For the past two years now, I’ve had this annoying infection on two of my toenails. (I believe I caught it walking barefoot around the poolside). It is a fungal infection which has caused the nails to thicken. I’ve tried nail lacquer’s but I’m so lazy I usually just give up after a few weeks. I don’t think I have ever tried them long enough to see a positive result. At the moment I just trim and file them down as short as possible so they at least look human and not reminiscent of some alien/mutant life-form!!! I am really considering anti-fungal oral medication such as Lamisil. I’ve read that antifungal pills can affect the liver but I’m so tired of this infection that I don’t even care anymore!
Is there anyone who can relate to this? If so, have you managed to get rid of the infection through home remedies, medication (prescribed and non-prescribed)? I would be extremely grateful!
My husband has been afflicted by toenail fungus for decades. We tried every doctor-recommended remedy, short of an oral, and none worked… vinegar soaks, Vick’s VaporRub, etc. The reason they didn’t work is because of reinfection through socks (even though he wore fresh ones daily) and, more importantly, shoes.
He is now 90 years old and house bound. I recently noticed no sign of the fungus that has been part of his life for so long. What changed? He now wears those washable mesh shoes, not practical if he were going outside in winter nor for business were he still working. There are various brands out there. He wears NoSox. The shoes are periodically washed in the washing machine but the fungus can’t persist in them because the mesh allows air and light in and keeps moisture evaporated.
My suggestion to you is to wear washable, open sandals or mesh shoes. Change socks daily. And shower daily, washing the feet with an anti-fungal soap such as Donner’s with tea tree oil.
It’s a tough situation to fix. But you have to ditch all your closed shoes, sneakers included, that have been harboring and reintroducing the fungus. I wish you luck… and persistence. And hope you can do it before you hit 90!
I haven’t had a fungal infection but my mom who is not a diabetic has had one for years and the thing that has helped the most is blow drying her feet after every shower so that there is no moisture to feed the fungus. Also I used to have cracked feet from getting snow in my boots one winter and putting oil (almond, jojoba, coconut, etc.) has completely resolved that issue and since oil would probably suffocate the fungus as well it might be worth a try.
I had the nail fungus on one toe about five years ago. I had been going to a foot dr who tried every kind of topical solution and procedure with no luck. I finally mentioned it to my general practitioner. He said that treatments that work from the outside are not effective because they don’t get to where the infection originates. He prescribed Lamisil internal medication. I took it for three months. After I finished the medication, I saw normal healthy nail beginning to grow in. It was amazing. It took about six months for the nail to finally grow out to where I could snip off the last little bit of affected nail and be done with it.
I asked the dr about the liver damage part. He said he had prescribed Lamisil hundreds of times to people over the years. He said he only had one person that showed signs of elevated liver enzymes. They stopped taking the drug and their liver went right back to normal.
It was the best thing that I could do. I’m sorry that I wasted so much time and money trying everything else that didn’t work. Just take the Lamisil. You’ll be glad you did. I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again if I need to. It’s been five years. All nails are clear at this time.
I struggled with Toe Nail Fungus for decades (I am at a public pool a few days a week). Wear flip flops. They are your first line of defense. But seriously, my nail fungus resolved when my immune system improved after my celiac disease diagnosis. Celiac disease has over 200 symptoms alone and can affect you systematically. If you are a TD1, your chances of developing celiac disease are at least 10%. Get screened. It is a simple blood test.
Nail fungus is stubborn because it is under the nail and topicals just don’t penetrate under the nail easily. Nature’s Plus makes a product with tea tree that has a layer that dries over the tea tree to try to keep it on so it can penetrate the nail itself. Otherwise tea tree evaporates before it can work. It works for a lot of people but not everyone and you have to use it for months a lot of the time which is tedious.
My husband used to have athletes foot all the time until he started using a foot powder with tea tree mixed in and it stopped it. That worked great.
Fungal toenail infection needs special treatment. Drugs and creams don’t help always, it depends on the infection and how big it is. Also, it depends on what you wear all the time, hygiene and so on. I fought with this problem two years until I have found a good doctor. The best fungal nail treatment was to take care of my hygiene. But, because it was a big one we decided to choose an expensive procedure, laser. Now, no problems, just as I already have said be aware of what are you wearing and what towel you use.
I am T 2 age 76. In hot weather I sweat while walking, my doctor is ready to try 4 pills, one each 2 days, Fluconazole 150 mg. Most my itch is where I sweat between legs. Hope it works: My blood sugar is in range 90% of time but high about 8% of time. To shower after walk, use cotton shorts helps.
