Toenail fungus I learned is very common among diabetics and is difficult to get rid of. I have it bad and have for years.
My podiatrist said he would not give me Lamisil or other medications because of the risk to the liver. He said I would have to live with it and manage it the best I can.
I did get Tincture Fungoid and have been using that twice daily but my GP doubted it would do much. So far I have to agree with him. Bernstein said it takes at least a year with fugoid.
I was reading over on Diabetes Daily people taking Lamisil pills and crushing them, then mixing that into the Fungoid solution. Supposedly some have had success and this has been recommended by some physicians…
I have heard of people getting their toenails removed and the fungus still can return.
Any thoughts, suggestions, or pointers what has worked for you getting rid of this dirty little fungus?
I have it too. Very obvious and ugly on my big toe, and a couple of others are growing “crooked” because of it. I was offered Lamisil but refused due to the liver damage.
There are a ton of hints on the web for natural remedies, as well as dozens of snakeoil type miracle cures. A couple of popular ones seem to be vinegar soaks and coating with vicks vap o rub.
I think my big nail is about to fall off. It is loose around the edges. The podiatrist said at that point there were some prescription topicals that I could put on the skin to try to keep it from coming back as the new nail grows in. Yes, I think it is a very tough cookie to fight. Just remember that one of the ways it spreads to the other toes is when you use the same clipper. Be sure to disinfect the clipper for each toe.
They are advertising a laser treatment on the radio here, but I think it costs $1000 and of course is not covered by insurance.
Maybe we should put up pics and really gross everyone out. If you have any success, please let me know.
Thanks Kathy. Yup fungus and high sugars go hand in hand. This is one tough cookie. Maybe BSC or one of the docs will pickup this post and shed some light here too.
Im at wits end. Maybe feature one of our toenails on the main web page and gross everyone out. No sandals for this guy…
Hi Pauly! I had a nail fungus on my fingernails for years. One day it just went away. It was horrible though and I tried everything from trimming my nails back to all sorts of solutions. My toe nails are gross too! The worst part…I’m not even a diabetic! I wouldn’t do anything that causes harm to the body, but it is still frustrating. At least as a female I can paint my toenails! Best of luck…don’t think you’re alone!
There’s a lot of home remedies out there, but some popular ones are at this site… http://www.health911.com/remedies/rem_nail.htm Not sure how much they would help, but it can’t hurt to try them out.
Hey Pauly my mom told me to tell you that I had a bad toe fungus & the doc gave us A nail stick . And my fungus is gone YEah !
She said ask your doctor for Urea Nailstik 50 % it came in a box of 5 sticks & you paint it on 2 times a day it was gone in about a month . We hope this helps
A few years ago I took an incapacitated elderly friend (not a diabetic) to get her toenails trimmed by a Podiatrist, who identified a toenail yeast infection, as explanation for her gnarly, darkened and deformed toenails. He said genetian violet would do a world of good, and was very affordable, but not very popular compared to (more expensive) antifungal creams that don’t stain. Anyway, he applied some drops on a cotton swab and thorughly worked them into the cuticle, and on and under the affected nails, being VERY careful to NOT get the drops on anything else. (It DOES distinctly stain anything it comes in contact with and can’t be washed off.) The Podiatrist also said to reapply thoroughly after each bath/shower, being sure to throughly dry the feet before applying, for about a month or more. He also added that there was “no magic number” of applications, but that it would “affordably kick the fungus in the pants”, and that she should eventually begin to see new, healthier nails growing in - but to be patient and diligent in applying the drops.
I asked about applying lotion or cream for her dry skin’s sake and he said that would be okay. When I asked about any side-effects, he said gentian violet was safely in use before he was born (he wasn’t a young man!), and that there wasn’t any issue with toxicity as long as it was applied externally.
Apparently, it worked for my friend, whose toenails began to gradually grow in better over the next year. Oh, the doctor also said to reapply once each month, after the initial month’s treatment, until the new toenails were fully grown in. So, if you use this idea, be prepared for purple toenails for awhile. (smiling)
I have been using tea tree oil for a few years now. I get it at the health food store and put in a small spray bottle and use after showering. I also blow dry a little and wear open toe shoes as much as possible. This has kept at bay for me. Good luck whatever you try!
Scottie
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I am moving away from the fungoid and looking at something that will get rid of it sooner. I want my nails better when the snow melts…
Ok, first off, I appreciate the compliment, but let me be clear. I am not and have never been a medical doctor. Don’t take anything I say, or what anyone else says on this board as medical advice. That being said, I did post some advice before (https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/nail-fungus-in-the-hizzouse?commentId=583967%3AComment%3A885245&xg_source=activity). I had luck with tea tree oil. I had fungus that had infected my entire nail and by using the tea tree oil over a period of about two months it was totally cured. In either case, toenail fungus disrupts the nail, so even if you kill the fungus, the messed up nail still needs to grow out. And yes, I would believe that higher blood sugars encourage the growth of fungus.
ps. And stop walking around barefoot in the gym locker room.
I have used a product called Reclear AF I got at Walmart. It’s fairly pricey and you need to keep using it for some time after the fungus appears to be gone, but it did the trick. Part of the problem is that nails grow so slowly that it takes a long time to get back to normal. Mine are still distorted. It didn’t help that in addition to the fungus I had a cow step on my big toe and I lost the nail:) I treated the adjacent nails to keep it from spreading and also disinfect the clippers when moving between nails this has helped.
