Athletes foot that won't go away

[CottonSock]

For 6 months + I've tried
3 types of cream
2 types of spray
Treating shoes
Clean socks
Not wearing my slippers.

GP then gave me a course of oral antifungal medication. Worked within a day but now a week on I can see its red and the itching is returning.
Will I ever be rid of this fungal freeloader?

Gp mentioned not being on the tablets too long as can affect liver.

I get the little blisters on my hands too and my feet flare up in the summer if I wear birkenstocks. I would go to your GP and ask
directly about pompholyx. You might need a steroid ointment stronger than what you can get over the counter.

Controversial, but tea tree oil often sorts mine. Along with blowing dry with a cool hairdryer, and twists of loo paper for half an hour or so between my little toe and "ring" toe where is is worst.
Basically, dry it out.
But, mine looked nothing like the photo above, it was white and soft (and insanely itchy).

Any fungal infection loves sugar.
Reduce carbs in your diet, starve the bastard.

I could never get rid of athlete's foot until I started drying my feet with a hairdryer. I don't use any creams, but am very strict with the drying.

I've had this. I don't think it ever really goes away, it's just under control.

Throw out socks.
Wash new ones at 60.
Clean socks on every day.
No tights.
Treat all your shoes with Scholl foot powder.

However I cannot find this powder any more! In desperation I made my own- plain J&J talc and a load of tea tree oil drops in it. Used the old scholl puffer bottle. Each time I put my socks on put a puff into each sock. Then into each shoe. Then when come home a puff in each shoe.

That keeps it at bay.

OP have you considered chilblains? These can also cause intense itching. You could try keeping your toes warm and cozy as opposed to airing out and moisturising/barrier creams (special ones for chilblains are available over the counter/Amazon). Plus something like calamine lotion for soothing the itch.

After reading this thread I was wondering if mine is actually not athletes foot or if it could be the excema type one instead (can't spell that!). So I stopped using anti fungal cream for a couple of days to see what happened. It's definitely got worse. Does that mean it IS athletes foot, do people think?

Thanks for the new responses.
I don't think it's chilblains I've had them and they suck.
I also now recall having that pompholyx eczema before. It was so itchy I wanted to rip my skin off. I don't think it's that.
I've had every skin rash under the sun.
Currently I'm going to try some gentle savlon cream and a steroid cream. Not too much steroid as I've had topical steroid withdrawal before too.
If it gets worse I'll ditch the steroid, do lamasil once and nuke my socks.
I have ditched my slippers and am looking for some powder. None in pharmacy today.
Phew, thanks for reading about my feet.

@Reluctantadult possibly is if getting worse. I think mine is likely a combination of things like dermatitis with a bit of fungal in there too.
Have you tried lamasil once? It might not go in one treatment but it did work.

@Choccyp1g thanks I started the hair drier treatment today too. I think I was damaging the skin more with towels.

I've ordered dettol for my socks too. Thanks

My DH had athletes foot that just wouldn't resolve. Turned out he was an undiagnosed type 2 diabetic. Once on treatment athletes foot went and never returned

Might be worth thinking about?

@spiggydit I think that's why gp mentioned blood tests. I did have full bloods done not do long ago so would not expect diabetes. Agree worth checking though

I'd say to stick with the tablets for a while longer. Fungal infections can be hard to get rid of, a week may well not be long enough.

I had a persistent fungal skin inspection, plus 2 fungal toenails, on my left foot. Nothing over the counter shifted it.

I ended up on anti-fungal tablets, and was on them for 18 months. I had to have a liver function test 6 months in to make sure everything was okay, which it was.

My foot cleared up after about 3 months, it was the toenails that were a bugger to shift.

DS sweared by magic gel colloidal silver getting rid of hers. It was really bad too.

I was told by someone on here that I could have a mild fungal toenail, even though they looked ok. This was what was reinfecting the athletes foot again and again. I used curanail for 6 months, bit of a pain but has done the trick.

Have you tried soaking your feet in the Dead Sea salt?

Sounds odd but that's the only thing that worked for me when my dischoric excema got infected

Yes this is the same as I had.

I also thought it was fungal but the Dead Sea salt worked. None of the creams did!

Just washing socks won't get rid of fungus, unless you boil wash them. You need to use an antifungal wash like Halo Sports Laundry Liquid, or alternatively soak in Napisan. If you have enough socks, keep a separate laundry bag for them and run an antifungal wash when you need to. If not, soak in Napisan before washing just like nappies.

Also spray shoes monthly with an antifungal spray.

This is advice from my podiatrist as I'm dealing with a fungal nail infection. So far it's working.

Oh yes! Thanks for this tip! I'm planning an offensive...

Only thing that worked for me was an anti Candida diet. And reducing sugar in my diet in the longer term

My late MIL told me about purple crystals for athletes foot - potassium permanganate. Bought off amazon , dilute as directed, soak feet every day for a week and have never needed any treatment since - around ten years ago now! Does turn your feet purply brown for a few days but well worth it.

Hi all. I am ready for my offensive too. Got my bath salts, halo wash, lamasil once, shoe powder. Going to hit it all at once at the weekend.

I am currently on antibiotics for cellulitis from an insect bite. At least they will flush out bacteria lurking.

My feet did respond well to the steroid cream but then split between one of the toes. Entry point!

I'll probably get bloods done as i shouldn't be having so many skin issues e.g the cellulitis. I'm a healthy youngish person.

@CottonSock

I would also try eating probiotic foods (one or more of the ks - kefir, kimchi, unpasturised sauerKraut etc) if you don't already do so.

The most palatable sauerkraut is this:

www.ocado.com/products/raw-organic-fresh-kraut-classic-crunch-sauerkraut-sea-salt-99505011?ds_rl=1291531&ds_rl=1291426&gclid=Cj0KCQiA54KfBhCKARIsAJzSrdpBFQ0v080lJS7dGX21mj_DD6QDTvg1ExuUfOxpcINAouNEeKzPUXwaAvauEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

And kefir :

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/297860097

Antibiotics may be the problem now. They make you much more susceptible to fungal infections. I agree with others about shoes reinfecting. Can you get one new pair to try when it next clears up and only wear them for a while?