Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
toe nail fungus is what I'm talking about, went to the doctor, he gave me something called ciclopirox topical solution, 8%..... used it for 2 weeks and nothing, used it for a month and nothing, after that I gave up, I'm supposed to use this for 6 freaking months I was told... yeah right, plus in order to use it you must remove the part of the nail where there is fungus, I can't because some of the fungus is on the corner of the nail and if I took that part off--- which is hard and can't then I would bleed... he said there are only 3 options-- lasers--- insurance doesn't cover it, pills---- can't take for health reasons, or this liquid which doesn't work, anyone know what I should do? any liquid medicine that works FASTER????
If you think that is a waste of money, my ENT's nurse told me to use vicks vapor rub on mine and I followed her instructions and one day I realized my fungus really had GONE! She said to rub it on your nails at night, put on a pair of white socks and sleep in the socks... It took about a year but it DID work!
1. A drop of tea tree oil, rubbed into the cuticle, three times every day for a couple of weeks.
2. Wear cotton socks, do NOT wear shoes without socks.
3. Take your shoes off during breaks.
4. Make sure your shoes have either leather or mesh (or open-toe) uppers. No solid plastic/vinyl/fake leather.
5. Wash your feet every night, and make sure they're completely dry before you go to bed or put your socks back on.
Shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks to clear up if you do all that. Once it's cleared up, you can skip the tea tree oil, but continue the rest to maintain and prevent another flare-up.
Depending on how deeply the fungus is rooted topical applications are virtually useless.
I had a lot of nail fungus,One day i went to my dermatologist for a major fungal condition on my legs, he gave me pills to take for a month, at the end of the month not only had my skin condition cleared up but so had all my toenail fungus
.The product was very expensive $350 and was called Sporanox, caution should be taken if using as it quite powerful Sporanox Information from Drugs.com
I have been taking caprylic acid from the health food store and it's finally clearing up. I tried everything topical--tea tree oil, Vicks, alcohol, iodine, you name it, for months and years and I finally realized you have to attack it from within. It's taking longer than 2 weeks though--you have to wait for the toenail to grow out before you can call the fungus gone--otherwise it wasn't a fungus.
Oh I forgot to mention too that any anti-fungal meds your doc may give you can be really hard on the liver, but they may be worth it, b/c if you have problems with toenail fungus, you may have other fungal problems in your body as well and this can go beyond an embarrassing cosmetic problem. One the best ways to support your liver while you take these is to take N-acetyl-cysteine, which will help build up your stores of glutathione, a major anti-oxidant that your (healthy) liver produces and when it gets low it can set you up for all sorts of problems. You can get NAC at a health food store. You can also eat more foods with sulfur, like onions, brassicas, and eggs.
Some naturopaths or old time docs believe that fungal problems cause cancer but modern science says no. Still, there does seem to be some connection. Like over-consumption of sugar, it may not be a direct link but it sets up body systems to go awry and can feed into the "perfect storm." My holistic doc determined that I was having fungal problems, which I already knew, so he put me on fluconazole pills. (I was taking caprylic acid before that had already caused my fungal toenail to start growing out.) An interesting thing I noticed is that all of my morning sinus mess just cleared up overnight.
The stuff works like an antibiotic in that it works that quickly but here's the best part. I had been losing weight since Xmas--had gotten 35 lbs off but it was slow going--spent weeks on plateus. The first 15 came off in the first few weeks and then very slow going. But I stayed on my eating plan anyway and the first week that I took the fluconazole, I dropped 5 lbs, and all off my waistline, which is where I needed it to leave. 40 lbs gone now--woo hoo! 10 more to go.
So I guess the point I'm trying to make is that a fungus-y toenail may seem like just a small cosmetic problem, but if it's deeply rooted, as in stuff like tea tree oil or Vicks doesn't work, then you probably have it in your system and would benefit from taking care of it from within and the biggest thing you can do is to go off sugar. If you don't want to do the liver hurting rx pills, then caprylic acid will work--it will just take longer.
Oh I forgot to mention too that any anti-fungal meds your doc may give you can be really hard on the liver, but they may be worth it, b/c if you have problems with toenail fungus, you may have other fungal problems in your body as well and this can go beyond an embarrassing cosmetic problem. One the best ways to support your liver while you take these is to take N-acetyl-cysteine, which will help build up your stores of glutathione, a major anti-oxidant that your (healthy) liver produces and when it gets low it can set you up for all sorts of problems. You can get NAC at a health food store. You can also eat more foods with sulfur, like onions, brassicas, and eggs.
Some naturopaths or old time docs believe that fungal problems cause cancer but modern science says no. Still, there does seem to be some connection. Like over-consumption of sugar, it may not be a direct link but it sets up body systems to go awry and can feed into the "perfect storm." My holistic doc determined that I was having fungal problems, which I already knew, so he put me on fluconazole pills. (I was taking caprylic acid before that had already caused my fungal toenail to start growing out.) An interesting thing I noticed is that all of my morning sinus mess just cleared up overnight.
The stuff works like an antibiotic in that it works that quickly but here's the best part. I had been losing weight since Xmas--had gotten 35 lbs off but it was slow going--spent weeks on plateus. The first 15 came off in the first few weeks and then very slow going. But I stayed on my eating plan anyway and the first week that I took the fluconazole, I dropped 5 lbs, and all off my waistline, which is where I needed it to leave. 40 lbs gone now--woo hoo! 10 more to go.
So I guess the point I'm trying to make is that a fungus-y toenail may seem like just a small cosmetic problem, but if it's deeply rooted, as in stuff like tea tree oil or Vicks doesn't work, then you probably have it in your system and would benefit from taking care of it from within and the biggest thing you can do is to go off sugar. If you don't want to do the liver hurting rx pills, then caprylic acid will work--it will just take longer.
I said I won't take pills... it's only liquid on the nail i will use
Had a fungal infection under big toenail... Had nightly swelling, redness, pain, and even neuropathy. After 2 months of misdiagnoses from various MDs, multiple rounds of antibiotics , tea tree oil, soaking in vinegar/Listerine or hydrogen peroxide, nail surgery, and several docs telling me I had NO infection, the 2nd dermatologist I saw put me on 3 months of oral Lamisil tablets, plus ciclopirox lotion. (Diflucan, aka fluconazole, wasn't working.) He instructed me to wear only open sandals/flip flops and to run a blow dryer over my foot after showering. No baths or soaking.
I started feeling improvement after a couple of weeks, but it has been a long recovery. I have to agree with the OP that the ciclopirox lotion was ineffective. Doc told me to put it under the nail... very hard to do except for just along the top nail edge. I gave up on the ciclopirox, as it seemed to irritate my skin. But the Lamisil did work for the most part. I had blood tests twice for liver function while on it.
A week after finishing the 3rd month of Lamisil tablets, I relapsed. Frustrated, I bought the generic version of Fungi-Nail liquid at Walmart and am pleased to say that I think it worked! The lid has a long brush attached, and because it is a liquid, I was able to shove the brush under the nail and actually get the medicine down where I needed it. I used it morning and night for 4 weeks as directed. I also continue to use an antifungal powder spray. The neuropathy/tingling is finally gone.
Fast forward another 2 months after finishing the 3 months of Lamisil: I still cannot wear a sock and shoe on that foot without the toe getting red and swollen. But at least now I can walk in sandals without discomfort, redness, or swelling. The old nail is growing out, and I have a new one growing underneath it. Dermatologist said it could take up to a year for the old nail to grow out, and that appears to be accurate.
If you cannot take Lamisil tablets, then I recommend the Fungi-Nail. Good luck; it's not an easy problem to solve.
One last thought: I will never go to a podiatrist again!
I second on the Vicks. I wore artificial nails for years and had such a terrible fungus that it was embarrassing. A friend at work told me about the Vicks and socks so I used it. I could see a difference in a month and at the end of 7 months my nails were (and still are) normal. Try it, much better than something that will harm your liver.
I said I won't take pills... it's only liquid on the nail i will use
Is there a reason? I'm asking b/c I used every topical remedy I could think of and nothing worked. It is systemic and even if you get rid of it with TTO or something, it will just keep coming back until you get your body back into balance. I say this with experience, b/c besides the nail fungus I had a bout of athlete's foot and ringworm that struck at least 1x a month--yes with my period and w/o fail, and now for the first time ever, they both failed to show up and my toenail is showing up pink around the edges, so I know this works. Besides, you've got to remember that when people offer you advice, it's not all just for you, but for others who may be reading and have the same problem.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My recovery has been a LONG haul...
, tea tree oil, soaking in vinegar/Listerine or hydrogen peroxide, nail surgery, and several docs telling me I had NO infection, the 2nd dermatologist I saw put me on 3 months of oral Lamisil tablets, plus ciclopirox lotion. (Diflucan, aka fluconazole, wasn't working.) He instructed me to wear only open sandals/flip flops and to run a blow dryer over my foot after showering. No baths or soaking. 
