In need of a local poultice recipe

[narisarasgroove]

I occasionally suffer from boils and abscesses and right now I have a doozy that is about 4 inches long and quite deep under the skin. In the past I have applied a poultice to draw the nasty stuff out but this one is defying all attempts at this.

I have tried various remedies garnered from the net with not much success and alas a lot of the ingredients, creams, etc that are quoted are almost impossible for me to find in Thailand. As yet I have not come across one pharmacy that has heard of the concept of a poultice which I find strange as historically they have been around for a long, long time.

My question is, has anyone any experience of making a poultice here using local ingredients? If so can you let me know what they are and, if possible, in Thai too so that I have a chance of communicating my needs to the local pharmacist / market trader / or whoever has the goods.

I know some will by now be saying “Go to the doctor and get it cut out you idiot” and that is a fair point expect for:

Reason 1: I have searched the net and found from other peoples experience they all seem to say much the same thing. It hurts like hell because no anesthetic is used (don’t know why). Not in to pain if it can be avoided.

Reason 2: Without getting into too much detail it starts in a place that makes it painful to sit and ends next to my two best friends. Unless I am at deaths door I am not letting anybody get that close to them with a knife.

So! Anyone with any experience of the ways of the local witch doctor, wise old Grandma, or snake oil trader, I await your wisdom with bated breath.

PS. I live in the Bangkok area so should not be too difficult to find your recommendations somewhere. I Hope!

[Sheryl]

Oatmeal makes a very good poultice. basically all that matters is a vehicle for heat, and one that dries up exerting some slight suction as it does so. Other ingrediants will have no effect.

Reason 1 is nonsense, local anesthetic most definitely is used here. And if for some reason the doctor tries to omit it, refuse.

Can't help you on reason 2 other than to point out that the longer you wait, the worse it may get and the more extensive eventual cutting might have to be.

[lovelomsak]

My Mother warmed milk bread poultice worked well.Try that. Not sure how warm the milk needs to be.And think the end or crust of the bread is best with cut side down on boil .Simple warm the milk,soak the bread in the milk when heating. When warm but not hot apply .Donot get it to hot it can burn ,then you must wait for that to heal before you poultice again

[narisarasgroove]

My Mother warmed milk bread poultice worked well.Try that. Not sure how warm the milk needs to be.And think the end or crust of the bread is best with cut side down on boil .Simple warm the milk,soak the bread in the milk when heating. When warm but not hot apply .Donot get it to hot it can burn ,then you must wait for that to heal before you poultice again

Thanks for the input. I have tried the bread and milk poultice but for whatever reason it didn't work for me. This one is proving to be one tough mother.

[narisarasgroove]

Oatmeal makes a very good poultice. basically all that matters is a vehicle for heat, and one that dries up exerting some slight suction as it does so. Other ingrediants will have no effect.

Reason 1 is nonsense, local anesthetic most definitely is used here. And if for some reason the doctor tries to omit it, refuse.

Can't help you on reason 2 other than to point out that the longer you wait, the worse it may get and the more extensive eventual cutting might have to be.

Have not tried the oatmeal so will give that a go. The extra info was useful too, thanks.

You sound like you speak from experience and I hear what you are saying about reason 1. As I said, I was basing that info on other peoples experience.

However! About 20 years ago when working in Brunei I had a really bad abscess due to a dental problem. When it ripened the facial surgeon cut it to help it drain. He gave me a local into my gum while sitting on my chest. I soon found out why he adopted that position as the pain was beyond belief when he injected into the abscess and apart from trying to throw him across the room my screams were heard throughout the place. He told me later that the anesthetic doesn't work on infected areas hence the reason why I assumed other peoples stories omitted the use of a local.

If you know different or can shed more light on the topic I would appreciate hearing it. A day without learning something new is a day wasted.

[sunnyjim5]

OP

It sounds as if you might have a infected pilonidal sinus.

Seek medical assistance this problem will not go away !

There are many modern day techniques of providing a "local anesthetic" which do not involve injecting into abscesses or sitting on people !

[narisarasgroove]

OP

It sounds as if you might have a infected pilonidal sinus.

Seek medical assistance this problem will not go away !

There are many modern day techniques of providing a "local anesthetic" which do not involve injecting into abscesses or sitting on people !

Thanks for the reply and info Sunnyjim5. Haven't heard of pilonidal sinus infection before so looked it up. Judging from the many pics online my problem doesn't look quite the same, but then again I am no medical expert so I will bear in mind your input.

Meanwhile I shall give it a bit more time and keep trying to draw the thing out.

Cheers

[Sheryl]

What happened 20 years ago in Brunei has nothing to do with what will be done today in Thailand.

I have brought many people in for abscesses and the like. Always numbed first with adequate local anesthetic.