I've done the same with bouganvilla thorns. Only time helped me. I'd take a couple aspirins and wait it out.

When was your last tetanus shot?

"Wash it out with Peroxide and apply a topic ointment to kill any infection. Handle the pain with whiskey. "

ditto - excellent advice. Any puncture can become infected so the use of neosporin or other antibiotic ointment is important. The whiskey is important too but I can't remember why...

Kate

"I always carry a bottle of whiskey in my pocket, in case of snake bites. I always carry a snake in the other pocket."
W.C. Fields

Folks, how often do you see me get really serious here.

Ice cubes and icebergs, death by c. tetani is extremely tortuous. WHEN was you're last tetanus shot?

Tom - I didn't mean to downplay your question. You are right to ask it and it is important. Any puncture wound is breeding ground for anaerobic bacteria. If johnmcd hasn't had a tetanus shot recently, he should get one.

Kate

Hi Kate, my statement wasn't directed at you, or Ricky, or anyone else but John. As active as we are in our gardens we have additional risk factors for a tetanus infection and I just want to make sure he realizes it's probably best to keep up with his tetanus boosters every FIVE years. We don't see the dark side of this issue much but it's a very painful death and easily avoided....

Tom

I'm current on Tetanus. It was probably 3-4 months ago now since my last one. I think my knuckle is just irritated since it was punctured close to the joint capsule. I've been living on Alleve, Tylenol and my regular script for Celebrex daily for the past couple of days and it's gotten a bit better

Tom - no offense taken. I was just embarrassed because I'm a microbiologist and an occupational safety professional! If anyone should have asked about the tetanus shot it was me!

It also made me realize that it's been about 5 years since my last shot and I need to get one. Anyone who works with their hands in the soil (sounds like all of us, right?) should be sure they are up to date on their tetanus shot.

I as you can imagine do this all the time at the zoo, last friday I punctured my arm on an Agave I still have a bruise and a slight puncture mark. Even the company we get medical supplies can't find a good cure (we were looking for a remedy to Saddleback cats) Aspirin and whiskey lol

And when you can't use the whiskey...... I like to keep some leaves of Plantago major

(the lawn weed type plantain, no relation to the bananna like veggie)

in the freezer.
This makes a nice cold soothing poultice, just take a leaf or break off a bit of the frozen leaves and stick them on the painful spot after cleaning it. This has helped me deal with painful stings, bites, burns, scrapes and other maximally painful though minimally dangerous ouches.

The tetanus shot reminder is also a good one.

Okay, I'm ready for that whiskey now :-)

I also keep a tube of Anbesol gel handy, not for cold sores but for minor cuts that get painful, the 20% benzocaine really does the trick....

Hey TC, can you smoke that stuff???

No Ricky, but you can smear it on the insides of your nasal passages ;-)

I knew I liked you guys.

I don't remember when I had my last tetanus shot... can one 'overdose' on tetanus shots?

I don't remember when I had my last tetanus shot... can one 'overdose' on tetanus shots?

If so it would be me :-)
2 tetanus shots under 3 years because I forgot about the first one (dog fight amnesia). No ill effects at all.

Denise

thanks Denise. I better make an appointment soon... and this time I'll write it down :)

FWIW, I use straight tea tree oil plus antibiotic ointment on sore cuts & scrapes, etc. - most of the remedies I see mentioned (besides the neosporin/peroxide) will alleviate pain, but do nothing to prevent or reduce infection.

Tetanus shots are for tetanus & there are numerous other germs that can infect a wound - staph is a biggie & MRSA can be a big concern these days.

IME, if a cut gets red & sore, that means infection, & painkillers may make you feel better, but they're not doing anything to fight infection. Best to nip it in the bud & don't allow it to possibly get out of control.Basic First Aid is to wash cuts well w/ soap & water, then dry & treat w/ antibiotic & cover, if appropriate. Open wounds & yardwork don't mix.

Just my 2 cents - sorry it's a bit late, HTH....

....& MRSA can be a big concern these days.

Well, if your colonized with MRSA, pseudomonas and acinetobacter baumannii like me, what do you do then when you get a cut ;-)

3 Cents - we need to guard against fungal infections too, it's not enough to use just alcohol or peroxide, I always follow up with a good rinse with white iodine before applying an antibiotic ointment....

Tom

Whatever happened to your painful knuckle? The exact same thing just happened to me!

I use drawing salve on puncture wounds. We oldies remember it as ichthammol. You can buy it at CVS, not sure about Walgreens.

Thanks for all this information. I hot a puncture this afternoon and my nuckle is very sore and swolen.. as i am a cancer survivor and have a lot of lymph noids removed, i am a but anxious. Will see 2hat i have and if no better in the morning will go see a

Within three hours of pulling out a phoenix palm spike from my palm, two fingers and the upper palm were really swollen and stiff. The doctor gave me a tetanus shot. I went to hospital and scans showed three swollen places next to the arteries.

I’m on Augmentin 500. It is six days later. Although I can now move my fingers, my hand still has swelling and I don‘t feel well. This is strange for me as I’m usually highly active. I may return to the doctor at the end of the Augmentin if I don’t feel better.

My index finger was pricked about a month ago, it is still swollen at the knuckle and sore. heading to the dr.

It‘s now six month on. I’ve had two scans and one xray. Nothing was found. I take voltarin occasionally when my finger is too swollen. Its a bit better, but still not right. It can be both swollen and stiff. a German doctor told me that she thinks that its developed into a non reversible condition. this happens sometimes. sorry.