Boil Remedy in Japan?

June 30, 2009 6:36 PM

Help! I'm in Japan, and I have a painful boil on my back from several weeks of carrying around a heavy backpack. I used this and Neosporin a few years ago in a similar situation in the US, but I don't know what to look for at a drugstore here. Any ideas? (I can speak only a tiny bit of Japanese, but I can read Katakana, in case that might help)
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

Just go to a pharmacy (yakkyoku), and ask for 抗生物質 (kousei-busshitsu), or antibiotic. The problem might be that a lot of things that are available over the counter in the US require a prescription in Japan.

Good luck!
posted by zachawry at 7:06 PM on June 30, 2009

www,nim.nih/gov or Medline Plus. Do a dedicated search on boils and read up on recommended treatment. You will find a list of very helpful articles from physicians on treating various maladies, and reliable advice on symptoms and treatment.

Medical treatment in Japan can be challenging since doctors are difficult with sharing information and there are a lot of unhelpful folk remedies.
posted by effluvia at 7:11 PM on June 30, 2009

Where are you in Japan? I MIGHT be able to help out. My wife is a doctor here. If you are in the kansai area, shoot me an email.
posted by zachawry at 7:26 PM on June 30, 2009

If you go to a pharmacy and (this might be embarrassing) ask the pharmacist to take a look, they'll usually be able to give you some kind of advice about which medicine to use. Pardon my bad Japanese, but give this a try:

Sumimasen, nihongo ga wakarimasen kedo, (Excuse me, I don't understand Japanese) senaka ni haremono ga aru to omoimasu (I think I have a boil on my back), mite itadakimasen ka? (could you please take a look at it?)
posted by Ghidorah at 7:35 PM on June 30, 2009

Or if you have access to a printer:

すみません、日本語が分かりませんが、背中に腫れ物があると思います。見て頂きますか？

(The "mite" is pronounced "mee-teh" btw).
posted by @troy at 7:52 PM on June 30, 2009

this is not a japan-centric answer, but i am a frequent sufferer of boils. have you tried doing the warm water or warm salt-water compress? it'll bring it to a head a lot sooner. after it splooges, be sure to keep the area clean.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 8:13 PM on June 30, 2009