To ask you to please, please help me with my Athletes Foot

[CanIbeRio]

Sorry for use of AIBU, unashamedly posting for traffic!

I've been struggling with Athletes Foot since beginning of July. In desperation to get rid of it I used a vinegar soak and cos I didn't dilute it enough I gave myself chemical burns which shredded my toes where the AF was - 2 trips to A&E, visits to GP practice nurse and by 4 weeks on all healed, great

3 weeks ago the bleeping AF returned. I used Daktarin for 2 weeks which was keeping it at bay but hadn't completely kicked it so last week switched to Lamisil Once. Didn't work and by weekend seemed a bit worse. After 7+ weeks exclusively in sandals, a trip to London on Sat forced me into trainers for the day as I had some walking to do. Upshot is from yesterday feet red, angry, sore and doc says I now have a secondary bacterial infection in the AF areas which she's given me fusidic acid for

Pharmacist initially said drop treating AF in favour of using fusidic acid as obvs more important to treat bacterial infection. But...im going abroad on hols next week and I want this gone...so he said, OK use fusidic twice, not 3 times a day and use Daktarin spray once. Has anyone done this , did it clear both infections? Im so fed up - i have a bad back and 7 weeks of this crap, bending to tend burnt then AF ridden feet is not helping it. Can anyone give me any advice to give me the best chance of healing this before I fly off next Weds

Sorry for the essay!! And thank you if you got to the end of it!

Does applying suncream aggravate it? Anyone know? Cos I burnt my feet i heed to use a total sunblock on them

Soak feet in Epsom Salt foot bath/bowl every evening, thoroughly dry feet. Use a hair dryer if you need to.
Apply AF cream at bed time. Clean inside all footwear with strong antibacterial wipes.
Wash feet throughly again in the morning, apply AF.

I saw something online that said Head and Shoulders can help. It's helping keeping mine at bay, that and swapping slippers for crocs.

I get terrible AF. I’ve never been able to fully get rid of it. I’ve had a couple of instances where I’ve had to have oral antibiotics. If I don’t, it goes purple and starts spreading up my foot and my ankle.

I use Daktarin, and it’s good, but I have another go to which shifts it.

I take TCP and dilute it in a bowl of warm water and soak my foot in this. I also decant it into a small spritzer and take this away to spray on sudden itches and nip the bugger in the bud.

Terbafine!

I had athletes foot for 10 years, tried every topical treatment under the sun. Within a week of taking terbafine the AF started clearing and had never come back. Miracle drug.

Re holidays, the sunshine and salt water I found helpful when I had AF but the heat also tried up the skin so need lots of urea based cream for cracked skin.

My husband was an AF sufferer. He overhauled his diet, gave up extra sugar - none in tea/coffee etc. It's made a real difference.

Placemarking

I overhauled mine. It made no difference to AF.

I did lose weight though!

Also Head and Shoulders made no difference.

Does TCP work?

l have terrible Af and toenail infection. My GP has put me on t course of Terbinafine. One tablet a day for 9 months. I also use Daktarin cream(miconazole nitrate) on the Af and also Daktarin Aktiv Spray Powder too. It’s healing up nicely.

In addition to what others are saying, make sure when you are showering (which should be daily with athletes foot) you're using a zinc based wash, and if possible, give your feet an extra wash with something like the nizarol shampoo for dandruff.

Athletes foot is fungal, so when you wash your skin away from dirt and debris and microbes it can cause like a battleground for naturally found bacteria and fungus and when the fungus wins, you end up with another infection.

Make sure you are drying your feet immediately out of the shower with a separate towel that is clean each time so you're not reintroducing it.

Once again, thanks all for your input. It's much appreciated

Been drying feet with a hairdryer. My iffy back has been making dealing with this so much harder!! Im trying to find solutions that make for minimal bending. Wish I could unscrew my feet!!!

Well, it is a very old-fashioned treatment but I have cured many a bout of athletes foot with neat TCP liquid. It smells, so treat before bed and maybe add some nice smelly body lotion to your feet in the morning if you can still smell the stuff. Usually clears up in a couple of days

@CanIbeRio have you sprayed all your shoes as well to make sure you’re not re-infecting yourself?

Sorry missed a post and see you have - I have a fungal nail well set in but no other AF. It does seem to flare up from time to time though.

like you, I got an infection from my AF at the time sadly… so they prescribed that. They also pre-scribed me some anti-fungal stuff, can’t remember if it was a medication or topical. I was trying to check my NHS app so I could advise you but it’s not on there :(
I really feel for you as it’s really horrible and the AF did take a while to shift. I used a spray as well. I’m sure it was Daktarin. It was relentless. I just persevered with it. Make sure you keep it dry, and out in the air as much as possible.

you need to treat the infection first, once that’s clear, ask for anti fungal treatment like some pills

I would NOT recommend socks or tight fitting shoes such as trainers as it’ll thrive in that environment. I would recommend sandals and keep going with the spray. Like 2-3x a day, and just keep it dry.

Yeah I’d recommend washing your trainers and footwear in washing machine.

I think it was this

www.pharmica.co.uk/sexual-health/thrush/clotrimazole/

I’d never had AF until we moved to a house with no bath! Seems a shower isn’t the same for soaking your feet as a lovely bubble bath.
I bought a foot spa thing and use that once a fortnight or so and not had an issue since, but don’t think my issue was that severe. Might help keep it at bay though Op.

Can you wrap a towel around a throw cushion and sit on a chair after the shower and rub your feet on the towel?

Buy a grabber! They're a lifesaver for picking things up off the floor afterwards.

Also please make sure you're not using antiseptic/antibacterial on your feet, whether that's antibacterial cream, soap, lotion, liquid etc.

Bacteria and fungus are naturally found on our bodies and in healthy ratios don't cause any problems, but if you eliminate one, you increase your chances of getting the other as an infection (See: thrush creams, and the imminent BV antibiotic treatments).

It can be really tempting to think you just need to go nuclear and hit it with a bit of everything but the persistent unbalancing is what can increase your risk of long term fungal infections.

Nail varnish on cotton wool and hold between toes. Stings like MAD but has always cured mine in one go.

I’m a chiropodist.
mykored.
I swear by it

I made my own mix of lavender oil and tea tree oil. Not essential oils in little bottles, but strong versions that came from Amazon. Use daily. It keeps it at bay. Agree that a less sugary diet helps. Mine flares when I drink alcohol, especially.

Lamisil Once worked for me, but twice, not once. No re-occurrence since.

I have af and I keep it under control by washing my feet separately (in a couple of inches of water in the bath). I use tea tree oil body wash. Make sure it gets between the toes. After rinsing (just using the water already in the bath) and drying my feet I put medicated talc between my toes. I don't use anything harsh as I have psoriasis. Only a bit on my scalp now but when I was at work I had it on my hands so I am careful with my skin.