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Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:12 pm  |
| Please share your remedies for toenail fungus. TIA |
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Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:40 pm |
| Jom, I asked this before too. The few recommendations that I can remember were using apple cider vinegar and soaking the feet in them, as well as just applying it to the toenails. The other recommendation was for Vicks vaporub. You apply that to the toe that has the fungus nightly. These are both supposed to help, but you have to use whatever you choose nightly and keep it up. It can take months before you notice improvement. |
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Sat Jan 02, 2010 10:00 pm |
| Another remedy is Tea Tree oil. I think you would add a few drops to some water and soak your feet in it daily. |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:13 am |
I had a bad case of eczema on a few of my fingers which caused the nail to lift up and fungus got in. My hands always seem to be wet which didn't help. I tried the vinegar but it really irritated my skin and made it peel, so for the past couple of weeks, after my shower, I dip a Qtip in peroxide and dab it around the cuticle and under the nail. I figure it will kill whatever is there. I think after I do that and it dries, I will add a moisturizing layer of Vicks.
I had toenail fungus on my big toe last year and didn't do anything and the nail grew out fine. I was eating better back then. For the past few months I was eating a lot of sugar which probably fed the fungus. I've been off sugar starting last week and want to keep off until Valentine's Day at least, plus I'm taking MSM and Vitamin C so I'm hopeful it will clear up on its own. |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 5:52 am |
| I've had success with tea tree oil, applied directly to the toe but I've never had it bad enough to really lift or destroy the nail. It thickened the nails of my pinky toes and I keep them cut completely back so there is nothing to lift up. |
_________________
Owner at GS & Company at Semiahmoo Shopping Centre |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 6:41 am |
| rileygirl wrote: |
| Jom, I asked this before too. The few recommendations that I can remember were using apple cider vinegar and soaking the feet in them, as well as just applying it to the toenails. The other recommendation was for Vicks vaporub. You apply that to the toe that has the fungus nightly. These are both supposed to help, but you have to use whatever you choose nightly and keep it up. It can take months before you notice improvement. |
A combination works, the Apple Cider Vinegar soak. You can out Tea Tree oil on straight and then cover with Vicks Vaporub, put a bandaid over and change twice a day! I know from
a few nail techs that this works for any nail fungus!
HTH
DM |
_________________
I'LL SEE YOU ON THE DARKSIDE OF THE MOON.... |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:46 am |
| The only thing I have found to work is North American Herb & Spice Oreganol P73. It must be the type that contains P73. It takes about 3 months. |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:59 am |
| Checking in to see if there's anything better on the market for nail fungus (toenail). I've got both toes developing the fungus now and wonder what will end it. (looks nasty, like clumps of dirt in the nail bed.) |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:44 am |
I had the worst case of toenail fungus that I suffered with for over 6 years. I tried all the home remedies - tea tree oil, oil of oregano, vicks, apple cider vinegar...none of them worked.
I eventually got prescription oral lamasil and it finally started to grow in clear. I'm prone to fungal infections and I haven't had any spots on my skin since I took the Lamasil. It's harsh but was the only thing that worked for me. |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 11:54 am |
I've read that the oral version of an antifungal is the best method to getting rid of fungus's in nails. Some of the things mentioned here are good things to try as they've been found to act like fungicides:
Tea Tree Oil
Oil of Oregeno
Vicks Vaporrub
Apple Cider Vinegar
Tamanu Oil
You could also try going to a pharmacy for OTC nail fungus products.
I finally decided to try some of these recently as I've had a couple of nails that are very thick at the outer edge and have a yellowish color. I bought Fungi-cure , but I wished I had tried this product instead. This one looks more promising to me now. I also use the Tea Tree Oil since I have it on hand.
I've read it can take a long time to get rid of a nail fungus - and one needs to apply these products up to a year.
Can I also ask if you've got dry feet with cracks and fissures? |
_________________
early 60's, fair skin, combo skin, very few fine lines, vertical lip lines, crows feet & 11's, fighting aging! Using Palancia HF, dermarollers, CPs, Retin A Micro, Safetox, AALS, Clairsonic |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:58 pm |
| rileygirl wrote: |
| Jom, I asked this before too. The few recommendations that I can remember were using apple cider vinegar and soaking the feet in them, as well as just applying it to the toenails. The other recommendation was for Vicks vaporub. You apply that to the toe that has the fungus nightly. These are both supposed to help, but you have to use whatever you choose nightly and keep it up. It can take months before you notice improvement. |
rileygirl, what ended up working for you? |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 1:01 pm |
| foxe wrote: |
I've read that the oral version of an antifungal is the best method to getting rid of fungus's in nails. Some of the things mentioned here are good things to try as they've been found to act like fungicides:
Tea Tree Oil
Oil of Oregeno
Vicks Vaporrub
Apple Cider Vinegar
Tamanu Oil
You could also try going to a pharmacy for OTC nail fungus products.
I finally decided to try some of these recently as I've had a couple of nails that are very thick at the outer edge and have a yellowish color. I bought Fungi-cure , but I wished I had tried this product instead. This one looks more promising to me now. I also use the Tea Tree Oil since I have it on hand.
I've read it can take a long time to get rid of a nail fungus - and one needs to apply these products up to a year.
Can I also ask if you've got dry feet with cracks and fissures? |
My feet are slightly dry, especially this time of year when I wear socks, but no cracks and fissures. |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 3:33 pm |
| jom wrote: |
rileygirl, what ended up working for you? |
Nothing yet, jom, but, I am consistent for like 1 month of nightly use, and then I get lazy and stop! I started seeing minimal improvement when I would use apple cider vinegar applied with a q-tip and then applied the Vicks on top of that after the vinegar dried. |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:54 pm |
| rileygirl wrote: |
| jom wrote: |
rileygirl, what ended up working for you? |
Nothing yet, jom, but, I am consistent for like 1 month of nightly use, and then I get lazy and stop! I started seeing minimal improvement when I would use apple cider vinegar applied with a q-tip and then applied the Vicks on top of that after the vinegar dried. |
Adding Tea Tree Oil helps because it is an antimicrobial killing bacteria, viruses and FUNGUS! You just swab it on after the ACV dries and give it a minute or two to dry then add the Vicks! It takes time and persistence even with rx tropicals, fungus infections are one of the harder things to kill off!
DM |
_________________
I'LL SEE YOU ON THE DARKSIDE OF THE MOON.... |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:46 pm |
| I used manuka oil on my toenail fungus for probably around 6 months and it cleared up. I'd read somewhere that it's alot more powerful than Tea Tree oil. |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:50 pm |
| My podiatrist, when I asked him for a script for Lamisil, recommended otc jock itch spray, which I bought and used for a short while before I decided that the products has really no chance of getting down under the nail, and I would have to spray this cold, messy powdery crap for MONTHS before I could prove myself right. In the meantime, I was putting tea tree oil on, and reading about soaking the feet in Listerine. I finally got a script for Lamisil from my GP. So, if you wanna try, jock itch ointment or spray if you wanna put up with the mess. |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:10 pm |
It seems Tea Tree and Manuka are close relatives!
http://www.digitalnaturopath.com/treat/T414585.html
The family Myrtaceae contains many plants, including the Australian tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and its New Zealand equivalents manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) and kanuka (Kunzea ericoides, formerly Leptospermum ericoides). These species have been known collectively as "tea trees" since Captain Cook used their leaves to brew a strong tea for his sailors.
DM
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I'LL SEE YOU ON THE DARKSIDE OF THE MOON.... |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:15 pm |
bluegrass - actually, the instructions for most of those jock itch ointments say they are NOT for use on nails. A more liquid product would get under the cutical and under the nail better than an ointment or spray. There are OTC products just for the nails. Also, this is why something like the Tea Tree Oil or Manuka Oil works good, as they are in liquid form.
jom - I asked about the condition of your feet because it's possible to also have the fungus that causes Athlete's Feet along w/ the nail fungus. Your feet could look very dry and scaly. You may not need to have all the sypmtoms to have a fungus there. I have been treating my dry feet for a few years (with some success) but recently gave Lotrimin a try and WOW! Is it ever working at getting rid of flakiness, excess (dry/thick) skin and the cracks that would show up if I didn't moisturise. I guess I had a fungus without realizing it (I didn't have all the symptoms) ointments like Lotrimin really helped me. (I've used a couple diff ones)
This is what medicine.net says about Athlete's Foot:
| Quote: |
| If the fungal infection has spread to the toenails, the nails must also be treated to avoid re-infection of the feet. Often, the nails are initially ignored only to find the athlete's foot keeps recurring. It is important to treat all the visible fungus at the same time. Effective nail fungus treatment may be more intensive and require prolonged courses (three to four months) of oral antifungal medications. |
Your best bet (if your nails have it bad) might be to see a derm or your regular dr for a script. |
_________________
early 60's, fair skin, combo skin, very few fine lines, vertical lip lines, crows feet & 11's, fighting aging! Using Palancia HF, dermarollers, CPs, Retin A Micro, Safetox, AALS, Clairsonic |
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Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:17 pm |
| foxe wrote: |
bluegrass - actually, the instructions for most of those jock itch ointments say they are NOT for use on nails. A more liquid product would get under the cutical and under the nail better than an ointment or spray. There are OTC products just for the nails. Also, this is why something like the Tea Tree Oil or Manuka Oil works good, as they are in liquid form.
jom - I asked about the condition of your feet because it's possible to also have the fungus that causes Athlete's Feet along w/ the nail fungus. Your feet could look very dry and scaly. You may not need to have all the sypmtoms to have a fungus there. I have been treating my dry feet for a few years (with some success) but recently gave Lotrimin a try and WOW! Is it ever working at getting rid of flakiness, excess (dry/thick) skin and the cracks that would show up if I didn't moisturise. I guess I had a fungus without realizing it (I didn't have all the symptoms) ointments like Lotrimin really helped me. (I've used a couple diff ones)
This is what medicine.net says about Athlete's Foot:
| Quote: |
| If the fungal infection has spread to the toenails, the nails must also be treated to avoid re-infection of the feet. Often, the nails are initially ignored only to find the athlete's foot keeps recurring. It is important to treat all the visible fungus at the same time. Effective nail fungus treatment may be more intensive and require prolonged courses (three to four months) of oral antifungal medications. |
Your best bet (if your nails have it bad) might be to see a derm or your regular dr for a script. |
Thanks foxe, right now it's just one big toe nail that is problematic. I think I'm going to try the manuka or tea tree oil.
Thanks too to all who responded. Lots of great suggestions! |
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Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:07 am |
I've had issues with some toenails for quite a while and tried pretty well everything imaginable without much luck.
However, what I've been doing the past few months is applying Nizoral shampoo (2% ketoconazole) to the nail daily, pushing it under the nail edge and down into the cuticle. I do this first thing in the morning when I get up and leave it on until I shower, usually half to 1 hour or more. Sometimes I've left it on overnight or all day. My toenails are definitely looking better at last (took a while though).
The Nizoral does tend to dry out surrounding skin, as it's impossible to apply without getting on the skin, but if it kills the damn fungus, it's a small price to pay.
I also lightly file back the top surface of the nail every couple days (when I remember), and it seems to help the product penetrate. |
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Mon Jan 04, 2010 11:37 am |
| Last night, after dabbing my nails with peroxide, I applied Vicks and a bandaid and it felt very tingly. I hope that means it's working. I'm going to keep on with this. But I wonder if the nail will get too soft and porous. That could be better for getting these products under the nail but then maybe not if other germs get under the nail. |
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Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:54 pm |
Hey All,
Thanks for the great tips. Am going to look into some of these again. I have to admit, I have read several of them before, but like most people I am looking for a quick fix, and most of them seem to involve dedicated, consistent treatment. It's not so much that I am lazy, just more forgetful, and then you miss a night or two and then you think "Well, does it take consistent daily use and have I thus set myself back a couple of months by forgetting?" Bit like dieting, really... 
But I also feel I must bring up something about the Lamisil cure, which I see some people are about to embark on. I don't want to be one of these people always going on about the dangers of drugs, but thought I should mention that I was on it a couple of years ago for just about 6 weeks and totally lost my sense of taste. It was silly, cos I just lost it over a week or so and it took me forever to figure out that it might be a side effect of the drug, cos I have never had any reaction to prescription drugs before.
Anyway, it was really horrible to not be able to taste, and the awful thing was, I had no idea if I would get it back or not. I finally googled "taste loss + lamisil" in desperation one day and found this website called askapatient.com, where several people were reporting the same thing but many had lost their taste for literally months and not got it back yet. Distressing! At the time I lost it, we were due to come to the States to see my in-laws for Xmas, and being a bit of a foodie, I was totally looking forward to dining out on all my fave US foods for the 6 week trip and the thought of missing out was really awful (I know, sad little life I lead,  ).
Luckily, I did get my taste back just in time for the trip, but it took just about 8 weeks from the time I stopped taking the Lamisil. That was a LOOONG 8 weeks, cos you really don't realise how much of a difference taste makes in your life, and how much all our social lives revolve around food. You are a pretty boring companion on a coffee date when you don't want to drink coffee or eat a muffin cos everything tastes like cardboard! And cooking for a family, which I usually enjoy, became a real chore because I couldn't taste the end result.The really sad thing is I didn't even use the occasion to lose much weight or anything, cos I was constantly trying different crappy snack foods in an attempt to find anything I could taste (crunch becomes very important and extreme saltiness was about the only thing I could barely taste....)
When I eventually got in to talk to my doctor about it, she had never even heard about this happening to anyone, and apparently it is a rare side effect (2-3%, apparently. Now if only I could match those odds in Lotto LOL).
As I look back, I can't help wondering if it was partly due to my size. I am small (5'1") and pretty slim and was prescribed the same dose as my husband who is 6" and has been taking it on and off for years without any side effects (that we know of).(He got it years ago in his teens as a competitive swimmer and yes, I totally blame him for the bit I have  ). He saw me typing this and wanted me to be sure to mention that he has never had any issues with it, BTW.
So there you go. Like I said, I don't want to scaremonger. But just thought people should be informed. My toe fungus was mild (just a small bit in my big toe, which is, of course, still there). And I have decided that losing my taste, and who knows what else to follow, is too big a price to pay for something I can ultimately put nail polish over (an option not to open to men, poor things).I suggest anyone contemplating any sort of prescription drug should check out askapatient.com. Like anything, you are going to get more of the negative on those sort of sites than the positive: That's just the nature of that sort of place (satisfied people don't tend to post as much). But frankly, if it wasn't for that site, I would have never made the connection between the drug and my loss of taste. I certainly didn't read about it on any official information site. And it may be a rare side effect, but that's no comfort when it's happening to you!
Sorry this is so long, but I didn't want to be one of those people who spouts off negative stuff about a product with no proper explanation of why ...
All the best to anyone battling this issue and please, let's hear from anyone who has cleared it up naturally to give us some hope! |
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Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:25 pm |
| appletini wrote: |
I've had issues with some toenails for quite a while and tried pretty well everything imaginable without much luck.
However, what I've been doing the past few months is applying Nizoral shampoo (2% ketoconazole) to the nail daily, pushing it under the nail edge and down into the cuticle. I do this first thing in the morning when I get up and leave it on until I shower, usually half to 1 hour or more. Sometimes I've left it on overnight or all day. My toenails are definitely looking better at last (took a while though).
The Nizoral does tend to dry out surrounding skin, as it's impossible to apply without getting on the skin, but if it kills the damn fungus, it's a small price to pay.
I also lightly file back the top surface of the nail every couple days (when I remember), and it seems to help the product penetrate. |
I think this is a really good suggestion. Awhile back I had an itchy scaly patch on my scalp which wasn't clearing up. I was about to go to the Dr. and then thought I would give Nizoral a try first and it cleared it up very quickly.
Since Nizoral is used to kill fungus I would definitly try this for toenail fungus. |
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Mon Jan 04, 2010 2:17 pm |
Karen Herzog has a nice foot cream that can also be used for fungus. The cream contains 2 per cent hydrogen peroxide along with oils of juniper, chamomile, eucalyptus and other essential oils.
It's a beautiful foot cream that can be applied all around the nails. It sinks in easily and is not oily or greasy. |
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Mon Jan 04, 2010 2:44 pm |
leeleedeedee
I wonder what's in the KH foot cream that acts as a fungicide? It can't just be the H2O2. Any oils like tea tree or the like?
appletini -
great suggesstion. Nizoral is a great shampoo for dandruff too (my DH uses it) as it's also suppose to thicken hair.
nzzgrll
another thanks for the info on your issues w/ the oral lamisil. nice to know and makes it worth it to try other methods first
OH! And thanks for the tip on the askapatient.com |
_________________
early 60's, fair skin, combo skin, very few fine lines, vertical lip lines, crows feet & 11's, fighting aging! Using Palancia HF, dermarollers, CPs, Retin A Micro, Safetox, AALS, Clairsonic |
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