# Bad Home Remedies (Bookending Veneficus' thread on Home Remedies)



## mycrofft (Apr 25, 2012)

What sort of futile, harmful or "just WRONG"  self-treatments have you seen or tried? 
PS: I'd include novel ways to abuse drugs.


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## adamjh3 (Apr 25, 2012)

"Coining"


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## SliceOfLife (Apr 25, 2012)

Ever see the video on YouTube with the girl cutting open pilonidal abscess between a guys shoulder blades with an exacto knife and no gloves?


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## mycrofft (Apr 25, 2012)

Pilonidal abscess between the shoulder blades? Wouldn't that require the head to be somewhere up in there near the sacrum? :rofl:






What's coining?


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## SliceOfLife (Apr 25, 2012)

While the sacral region is most common they do appear in axillary areas and between the shoulders.  I have had two coccygeal ones...not fun.


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## SliceOfLife (Apr 25, 2012)

Coining is a cultural thing where you heat small coin like discs and place or rub them on the body.  Similar to cupping I believe.


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## mycrofft (Apr 25, 2012)

Ah, yeah! Thanks.


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## Veneficus (Apr 25, 2012)

filling a bathtub full of cold water and ice and putting the person in to "wake up" drug ODs.

Seen it in 2 different states.


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## adamjh3 (Apr 25, 2012)

> Coining, or cao gio (pronounced phonetically gow yaw), is an alternative form of medicine most commonly practiced in Southeast Asia.  The practice of coining involves rubbing heated oil on the skin, most commonly the chest, back, or shoulders, and then vigorously rubbing a coin over the area in a linear fashion until a red mark is seen.
> 
> Coining is believed to allow a path by which a "bad wind" can be released from the body.  This "wind" is believed to be the cause of the patient's illness.  Advocates use this method to treat a variety of minor ailments including fever, chills, headache, colds, and cough.
> 
> There have been a handful of case reports describing complications from this treatment including burns, bruises, renal contusions, and brain hemorrhage.1,4,7  There have also been instances where parents who practice this treatment on their children have been accused of child abuse.5


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## Veneficus (Apr 25, 2012)

The question of the hour is....

Does it work at all?


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## adamjh3 (Apr 25, 2012)

Veneficus said:


> The question of the hour is....
> 
> Does it work at all?



Probably about as well as this

[YOUTUBE]4YziagkVsWY[/YOUTUBE]


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## TB 3541 (Apr 25, 2012)

adamjh3 said:


> Probably about as well as this



That's hilarious!

:rofl:


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## NYMedic828 (Apr 25, 2012)

Windex. The everycure.


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## Aidey (Apr 25, 2012)

How about any home remedy for burns that involves anything but cool water? As in butter, margarine, hair conditioner, petroleum jelly...



Veneficus said:


> filling a bathtub full of cold water and ice and putting the person in to "wake up" drug ODs.
> 
> Seen it in 2 different states.



I see your ice filled bathtub and raise you ice down the pants for heroin/opiate ODs.


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## Veneficus (Apr 26, 2012)

Aidey said:


> I see your ice filled bathtub and raise you ice down the pants for heroin/opiate ODs.



I always thought that was to cool down something else? :unsure:


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## mycrofft (Apr 26, 2012)

Had a case where a diabetic woman living in a meth lab compound tried to abort with an insulin OD; her "brothers" tried to revive her with meth. She came in violently gasping like a fish out of water and the color of the background blue on this website. She lasted two days in ICU.


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## DrParasite (Apr 27, 2012)

If someone is seizing, stick a spoon or shoe in their mouth so they don't swallow their tongue.

if they are seizing, throw rubbing alcohol on them.

If they are drunk, throw them in a cold shower

all great ideas....


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## STXmedic (Apr 27, 2012)

Aidey said:


> I see your ice filled bathtub and raise you ice down the pants for heroin/opiate ODs.



Where do people get this crap? I see that all the time down here. Smh.


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## Veneficus (Apr 27, 2012)

PoeticInjustice said:


> Where do people get this crap? I see that all the time down here. Smh.



It is almost as effective as "the home boy ambulace service"

Where they push the ODing person out of the moving car in front of the ED.

(Had a few patients in my time I wish I could have done that to also)

But the person usually bounces off the pavement and it becomes a ODing patient with major trauma.


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## Mountain Res-Q (Apr 27, 2012)

Aidey said:


> How about any home remedy for burns that involves anything but cool water? As in butter, margarine, hair conditioner, petroleum jelly...



Was camping once.  14 year old burned his hand.  His mom pulled out a tube of tooth paste and started smearing it on the burn.  I kid you not.  I believe the exact words out of my mouth were, "WIPE THAT SH*T OFF RIGHT NOW!"  Although his burn was whiter afterwards, free of plaque, and minty fresh...


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## CritterNurse (Apr 27, 2012)

My memere would insist on pouring vinegar on a sunburn. It hurt, it made the skin feel tighter, and most importantly, it HURT! She claimed it would prevent it from peeling.


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## Martyn (Apr 27, 2012)

CritterNurse said:


> My memere would insist on pouring vinegar on a sunburn. It hurt, it made the skin feel tighter, and most importantly, it HURT! She claimed it would prevent it from peeling.


 
But I like the peeling part...it tickles   :rofl:


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## Anjel (Apr 27, 2012)

I thought vinegar was a God send with my sunburn. Didn't hurt at all. It felt amazing. 

And I had some partial thickness burns too.


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## Anjel (Apr 27, 2012)

Mountain Res-Q said:


> Was camping once.  14 year old burned his hand.  His mom pulled out a tube of tooth paste and started smearing it on the burn.  I kid you not.  I believe the exact words out of my mouth were, "WIPE THAT SH*T OFF RIGHT NOW!"  Although his burn was whiter afterwards, free of plaque, and minty fresh...



My mom insists on putting tooth paste on burns. Says it draws the burn out.


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## HelloChello (Apr 27, 2012)

Mountain Res-Q said:


> Was camping once.  14 year old burned his hand.  His mom pulled out a tube of tooth paste and started smearing it on the burn.  I kid you not.  I believe the exact words out of my mouth were, "WIPE THAT SH*T OFF RIGHT NOW!"  Although his burn was whiter afterwards, free of plaque, and minty fresh...




Toothpaste totally works! Well, it makes it feel better anyway.

I've heard of people putting mustard on burns. I dunno about that...


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## Veneficus (Apr 28, 2012)

HelloChello said:


> Toothpaste totally works! Well, it makes it feel better anyway.
> 
> I've heard of people putting mustard on burns. I dunno about that...



So does the 0.5% lidocaine found in sunburn jel. But it also creates what amounts to a petri dish.


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## abckidsmom (Apr 28, 2012)

Anjel1030 said:


> I thought vinegar was a God send with my sunburn. Didn't hurt at all. It felt amazing.
> 
> And I had some partial thickness burns too.



I remember that horrible sunburn.  OMG that was bad.


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## socalmedic (Apr 30, 2012)

had a woman rub vicks vaporub on her kid when he stopped breathing. she put it on head to toe, literally head to toe. not only was there no way to get pads or patches to stick, my eyes would not stop burning. that was one time when I wish I had paddles.


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## mycrofft (May 1, 2012)

"Neutralizing" snake venom in a bite by electrolyzing with a car battery.


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## Veneficus (May 1, 2012)

mycrofft said:


> "Neutralizing" snake venom in a bite by electrolyzing with a car battery.



Not as bad as sucking it out I guess...


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## SSwain (May 1, 2012)

Veneficus said:


> Not as bad as sucking it out I guess...




That's what she said....


Old neighbor of mine would use Vaseline for every thing.
Burn? Vaseline
Cut? Vaseline
Poison Ivy? Vaseline

He even used to put baking soda in vaseline and brush his teeth.

Never saw him butter his toast with it, but I wouldn't have put it past him.....


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## EMSpursuit (May 2, 2012)

I had a patient who had a bad toe laceration and put tobacco in the cut.... said it was an old remedy...


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## mycrofft (May 2, 2012)

Tobacco is bacteriostatic apparently. According to an old study, tobacco chewers actually have fewer serious dental caries than a similar cohort without the habit. They get minor ones which are dyed brown.
Wonder about betel nut?






Well, maybe not....


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## EMSpursuit (May 2, 2012)

wow, look at that grill!


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## mycrofft (May 2, 2012)

Actually, most of it is blackened by the betel nut, it's just shiny, not chromed.


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## Sasha (May 2, 2012)

HelloChello said:


> Toothpaste totally works! Well, it makes it feel better anyway.
> 
> I've heard of people putting mustard on burns. I dunno about that...



That does take the sting out of the burn. Personal experience.


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## mycrofft (May 4, 2012)

Anyone see pts who eat clay?


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## Veneficus (May 4, 2012)

mycrofft said:


> Anyone see pts who eat clay?



Nope, never clay, but just about everything else, and clay would be an upgrade for some.


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