Turmeric for Boils: Natural Healing, Anti-Inflammatory & Antimicrobial

317 User Reviews

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Posted by Pippi (Boise, ID) on 06/12/2009
★☆☆☆☆

I'm totally frustrated, as Turmeric does not seem to be helping. I was hopeful, but I've been taking the powder, 1 teaspoon, 2x per day, and I'm still dealing with one major boil, and several smaller ones, with new ones cropping up. For a long time I've been thinking it must be my immune system (i've been dealing with near constant boils for 20 months now...), but I was thinking about it today, and realized that in those 20 months I haven't had a single cold, flu, or even a sinus infection. You'd think if my immune system was not functioning properly, I would have had some other type of flu or virus over the near 2 year span. I'm so confused. (went to the ER with the first one...allergic reaction to first antibiotic, and then had Keflex but neither did anything. The first abscess finally cleared on it's own). Next I'll try sunlight therapy and another fast (i did an 11 day fast 2 months ago, began seeing a lot of success with that, but then my dad died suddenly, and since then it seems boils are ravaging my body from the waist down. I currently have about 12 of them). I've stopped the Turmeric today because it's having no effect (except to upset my stomach, a lot), and am trying to up my vitamin C intake to 5000mg per day, but currently I'm taking about 3000mg. Also, taking 2 teaspoons of Manuka Honey per day. Will add A and E, as well. And Omega-3.

Replied by Sara
(Hamilton, Ontario)
06/13/2009

my cousin is the same. boils unresponsive to anything, she finally tried botox injections and they are responding to this, she is riddled with them during stress and apparently she is allergic to her own sweat. anyway the botox is helping her.

Replied by Nonni
(Cleveland, OH)
06/13/2009

Pippi, Silicea is a homeopathic cell salt that is good for boils, as it is a cleanser. I suggested this to a friend and it worked very well for her. She took it in the 6x potency.

Replied by Joyce
(Jocelton, Tn)
06/14/2009
490 posts

Hi Pippi, Hope you remembered that turmeric is oil soluble, but not water soluble. If not, this may be why it isn't working on your boils. You can mix it in coconut oil or half & half milk or cream, or some seem to be mixing it in coconut milk.

Replied by icybluedge
(Columbus, Ohio)
07/20/2009

I started using turmeric about a month ago, both topically and internally with pretty good results. So I started researching this more and tumeric has curcumin in it. While I am no doctor, it may be that the curcumin is what is actually helping alot of these persons. Before you give up on the turmeric I would do some more research. There are a lot of curcumin products now being developed with better bio availability and it may be that you need a stronger form of the curcumin and or higher dose of the turmeric. I started at about 500 mg to 1000mg of turmeric (extract) and am going up to 2000mg per day. There are many papers and studies on the Internet that indicate this higher dosage. I would do some more research if I were you before you give up on it. Apart from the boil issues it has a wide variety of other very good effects---one of the best herbal remedies I have used.

Replied by Claudia
(York, Pa)
09/04/2009

Hi Pippi,

Wow. My heart goes out to you. While I don't have personal experience with multiple boils, I have had my share of single boils, throughout the years.

I agree with Joyce, that mixing the Turmeric with oil is important, since it is oil soluble. Also, check out the Earth Clinic section on "Oil Pulling".

While reading your story, a few of things came to mind:

*** I have learned, on this site, that bacteria, viruses, etc. thrive in an acidic environment, and cannot survive an alkaline environment. You might want to try cleansing the skin around each boil, with a cotton ball soaked in, 1 tsp aluminum free baking soda in 8 oz. filtered water. This will create an alkaline area around the boil, and will not allow the bacteria to live on the skin.

*** Along those lines, you should also make sure that your body is a neutral pH. This means that your urine and saliva test at optimal 7.0 pH. To obtain that pH, take a look at the Earth Clinic section on "Baking Soda Feedback". One of the posts near the top of the page says, " 04/27/2007: Linda from Denver, Colorado writes: "For me and my family and friends, baking soda has cured all kinds of microbial infections, probably due to the regulation of pH balance."

*** Check out the section, in the Earth Clinic section on "Hydrogen Peroxide". For most of us our bodies do not function, at an optimal level, due to a lack of oxygen. While it is a bit controversial, there are proponents (myself included), of supplementing our oxygen with food grade hydrogen peroxide. Check out the Earth Clinic section on hydrogen peroxide, and then you might want to check out this link: http://educate-yourself.org/cancer/benefitsofhydrogenperozide17jul03.shtml There are many who also believe that by increasing your body's oxygen levels, you are less susceptible to infection, and also able to fight localized infections.

I hope this helps.
Claudia

Replied by Rosebud
(Hyderabad, India)
09/05/2009

To Pippi from Boise, ID

I have had 6 to 7 boils in the last 6 months. The most recent one disappeared within 3 days. I applied turmeric powder mixed with coconut oil to the boil. Taking turmeric internally disn't help me too... so I just applied the turmeric paste (mixed with coconut oil) to the boil and bandaged it. It was gone in 3 days... but the mark was there. Aloe Vera gel helped to reduce the mark left over by the boil.

Replied by Angela
(Jacksonville, Fl)
04/26/2012

When my daughter was diagnosed with staph she was having multiple painful boils on her body one after another. The treatment was antibiotics. I generally won't use antibiotics unless it's a life and death situation but was scared of the progression of the infection which nearly affected her spinal cord. That site cleared up. But when the infection returned I knew we had to find another solution.

What I believe caused the outbreak was the normal staff that many people carry was able to become out of balance with the other organisims on my daughter's skin. She had been apply copious amounts of Jergen's brand lotion that contains mineral oil. This coated the skin and disruped the natural balance of microbes, maybe killing some that keep the staph in check.

After some trial and error and researching on the Internet including ideas from Earth Clinic here is what we did to get rid of the staph (and it has not returned): First we stopped application of synthetic lotion (I'd been warning her for weeks about using it). Next I began rubbing her body with fats to nourish the remaining good bacteria. That means long massages with raw coconut oil after hot baths to open pores. (To this bath water soak I added essential oils like oregano to reduce levels of staph in general over the body. ) I made my daughter sit on the roof (we lived in India at the time where roofs are flat) and get very sweaty in the sun. This sweat provides the acids and fats needed by the good bacteria. She then did NOT take a shower or wash her hair. (My duaghter would NEVER do ANYTHING that caused the slightest sweat previous to this, so it was a great trial for her to get sweaty and NOT wash it off! ) This worked to generally rebalance the skin but we still had the boils themselves to deal with.

The boils/infections came less frequently as time went on but were EXTRMEMLY painful... Not like other local infections. Staph would tunnel down her hair shaft and into the folicle and the spread out under the skin creating a cavern filled with dead tissue. The redness and swelling was apparant on the surface but did not expose the tremendous damage being done below the skin. We needed a way to stop the progress of these infections before they did the damage. She still has scars (some large) from these monster infections.

How we treated newly forming infections: I took colloidol silver and saturated a guaze pad of appropriate size to cover the new site. A new site would simply be a red bump that was disproportionally painful to it's size and redness. That's how we knew something was staph or just a regular small red bump on the skin... The pain factor. As soon as as a sight was identified as staph I taped the saturated guaze over the area (maybe an inch square for example) and left it there for 24 hours. If the pad began to dry it was re-wetted and re-applied. This method NEVER failed to stop the staph in its tracks. If we had known this at the beginning of the journey my daughter would have been far less scarred as we worked to rebalace her skin.

I opted out of the anti-biotics because I did not want a short-term solution that would have likely turned into a long-term nightmare. She had already used antibiotics once for the problem and I knew continuing down that road would have ruined her internally and could have resulted in resistent strains harder to eradicate later on.

I hope this protocol will help someone else dealing with staph (one nurse suggested it might have been MRSA we were dealing with).

I'm writing this post as a way to give back to Earth Clinic for all the help I've gained in the past. I've also posted treatments under Alzheimer's/Parkinson's, grey hair, and ringworm.

Baboo
(India)
08/30/2020

Castor Bean Oil.

Turmeric

Posted by Ali (Sydney, Australia) on 06/05/2009
★★★★★

I had a very painful boil under my armpit and tried using the very old turmeric from my pantry without luck and so ended up on two rounds of antibiotics. A month later a boil appeared under my other armpit. This time I bought organic tumeric and applied it as a thick paste mixed with paw paw ointment to a bandage overnight. The boil which hadn't come to a head drained in the night and the boil healed. I also chugged a bottle of colloidal silver over the same 12 hours.

Replied by Karin
(Kalkaska, Michigan)
06/11/2009

I have had trouble with boils all my life. Today I just found this website went right to the store and I am drinking the turmarek as I am writing this. I have 3 boils right now and one is so sore I cannot stand it. I will let everyone know how this works in a few days. One of the boils will not come to a head and it just keeps getting sorer and sorer. I do not want to go to the doctor. I put about 1 1/2 teaspoon in a glass of tea. We will see.

Turmeric

Posted by Bluebelle816 (Los Angeles, CA) on 05/29/2009
★★★★★

I was diagnosed with MRSA in January of this year when I had an infection in my nose and a boil in my armpit. Both of those infections were very painful, and took a very long time to heal. On May 26, 2009 I felt the beginning of a boil forming in my armpit again. I was so distressed that I couldn't think about anything else for a day (I was great company on Memorial Day.) Later that evening I found this website, and immediately bought and tried the turmeric treatment (I bought raw spice at the grocery store). The treatment is not pleasant to drink, but it definitely kept my boil from forming. The next morning the pain from the boil was gone, and the lump shrunk. It took three more days for the lump to disappear, but it never surfaced. I'm so happy I found this treatment. I'm going to implement it every time I feel a boil forming in the future. Thank you!

Turmeric

Posted by Rahzma (Irving, Tx) on 05/26/2009
★★★★★

OKAY!!!! CAN I JUST SAY THAT I AM TOTALLY AMAZED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE TUMERIC. I suffered with a hellacious boil in an area that I am embarassed to say where but, I will..along my pantyline in between my legs! Let's just say this was very, very uncomfortable!!! Everyone was trying to tell me of things to do for this monster...but, I found this site and was reading about the ACV and honey(by the way I am converted, it has done WONDERS for me..THANK YOU!!) so, I found where so many others had suffered from boils in various places on their bodies...I went to the store immediately on my lunch break and bout and used the tumeric(boy it that gross tasting) but, I am not kidding you when I tell you that within 2hours the pain has lessened... I went and bought the capsules and took them according to what others stated and do you know within 2-4 hours that monster has burst! It was disgusting but, I felt soooooooo much relief! It was sore and still painful but, very tolerable, I could sit and walk without pain! Whew...Thank you soooooooo much for this site! I have told everyone I know!!1 This site is a GODSEND!!! I am hooked for life! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! There is so much more I could say in regards to my now improving health but, I will just say MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU FOR GIVING US THE KNOWLEDGE so that we may heal ourselves naturally!

Turmeric

Posted by DLC (Houston, TX) on 05/19/2009
★★★★★

I had my second boil ever, the first one was in '97, so I didn't really realize what it was until it was way beyond "first signs." I was desperate for some relief, even after seeing the doctor and getting a prescription for antibiotics. A friend recommended a baking soda poultice, and upon researching that, I found this site. I bought Turmeric capsules at ___ on the way home and began taking them immediately. That was 6 days ago. My wound opened up and began draining just before I started, but it was only a slight amount of blood, and by the next evening (24 hours after starting turmeric) it began to drain really well. I am so thankful for this site and for all the testimonials, as I am usually a skeptic about things like this. But when you're desperate and you don't want to have that doctor pull out the scalpel to lance you, well... I'm a converted believer. I saw the doc again 3 days after the first visit, 2 days after starting the supplement, and he said no need to lance it. I was thrilled! That first boil in '97 I had to have lanced. It was on my upper back and unreachable, and by the time I saw the doctor she had to cut about an inch deep. By the time they were done taking care of it, I think the doctor wished she had sent me to a surgeon. The nursing staff was stopping by to see all the drama. I never want to go through that again. Thanks again! I'll be telling everyone about this site.

Turmeric

Posted by Willowone (Athens, GA) on 05/02/2009
★★★★★

I used tumeric to cure my boils. I woke up the morning I was leaving for Florida with a boil. I got on the internet and found your site. I tried to drink the 1 teaspoon in a glass of warm water. That was terrible. I then tried mixing it with apple juice which was not much better. I did finally drink it all. I carried the turmeric with me and finally decided to add it to my coffee. I did not measure I just sprinkled some in each cup of coffee. My boil never got very big and painful like the ones in the past. It drained a little and I had to pull the plug out but there is no lingering hard spot like the one I had a few weeks before.

Turmeric

Posted by MazyDazy (Caribbean) on 04/30/2009
★★★★☆

About 1yr. ago, I developed a pimple (in a very private area) which turned into a boil, months after. I was treated by the doctor, with steroids and it never completely disappeared, but it stopped paining. Then it returned. I had some medecine left, so I used it as weel as some anti-biotics. I became very concerned, and did some research. One website recommended turmeric, to be taken orally, the way your website recommends. However constipation was listed as a side effect so I just drink 1 tsp. in warm water, followed by 2 glasses of water as I suffer with constipation. I also used tea tree oil, I have at home, as a topical ointment. This was 2 wks ago, and I have had 3 outbreaks alltold. I am feeling some relief, although I can still feel a very small lump. I hope I have no more outbreaks. I also read about the use of turmeric powder, as a cancer fighting agent, so I think I will continue to drink it. I hope there are no side effects.

Turmeric

Posted by Patrick (Austin, Texas) on 04/22/2009
★★★★★

Ive had staph infections/boils for the past year and a half. Each time diagnoses as spider bites or staph and given Bactrum and clindomiacin. I've spent close to $2000 in doctors bills because of not having health insurance. I bought Turmeric for $4.00 at the grocery store and have been drinking it and have not had a serious break out since. The boils still show up, but are small and disappear within 2 days and are not painful. Amazing!

Turmeric

Posted by Hillary (McDonough, GA) on 04/22/2009
★★★★★

I have been sufferig with recurring boils for 3 months now. I had never had a boild before in my life. THe first one showed up on my waistline. It was terribly painful and took about a week to burst and drain (no core). Accompanied with the boils I had swollen glands that never burst but were painful amd sore. The next 2 were the back of my right thigh. They were small, pimple like but very sore. They burst and drained left a small hole but still not core. This last one has been a nightmare. It is in the same spot as the original on my waistline. I can't sleep becasue of the pain (800mg of ibuprofen did not help at all). I was hours away from going to the doctor but dreading the thought of having it lanced and being placed on antibiotics that I did not think were going to work due to the research I have done online about boils. And then I came across your miracle site. I am a teacher and I ran out on my lunch break to get the capsules and some powder. I cook with turmeric and had some at home but I could not wait to get the process started. After trying the GNC which only had the capsules containing maltodextrose (thanks for the heads up) I got the Turmeric "One Daily" 600mg at my local herb shop. I immediately took 2 (1200mg). that was at 12 noon. Let me reiterate that the pain was so bad I was nauseated and almost passed out in the shower this morning. I also mixed up some of the powdered Turmeric with neosporin and put it directly on the boil with a band-aid. However I removed the band-aid after reading several messages about the rawness that was left after direct application. It was starting to burn a little and I got a little scared. When I got home at 3:30pm I was still in pain but was able to lie down and take a much needed nap(I have not been sleeping well). When I woke up (7:30pm) I eat a banana and took 2 more capsules (1200mg) almost immediately the pain subsided and the swelling that was 2 inches in diameter had gone down considerably. Thank you so much for this valuable information. I will post an update as to the progress. My hope is that when it finally begins to drain I can get the core out and coninue with the Turmeric regime as a part of my daily supplements. You saved me pain, time and money. I can't thank you enough!!!!!!!!!!!

Replied by Hillary
(McDonough, GA)
05/13/2009

This is a follow-up from my 04/22/2009 post. Turmeric is still working for me. I have been taking 2 550mg three times a day. I began to notice the beginning (swelling) of a new boil. At that time I switched from extract capsules to root capsules and that has made all the diffreence. I can see that the root is more potent. They smell better (more like the powdered turmeric) and the color is richer. The swelling went away completely and I did not have any draining or pain. I will continue to take turmeric everyday. However because of the potency of the root versus the extract I cut back to 2 capsules one time in the morning. Just as a side bar a shot of prune juice (literally a shot glass full) once a day eliminated the constipation for me. I am a lifetime believer in the healing power of turmeric!

Turmeric

Posted by David (Bayamon, P.R.) on 04/16/2009
★★★★★

Im back after 2 weeks of daily turmeric use and i must say i am SO GRATEFUL! It hasnt completely gone yet, but it is soo much better than before! I still have about 3 boils on my scalp that just wont go! im trying compresses and everthing, but those stayed there. All the other ones have been clearing miraculously! Also i mixed the turmeric with other natural vitamins, and echinacea pills, and some colloidal silver drops. The colloidal silver seems to dry up the boils during the night and after a couple of days seem to wear off. I feel much better now. Cant wait for it to completely go, so i can go back to my normal life. Thanks everyone and this website.

Turmeric

Posted by SARITA (MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA/INDIA) on 04/07/2009
★★★★★

I WAS SUFFERING FROM VERY LARGE AND PAINFUL BOILS FROM THE PAST 1 1/2 YEAR. THEY USED TO BE THE SIZE OF A TENNIS BALL AND EACH WOULD LAST FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 -2 MONTHS TO GET CURED. THE FIRST BOIL LASTED FOR 4 MONTHS. AFTER THE BOIL GOES AWAY A BLACK BIG MARK IS LEFT BEHIND. AFTER I STUMBLED UPON EARTH CLINIC SITE ON THE NET, I STARTED TO TAKE TURMERIC I TEASPOON IN WARM WATER THRICE A DAY. THE LAST BOIL WAS A VERY PAINFUL ONE, BUT THAT WAS THE LAST ONE.TURMERIC HAS REALLY WORKED WONDERS WHICH VARIOUS DOCTORS, ANTIBIOTICS, PRESCRIPTIONS COULD NOT DO. THANKS TO EARTH CLINIC.

Turmeric

Posted by Adam (Lincoln, Lincolnshire) on 04/07/2009
★★★★★

Thanks so much for the tumeric remedy for boils. I had a cut on my foot that got infected and became a boil. The doctor lanced it and gave me antibiotics, but even the next day it was back with a vengeance. It was worse again the following day, and very painful, I could hardly walk. I found your website, bought basic tumeric powder in the herbs section of the supermarket. At 2pm that day, I had 1 tsp tumeric in half a glass of warm water and again at 8pm. I also made a paste with tumeric powder and water and put a bandage over that, leaving it for about 5 hrs. By 10pm, I removed the bandage, the swelling was greatly reduced and boil had released some fluid (not a lot). The relief really was incredible, I could actually put all my weight on the bad foot with barely any discomfort (earlier that day I was hopping around mostly). So I am a beleiver for sure. It's 3 days later now, and it's nearly better, I am wearing shoes, walking properly and thinking about going for a run tonight. Thanks again.

Adam

Replied by Rob
(Manhattan, New York)
04/09/2009

thanks Adam. would like to add that the Journal of American Chemical society has just published a study (March 3, 2009) from University of Michigan on Turmeric. They have discovered that curcumin (active ingredient in Turmeric) works within the cell membranes making them function more orderly. This allows the membranes to more effectively control the flow of substances in and out of cells, which improves cells' resistance to infection and malignancy. So once again science is slowly catching up to what we know to be true, that it works. There is a low incidence of Alzheimers in India & it is thought that it is due to the frequent use of Turmeric in their cuisine.

EC: According to one post on EC, Alzheimer's is becoming more common in India...

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/cancer.html#TURMERIC

02/05/2009: Ruma from Calcutta, India replies: "It is NOT true!! Cancer is not rare at all in India, though certain types of cancer are rare (such as colon cancer). Also, Alzheimer's is getting more and more common - one of my aunts suffered from Alzheimer's before she died.

But Turmeric is a powerful herb - it is a purifier of the blood and it is very good for you. It is best eaten in its raw form, and also does wonders for the skin if you make a paste out of the root and slather it over the face.

It really is an amazing herb but one needs to be careful before making claims about the occurrence of cancer!"

Turmeric

Posted by April (Wiltshire, England) on 04/06/2009
★★★★★

After 2 years of a staph infection inside my nostril tumeric cleared it up!!!

I wanted to leave feedback and say thank you for compiling this website and for everyone's posts. I have had a small staph infection just inside my nostril for 2 years. I have been given 3 oral antibiotics and 2 antibiotic ointments and i even tried garlic tablets and none of them worked for me. I found your website after searching the internet for natural remedies and saw the post about the person who had used tumeric to clear up boils inside her nostril. So i made a tumeric paste out of face moisturiser and shop bought tumeric and applied it 3 times a week for the past week. And it works!!!!! Thank you sooooooo much this site has finally put my worries to rest as i thought i would never clear it up!!

Turmeric

Posted by Sally (Portland, Oregon) on 04/02/2009
★★★★★

turmeric is gold! i had a nasty boil come on mid november. it would get fierce, then subside to where i thought it was nearly gone, then come back with a vengeance! TURMERIC is the ONLY thing that works! i began taking turmeric on the 21st of february-powder mixed with hot water. then i also made a salve of turmeric powder, tea tree oil mixed with oliver oil and put this directly on the boil. then i bought some turmeric capsules and took 3 3x/day and the boil went down in size and pain within days. today, a little more than a month later, the boil is completely gone, healed and no scar! i will be taking turmeric always! also to be noted, in indian culture and ayurvedic health, taking turmeric is highly recommended for healthy skin and over all health.

Turmeric

Posted by Richard (New Rochelle, NY) on 03/30/2009
★★★★★

I'm a 48-year old male and have been getting boils on my upper thighs since about age 14 and they usually follow the same pattern; a small nodule close under the skin turns into a red, hot, angry, painful boil within 3-4 days that can sometimes grow 2 or more inches in width. The pain is intense and walking or sitting is sometimes impossible. The only thing that seems to help me is hot water baths, although about 5 years ago I switched to boxer shorts and the frequency of incidents immediately decreased. Antibiotics never seemed to help and many/all dermatologists left me without answers.

Based on the advice of this site, this time I tried turmeric pills. A large bottle was about $25, but that seems like a small price to pay given the pain these boils can inflict. I started taking 4/day and within a week reduced to 1/day.

The nodule never materialized into a boil. Maybe this would have happened anyway. Maybe it's coincidence, but a long-standing pattern was broken. It's been a week and sometimes the boil will re-materialize but so far it hasn't.