Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with remedy

If I can't change my environment I must change myself.

dino terror — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:16:06 -0800

If you were once susceptible to mold and other air quality issues but have since strengthened your immunity how did you do it? I take allergy shots which are noted to be not that great for mold, I take antihistamines when I feel like I am really being hit hard but they seem to have little effect, and apparently nasal corticosteroids are another one that can help which I have started taking recently anyway for a separate matter.
I noticed that I started working out a few years back and I stopped catching colds on a bi-yearly basis. I directly attribute the exercise to strengthening my immune system against virus catching. Anything for allergen resistance?

Tequila as cold remedy?

buriednexttoyou — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:59:06 -0800

My girlfriend has a cold. Multiple people today have told her to take a shot of tequila before bed as a remedy. This sounds like a load of spit to us. Can anyone confirm or refute this? Thanks.

My head hurts

Neonshock — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:34:44 -0800

What do you do when you have a headache? I am a fairly regular migrane sufferer, every 2 months or so i have a massive headache. I sit in a dark room for a few hours really uncomfortable, the headache is usually ceremoniously brought to a finish by vomiting, then i usually feel a whole lot better.
Right now I've had a headache for two days, its similar to my migraney feel but less intense (as in, i can type this question, im not in a angished ball on the floor) and usually i can go to sleep and feel fine the next day, but not today im afriad.
Anyway, it got me thinking what you usually do for a persistant headache, do you have any remedies?

(drugs have been taken, im also wearing sunglasses)

ta

Home remedy for dog constipation?

I_Love_Bananas — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:27:44 -0800

What's wrong with my beagle? Constipation? All day, he's kept his (normally wagging) tail tucked tight down between his legs. I took him for a walk which almost always means he poops, but today he struggled to get out a tiny piece of poop. And he didn't lift his tail to do it.

When I lift his tail or try to examine the area, he yelps.

Earlier in the week, he chewed up an athletic bag and I am worried he may have swallowed some bits and pieces and maybe is in pain when he tries to poop.

I can't take him to the vet til Monday. I have looked up some home constipation remedies for dogs and most reference mineral oil or canned pumpkin, neither of which I have in the house. I don't have a car today and can't go anywhere to get anything. Can I use regular cooking oil?

I thought I'd mix some dry dog food with a little cooking oil (corn or canola) and maybe some liquid from a can of tuna til it's all soft. If he eats that, I wonder if it would "speed things along?"

He's just so not himself. I feel terrible.

Getting rid of mosquito bit scars

mooza — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:10:07 -0800

Is there any remedy out there that will make welts/scars from mosquito bites heal faster? I get bitten A LOT. I know scratching means the bites take longer to heal, and I'm usually pretty good about not doing it, but when I get heaps of them at once, often I scratch without realising it. As a result I have several purplish welts, some have been around for months. Is there anything out there that will help these things fade?

She may weigh 190lbs less than he does, but she could take him out with one bite.

damnjezebel — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:28:11 -0800

[lunchfilter] Looking for ideas on how to a) keep my dog from barking at every little thing that moves and b) keep my dog from eating my boyfriend. My dog Olivia hates people. Almost all people, especially men. She does good with my boyfriend maybe 99% of the time - in that 1%, she has attacked him spontaneously and bitten him repeatedly. We're not sure what the trigger is, because it's something different every time (either a sound or a look or a gesture or the wind blowing, etc).

I've tried taking her to obedience school and when we're there, she is spastic and acts like she wants to eat everyone. When we leave, she is shaking in fear and absolutely nothing has stuck. I can't even take her to the vet or the groomer's without her freaking the hell out. When we get home, she is visibly shaking and then hides in the closet for a few days.

My other problem is that she barks at EVERYTHING in the yard. Outside of the yard. Random noises. And I'm really tired of having to sit in the yard with her at 6am while she pees - and barks at the same time.

SO, I'm looking for

a) some sort of ........ SOMETHING that will stop her from attacking my boyfriend and other friends - either a collar or a drug or something.

and

b) a anti-barking device/spray/what have you that actually works.

I somehow feel the need to point out that she is a chihuahua/pekingnese mix and weighs less than 12lbs.

Natural remedy or tonic for lungs?

mintchip — Sun, 13 May 2007 22:03:56 -0800

Natural remedy or tonic for lungs? I've noticed that I don't breathe as deeply or fully as I used to. I suspect I've developed a mild case of adult asthma, as my lungs often feel somewhat constricted, especially when I'm exposed to household chemicals or pollution such as car exhust.

I'm going to get this checked out at my next physical. Although I'm not overly concerned, I'm wondering if there might be some sort of natural remedy or tonic (herbal or otherwise) that can be used to help clear the lungs and improve breathing.

The Weird and Wonderful World of Chili

divabat — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:05:39 -0800

What sort of weird and wonderful stuff have people made with chili? I'm helping a friend who's writing a book about anything to do with chili peppers. Right now we're trying to look for:

a) Medicinal remedies that involve chili (whether old-wives-taleish or more medically sound)
b) Tech innovations with chili
c) Other weird and wonderful uses of chili

So far we have found the use of chili as barnacle prevention, and chili facewash (apparently it's a good anti-acne agent) but nothing much else. She's trying to avoid too many cookbook-style recipes and wants more unusual uses.

My search-Fu is not that strong now.

Thank you so much!

fight the sack rash

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:53:40 -0800

Sackrashfilter- Guys help me out here: How to get rid of the dreaded sack rash? As you can guess there is An embarassing problem. I have developed a bit of a sweaty rash on one thigh close to my balls. I fear exuberant sexual activity and lots of exercise has exacerbated the situation. I shower daily and make sure that I thoroughly clean the area (which is about half the size of a dollar bill) and dry it afterwards. I am wondering if there are any creams or applications that help clear this up. I know that talc sometimes dries the area but I am unsure if this necessarily helps get rid of this problem long term.

It is not an STD or anything like that, justchaffing I think.

Sockpuppet account for people who dont want to share on the page is

fightthesackrash at hotmail dot com

How to digest onions and garlic?

the sobsister — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 09:55:18 -0800

Is there any product available that one can take to pre-empt digestive problems from raw onions (all kinds) and garlic? In particular, the problem manifests itself as a nasty taste in the mouth an hour after consumption of said veg. (Cooking, however, the longer the better, neutralizes this effect.)

Money mite be a problem for kitty's ears

oflinkey — Wed, 10 May 2006 17:31:36 -0800

Cat with a minor case of ear mites, but I cannot get him to the vet... OK, here is the problem.
We had a cat go to the emergency vet two days ago, to the tune of about 700 dollars. Next day, I had a scheduled appointment for Melon, my sweet little foundling boy. I go to the super-fancy, cat-only vet. We had out yearly shots, our urinalysis (because he had crystals about a ear ago), leukemia and feline AIDS tests, teeth cleaned, pulse therapy for his tartar, ya ya ya. Melon is very good at the vet, but the trips cause him a lot of stress. We got home yesterday at 5 and he as only come out from under the bed a few times.

In all the stress and confusion of the last two days, we forgot to mention to the vet that Melon was scratching his left ear a bit more than usual. I remember this today, and I corner him and look-- sure enough a slight case of ear mites. Normally I would be off to the vet, but I honestly cannot. They looked at him yesterday and obviously missed it.

Listen, I love my cats, I love them all to death, but Melon's scheuled visit cost about 300. I. Cannot. Spend. Any. More.

And *even more important than that*, I don't think I can get Melon into the carrier again. He was high-stress this last time because of the other cat's trip, and he is still very antsy.

I checked everyone else's ears, and they are all good. No mites there.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Any home remedies?

Help find or identify this effective morroccan psoriasis remedy

chrissyboy — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:40:08 -0800

Can anyone help me identify these Moroccan products for psoriasis treatment? psoriasis sufferers, net detectives or Moroccans read in! A friend of mine went to Marrakech in Morrocco a couple of months ago, and as a gift bought back with him a couple of products to help with my psoriasis, which he bought from a large chemists over there.

They have worked great, which has gone a long way with my confidence, however I'm starting to panic as I'm about to run out, and the problem is acquiring some more.

There were no directions or extra information with the stuff, and it comes in 2 parts:

The first is a brown soap which came in an unlabelled small white tub, has quite a thick consistency, and is a similar colour and smell to tar soap or shampoo. I've upped a pic here.

The second is a cream which comes in a green pot. The label on the pot says creme: psoriasis and rosa huile. It is very strong smelling, greeny / brown in colour, and has a thick, 'bitty' consistency, almost like pesto, and can be tricky to wash off your hands. I've upped a pic here.

The only other information I have is a website address on the label of the green pot - http://www.rosa-huile.ma - which appears to be down. There is also a phone number i have called, and when i finally got through (after many unsuccessful attempts) to someone speaking english i was given an email address to send my request to - lahmagam@hotmail.com - which has just bounced back.

Does anyone know what this stuff actually is? Do you know the chemists in Marrakech? Where else could i get some? What would be a decent substitute if i can't? Is there any way one of the letters in the email address could have been misinterpreted by me (eg does the letter h sound like something else to them?)

Any help is much appreciated, i'm already starting to itch with panic since that email address bounced back =(

what is biting me?

centrs — Mon, 04 Jul 2005 11:10:59 -0800

I moved to san francisco two months ago and have been bitten by some type of insect about 40 times since then. the favorite spot appears to be my left arm with 17 bites scattered from my hand to my shoulder. i never feel myself being bitten, the bites are very small and they itch unlike anything i've ever experienced. i have not had this reaction to mosquitos before, and usually feel them as they bite me and see them. does anyone have any idea of what could be biting me and any natural remedies for itching and/or insect repellent for the body?

Herbal remedy for depression?

Ugh — Tue, 24 May 2005 21:16:58 -0800

I need advice from people who have experience taking herbal remedies / vitamins, specifically for depression. I was diagnosed with clinical depression and panic disorder about two years ago and was prescribed the highest dosage of Paxil. It definitely helped with my panic disorder, but never really seemed to change my depression. Actually, about a year into taking it, I became suicidal. After researching a little, I found Paxil is linked to increased suicidal tendencies so I immediately went off the drug cold turkey. Of course this was very dumb and I went through massive withdrawls but I didn't realize how dependent my body had become on it.

Which leads me to my question. It's been 3 months since I went off Paxil and I still have issues with depression. I'm not too keen on going on another prescription, but am curious about hermal remedies and/or vitamins I can take that might help. I have heard of St Johns Wort but does it actually work? Are there vitamins I should be taking? Certain foods I should be eating? Hearing from people with personal experience would be great.

Help me hear clear through my ear

Crushinator — Sun, 10 Apr 2005 10:07:19 -0800

I have a head cold and my left ear has been out of commission since I woke up this morning. Any tried and true methods for "opening up" and ear drum? I've tried holding my nose and blowing, but that just made it worse. I also tried pouring a vinegar-rubbing alcohol solution in there which was entirely ineffective. I'm out of ideas.

I burned my mouth and it's driving my crazy.

renyoj — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 08:29:54 -0800

I burned my mouth on some very hot chicken about a week ago and Wednesday night, after eating some very good, but very spicy jambalaya, the burn on the left side side of my palate is so raw and irritated. Does anyone have any remedys to stop the pain? I've googled a bit and rinsed my mouth before meals with Baking soda and water, which is the only advice I found. Still, there is a constant ache. Does anyone have any other remedys?

How to get mildew smell out of a chest of drawers?

GrumpyMonkey — Thu, 03 Feb 2005 18:07:01 -0800

Please help me with my smelly chest (chest of drawers that is...) We were given an old wooden chest of drawers that smells strongly like mildew. It is dry as all get out and there is no mold that I can see. There are about a million remedies that I have found through google but the ones that I have tried have not really helped.

Has anyone found anything that has worked for them?

drunken upset stomach

o2b — Thu, 18 Dec 2003 08:27:58 -0800

We had our office party last night, and I got a little wrecked. Anybody got a remedy for an upset stomach? I rarely get hung over (I attribute that to my size - 6'4", 240lbs), but this morning my gut is killing me. Any suggestions? Hair of the Dog suggestions will be taken out and shot.