What century do you live in?

I ask because of a post I saw in Recipes about treating leg cramps.  I don't say all home remedies are bogus -- I 'wished' away a couple of warts when I was a child.  My family was far from rich, and my parents wouldn't have known what a dermatologist was if they had been billed by one. 

I wonder why people don't talk to their doctors about medical problems.  Do they not have a doctor, do they not have insurance . . . ?  All quite possible given our lack of medical care in the USA. 

Putting a bar of soap at the foot of a bed may work for someone, but if you are having severe leg cramps there is a medical reason that should probably be looked at.  Could be the medications you are taking or something lacking in your diet. 

A few months back there was a question of treating bee stings.  I said if a person wasn't allergic to bee stings then aspirin for pain and Benedryl for itching would work well.  Someone else recommended rubbing it with a penny and the lady asking the question thought it was a great idea.  Hello?

Part of my question stems from my trying to talk my sil into having a colonoscopy.  She is in her late 50s, never had one and there is a slight history in her family of problems along this line. 

My sil say she doesn't need one because "she doesn't having any trouble pooping".   Again -- Hello?

dang, I thought it was a trick question.

Never understand why people look for medical advice on a placed called Kitchen Chat.  LOL LOL  It's rare, but I agree with you here Deranger!

oeg1kallee:

dang, I thought it was a trick question.

I thought it was a quiz, like 'What age are you?' lol

I have to agree, this is not the place to ask for medical advice.

Yup, leg cramps can have more than one reason: anatomical reason, curvature of the spine, one leg shorter than the other ect ect., not to forget WRONG foot wear.

I get cramps fro mdeication: the inhaler Xopenex (a refined albuterol) causes my cramps if I use it more than once p day.

Bee stings I still treat the old fashioned way. Buy some clay (Bentonite will do, or even some fresh kitty litter)). Make a paste from a heaping Tbsp of clay and water. Slap on the bee sting, put on a piece of plastic, thenfasten with bandage or apply preesure in other ways. The clay will dry up from body and sting heat, shrink  and drw out the stinger. No need to take aspirin or benedryl, the wet clay also cools and soothes .

The last time I got stung I was in my garden, had on a red dress with white flowers, bent down to pull weeds and what do you know: a yellow jacket got under my skirt and when I straightened up it got crowded and stung me. You guessed it, right on my fat cheek. Went into the house, put on a clay poultice and sat on it. After treatment stinger and pain were gone.

This is not a far out remedy, just a practical one harmless and it works.

It depends on the leg cramp.  An occasional charlie horse in the middle of the night is not generally cause to go running off to your nearest MD. 

That being said - I have to say I have seem some people come on here with some pretty serious symptoms looking for advice.  Those people should have their heads examined as well as the rest of their body.

Actually living in this century and having access to the internet has enabled me to get answers on the medical sites to questions I've had regarding health issues.  I'm not the type to run off to the Dr. for leg cramps - I usually can figure out why - walked more then usual today perhaps.  And $40 co-pay is a lot for some of us even with insurance.  Once they get you in there they want to run all sorts of test just to jack up your insurance.

My home remedy for bee stings is a poultice using baking soda- stinger backs out in about 15 min. (But then, I don't get in the way- haven't been stung for 40 years.)

YAAR! If ya gotta a medical issue, call First Nurse or see a doctor. Or try WebMD. A "food" oriented BBS is not the place. TOH has other forums/groups for that, if that environment makes you more comfortable.

Hey, that wishing away warts thing is supposed to really work!  My mom said an uncle of mine actually "charmed" off a couple warts for her.  And if you read up a bit, you'll see that warts are somewhat psychologically related.  Kinda like that "mind over matter" thing.

You're right, pamela - even the copay can be high.  But I've seen people come on here and ask what they should do about someone in the house who is having some severe and dangerous symptoms when they should be calling an ambulance, not waiting around for someone who might have the knowledge they need and might happen to be online to answer their questions.You guys are all terrific, but I gotta tell you - I'd be on my way to a hosptial!

For most part I agree that this is perhaps not the best place for medical questions and answers, and I have never asked for medical advice so far. But I got couple of really good ideas and a place to start questioning my doctor by reading replies to questions others asked, and answered. Nothing serious or life threatening, but still very helpful. Not the mash-up-the-heart-of-gnat-at-midnight-turn-three-times-hop-on-one-leg-and-spit-behind-your-left-shoulder type of answers but some really good suggestions. This is probably not any worse than discussing minor health problems with your friends, and many people here, as elsewhere, have a wealth of life experience and knowledge that is valuable. But I do like the subject line. :)

 My family's bee sting treatments were either Adolph's Meat Tenderizer (the enzymes help break down the toxin from the sting) or a dab of toothpaste (like Grelo's clay method it soothes while drawing out the toxin).  We also used toothpaste for mosquito bites.

But I agree that people should favor actual medical advice over home remedies for which no scientific reasoning is given.

electrolyte imbalance is a big reason for leg cramps. 

That and a number of other things.  Having a low K+ is very dangerous to the body, but is a big cause of leg cramps.

 Yes, it's true that some people don't have insurance. I lost mine when I had to quit work and couldn't afford COBRA. There are Ask A Nurse lines and even websites where you can get medical opinions from professionals. 

I was having a big problem with diarrhea and someone on KC told me to follow the BRAT diet. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. It worked. Sometimes the homeopathic remedies work well. Other times seeing a doctor is essential.