To try a toxic substance to cure my fungal toenail infections?

[Ecci]

I've had one infected toenail for ages and now it's spread to another three.

I've tried everything you can get from a pharmacy but nothing works. I've Googled what to do many times and tried lots of things that also didn't work.

I've read that farm animals and horses can get fungal infections in their hooves and farmers etc use copper sulfate solution to cure it.

Copper sulfate is toxic if ingested but I don't think it can get through skin so it should be safe to put on my toes, I think.

Has anyone tried using copper sulfate or found anything else that does actually work on toenail fungus?

Had one for years and years and tried vsrious stuff from the chemist and tea tree. Saw apple cider vinegar and vicks suggested here. I used a ACV soaked cotton wool and a plaster to keep it on about 3 or 4 times and then tried the Vicks. A little dollop of at night, no plaster, maybe for a few weeks but not every night consistently. Forgot about it and then noticed a while later healthy nail growth at the base. Couldn't believe it. Not sure which thing worked but I did the vicks a lot more.

And who are you to decide what is serious enough to be treated on the NHS?

The prescription meds can affect your liver, that's why I refused them.

I took the plunge and so far so good. I started my seven days soaking in Copper Sulfate about a month ago. I read a lot about about treating hooves and found articles about acidifying the solution making it more effective, so I added a cup of Apple Cider Vinegar and I did my seven days of 10 minute treatments. The day before I did a one minute treatment just to make sure I did not have an allergic reaction. I recommend starting with that step too.

My feet turned a light blue and my infected nails turned black. Scary stuff which was an incentive to stop at the recommended seven days of treatment. I am seeing something real. There is healthy nail growing at the base of each nail the black parts are growing out slowly. Fingers crossed but it is looking very promising. Note I also use the Vicks vapor rub on my feet daily. I started that years ago. The Vicks is not a cure but kept the fungas from spreading and eliminated Athletes foot which I used to get on occasion. Good luck. It sure beats the alternative.

Lamisil - an ointment plus tablets. I think the problem isn’t just the nail but also the keratin that gets infected

Could we get an update? I would love to hear if you went through with it or not and how it worked. If you don't we respond we will have to assume that it killed you and that would be a shame. 😉

Also following... have tried a lot of the above.. I have bamboo socks which are apparently the best and of course no socks better, but they look horrific. Currently using a spray but need to file and get a proper electric file, cant remember the correct name. Podiatrist was dismissive enough, said it's in my bloody it will spread, just maintain if notnprepared to take the meds...would rather not. I see all sorts on fb Inc honey nirvana, which promise success..

Go to a podiatrist

My understanding is that gps won’t prescribe terbinafine any more.

Okay so this only worked on my baby's fungal toenail infection but could be worth a try... Vick's! Smother it in Vick's overnight. We saw results very quickly.

Are you sure baby's name was fungal? Wonder how they would get it...

Sounds silly but have you tried soaking your feet daily in diluted vinegar? It's one of the old wives tale cures that the internet recommends but weirdly it works. You have to do it every day, for about 20mins, but it does work. Ideally file your nail too so it's thinner.

Why?

My foot person swears by Vick. Get a small pot, put a tiny piece on the toe and rub in.

Nothing silly about it! I have tried it. Apple Cider Vinegar works best and it really does help but it stinks and it is not a cure, at least for me. I have done it daily for weeks at a time and the best I can claim is moderate reduction. I used to drink it as well as soak in it and it just got better, not gone.

As a few others have said Vicks Vaporub on the nail for a few weeks should clear it. I’d read about that here and tried it after trying everything else and couldn’t believe it when it worked.

I had one for about two years. Tried everything, including Vicks, tea tree oil etc. What worked for me in the end was daktarin miconazole cream, twice every day and filing/cutting the toe right down.

Nope. Had it prescribed this year. Did the trick too, on a toenail I'd been treating using all of the above for 5 years.

Mine didn't, many years ago, prescribed a topical treatment that had zero effect. I knew tablets were the only treatment likely to work, have always assumed they didn't prescribe it because the risk of liver damage is not worth taking to fix a cosmetic issue.

I did have expensive cold laser treatment privately which seemed to fix the problem, but the fungus returned.

I tried various DIY treatments on one nail and ended up making it worse. Think the treatment softened/removed some nail, which enabled the fungus to reach parts it previously hadn't.