My battle with stubborn toenail fungus (infected, blood, doctor, prescription)
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I've had toenail fungus (on different toes) for a few years and have done a lot of research. I'm an essential oil nut and have tried tea tree, also tried a blend with some other oils. I tried coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, silver gel, and Vicks gel. Most of these I tried for a few months. Often I would start to see improvement at the base of the nail, but after a while it would cloud over again. I bought a product (Clear Nail or something?) that was both topical and oral, it seemed to help but I ran out of the oral and you can't just buy more of it without the topical (I had plenty of that left). My coworker told me to try my own urine. I apply it twice a day and it seems to be working. I just hope it continues to work because I have one nail that is really bad and it scares me.
So I've read what worked for others but I seem to have a very extreme case on one toe. Wanted to share my experience and hope to hear from others with extremely stubborn cases.
I've had toenail fungus (on different toes) for a few years and have done a lot of research. I'm an essential oil nut and have tried tea tree, also tried a blend with some other oils. I tried coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, silver gel, and Vicks gel. Most of these I tried for a few months. Often I would start to see improvement at the base of the nail, but after a while it would cloud over again. I bought a product (Clear Nail or something?) that was both topical and oral, it seemed to help but I ran out of the oral and you can't just buy more of it without the topical (I had plenty of that left). My coworker told me to try my own urine. I apply it twice a day and it seems to be working. I just hope it continues to work because I have one nail that is really bad and it scares me.
So I've read what worked for others but I seem to have a very extreme case on one toe. Wanted to share my experience and hope to hear from others with extremely stubborn cases.
There is a lot of info on urine therapy....keep doing it if it's helping.
A friend's podiatrist told her to soak in diluted clorox for her fungus and it worked. Her's was not a horrid case.
I used tea tree oil for a fungus on my big toenail and it seemed to help. I also went shoeless as much as possible and wore open-toed sandals with no socks when I couldn't be barefoot. I also bought new sneakers, with leather uppers and haven't purchased synthetic uppers since. Washed my feet and dried them thoroughly, every day, even if I wasn't needing to take a shower that day. After a couple of months it finally went away. I don't know if what I did had anything to do with it or if it just cleared itself up anyway.
Have you been tested for borderline diabetes
My husband had toenail fungus -- had it when he was in his 20s--thought it came when he was in boot camp
Tried various over the counter remedies--then got Lamasil--but didn't really do any good until they realized he was type 2 diabetic
Once his blood sugar was under control then the Lamasil was helpful in stopping his fungus
Thanks for the diluted clorox tip, haven't heard that one before. Yeah I've had lots of bloodwork done in the last year, not diabetic. I was very low in Vit D and I have an autoimmune disease (hashimoto's). I also go sockless for as long as I can (it's hard in winter!). I don't know if it's related to diet; I'm eating more alkaline than I was months ago, but that doesn't seem to affect it.
I read that something like FungiNail worked for some people. I think my mom is going to try that stuff. I don't plan to use a prescription, I won't do that to my body.
FungiNail doesn't do anything. Nail fungus usually clears itself out within 6 months as long as you keep your feet clean and dry and let them breathe when you're not outside or at work. The Lamisil that you take orally comes with a lot of possibly bad side effects but they're rare, and mostly only people at risk get them. If you have a healthy liver and don't drink any alcohol your risks of liver damage are minimal. The most common side effect to the one you put directly on the affected toe is itchiness but most people don't even get that.
Theoretically you could just accept that you have nail fungus, and live with it. But if your "ewww" tolerance is low, keep trying and ask your podiatrist if he feels you are a likely candidate for Lamisil.
My big toenail problem started after a fall from a car when ma foot was dragged along the ground.. the foot itself didnt seem hurt but I noticed the boots I was wearing badly scuffed on the foot where the fungus started, I went to the doctor some months later when I noticed the nail wasnt growing out. but getting thicker... he said it had to come off and I ran for the door.... but he took a tiny sample for the lab.. it was so tiny though that I dont think they could examine it and it came back saying not fungal.. but it is.. so Ive been filing it down constantly, it crumbles breaks off in parts and is horrible... Ive used tea tree, coconut oil... curanail for months and not one thing helped, in the latter stages I took athletes foot with putting so much on at night time ..... I had to get a steroid cream and Scholl spray to cure the athletes foot problem and Im still left with this toenail. although I now only use cotton socks daily and try to air my feet as much as possible in the house... I dont really think toenail fungus clears up entirely and think this is me now forever with this problem...
Clearing up nail fungus takes a long time, especially when it is bad. You have to keep treating it for months until new clear nail has grown in and the old infected nail is gradually trimmed off. You can see the new clear nail growing in at the nailbed after you treat it for a month or so, but the old infected nail won't ever really be healthy. The infected part will just keep infecting the new nail if you don't keep treating it until all the infected part has all been trimmed off.
I took oral Lamisil (generic name: terbinafine) for about 3 months, about 15 years ago when I got fungus on one big toenail. Luckily my insurance covered it. It worked well and I haven't had any recurrence. It took about 3 more months until the healthy nail grew out enough to cover the toenail bed. I just checked prices and it's currently about $70 for a one month supply at CVS if your insurance doesn't cover.
It does have potential side effects, as most prescription drugs do, but I didn't experience any.
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