it. I am a healer of sorts if you will. So I thought I would share. It started out as a small dot. I went ot the doctors who told me it was a cyst and nothing to worry about. But week on week it got bigger! I decided to treat it myself with Sodium Bicarbonate. Bicarbonate of soda! It is alkalike and 100% natural and can be used for many things. It is naturally alkaline and isn't patented for that very reason ( not owned by big pharma so they will not shout about all its health benefits as it doesn't make them any money! )

I won't bash on about the other health benefits of bicarb (though there are many) I will let you google that for yourself!

You can get premium grade bi carb from the chemist, but the stuff from the supermarket is the same , just lower grade. And its cheap!! I get mine from Boots, a tub for a quid. As bi carb is alkaline it balances the bodys natural PH, especially with all the acidic products we allow into our bodies, and gives us what we need. (again look into this for yourself).

Basically I mixed a teaspoon of bicarb with a smidge of water and made into a paste. I then used some savlon antiseptic cream (smidge on your finger to pick up/carry the bicarb paste) and pasted it/rubbed into the area.

This I did four times a day.

I also ingested a teaspoon of bi carb ( mixed with warm water) three times a day.

Within 24 hours it had shrunk. Within 72 it had all but gone!

A cyst is acid. Bi carb is alkaline. Dig??

I'm guessing apple cider vinegar works in the same way a lemon does on the body. Its acid but the body turns it to alkaline.

I hope this helps!


Castor Oil

Posted by Karen (Richmond, Va) on 06/22/2015
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

To all those suffering with deep cysts, I am please to report that the use of hot castor oil packs really work! I have suffered with both deep ganglion cysts in the balls of my feet and an ovarian cyst.

When a flair up occurs for my feet, I apply the castor oil pack (can purchase at the vitamin shoppe) and a good brand of castor oil (about 1 -2 teaspoons worth ) with a sheet of plastic over cloth and rest on a heating pad for 20 - 30 minutes a day.

A few days of this and they are dramatically reduced. I have changed the type of footwear I wear to low padded souls and good width to prevent compression. I had extreme pain last year and very little this year.

For my ovarian cyst, the same as above applies but I take the heat off after 20 minutes and leave pack on the rest of the night. Gone the next day. This stuff is truly a miracle. The ovarian cyst often left me in a fetal position for days and severe pain in the middle of my back.

I have so much relief now. Acupuncture has also helped with my ovarian cyst.

Definitely give the castor oil hot packs a try!!


Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Terry (Madison, Wi) on 02/03/2015
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I had a myxiod cyst for 7-8 years on my toe. Had the doctor remove it twice - kept coming back. I saw an article on drinking 1 oz. (2 Tablespoons) of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water every day for the cyst, so I did. After three weeks it was gone and never returned. Totally gone!! I don't have a clue why, but it works.


Castor Oil

Posted by Kacy (New York) on 03/12/2014
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I found a humungous cyst about 10 days ago above my butt (sorry to be gross, but that's where it is), was quite alarmed and looked online and was relieved to find it was something called a pilonidal cyst. I felt how wide it went underneath my skin and it was maybe 2.5", like a volcano forming! It was nice to know it wasn't anything serious, but not so great to read everywhere that I'd need surgery or to go on antibiotics. Anyway, I happened to be on earthclinic for treatment for wrinkle cures, saw castor oil, and then upon further reading saw it was also recommended for removing cysts! A great coincidence!!

I ordered castor oil on amazon (cold-pressed, but I dont know if that matters) and didn't even make a castor oil pack. I have just been rubbing castor oil straight on the cyst with my fingers a few times a day. Within days, it has drastically reduced in size and it is almost completely gone. I'm not sure HOW this is happening, nothing is coming out. It's just...dissapearing!

A doctor took a look at it (i as going to a doc for another reason) and she looked shocked. She couldn't believe castor oil could just get rid of it like that so quickly, as when I had previously emailed her about it before I met her she too told me I'd need surgery or antibiotics. When I met her in person and she saw it, she said "dont go on antibiotics or get surgery! Just keep doing what youre doing! " and indeed it is almost gone. Within days. No medicine, no surgery, no embarrasment. and CHEAP. and the stuff makes my skin look amazing too. I've never even heard of castor oil before earthclinic. I saw so many posts on all the other sites where people talked of getting surgery, etc etc. This is incredible, it bypasses all that trouble, expense, and pain.

I would LOVE to know how castor oil works, but wow does it ever. In a few more days it should be completely gone. THANKS to all of you who posted and let me know about this cure!!!! I used to get sebaceous cysts on my head, and if I ever get them back, castor oil will be the first thing I do! Good luck everyone!


Castor Oil
Posted by Janie Y (Illinois) on 10/17/2013
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I was born with a very rare disease called Pachyonychia Congenita which causes problems with the hair, nails, and skin.

I am more susceptible to skin problems, one of which is being very prone to (sebaceous) cysts. I was excited to try the castor oil remedy that is being mentioned on this wonderful website! I have had a good-sized (very noticeable) cyst in the outer corner of my left eye for more than two years now. The outer part appeared plump and soft to the touch, somewhat yellowish in color, and puffy.

I could see and feel the hard-like fluid inside of it, but while poking at it down deep, I could feel what felt like a pea. I had messed with with before, but had given up - Seemed I wouldn't excrete the substance underneath it very well.

The stuff was very hard to get out. I would always get a little liquid from it and a little blood, causing it to swell up a bit, then got it infected... I thought it useless to try anymore, so I just left it alone.

That is until I discovered the Castor OIL Remedyl!!!

Anyway, after reading the posts here, I decided to tackle it again. On Sept. 1st, I started poking around at the cyst, squeezed at it, and got it to secrete some oily like substance and some blood out of it. It was still hard though! I musta messed with it for about an hour. It was really swelled up great by then. It looked like someone had punched me in the eye ( I was squinting by the time I was finished with my treatment of it for the day)! I was determined however, to march on... Well, after poking and prodding at it for an hour, I cleaned it up, rinsed it with warm water, dried it, then dabbed it with the castor oil, and covered it up with a bandage. I did this twice a day. Morning and night. I squeezed it each time, to get more liquid and blood out of it, and then repeated the castor oil/bandage thing.

About 7 days later, Sept. 7, the cyst and my eye were still puffy (I got a lot of stares), but I could tell that the cyst was getting a smaller.

The castor oil was softening it up, which made it easier for me to squeeze the substance out of it! It was coming out pretty good by then, with hardly any effort on my part by that time. I could tell that the castor oil was really pulling the stuff out and causing the cyst to drain more! I continued this for about two more weeks. I could really see a big difference by then, so that was great for me. I was trying to be soooo patient, seein' as how patience is not one of my better virtues! After all, I told myself - I did have this thing by my eye for at least two years! By week 3, my eye was looking normal again.

The puffiness/swelling was all gone - the liquid was drained from the cyst. The area felt flat! And, it was starting to scab over. All that was left of the cyst was this little pea- sized knot by then). I continued to rub and massage the castor oil into this area each morning and every night before going to bed. I woke up one morning - Sept. 26... to find a small "pimple" had formed in the spot where the cyst was. I squeezed it, and this stringy thread- like substance snaked it's way out. This was the "pea" that I had been feeling for the last two years!

I write this on Oct. 17th, and as I run my finger over where the cyst had been... I smile (: The cyst had been my unwelcoming companion for the past two years or so, and it is NOW completely gone, and has been for a couple weeks!

The area around my eye is nice and smooth. Yayyyyyy.... Oh - I might also add that... During the time that I was treating this particular cyst, I had several smaller ones on my face, as well. I would massage the castor oil into them all the while and... They are gone too!!!

This will now become my ritual for every cyst I see poppin' up on my bod!! We gotta "Zap em before they Happen".. Castor Oil is definately the trick!

Thanks be to you guys who write in with your wonderful remedies!!! Have a great "Cyst-free" day!!!