Natural Treatments for Cellulitis

Cellulitis cures I've tried and failed:

I got cellulitis a year ago from a bug bite (mosquito I think) which became rapidly infected! I put Tea Tree oil on it but it only burned and didn't stop the infection. Actually I didn't know I had cellulitis at that point. I went to my local hospital emergency and the doctor on staff said likely the bug bite got infected due to chronic sinus infection under the cheek! He advised a topical antibiotic, which I normally NEVER take antibiotics as I get severely ill from them (I have a chronic underlying immune disorder and other health challenges originally due to serious childhood trauma/complex PTSD--post traumatic stress syndrome. To say, I have been holistic, vegetarian (mostly) and use many natural healing methods since I was 18 and I am 57 now).

Back to the cellulitis: I was so scared on reading on-line what cellulitis is and how dangerous that I decided to try:

1) a topical colloidal Silver gel. My face/cheek swelled to triple the size and became itchy, painful and really red!!! I looked up the ingredients and there was one that is some kind of chemical as the base that on researching is used by the cosmetic industry and is highly reactive in exactly the ways I had, for some individuals, esp. With sensitive skin normally (me)!!!! And this was advised by the health food store!!

2) I tried the topical antibiotic at that point being really worried--and even WORSED reaction!!!!!!

SOOOOO, I gave up, went on line, found people using golden seal---I tried a tincture straight, burned like hell. Put a little in SLippery Elm powder with water, applied as a pack on my cheek--this worked and in a few days my infection was greatly reduced. I continue for a few weeks. BUT the infection stayed at a low level and here I am 11 months later with it spread to my lips and up to my temple!! I tried slippery elm again, no change. I've tried various healing salves, I've even tried Tea Tree oil with water this morning--just burned a little, redder now--still swollen though not as bad as a year ago.

What now? I AM of course working with someone I've found who does natural healing to help my whole body and mind---with energy clearing work to clear out the PTSD, and diet adjusting ( already eat for 20+ years an organic, whole foods diet with all the best supplements) and supplement adjusting with muscle testing for MY SPECIFIC NEEDS. I was crying this morning though, wanting to give up, then praying to my Angels, God, the Universe to help me with my whole condition---I've had a 'flu' with vomitting, aching, fatigue, etc for 5 months now! #@! It went away for a bit, seemed the healing was working and then I ran out of money for my good food and supplements and boom! The flu came back--the whole bit. I've been on this adjusted diet and supplements with this healer for 2 weeks now, still sick!!! Argh! But I'm not giving up!

Any suggestions? I will, by the way, look at what the Earth Clinic suggests and try them! Thanks everyone for your stories by the way! To Light and Joy! Cheers! Janet

I suffer from reoccurring cellulitis. I found out about turmeric on this forum. This last time that it returned I bought turmeric and took it along with a garlic supplement three times a day. After four days all the swelling and redness is gone. Only left with the wound to heal, which is doing so remarkably fast. Every other occurrence I took antibiotics which had accompanying side effects and none of them had the speedy results of turmeric. Thank you so much.

I have had cellulitis five times. The first time it was due to many small cuts on my hands after working on some dirty food service equipment. These cuts didn't bleed and I though nothing of it. The next morning I was very ill and was admitted to hospital with a 105. 5F temperature and treated for five days with injections of antibiotics. The cellulitis actually developed in my lower right leg which I had broken when I was seven. The second time I had it I believe it was caused by food poisoning and it was treated by IV antibiotics in hospital. The IV quit dripping so they put a pump on it which eventually led to my lower leg swelling to a circumference of 34.5 inches and blistering severely. Upon hearing the doctors discussing where they were going to cut my leg off I checked out of that hospital and went elsewhere. I still have my leg, with lots of scar tissue in it and thin skin with no hair on part of it, but I can still use it normally. The fourth time I had it I was unable to get to a doctor for five days and was able to keep it from getting worse by drinking pineapple juice and consuming nothing else. It actually improved a small amount by doing that. The antibiotics that they gave me would not clear it up so they switched me to "clindamycin" and that got rid of it fairly quickly. The last time I had it I had clindamycin on hand and used it immediately and it was cleared up in four days. The five times I had cellulitis were over a seven year time span that ended nine years ago. The only thing that I can attribute that to is taking a large daily dose of vitamin D3 (5000iu) since then. Vitamin D3 is known to kill bacteria and viruses. During the influenza epidemic in 1918? the people that improved the quickest were those that spent a lot of time out in the sun and it is sunlight that produces vitamin D in our bodies.

I suffer from recurrent cellulitis infections and 6 months back had found a cream that was highly recommended for cellulitis prevention and treatment on a more natural method. Does anyone know what this cream may be called or where I can find it? Thanks

I have made the same mistake Francisca! They really need to change the name on cellulitis - (because cellulite was there first). Cellulitis is / can be deadly, where as cellulite is just plain old ugly. Lol. I have known people who have had cellulitis, and they had portable IV drips of antibiotics that they carried around in backpacks. I think it is scarier than MRSA from what I have seen.... Very fast moving infection! My neighbor scraped her arm on her woodstove, and the next day it was red, hot and swollen. I told her to go to the doctor... She said she would the next day. I told her - NO.... You need to go NOW, as in before the sun sets. I think I scared the crap out of her - but she went, and it was indeed cellulitis. They said she would have been admitted to the hospital if she had waited till the next day.... And they kind of wanted to keep her the day she went in as it was. Not a big fan of antibiotics.... I have not taken them in years. But when it is something like that... Well... Better safe than sorry! Sorry for going off on a tangent... Was not my intent!

Thanks for the correction Carly. Funny that too different problems have almost the same name. I got so confused that I was calling cellulite cellulitis. Well, I am glad no one is being prescribed antibiotics to cure cellulites!

Hi Francisca - I think you might be thingking of Cellulite - not cellulitis. Cellulite is dimpled cottage cheese fat usually found on the abdomen, hips, and thighs - cellulites is an infection, and can be life threatening, very quickly! Very different things. :-)

I have never heard of people taking antibiotics against cellulitis.... Somehow it doesn't sound right! I have cellulitis as well and I would love to get rid of it but taking antibiotics no and I can't imagine a doctor prescribing it...... As far as turmeric working against it, I am not sure either, I wish it did....

Just found this site and absolutely love all the information and personal experiences shared. Going out to buy Turmeric today.

Recently dx with cellulitis and the huge dose(1600 mg 2X a day) of Batrium made me horribly ill. After the doctor refused to lower the dosage or prescribe an alternative antibiotic I began my own research. Wish I had found your site earlier but nonetheless will be adding Turmeric to my daily regime.

To those who have had cellulitis... What antibiotic worked the best for you? And, what have you implemented for a preventative. Doctor tells me the chances of a recurrence are likely.

My 9 year old son experienced cellulitis for the second time in less than a year as the result of a bug bite (spiders we think). At any rate, unable to get the prescription for an antibiotic filled until the morning, I went to this website. I placed a few drops of tea tree oil onto a cotton swab. I applied it to his very swollen and inflammed leg, along with a water soaked cotton ball (so the tea tree would not burn). I then applied an ice pack and gave him an over the counter anti-flammatory. By morning, the inflammation was gone, he was able to move his leg with less diffulty and the redness also subsided.

The Tea Tree worked awesome. Because of the severity of his cellulitis I still gave him the antibiotic, but cut the treatment time in half. Going forward, on any bites I will immediately treat with tea tree oil.

Thanks Earth Clinic

On June 7, 2009, a neighbor and her husband helped me put together a raised garden bed from a kit and fill the raised bed with bags of garden soil and compost. Since the amount of soil I had wasn't enough, I got 20 more bags of dirt and six bags of compost and peat. I grabbed another friend on Sunday, June 14th, filled the raised bed with dirt and planted vegetables from seed. In the midst of this I noticed I had gotten a small circular cut on my outer left wrist, which stung and burned. Since it was bleeding I assumed it would be sterile (eventually), ignored it and kept working. The cut stung and burned all through dinner. By morning, there was no pain, but the spot was raised and the arm was slightly swollen. When I got to work (I work in a clinic), I showed it to a co-worker. She said it was infected, thought it could be an MRSA and said that Tea Tree oil would take care of it.

When I got home I soaked the arm in Chamomile Tea and put Tea Tree oil on it. The next morning June 16th, it was worse -- very red with the area of swelling almost to the elbow and half-way round the inside of the arm. I showed it to one of the doctors at work, who said it looked like cellulitis and I should get that taken care of right away. I went into my own doctor within the hour; she declared the arm infected (cellulitis), opened the sore and cleaned it, and prescribed an antibiotic. She also said to mark the outline of the swelling so we could check that the swelling was going the right way. If the swelling and redness was not reduced in 48 hours I should call her.

I marked the outline of the swelling with a yellow marker, and I filled the prescription. I did not, however, take it since antibiotics wreak havoc with my intestines. Having discovered your site just two weeks before, I decided to try Turmeric. I went to the Wedge Coop, bought Turmeric in bulk, in tincture and in organic capsules. I was determined to treat this aggressively since I wanted to keep my arm. (I was afraid of ending up like my godmother who lost her arm when a sewing needle infected her hand, then her arm and they had to amputate.) When I got home I filled a glass with 12 ounces of V8, one heaping teaspoon of Turmeric powder, two droppers of Turmeric tincture, 1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne and sucked up the whole thing through a straw. (This stuff is NASTY!) I took 2 Turmeric capsules (395 mg each) before I went to bed. Upon awakening, I consumed the same concoction, but increased the cayenne to 1 teaspoon, and swallowed 3 Turmeric capsules. Throughout the day I took three Turmeric every four hours. I repeated the V8/Turmeric/Cayenne concoction that night. By the next morning, the arm was no longer red and was slightly less swollen. I continued with the capsules during the day and drinking the concoction at night. Within 48 hours of when I started treating with Turmeric, I could look at both my arms in the mirror and was unable to tell which one had been infected!! I continued my Turmeric ritual for the next 5 days as if Turmeric were an antibiotic, not stopping just because the arm looked better.

Conclusion: Turmeric kicks rumpus!! Thank you God for leading me to your site and to Turmeric.

Boils, possibly MRSA, and tumeric:

My son was hospitalized for serious, rapidly spreading cellulitis, which started with a boil. He responded well enough to antibiotics to come home, but although the culture indicated the boil was not MRSA, the boils did not respond to the various antibiotics the Drd tried. He developed multiple boils on and around his privates which wouldn't go away. By the way he's been hospitalized, had many surgeries and on intravenous and antibiotics many times for a digestive disease he was born with. The celulitis came back three times, while following the infectuous disease Dr's advice to control it, which was exhausting, frustrating for both of us and ineffective. Of course the Drs think you're not following their directions if their strategy doesn't work. Then I found this site! I gave my son one turmeric capsule three times daily for three days. A nutritionist suggested I watch the acid alkaline balance of his diet. Topically I applied black salve to any full blown boils. If I noticed any small emerging boils which have not yet formed pus at the tip, I apply straight tea tree oil to the tip only, being careful not to get it on the surrounding skin. I discovered the effectiveness of these particular topicals by observation after using so many topical remedies.The advantage of the black salve is that it stays on without a dressing. I couldn't use bandages/poultices because of the location of his boils. Nothing has worked like the turmeric, supported by the topical application of black salve and tea tree oil for healing the boils, as well as watching the diet. He now takes one turmeric a day for prevention. The origin i think is candida, but we're working on that.

My son has Down Syndrome, Hirschsprung's disease (never could spell it.), and an ileostomy, so you can imagine the difficulties with nutrition. It was an ordeal I thought would never end. I worried constantly that the celulitis would return. It's been almost a year without boils or cellulitis. Thank you for this site! If it wasn't for this site we probably would have continued with the endless cycle of antibiotics and hospitalization.