Magnesium Sulphate Paste.

[Tilly2]

Mr T has a 'boil' on the side of the bridge of his nose. It flared up yesterday and he cannot get in to see a doctor until Tuesday.
We went to the pharmacy and were advised to apply mag. sulph. paste and keep it covered.

Any tips for applying the really sticky paste to a plaster? I am using the end of the handle of a teaspoon but it's a bit hit and miss. A lot of it ends up oozing out from under the plaster.

What else can I use that's strong enough to stir up the paste yet small enough to apply just a little?

[EDDIE51]

When I had to use it the nurse put the paste on the plaster first and then put the plaster on the boil, with a loose bandage over the whole thing. I think you can get plasters with the paste already on them!

[anneasquith]

Maybe use a bit less paste or bigger plaster ?

[Sqad]

Forget paste........he needs antibiotics. Just take Ibuprofen for the pain, but in the morning, seek medical advice e.g A&E for antibiotics.

[Tilly2]

Sqad, he's been taking antibiotics for a nose polyp for the last two months. They were prescribed by the hospital after his last check up. That's why the pharmacist suggested Mag. sulph paste.

[Tilly2]

Really Eddie? They didn't seem to have them in LLoyds chemist.

[Sqad]

This doesn't make sense....antibiotics are of no value in nasal polyps....are you certain we have the full picture?
How can you keep mag sulph on your nose......and mag sulph is only of value when the boil has burst.
I can see no value in the paste at all.

[Tilly2]

Mr T has a history of nasal polyps. He has had two ops to remove them, probably 11/12 tears ago. He has a check up every year at the hospital. Last time he went, the doctor said he had an infection in his sinus and prescribed a three month course of antibiotics. This 'boil' is a separate thing, I think and has happened despite him being on antibiotics. The pharmacist said the paste would draw out the pus.

[Sqad]

Well, you have my opinion.

[Tilly2]

Thank you.

Do you know Prof. Lund?

[Sqad]

If Prof Lund is a she....then yes I do.
Was quite attractive at one time....;-)

[Tilly2]

She did the operations. She is still lovely.

[Sqad]

;-)...........she started in Newcastle as a Consultant and i think now that she is in Grays inn road London......I could be wrong.

[Tilly2]

That's right. Mr T tends to see her underlings now. She floats past now and again. :-)

[Sqad]

She has the same Christian name as my wife.......Valerie.

[Tilly2]

No, not Valerie.

[Sqad]

Are you sure?

[Tilly2]

No, not sure. I thought it was Veronica. Never mind. It must be the same lovely woman.

[Sqad]

LOL..well I am sure it IS Valerie.......trust me.

[EDDIE51]

Not sure about the pre-applied paste, it was the nurse at my work.
She came in with a plaster with the paste already on it and put it on the boil, she had probably made it up herself.

[Eve]

It's horrible stuff to apply! I made the mistake of carrying it in my bag once, the top came off, it was not pretty, went everywhere! Would a larger dressing work better than a plaster?

I get frequent things like that due to a condition I have, though different location, and have antibiotics, preferably to calm the infection down and stop it getting to bursting stage. Is there a walk in centre near you that you could go to or call the out of hour doctors to see if they would see him?

What antibiotics is he on? Could it be ones which aren't as affective for a skin infection if for a sinus one?