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Original poster

Athlete's foot getting worse. Help!

45 replies

PurpleThursdays · 01/02/2022 22:01

I think a trip to the docs is in order. Had athletes foot for a week now. Tried spray and that didnt work so bought some powder at the chemists and that hasn't worked. I found some daktacort and clotrimazole that I've had for a while in a drawer. Been alternating with a combo of these and the powder and nothing works!

I've scratched the skin off my foot, it's bleeding and the skin between my toes has peeled leaving exposed red raw flesh (sorry).

It wont stop and I'm going crazy scratching it. Too late to go to pharmacy now (kids asleep) but it's getting worse and I'm tempted to cut my foot off at this rate.

Can anyone suggest anything?

OP posts:
Original poster
PurpleThursdays · 01/02/2022 22:08

Hopeful and very desperate bump

OP posts:
CrabPuff · 01/02/2022 22:11

I found only the daktarin spray worked with mine - I think there are 2 kinds. Your GP can help - definitely worth the visit

LightSpeeds · 01/02/2022 22:11

Make an appointment to see a pharmacist or doctor. I had this once. You need to be careful that it doesn't turn into cellulitis.

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Skin conditions
UltraVividLament · 01/02/2022 22:11

It will sting like you wouldn't believe but I put neat tea tree oil on athletes foot, which usually stops the itching and gets rid of it. Bear in mind I'm not a doctor and have no idea if this is a bad idea or not, but it works for me.

Pantsomime · 01/02/2022 22:11

Try Lamisil cream, available over the counter, it worked for me, that feeling of the itchy burn being soothed is priceless. It healed and went over a week. Hopefully it works for you too

Original poster
PurpleThursdays · 01/02/2022 22:11

Definitely phoning the doctors in the morning, hope they can fit me in. What can I use to relieve it temporarily?

OP posts:
minipie · 01/02/2022 22:13

Are you treating your shoes as well? It might even be worth buying a new pair and just wearing those for a while in case your shoes are reinfecting you.

Daktacort has an expiry date so I don’t know how effective yours is if it’s old?

I sympathise, I used to have it chronically. It only went after I took a course of anti fungal tablets to get rid of a fungal toenail infection. But have since learned these can cause liver damage so I wouldn’t recommend that route.

Hardtofindafreename · 01/02/2022 22:13

Have you got some tea tree oil ? A foot bath with some oil in it should help. Tea tree is a natural anti fungal. pat it dry with tissues afterwards and leave open for the night. Don't be use towel to dry it or if you do, wash towel in a very hot wash afterwards.

InaccurateDream · 01/02/2022 22:14

You can take oral medication (it’s the same as thrush), speak to a pharmacist

Original poster
PurpleThursdays · 01/02/2022 22:16

I've been throwing powder in my (clean) socks every day but not treating my shoes. I've no tea tree to hand. I'm going to wash my foot and dry it with kitchen roll. Its constantly tingling then itching and I'm scared I'm going to take loads of skin off and end up scarring my feet.

OP posts:
Grenlei · 01/02/2022 22:17

DS had persistent athletes foot for years, nowhere near as bad as yours sounds but it would keep going away and coming back.

He used Daktarin on it every day for several weeks, kept shoes and socks off as much as possible, and also tried to rotate his shoes not wearing the same pair every day and giving them a spray too. It's not come back since (this was a couple of years ago now)

Original poster
PurpleThursdays · 01/02/2022 22:20

Would salt water work?

OP posts:
pandora206 · 01/02/2022 22:20

I suffered from long term athletes foot and even when it cleared up a bit my nails were still infected. After trying lots of over the counter treatments I eventually used tea tree oil (which I already had). It was remarkably effective at clearing it and my nails even grew back clear.

PinkCosYouAreSoVery · 01/02/2022 22:23

Lamisil Once - trust me it works better than the spray/creams/powders.I had it for 3 years until I tried it! Much better after 24 hours.

RosyappleA · 01/02/2022 22:24

Honestly soak your feet apple cider vinegar. You need to kill the fungus. Taking oral medication should be a last resort not nice bombarding your liver when the infection is on the skin so best managed topically. If you are really desperate yes get a head start fluconazole capsule (thrush over the counter). Also there is some iodine you can by cheap on ebay, espom salts are also antifungal.

Original poster
PurpleThursdays · 01/02/2022 22:24

Probably going to invest in some tea tree pull tomorrow. Plus daktarin but I'll see if I can get an appointment with the doctors first in case it needs something stronger. Just washed my foot and dried it, and smothered it in clotrimazole. I thought I would feel the effects of antifungal stuff straight away but my foot is still tingling

OP posts:
Original poster
PurpleThursdays · 01/02/2022 22:25

I have some Epsom salts in - thanks I'll try them soon if this tingling doesn't quit.

OP posts:
Fordian · 01/02/2022 22:26

IS it athlete's foot?

I lived in tropical Australia for a while. I kept getting such infections. My (good) GP looked and said 'AF', but took a scrape.

2 days later, he phoned to say stop with the AF medication, it's a different fungus. Pick up a script for a different cream. Which I did; cured.

I speak as someone with a new inter-toe infection, now, which isn't AF as the cream isn't touching it (whereas it otherwise would have). Nor steroid cream.

It needs a scrape and lab.

Original poster
PurpleThursdays · 01/02/2022 22:28

Hoping doctor can swab me and check. I could be treating the wrong thing.

OP posts:
Freddofan · 01/02/2022 22:31

I used to find it itched when exposed to the air so when I was ready to take socks off I’d shower my feet in cold water until they were tingly from cold. Then pat dry. Apply cream or powder between your toes and if you can let them air to dry out. It looks odd but those pink things you put between your toes for a pedicure help to let the air circulate as the bacteria loves the warm and damp. Then try and resist the urge to scratch. When sleeping stick your foot out of the duvet to keep it cool. Apply the cream or powder several times a day and whenever you feel an itch coming on. I used to keep a small tube of cream on me all the time. Good luck !

LemonCake79 · 01/02/2022 22:32

Ouch. Athletes foot is the pits. I get it between my toes. Yours sounds so sore.

You probably already know this but when it does clear up you'll need to keep using an anti-fungal cream for weeks. Keep using it for weeks after the skin has cleared up. Even the tiniest bit will start to grow again and create new symptoms.

Grinnypiggy · 01/02/2022 22:33

Tea tree is much better than the daktarin/Scholl type stuff. But don't put it on open skin, it will sting! But once you've no cuts, you can treat the athletes foot with it. Just mix it in with a moisturiser so you can apply it. Something like 10% oil to 90% moisturiser is plenty, you don't need loads.
The fungus doesn't seem able to become resistant to tea tree like it can to the daktarin etc. I ended up seeing a podiatrist for it once, and he said not to bother with the OTC creams but just use tea tree.

Original poster
PurpleThursdays · 01/02/2022 22:34

I'm airing my foot as we speak. It does seem to have calmed down a bit. Hoping it let's me sleep tonight, last night was awful.

OP posts:
CrabPuff · 01/02/2022 22:36

Definitely treat your shoes too - I got it a couple of summers in a row and realised that it was my flip flops reinfecting me so it doesn’t just die off!

stairway · 01/02/2022 22:40

I get this too, if I have no cream to put on I cover my toes in toothpaste. It helps a bit.