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Original poster

to think there must be something we can do about the verrucas

51 replies

SEmyarse · 23/04/2018 20:04

Dd2 (age 11) has verrucas, a lot of them. 3 big ones across the ball of one foot, and a mass of 10 plus on the other one, also on the ball. None on the heels. They have been there for approximately 4 years now.

I have tried everything - bazuka, filing, home freezing, banana skins, duct tape, nail varnish, pumice stone, other brands of salicylic acid, even super glue which I've seen recommended on here. When she had them about 6 years ago, the banana skins worked a treat, but nothing is touching them this time.

She's in constant discomfort, says it feels like walking on lego bricks. I've been to the doctor's several times, but they all say the same, it clears up within 2 years, well it clearly doesn't. She was referred to a podiatrist for a problem her ankles (which I reckon was caused by her walking funny from them, docs disagree), but he just told me to get her supportive footwear and then agreed the shoes she was in WERE very supportive.

She's had to give up dance, and is on the verge of giving up table tennis. There MUST be something that can be done. It's affecting us all, we no longer go for countryside walks as a family because she can't manage it. I've tried contacting local chiropodists for quotes on treatment but they've all responded either saying they don't treat under 18s or that they don't recommend treating verrucas at all. Please someone tell me something that can be done.

OP posts:
Original poster
SEmyarse · 23/04/2018 20:25

I actually cut one off the end of my toe once with nail scissors, but no, I'm really not going to do that to my daughter.

It's entirely possible she catches them from me, since I have a couple that I've had for at least 35 years, but they're really small and cause me no trouble. Absolutely nothing gets rid of them either.

OP posts:
egdehsdrawkcab · 23/04/2018 20:26

You say nail varnish.... have you tried nail varnish remover? I had warts for years as a kid, ALL over my hands. Went away within a matter of weeks when the nail varnish trend hit my school. I'd change my colours every few days so all the warts around my cuticles were getting a good dose of acetone.... I then used the save method on my other warts and it worked (soaked a bit of cotton wool in the remover and put in wart with a plaster over the top, change every few days)

I'd tried everything!! Including Chinese medicine!

Ilovehamabeads · 23/04/2018 20:26

Ds10 also has massive veruccas on both feet that we have been trying in vain to get rid of for 4 years. Tried all the OTC stuff, filing them, the acid gels, freezing them, duct tape etc. It's affecting his ability to play football because it's so uncomfortable. Last resort now, trying apple cider vinegar! God his room stinks by morning. It seems to be having some effect on the smaller ones but not touching the large ones. Still that will be something if I can even just get rid of the 7 or 8 smaller ones.

Fontella · 23/04/2018 20:35

It's hard to believe that in this day and age medical professionals are turning away a child who is clearly delibitated and in pain, and has had this condition for four years. One verruca can be painful enough - let alone several of them.

I would go apeshit if it was my child - it's just not acceptable. You have to become a pain in the arse if necessary OP - don't let them keep fobbing you off. I know it's difficult if you aren't the pushy type but this is ridiculous - I can't believe they won't do anything to help.

Apart from that I'm sure you are already aware of (and have possibly tried) the numerous self-help methods out there but all require persistence, diligence and perseverance. From Apple Cider Vinegar and Duct Tape to Banana Skins and Garlic - successful for some but not for others. There are numerous videos on youtube documenting people's successes with various remedies.

Good luck and I hope your daughter finds some relief soon.

Fontella · 23/04/2018 20:38

This video shows the progress of someone using Apple Cider Vinegar on a huge verucca, that over the counter remedies, freezing and surgical removal had failed to cure.

It returned with a vengeance and he tried Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar.

It's a fascinating video and well worth a watch .....

ILikeBigBumpsAndICannotLie · 23/04/2018 20:39

I had the swift treatment at a chiropodist last year on persistent ones that I'd had for over ten years. Tried everything else first. It's expensive, it hurts like hell for the five second blast they give each one but they're fine afterwards. Took three treatments on the worst ones spaced out over 6 months. Thoroughly recommend it.

JS06 · 23/04/2018 20:39

What about researching local advanced electrolysis practitioners. Great results i understand, likely a privately funded option though .

Groovester · 23/04/2018 20:41

My son has suffered with veruccas. A podiatrist recommended thuja (wee tablets from Holland and Barrett.) They work to fight the veruccas from the inside. Was also told not to file them at all but treat them directly with tea tree oil.

This methodology has now worked twice and I swear by it.

marl · 23/04/2018 20:43

Our GP recommended Thuja tincture which you can get from Neil's yard shops. DS's went within a couple of months of applying it regularly so may be worth a try.

WhenDoISleep · 23/04/2018 20:43

Was just about to suggest apple cider vinegar. I used it a couple of months ago to get rid of one I had had for nearly three years - one week of applying acv twice a day got rid of it. Soak a piece of cotton wool the size of the verruca and place it on top of the verruca then cover to hold in place. There were a couple of occasions it hurt a little, and the area was tender but once I stopped it was fine within a day.

DS showed me a verruca cluster on the ball of his foot last week, I think he picked it up at swimming or on a recent residential. I started treating it with acv on Saturday, he had a shower after school today and came to show me his foot after. The 3 or 4 of the worst looking verruca had lifted of his foot completely. I think there are another 3 or 4 left, but we are giving his foot a couple of days break, so will start treating again later in he week. We were lucky that it worked so quickly, but the verruca were quite recently developed.

twinkle999 · 23/04/2018 20:43

So I had a patch of veruccas for 10 plus years.

The only thing that worked was going to a homeopath. I was skeptical but literally the only thing that helped.

Bertiemcgertie · 23/04/2018 20:45

Your poor daughter. So painful.

A couple of others have mentioned this already but we also found a multi strength vitamin tablet worked wonders. I agree with others it's almost as though the body needed a boost of some kind. We did this alongside the usual scraping down and using bazooka.

Took a couple of weeks but the veruccas started to wither away to nothing. Have you tried multivitamins?

Violetroselily · 23/04/2018 20:47

Apple cider vinegar day applied every morning and evening for a week got rid of a particularly stubborn bastard on the ball of my foot

So sorry for your DD, they can be so painful ☹️

nonevernotever · 23/04/2018 20:47

I got rid of my persistent one in the end through a combination of gp freezing it with liquid oxygen and me attacking it with nail clippers every night in between appointments. It felt safer than scissors and much more effective than filing and pumice stone. ((you sort of angle the clippers so that you are cutting little bits off with one edge and take as much as you can off each time-consuming used to go round the edge in a circle and then start on the raised centre). Gp said that generally those who found treatment most successful were those who attacked it most aggressively in between treatment. However, although it was there for years, mine was never painful like your daughter's is which makes me wonder if there's something else going on. And not sure I could have cut chunks off if it had hurt.

Jojomarsz · 23/04/2018 20:50

Try lemon essential oil. My daughter had them for a long time and really suffered - her whole foot looked like it was covered in barnacles. We tried everything we could possibly think of. Visits to doctors and chiropodist did not resolve. The oil sorted them within a short time. I have heard tho that they tend to disappear in their own time. Maybe it was just their time to go!

NobodysChild · 23/04/2018 20:53

Verrucas die from the inside. They clear up on their own. You must take responsibility and stop cross contamination. You and your daughter will never get rid of them if you don't take precautions and stop walking around barefoot or using same towels etc. Theses warts are contagious.

onemorecakeplease · 23/04/2018 21:41

Ds went to our local chiropodist for 6 treatments £5 a go, £10 for the first one.
She filed it down with a whirry thing and painted on something from a little brown bottle which I had to repeat each night. Then some fuzzy felt type stuff to stick on top.
Took six weeks and it was gone - just fell off one night.
That’s after ages of trying bazooka and doc and home remedies.
So try local foot person! It didn’t cause him much pain either.

YouCantGetHereFromThere · 23/04/2018 21:56

Verrucas die from the inside. They clear up on their own

Oh if only this was always true.

LadyPenelopeCantDance · 23/04/2018 22:04

I’ve had one for ten years that hasn’t budged. Trying apple cider vinegar atm which seems to be working. The vertical has turned black and I managed to cut some of it out. Worth a go!

3luckystars · 23/04/2018 22:04

She needs to wear flip flops in the shower or any wet surface or it will just keep coming back.

Go back to the chiropodist and keep going until they are totally gone. Good luck.

Funnyface1 · 23/04/2018 22:12

I had one for a long time as a teenager. Tried all the usual things, bazooka, freezing at gp's and nothing worked. Then one summer I got a new pair of shoes, they were just cheap fashion shoes and made my feet sweat horribly. I went to stop wearing them but realized my verruca was getting smaller so thought I'd keep wearing them.

My feet really did sweat and smell awful in those bloody shoes but they suffocated that verruca and it was completely gone within a month.

DownWentTheFlag · 23/04/2018 22:17

Why has the GP not frozen it off? My GP attacked mine with relish.

Serendipitystardust · 23/04/2018 22:21

Keep trying with the chiropodists - my 6 year old had dreadfully painful veruccas which GP would not treat as 'they were viral and would go in time'. I found a local chiropodist who treated them in about 8 weeks with a combination of salicylic acid, liquid nitrogen and scalpeling off the skin over/around the verucca. Hope you manage to get your DD some help.

TeeniefaeTroon · 23/04/2018 22:24

Duct tape worked for both of my children, with DD it took a few weeks but DS it only took a fortnight. I remember getting mine treated with liquid nitrogen when I was young.

TheBeaconsAreLit · 23/04/2018 22:24

Sorry if someone has already recommended this.
I had awful, painful mosaic verucas all over the soles of both feet from about 12 to 18. Like PP's I tried everything, all the usual treatments plus any home remedies I heard about, and nothing budged them.
After so many years and failed treatments, a different GP to my normal one prescribed Glutarol (glutaraldehyde) a runny brown varnish type thing which you paint on, file off and repeat.
They almost all cleared up within a couple of months - I do still have 2 left (a few years on) but they don't bother me and as far as I know no one in my immediate family has caught them from me, so I think they're just "there" if you see what I mean.
Would definitely recommend!