If you know what you're doing(ish) is it okay to take care of a problem by yourself instead of seeking professional help?

There is no cost which is more important than my health and well being!

To ignore going to see the doctor because of cost isn’t a smart move. But I think I would’ve been a bit reluctant to go see the doctor who didn’t completely check me out before leaving the hospital.
I don’t have much faith in doctors and have occasionally done something as foolish. I once had a big cyst and took care of it myself because I’ve seen my husband go for something that would start out as a cyst and the doctors send him home to have it get out of control. No antibiotics or nothing. Just a warm bath and wait for it to rupture on its own. Then it got out of hand and took two rounds of antibiotics and six months later he had to take another round. Sometimes I wonder if they just don’t care or its just a way of milking more money for visits.

@Pandora Cost wasn’t an issue then, I was still “in the army,” persay.

The thing is, you don’t know what you’re doing. Do you have any medical training?

Next time go to the doctor instead of trying to handle it yourself.

What does MRSA look like?? You may have sucessfully burned off a mosquito bite! Glad to hear you are all better!

That was crazy-nuts… I would’ve gone to the doctor for that one, but then again, I think burning off MRSA probably was more effective than what any doctor would’ve done. I know a guy who is living with lifetime complications for ignoring his MRSA wounds.

There are some things that I’ll take care of myself, but only when I know what it is. If I have no idea what it is, I’ll reluctantly go to the doctor.

I think there are things you can do yourself, if you really do know what you’re doing and have a hell of a lot of confidence in your own judgment. But you can make a pretty good mess of it if you don’t.

If I know what I’m doing I won’t go to the doctor. Not because I do not want to pay others for their knowledge but just because I know the thing. If I don’t do it it’s normal to pay a visit toa profesionist. But if I do know it, then I either know it or I just think I know it. Either way I have to try it and see.

I have done things like that, actions that others INSISTED meant I would harm myself or my kids (I had homebirth). In the end I avoided a C-section. And the kids were just fine.

I’ve lanced toes with excellent results.

I’ve used super-glue to seal a cut shut. That resulted in no visible scar, unlike the typical railroad tracks. (If you do this, it MUST be a clean cut, and you have to do it before it starts to bleed.)

If you do stuff like this, you have to be very conscious of the consequences, and be willing to take the risk. No room for hindsight here.

I think there is a big difference between an injury and childbirth or other superficial wounds.

@Schroedes13 It’s all in what you’re comfortable with, and with what you know. As I said, regardless

“you have to be very conscious of the consequences, and be willing to take the risk. No room for hindsight.”

It’s better to see a professional.

Hmm. I’d rather use a machine at the gym after the guy who saw a professional not the one who may have burned the MRSA off his arm himself. Just sayin. Plus, is MRSA the new black or something? I feel like everything is MRSA these days. It may have no cost to you at all it could be the ones with compromised immune systems that get screwed because you wanted to play doctor.

@JessicaRTBH How can someone blame someone else for giving them the idea to do something stupid, or something that was a bad idea for them?

Instead, people need to take responsibility for their own lives. If you choose to treat your illness yourself, take responsibility for the consequences! If you choose to go to a doctor to treat that condition, take responsibility for the consequences!

I hope I’m not the only one who gets this concept!

@snowberry When that person has an illness or condition that could affect other people. That was all I was saying very simply.
Also, I don’t really understand what you’re saying and why you’re saying it to me

@snowberry, MRSA is contagious.

Sorry @JessicaRTBH, I mis-read your comment.

@Judi Yep. So are a number of other conditions but if you treat it at home, and it goes away, you’ll never know what it was. There is no point in making assumptions in what the thing is. I have sucessfully treated what appeared to be mange (which is highly contagious) at home, and that went away too.

That said, if I try to treat something at home and it doesn’t go away, I do (I REALLY Really do) go to the doctor)! But in general, I try to take care of it myself first.

But MRSA can kill you, a cold doesn’t usually.

There are a lot of illnesses that people have that are contagious can kill you. Most people I know do not run to the doctor for every time something does not look right (and let’s not forget all the missed diagnoses made by doctors I’ve seen some really stupid ones). Unless you’re a medical person, very few of us know what MRSA looks like (I haven’t taken the time to look it up even now). unless my undiagnosed ailment grows at an alarming rate, I’d try to treat it myself.

Then there are the people like my father who would go off to the doctor if he got a hangnail (really). These folks contribute to the problem by taking up a doctor’s time which could better be spent on real health problems.

Not only can MRSA kill you, it can kill other people, especially the elderly and immune-compromised. My mother died of it. It is not something to treat lightly.

I had MRSA in a wound recently; 10 days of minocyclin knocked it right out. Dunno why anyone would prefer to take a second degree burn over taking 10 days of antibiotics.

I agree with @crisw and @JessicaRTBH.

@snowberry – There are also a lot of illnesses where the solution is a trip to the doctor and not a second degree burn on top of whatever was there beforehand. Also, I would assume people who go to the doctor for a hangnail pay and therefore can waste as much of the doctor’s time as they would like. I mean I pay to go to the dr. so some guy that treats himself with burns doesn’t infect me or kill my mom who is a transplant recipient. You see? MRSA is totally not a joke and frankly I don’t care what anybody else goes to the doctor for as long as they aren’t treating themselves.

Whether you know what your doing(ish) or not, you are courting death(ish).You are also courting the wrath (ish) of editors.

@JessicaRTBH I agree with you. I read up a bit about MRSA since then, and it describes a sore that develops unusually quickly, within hours. If I had a sore like that, OF COURSE I’d seek a doctor! Folks here seem to assume that anyone who uses home remedies first throws their brains out the window.

A really interesting observation, actually. I’m guessing this is applies to the rest of life. Where else in life do we so quickly assume the worst about people?

@snowberry There’s nothing wrong with home remedies until we’re talking about something contagious and deadly. Such things should be taken care of in a proper way so that you don’t put others at risk (which it seems you agree with, so don’t think this comment is necessarily pointed at you). It just seems to me that a lot of people think they can use common sense to handle situations, when there’s usually more to the story than the layperson understands. There’s a lot to be said for going to medical school.

@Mariah My my my. Such drama.

@snowberry

Watch someone you love die a slow, drawn-out, horrible death from MRSA. Then you can talk about drama.

@snowberry What? I think I was being pretty polite. I’m just trying to have a discussion about this.

@snowberry – how do you know I’m not a fan of home remedies myself (just not for MRSA-or to diagnose said possible MRSA)? Did I say I assumed anything about you – or gasp even the worst?? I don’t recall saying anything of that nature – feel free to reread my post

I wouldn’t really call Cris’s post dramatic, considering her mom died of the illness we’re debating the wisdom of treating at home.

I had a staph infection in my blood about two years ago that almost killed me, not MRSA, fortunately, but similar. I still don’t understand some of the treatment they gave me at the hospital, why certain things were necessary, because I don’t have a medical degree. All I know is that they worked and I didn’t die even though I really probably should have, and the main reason I didn’t die was that I was at the right place at the right time (at a hospital).

Well it depends. If I’m installing a printer then yes I’ll take the chance. I would not, however. perform open heart surgery.

Yea, but with some things you REALLY need to know what you’re doing.

And speaking of MRSA, garlic concentrations have shown promising results as an antibiotic to treat some superbugs. Haven’t read anything about MRSA specifically, but certainly something to consider for the super-DIY folks like me. I’ve had nasty infected wounds that healed after heavy garlic treatments.

One thing to bear in mind, of course, is that you may not be the only one to bear the consequences of your decision. Yes, you may be the one to feel the pain of an improperly treated injury. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the only one to suffer. There’s also
– loved ones who experience anxiety and distress on your behalf
– employers who lose your time on the job
– whoever is exposed to risk of contagion from your incomplete or ineffective procedure
– whoever has to pay the bills

My son likes to treat himself. He recently let a fairly deep cut go with self-care until it became infected and ended up an emergency-clinic MRSA case. He felt extreme pain. It became our crisis when we had to rush him in for treatment, disrupting our routine with a high-priority interrupt. We also had to worry about our own exposure to MRSA—something not to be taken lightly at all—for the following weeks. And in the end we and the insurance company paid the tab. (And who pays for the insurance?)

There were very real consequences here that those of us without the injury did not volunteer to take on. In fact, from the beginning we insisted on proper treatment, but to no avail.

This does not change my previous answer. It just enlarges the implications.

Yep. I’m with @incendiary_dan
Treating yourself means you have to take responsibility. It involves thinking outside the box, doing more reading and research than may be comfortable, doing things that may be stinky and or eating stuff that may taste bad, and knowing when you’re in over your head. It’s not for the weak of stomach.

@incendiary_dan, garlic ingested or garlic applied directly to the site? And how much is a concentration?

@Jeruba Generally for the antibiotic treatment you need to ingest either a tincture (alcohol extract) or oil. I had great success with garlic oil pills, which were at a 500:1 concentration. You can apply garlic topically to areas infected with fungus and such, but it can burn, and you can’t put it on an open wound (it REALLY burns). For the tincure, depending on how strong it’s made I believe two or three tablespoons a day is a good amount.

@incendiary_dan Some sources say to chop the garlic and let it sit open to the air for 10 or 15 minutes. This enhances some quality of the garlic, but I’m not sure whether it means the quality of the garlic that reduces heart problems, or the part of the garlic that reduces infection. Do you know?

@snowberry I’m not totally sure, but I’ve heard that. I tend to crush the garlic when I make tinctures, because supposedly that activates more of the compounds that are beneficial (and tasty). Plus, when you’re doing a whole head worth, crushing is easier. I haven’t yet made my own garlic oil, but I intend to try once I figure out how my oil press works.

And while you’re at it, please tell us if loading up on garlic like this means you can walk in and clear a ballroom in two seconds flat.

It certainly does mean that. :P It comes out my pores!

@Jeruba, Yes. I’ve done it. :) It’s really nice if they’re people you’re not fond of anyway.

On the plus side, my partner loves the smell of garlic.

Garlic is a blood thinner, so you’ll want to keep that in mind when doing this.

Garlic is also estrogenic. If you have hormone problems, it could help or hinder as well. This is what I’m talking about. You have to know your stuff if you’re going to use home remedies.

There are many other herbs and/or foods that can significantly affect hormone levels, just like there are herbs that affect other body functions.

So garlic could be more effective than burning a skin wound/infection/ possible MRSA? Does this work with garlic pills (powder I believe) at all or does it have to be more pure (like the oil ones mentioned)?

@snowberry Actually the sulfur compounds in garlic bind to estrogen and help the liver remove it from the body.

@JessicaRTBH I’ve never heard of anyone burning their skin with powdered garlic. In terms of medicinal effectiveness, it’s not as potent as fresh garlic, extracts, or oil (and in my experience, makes you burp more).

@JessicaRTBH I’m not agreeing yet as I fortunately don’t believe everything I read on the internet; for all I know garlic could be completely useless and the people promoting its usefulness could be total lunatics (not implying you are, but I also can’t know for certain that you aren’t, sorry). Another good thing about going to the doctor is the treatments they give you are (usually) ones that have a lot of studies behind them to back them up. Unless you have the means to do a skin culture at home (another advantage to going to the doctor…), how do you confirm that what you have is in fact MRSA, and after you’ve treated it, how do you confirm that it’s gone? This is especially troublesome if you’re using experimental treatments that aren’t confirmed to work.

@incendiary_dan – I was asking about your garlic remedy in contrast to the OP’s ‘burning’ method. I was more joking than anything. I was asking if powdered garlic pills would be similar to the garlic oil ones you mentioned. It seems the oil ones may be better.

@Mariah – I would only consider garlic on top of going to a real doctor but I was more just trying to illustrate how off topic we got with garlic in general rather than what the question was in the first place – a possible skin issue followed by a self inflicted burn. Even if garlic worked it wasn’t exactly relevant :)

@Mariah I can go on forever about how it isn’t necessarily true, and in fact often completely untrue, that doctors treatments have adequate testing. But I won’t. All I’ll say is that the treatments promoted by doctors are often those that are promoted by major organizations, who have repeatedly shown they’re more interested in getting grants than honestly reviewing studies.

@JessicaRTBH, off-topic posts are commonly flagged if they occur in a thread under General; a questioner posts there for that reason. The expectations for a thread in Social are much looser and allow for thread drift, humor, and so on. This question is in Social, so it’s ok if we wander a bit.

It’s pretty hard for flutherfolk to stick to a topic anyway; sooner or later most of them end up being about food.

@Jeruba – I get it – I may finally be getting the hang of this place :) I was just amused by the sudden garlic interest since it got me all hungry

See?

Now I wish there was garlic on my dinner. :P

@incendiary_dan “Actually the sulfur compounds in garlic bind to estrogen and help the liver remove it from the body”. Can you provide documentation for that? I had a female problem where the doctor told me I had to avoid ALL estrogenic foods and herbs. He implied I’d be taking my life in my hands to do otherwise (I had abnormal uterine bleeding due to hormone imbalance). He was quite impatient with my alternative bent.

A scantily researched medication has still got more evidence behind it than something I read on the internet…show me some studies that support the usefulness of home remedies and I’ll support you.

@Mariah Numerous studies have been done to show the effectiveness of garlic and other “home remedies” (read: demeaning way to say ‘not industrial’). Do your own damn research, I’ve spent enough of my own energy doing it myself. I suggest Dr. James Duke’s books, since he’s done a lot of studies himself.

@snowberry I know I just about it somewhere, but now I’m having a stupid day and can’t seem to figure out how to find it again. I’ll let you know if I do find it.

@incendiary_dan Calm down, I used the term “home remedies” because @snowberry used it above. Sorry if I don’t know the exact term you’d prefer I use. Thanks for the suggestion on the author… that’s all I was asking for.

Hey, I’ve been around and around this issue on other threads. Studies such as you require cost mucho bucks, and aren’t going to be done unless the item can be processed in such a way that it can be patented and produced in large quantities by a pharmaceutical company. Garden variety garlic isn’t likely to be patented any time in the near future.

In addition, raw garlic is far more potent than any processed version. I agree with @incendiary_dan.

@Mariah Sorry if I came off terse. I’m a bit stressed right now. Dad’s in surgery getting a pacemaker. I almost put that in my initial response as an example of something I wouldn’t do myself.

Everything ok now, @incendiary_dan?

Okay-ish. He’s resting at home, completely wiped, but his heart is beating normally and that’s the big thing. Just needs to watch his blood pressure for a couple weeks.

Best of wishes for your father @incendiary_dan