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Original poster

Anyone has actually managed to get rid of toe nail fungal infection?

33 replies

Strictlyison · 26/02/2015 16:24

I've had fungal nail infection for 3 years now, did one year of treatment with curanail and although it worked to start off with the infection came back. Then GP prescribed oral anti fungal treatment, have been taking it since July last year and my nail looks healthy and strong but there is still fungus under the tip of the toe nail, and the nail has re-grown well except from maybe 3 mm. I don't wear socks when I'm around the house just flipflops, I wash my feet with tea tree oil soap morning and night, I put on tea tree oil drops on the nail. There are many tips for 'natural' remedies on the internet but quite frankly some are disgusting (such as putting garlic on your toe nails...). Anyone has actually managed to get rid of toe nail fungus, how did you do it?

OP posts:
pigwitch · 26/02/2015 16:26

I've had it on and off for years. Loads of oral anti fungals etc and it just comes back Hmm

IHaveBrilloHair · 26/02/2015 16:28

No, I've had it for 6 months and it won't go, horrid, crumbly fungus big toenails.

Floralnomad · 26/02/2015 16:30

I took Terbinafine for about 8/9 months and it cleared it .

emmelinelucas · 26/02/2015 16:31

I have heard it said that putting Vicks vapourub on toes works.
Worth a try.

Original poster
Strictlyison · 26/02/2015 16:32

I have been taking Terbinafine since July and it's clearly doing something as the 'new' nail looks very healthy, but I had to take antibiotics last month and I don't know if it's linked, but the fungus started 'growing' again under the healthy nail...

OP posts:
Titsalinabumsquash · 26/02/2015 16:36

Nope Sad I had the bloody awful advice from a GP to file the nail across the whole top everyday when applying the topical paint and its destroyed the matrix to the point that not only will the fungus not go away but they won't grow properly at all, they just grow thick. Crumple at the end and then the whole nail falls,off time and time again, it's gross.

I've taken just to either painting them in a dark colour or sticking false nails over the top Blush I don't think this is good for them but nothing else works, I went back to the gp and got a lecture about vanity over sense when I asked for the anti fungal oral medication as its toxic for kidneys apparently.

Original poster
Strictlyison · 26/02/2015 16:40

It is toxic for the kidney, I've had to have blood tests before and during the course of meds. I don't want to take it for longer than necessary.

That sounds awful about filing the top of the nail every day, very bad.

OP posts:
VikingLady · 26/02/2015 16:41

DH did. Coated with a few drops of neat lavender oil twice a day for about 3m and I always boil washed his socks with bio powder. It doesn't sound like it was anything like as extreme as some here though, but he'd had it 3 years that I know of

bonzo77 · 26/02/2015 16:45

A chiropodist can do laser treatment. Expensive though I think.

mawbroon · 26/02/2015 17:15

DH had it for years and years. He was prescribed the varnish which didn't work and then the tablets, which also didn't work.

Then he accidentally bashed his toe really hard and the nail fell off. When it grew back, there was no fungal infection. This was around 5 years ago, and it's still clear.

I now have fungal infection in my toenail, and was breastfeeding/pregnant for years on end so the doc wouldn't prescribe the tablets. I actually told him that I didn't want the tablets and could he refer me to podiatry just to have the nail removed but the doc wouldn't refer me. Hmm

Original poster
Strictlyison · 26/02/2015 17:20

There is a chemical product to remove the nail, or I think the part of the nail which is infected ( www.boots.com/en/Canespro-Fungal-Nail-treatment_1311415/ but it's expensive and still needs to be followed up by antifungal cream...

OP posts:
bilbodog · 26/02/2015 17:37

my DS had this a few years ago and they decided in the end to pull out the nail and let it re-grow in the hope that it would grow fungus free. Fungus came back (and I wouldn't recommend having your toe nail cut out unless you have to - and I'm not easily grossed out!). I think he has just given up now.

KnappShappeyShipwright · 26/02/2015 17:44

DH noticed a massive improvement in his fungal toe nails after a couple of months of covering them with Vicks Vaporub before putting his socks on every morning. He had tried all sorts of prescribed treatments but I found it as a tried and tested Mumsnet solution!

katienana · 26/02/2015 17:48

my mum got something called phytopaint from boots and that worked for hers.

itsnothingoriginal · 26/02/2015 20:09

I've used Vicks on mine for a year now and although it hasn't gone completely (still a faint whiteness on the nail) it's much improved and seems to be keeping it at bay. Not sure if it'll ever get rid of it completely but I refuse to take the medication the GP offered as my FIL lost his sense of taste for 6 months after taking prescription anti- fungal treatment Shock

mawbroon · 26/02/2015 20:30

So what is in the Vicks then that does the trick? Ds1 has a fungal nail too and I might give it a go!

emmelinelucas · 27/02/2015 00:58

Not sure, Maw, has it got camphor in ? That sounds like it would kill a fungal infection, although I have no idea why.

catsofa · 27/02/2015 01:57

Wow thanks for all this, I've got fungal toenails and can't do much about them because I'm pregnant, but they are causing the nails to deform in ways which I can see are going to cause pain eventually.

Could I use Vicks on them while I'm still pregnant? Not that I can properly reach my feet any more... Sad

Gatekeeper · 27/02/2015 02:20

Dh's went with sudocream! Not sure how but it def worked

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 27/02/2015 11:00

I'll suggest some of these to DH! He's had a fungal nail for about 3 years and, when he went to the doctor he was told to file the top of the nail and apply some sort of liquid. It didn't make any difference and he couldn't have the oral medication at the time as he was on warfarin. He's off that now but doesn't want the oral stuff due to the potential side effects.

I might get him started on the Vicks today and if that doesn't work Sudocrem or I'll get him some lavender oil.

Pleasemrstweedie · 27/02/2015 11:07

www.nealsyardremedies.com/aromatherapy/aromatherapy-oils-and-blends/carrier-oils/1538.html

This is what we used. Saw it off in about two weeks.

TopazRocks · 01/03/2015 00:13

I asked GP recently if I could have nail removed. He reckoned it wouldn't help and it would just grow back again fungal. Sad I've used Curinail for 18 months at least and almost no improvements. I can't use oral stuff due to other health problems. I'd decided to just let it grow out and hope the crumbly one will grow a bit, then varnish them in the summer - and kind of forget I've got them. Smile Now I'm going to give Vick a try!

AnneEyhtMeyer · 01/03/2015 00:37

I got rid of mine in a few of weeks.

I used Curanail, but as soon as I read the instructions which said it could take months and months I decided I had to be savage with the nail file and scissors.

I just cut as much of the nail off as I could. I realised filing the top wasn't going to be much use, so I actually cut the top off with scissors.

I attacked it daily like this, painting it with Curanail, and it went very quickly. Not a sign it was ever there now.

TopazRocks · 01/03/2015 21:33

That's interesting, AEM. I did file and cut down the nail and put the stuff on twice a week, but I wonder if I could do more . Maybe some people are just more responsive than others. Smile

KatyMac · 01/03/2015 21:38

Dh had it for years & was put on daily doxycycline for chest infections& it went within a year