Claudia (Brooklyn, Ny) on 06/01/2010

I am pregnant, in my first trimester, and was desperate to avoid taking antibiotics. I had one MRSA boil on one butt cheek and another developing on the other. I went to an ID doctor (infectious disease) who first said to wait and see what happened. (I have had 2 other infections in the past, and an allergic reaction to Bactrim). Then, when that boil got worse, he first said, "Oh, really? Because it was just a small pimple the other day?" Then he called me back two hours later and advised me to go to the ER where they would probably have to put me on IV drugs. Next doctor! Clearly this guy didn't know what he was talking about.

I had a very smart and well-informed dr in the ER. She gave me a prescription for antibiotic (pregnancy safe) but said she would be soaking like her life depending on it and looking up natural cures.

At this point, I'd been taking turmeric for days. I was eating it first 3 tsps a day in water. Then mixed into yogurt. Then into kefir. Finally mixed in with coconut oil, which I'd mixed with freshly ground black pepper (which is supposed to activate the active compound/s). I was applying tea tree oil and soaking the boils in sometimes Epsom salt and sometimes tea tree and sometimes a mix. Nothing seemed to be happening.

The first boil, which had been drained, was healing. At this point I received my Manuka Honey ointment in the mail. I applied to the drained boil and the second, extremely tender and painful but not drained boil. I was also applying castor oil, black pepper, turmeric (and taking internally) and--finally, for the last couple days--raw garlic.

I also at some points applied Milk of Magnesia.

Many of the active oils that have been proven to kill MRSA (oregano, grapefruit seed, geranium) are not safe in pregnancy so I could not use them.

At the end, the natural remedies did not do very much for me at all. I ended up having to go to the ER to have the second boil lanced. (Why, dear God, do I need to go to the ER to have something done that a first-week med student could do with a clean knife and some clean gauze? Ridiculous.)

Then, still hoping the boils would heal on their own and I could avoid taking antibiotics, I was applying the manuka, following the directions, soaking and cleaning with Hibiclens--which I had been doing all the while, along with one-use towels, laundry separation, insanely frequent hand-washing, etc etc etc).

I developed a fever and had to take the antibiotics so that my 5-week old developing baby would not be hurt by the fever.

All in all, the honey appears to be helping the wounds heal. But I can't say I had particular success with anything else. I will continue to change my diet, take Magnesium liquid, and hit up the probiotics and start making my own kefir as soon as I'm done with the antibiotics.