Fungal toe nail

[Scutterbug]

Noticed I had slight yellowing in part of my nail a year ago. Bought fungal nail stuff and used daily. Got worse and worse. Now have the complete toe nail yellow and about 5 times as thick as it should be. Tried cutting it down but it’s a mess! Help! Do I need the whole nail removing?

@Scutterbug You should ask your gp about terbinafine tablets....works wonders!

@Babymamma192 how long did the treatment take?
I've had it on all toes on one foot for about 15 years . GP very reluctant to treat with the tablets because of me being type 1 diabetic.

I am horrified to notice what I think is the start of it on my little finger! No!!!! I think it's got to the point if be happy to take the risks and follow precautions (I'd even give up alcohol for the treatment!-it effects the liver doesn't it?)

Vicks vapour rub , rub it in twice a day, also original listerine mouth wash but I’m not sure you can buy it anymore. Don’t know why but these both clear up fungal nail

Foot specialist here, avoid oral Terbinafine at all costs as it can have severe effect on the liver/kidneys. Consult a foot specialist who can prepare the nail, then you can treat it. Treating a thickened dead nail with topical anti fungal medication will undoubtedly fail, which is why the nail needs to be prepped first.
As for vicks/ listerine, well they will make your toes smell minty!

WowIlikereallyhateyou

Original Listerine, was not minty, as I said i don’t think you can buy it any more in the U.K., but vicks works just file the nail down and rub in the vicks. When I meet my husband he had terrible funnel nail I cut them short filed down the thickness , then socked them in original listerine then rubbed in the vicks , did this for six to eight weeks to eight weeks, then new nails grew back healthy. Forgot to say keep throwing out the nail files as if u use them on a healthy nail after you have used them on a fungal one it’s will spread the fungal to the healthy nails.

Vicks VapoRub is a topical ointment. Although designed for cough suppression, its active ingredients (camphor and eucalyptus oil) may help treat toenail fungus. A 2011 study found that Vicks VapoRub had a “positive clinical effect” in the treatment of toenail fungus.

The essential oils in Listerine are natural antifungals, so may treat mild to moderate cases of toenail fungus and athlete's foot. There is no harm in trying Listerine, but if symptoms do not go away, it is safer to consult a doctor.

I cleared one of with neat tea tree oil... cut it really short and filed on the end and the surface so it could penetrate. It worked where fastidious treatment with other topical things just hadn't touched it. Hth.

Sorry for hijacking OP.

I have tried Vicks actually. It didn't clear it up, but it did improve the look of them and made the nails much softer and easier to cut etc. Maybe using the Vicks would allow another treatment to penetrate into the nail?

Unfortunately, despite being diabetic, I can no longer see a podiatrist. I've moved areas which may be the reason.

I promise you OP, my foot will definitely be worse than yours if that makes you feel better .

Many years ago people used to suggest vicks, now it is not recommended. It may improve the look but it is not an anti fungal, and if the posters wish to go into technicalities linked to this i can talk in great depth about it. As for listerine, ditto. Individuals may see some improvement with alsorts of tinctures,but they are not intended anti fungals and never will be. Plus a fungal nail needs to be kept dry, moisture will not help but hinder progress.

@WowIlikereallyhateyou are you saying the filing down is the most important bit?

I used a disposable electric nail file bit on Dh's thickened toe nail last night before putting treatment on. My intention is to do this before every treatment. It is easier for me to get to his toe than it is for him, plus I am a sporner so I am enjoying every minute.

He did see a foot specialist as he has very bad cracked heels, she shaved them down but nowhere near as much as I have seen on YouTube. She told him file and apply to.

I’ve used Emtrix for nearly a year. Originally once a day (carries on spreading on the nail but much more slowly) and then twice a day (is now slowly getting better). It has prevented it spreading to any other nails. I’ve also invested in special toe nail clippers which are extra strong and sharp, and I only use for that toe.

[quote ViewFromTheRoof]@WowIlikereallyhateyou are you saying the filing down is the most important bit?

I used a disposable electric nail file bit on Dh's thickened toe nail last night before putting treatment on. My intention is to do this before every treatment. It is easier for me to get to his toe than it is for him, plus I am a sporner so I am enjoying every minute.

He did see a foot specialist as he has very bad cracked heels, she shaved them down but nowhere near as much as I have seen on YouTube. She told him file and apply to.[/quote]
Be very careful, if you don’t know what you are doing you can irreparably damage the nail bed by causing trauma to it. If i were you i would get the nail prepped properly then self treat,because then you will be more likely to see best results.
As for cracked heels finding someone who will do this skillfully and sufficiently to remove fissures is hard, sadly most just touch the sides and some see as purely cosmetic so arent really interested as doing this properly is time consuming. It can take up to an hour a time,but it is worth it!

View, also bear in mind the dust is pretty bad when it goes o; your lungs,so mask up, fungal dust is nasty stuff!

The "Vicks" paper (Derby et al, 2011) demonstrated that it is effective on non-dermatophyte OM or SWOM, but was not effective on Tri rubrum which is what makes up about 90% of all Fungal nails. Or, it could be that the essential oils in Vicks bleached your nails as they oxidate and produce peroxides when exposed to light and air, which is why Vicks don't endorse its use for Fungal nails Vicks is a licensed decongestant so using it for any other foothealth complaint, is doing so off-label, not a great place to be if/when adverse events occur. Which is why it comes with a clear warning on the tub not to use on damaged skin ie which is what fungal nails are.

@WowIlikereallyhateyou can you recommend the type of specialist I need to look for? I find when I've looked in the past, there are so many similar sounded 'professionals' that it is hard to know who I should be picking.
What do you mean by preparing the nail?

Finally, can you recommend a specific treatment? Over the counter or would it be prescribed? My GP in the past has refused to prescribe anything as apparently it is only cosmetic . My whole foot is a mess. Other one completely fine.

Where are you based? I would look for a podiatrist or foot health professional. Have a chat with them over the phone, as there are various different ways to prep the nail to be able to get treatment into the nailbed. After treatment I have seen good results with curanail and emtrix. All over the counter stuff, gp can prescribe amorilafine lacquer, but the over the counter stuff is as good. Pm me with where you are and i might know someone to recommend.

@HermioneN

I cleared one of with neat tea tree oil... cut it really short and filed on the end and the surface so it could penetrate. It worked where fastidious treatment with other topical things just hadn't touched it. Hth.

I did this and mine has gone too

Tea tree oil is anti fungal. It can sort out nail fungus. Not always, but applied daily, I’ve seen it work.

I’m using Terbinafine, prescribed by the GP. They regularly do liver test to check no adverse impact. Nothing else has worked, I’ve tried all sorts but whilst some improved the condition of the nail they didn’t shift the fungus long term. The tablets are working but it is taking ages to grow out. I made the mistake of stopping when it had nearly grown out and it just came back really quickly.

Marking place.

I'd advise that you see a qualified podiatrist. They are regulated by a government mandated regulatory body and have done 3-4 years minimal practical training vs Foot Health Professional / Practtioner = 2 weeks training! Just saying ;)
Yellow nail may just be that - visually yellow as a result of the nail thickening. Fungal infection is often more streaky yellow or brown/ green rather than uniform yellow. A podiatrist can thin and examine the nail and advise further. I'd say it's worth it at this point.

I found a fungal nail on one of my toes in 2016 and have been trying to get rid of it ever since. I've tried most of the remedies mentioned here including Terbinafine to no avail.

In April this year I noticed that the fungus had spread to 4 nails and the original had got much worse, it looked awful, all thick, yellow and crusty. I usually spend most of the Summer in Birkis but couldn't bear the thought of inflicting my hideous feet on the general public this year. After a bit of Googling treatments, in dispair but without a lot of hope, I shelled out for a little laser treatment device from Amazon that I clip around my toe every day and sit and watch TV for 7 mins while it's doing it's thing.

Bugger me, it's working! In fact it worked so well that after 4 weeks or so I was happily able to wear sandals again. Don't get me wrong, it's not a miraculous cure, I'm going to have to use it for some time yet. I've now been using it for around 10 weeks, the infection is still there but it's hard to notice with a casual glance. It's growing out nicely with the "new" nail being shiny and smooth. I'm chuffed to bits.

@MagratsDanglyCharms

I'd advise that you see a qualified podiatrist. They are regulated by a government mandated regulatory body and have done 3-4 years minimal practical training vs Foot Health Professional / Practtioner = 2 weeks training! Just saying ;) Yellow nail may just be that - visually yellow as a result of the nail thickening. Fungal infection is often more streaky yellow or brown/ green rather than uniform yellow. A podiatrist can thin and examine the nail and advise further. I'd say it's worth it at this point.

Now we know the information you spread is not strictly true now is it! With regard to Foot Health Professional, there are A COUPLE of very good schools which train them and also Podiatrists, The institute of chiropodists and podiatrists and SMAE trained professionals are the two I know to be excellent. There are very poor courses too, so please do not assume they are all two week courses, because they are not, some are nearer two years., and as much as six years towards degree status. A simple google of the qualification after someones name will tell you where they trained.

@wowlikereallyhateyou
I think you'll find I had no comment on whether the schools running the courses were good or not. I merely commented that the FHP course is 2 weeks of practical training (certainly at one of the 2 schools that you mention). With further training one school can now issue a podiatry assistant qualification, and a degree is possible but actually through a university. But the information stands - a basic FHP practival training qual is 2 weeks.