Gross Topic - Toenail Fungus

[Pacesetter]

This is really gross and embarassing. I clicked on an ad this morning and ended up wasting almost a half hour watching a video about a supposed miracle cure for toe nail fungus that was mostly irrelevant information or the author's own conspiracy theories. At the end it was just a very lame sales pitch for a nutritional supplement.

This disappointed me because I'm really looking for something that will cure my terrible toenails. DH and I both have fungus, which i guess is common because it's contagious. I've been researching and it seems pretty common. Maybe somebody here can give me some real feedback on anything they tried that worked. Im not really interested in prescription drugs because it sounds like they take a long time to work. I'd love to have this fixed by summer - in winter I stop wearing nail polish in hopes it will help but i think the damp socks and heavy winter boots defeat the purpose.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Someone I know swears by Listerine. Maybe google it.

 

[OneThree]

My roommate in college had the same issue. His doc put him on a prescription for a yeast infection and the stuff cleared right up.

 

[VandVsmama]

Diflucan is a heavy duty anti-yeast prescription medication. That's one option. You could also try Gentian Violet on the infected nails a couple of times a week. I used Gentian Violet in order to get rid of my & YDD's thrush that we kept passing back & forth when she was nursing years ago and it totally did the trick. Gentian Violet WILL stain things permanently, so don't spill it. It's OTC and you don't need a prescription for it.

 

[bcla]

My wife has a mild case and sometimes uses a nonprescription antifungal liquid that brushes on and has gotten a few prescription creams. We use the same shower, and my toenails have always been perfect.

My dad has nasty nails. I've told him a bunch of times he should ask a doctor for prescription antifungal meds, but he refuses to do it. I guess he's like that. Even when we would go out together in the sun, he would refuse to wear sunscreen.

Really - the most effective treatment is going to be a prescription for oral meds. Maybe a laser treatment to kill the fungus. It's still going to take time because your affected nails have to completely grow out. I remember as a kid someone stepped on my big toe and the nail just died at the cuticle, replaced by a new one that pushed out the old one. It took almost a year before the old nail was completely gone.

 

[Bilberry]

It sounds like this could be a spring time activity to try. I've read of people with toe nail fungus helping or solving the problem by being outside, bare foot and letting sunshine shine onto the foot. UV light can kill fungus.

 

[Christine]

I got a toenail fungus on my big toe shortly after having my very first pedicure. Nice, huh?

I did use some prescription med that's really strong (required liver function tests); however, it interfered with another medication so I couldn't use it for long.

I eventually went to a podiatrist and had my toenail removed. That took care of it and wasn't painful at all. I then did vinegar soaks as it was growing back. Never had a problem since.

My mother had an issue for years and the prescriptions wouldn't even get rid of it. She did white vinegar on it, twice a day, for about 3 months and that worked.

 

[Kellykins1218]

We made up a mixture of Listerine and apple cider vinegar. It has been great in clearing up my husband's nails. He didn't want to try the prescription meds because of the warnings about liver damage and none of the over the counter stuff did a thing.

 

[Tinijocaro]

Tea tree oil works well but takes a while.

 

[lsyorke]

Lamisil is one option, but hard on the liver and will require blood testing before starting. There are over the counter non prescriptions that "sometimes" work. Jublia works great but few insurance companies will pay for it. Laser is another option, a bit costly and not covered by insurance but worth it to many(usually cost around $500 for the full course of treatment). The new lasers require only 2-3 treatments 2-3 months apart.
The thing to remember is that none of these treatments make the nail look better. You have to kill the fungus( diflucan and Listerine do not kill nail fungus) and then wait for the nail to grow out. A nail on a big toe can take up to a year to grow out.
A podiatrist can point you in the right direction. And...just because it looks like fungus, doesn't mean it is. Nail microtrauma can look exactly like fungus. A specimen should be sent to a lab to confirm the presence of fungus before any treatment is started.

 

[seven dwarfs]

This is really gross and embarassing. I clicked on an ad this morning and ended up wasting almost a half hour watching a video about a supposed miracle cure for toe nail fungus that was mostly irrelevant information or the author's own conspiracy theories. At the end it was just a very lame sales pitch for a nutritional supplement.

This disappointed me because I'm really looking for something that will cure my terrible toenails. DH and I both have fungus, which i guess is common because it's contagious. I've been researching and it seems pretty common. Maybe somebody here can give me some real feedback on anything they tried that worked. Im not really interested in prescription drugs because it sounds like they take a long time to work. I'd love to have this fixed by summer - in winter I stop wearing nail polish in hopes it will help but i think the damp socks and heavy winter boots defeat the purpose.

Vicks works well. I would try it first before moving on to things stronger. Good luck.

 

[aprilgail]

My daughter had toenail fungus and we used Jublia- worked excellent and was gone in no time. It was expensive, I believe it was 1,000 but insurance covered it.

 

[bcla]

My daughter had toenail fungus and we used Jublia- worked excellent and was gone in no time. It was expensive, I believe it was 1,000 but insurance covered it.

Not everyone gets the condition completely cleared through topical treatments. Probably worth a try if someone is especially worried about the side effects from oral meds.

 

[Kitty 34]

Sorry but a previous DIS poster was named Toenail Fungus. Wonder whatever happened to him or her.

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

I went with the Lamisil option. I'd had the problem forever and was finally just ready to nuke it from orbit. I stayed away from alcohol (I was told a glass of wine was fine but I played it safe) and I was okay to take an SSRI at the same time. (Don't I sound like fun? I am a delight at parties. )

Vicks VapoRub was something a lot of people suggested to me, but I think by the time I tried it things were too far gone. Might be worth a shot?

 

[manning]

It sounds like this could be a spring time activity to try. I've read of people with toe nail fungus helping or solving the problem by being outside, bare foot and letting sunshine shine onto the foot. UV light can kill fungus.

Yep, Fungus doesn't like light

 

[ols386]

White vinegar mixed with about equal amount of warm water. Soak toes/foot in it for 30 minutes per day.

 

[goofyernmost]

Some of those remedies sound smelly. I got nail fungus from my wife and although the doctors said that there was a drug to take for it, it could cause problems with my liver. To me my liver is far more important then a few odd looking toenails. They do cause pain though especially when the nail is thick, but, apparently there isn't enough money in the cure to make it something that the medical community is willing to work on. One podiatrist actually wanted to take off the nails right in the office, but, he told me that they didn't grow back. I wish I had known that they do.

 

[diego163]

Toenail fungus is one of the common problems that most of the people in the US are suffering from and also try to get rid of it. Its cure is very easy and can be done easily done either at home or at the surgeon office. Its occurrence has been linked with various factors and treatment must be done at the early stage to get rid of it.

Here are some of the easiest ways to get rid of this problem.

Olive Leaf Extract (OLE): It is an incredible option for curing toenail fungus as its medicinal properties have been proven to be the best in eradicating fungal infections. It detoxifies the body thus cleansing the skin inside out, removing all the parasites that reside and accumulate.

Probiotics: These are also very efficient in curing toenail fungus. These inhibit the growth of fungus
which causes to slow down the bacteria thriving process thereby reducing bacterial and fungal growth.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) and Epsom salt: This is also one of relevant and effective home remedy for curing toenail fungus. Take 1/3 cup of ACV and 2 cups of hot water and 1/3 cup of Epsom salt and soak your foot twice or thrice a day for 30 minutes.

Other remedies for toenail fungus can be read here.

 

[jevs]

Go swimming in the ocean.