fungal toenails

[Georgecat]

my son has had fungal toenail infection for 10 years.

He has been prescribed Terbafine tablets.

Anyone out there have any alternative solutions? Or experience with these meds. The side effects look horrendous.

[medway-lady]

I went private as a new treatment out that involves drilling etc. But the surgeon did tests and said GP wrong it’s not a fungal but a damaged nail bed and no cure. So just looks a bit odd but it’s never spread etc or raised nail so harmless. Has5he infection been confirmed by testing? If so might be worth looking at cost of the new treatment.

[helixhelix]

I tried it without problem. My doctor gave it to me as pulsed doses instead of the traditional take every days for X weeks, which she said was the new way.

My suster tried it and had to give up. But is trying cold laser therapy next month, which sounds promising.

[Georgecat in reply to helixhelix]

Thanks very helpfull. Did the infection go?

[helixhelix in reply to Georgecat]

Yes, did for me.

[Georgecat in reply to helixhelix]

Will give it a go thank you so much

[Stills in reply to helixhelix]

What was it that worked ? I will try it, was it the drilling?

[Stills]

we both have fungal nails, self diagnosed and been using a pharmacy only cream for years until the pharmacist pointed out we will have developed resistance to it. My podiatrist used to offer the drilling mentioned in another post but discontinued it due to poor results apparently. I searched for alternative things snd found Vicks vabo rub has been claimed to work. I’ve been using it for two months now and see an improvement would you believe ! Plus my feet smell minty 😃

[Amnesiac3637 in reply to Stills]

I too gave up on most of the lotions you paint on and didn’t want to take yet another drug so I tried Vicks with reasonably good results but it took months. I think it works through moisturising the nail and there's something in the formulation which seems to be effective. Lots of people seem to have had some success so must be worth a try before you go hardcore!

[Stills in reply to Amnesiac3637]

We’ve spent a fortune over the years. It’s difficult as a married couple to keep your feet apart. That old joke about men keeping their socks on during __# has just popped into my head. With the Vicks I rub it into the nail only; I think it’s the camphor that helps, whatever that is. I certainly don’t want the strong all killing antibiotics that the Dr would hand out. When I had the colonoscopy on Tuesday I kept my socks too 😜 I wonder if our strange AI systems are to blame?

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Stills]

Oh I decided my husband had a fungal nail infection and smothered his foot in Vicks vapour rub. When he told his podiatrist what I’d done she was not pleased! She said it wasn’t a fungal infection (it probably wasn’t) and when months later I went to see her she wasn’t pleasant. I’ve since found a lovely podiatrist of my own and when I told her she knew of the woman and also said the woman * tends to prefer men.*. Whether she preferred men or not she certainly didn’t care for me. My podiatrist and I had a real good laugh about it. She had heard of using Vicks like that, she wasn’t bothered but she did say it isn’t the best thing to put on your feet, basically it’s petroleum jelly.

I’ve heard of people using tea tree oil too.

[Stills in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Yes Tea tree oil is also a suggested option, I just happen to have Vicks in the cupboard so used it straight away plus it probably cheaper.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Stills]

Vicks was fine - husband still has all his toes! In fact I bet it had tidied up his feet before he got to his podiatrist which was why she didn’t approve of me ‘treating’ them for him 🤣

[Georgecat in reply to Stills]

Thanks. It’s great getting all this info from Healthunlocked gang

[Stills in reply to Georgecat]

Well we need to stamp it out 🦶

[wilbertjellyfish]

I've been trying to get rid of a fungal nail infection for two years. Using over the counter stuff and it's not going. Trying to o get tablets from GP now.If you read the side effects of anything they sound awful and most people don't experience any of them. The manufacturer has to list side effects as common if experienced by one in a thousand people...I think, even one in a hundred people isn't that common.

I'm sure your GP wouldn't prescribe if they thought there was a serious risk and if your child hasn't had a side effect it will be much better to take the tablets and get the fungus to go away. Fungal infections can be very persistent and difficult to cure.

[Georgecat in reply to wilbertjellyfish]

Thank you that’s very reassuring.

[StormySeas]

I had great success with tea tree oil after seeing it recommended here.

It was a persistent, chronic infection. One drop of tea tree a day, left to sink into the surrounding cuticle, did it.

It took a while - almost 9 months, I think, for the nail to grow out, but it did, and the infection has not returned.

I tried it once before, with sporadic application of cheap tea tree with no success. Much retail tea tree is not 100%, it’s diluted with carrier oils. Buy the best you can, with a dropper so it’s easy to apply, and be assiduous about daily application. Good luck X

[Georgecat in reply to StormySeas]

That’s really interesting. My son hates taking pill so this might work for him. Thanking you.

[StormySeas in reply to Georgecat]

Fingers crossed. Whatever treatment you chose you still have to wait for the nail to grow out but you should see within a few weeks if it's working or not.

[Stills in reply to StormySeas]

I’m converted and will buy some good stuff and apply religiously as RA in foot, gout, tendinitis and enthetitis are bad enough without sore nails as well. Thanks for sharing

[StormySeas in reply to Stills]

Exactly! Hope it's sucessful for you.

[WillowsMother]

My husband was recently on the verge of taking Terbafine tablets for nail fungus, but his GP was hesitant because she said it's very heavy on the liver and he was already taking medications that stress the liver... He had tried so many different topical treatments already, but none had worked. So he ended up going to see a private podiatrist and was recommended a product called Emtrix. Although it's a slow process, he has already seen a lot of improvement, and best of all, not had to subject his liver to extra stress! Here's the product he uses: healthyfeetonline.co.uk/pro...

[Georgecat in reply to WillowsMother]

Thank you. I have had such a great response I am so grateful to you all.

[Stills in reply to WillowsMother]

Thanks I’ll check it out

[Biologics]

I had one for years and the meds didn’t work - eventually I had the nail removed through surgery - grew back eventually but without the fungal infection!

[Stills in reply to Biologics]

Eek that sounds painful

[Emye343 in reply to Biologics]

I had mine removed three times and it grew back diseased every time! Had it over 19 years. The last time they removed it, they broke up the nail bed and that seems to have more or less done the trick: only a slither of nail growing back now, I can live with that. Unfortunately it has spread to the next nail. I tried all the products including something which affected my liver so I came off it.

[Blocksetter]

Lots of interesting comments and things to try already mentioned. I was told the tablets for treating a fungal nail infection aren't suitable as I was on methotrexate and as mentioned elsewhere, they can affect the liver. I'd had a fungal nail for about 15 years before seeing a podiatrist. That was three years ago and I see her every 10 weeks. Firstly, she removed (painlessly) a large section of the nail that was no longer attached to the nail bed and told me it would take a long time to recover. I use a topical anti-fungal treatment weekly and a daily spray of Lamasil on the affected toe. It's slow progress, but it's working for me. The frequent visits to the podiatrist are important as she carefully thins the nail each time making the treatment more effective. She always takes photographs of the toe with every visit and I can see the progress each time. I wish I'd gone 15 years ago before it got so bad!

[Stills in reply to Blocksetter]

Costly though? I see my NHS offer a pay for service if you don’t qualify for free treatment which I don’t. It’s £40+£12 the first time only to pay fir your own foot tools which is very reasonable.

[cyberbarn]

I have used medication twice to get right of fungal toenail infections. As others said, the best way is to use pulsed.

It worked on the fugal toenails, but not on the pitted toenails that turned out to be the first clue that I had psoriatic arthritis.

I kept saying that's not toenail fungus, I have had that before, used pulsed treatment, worked well, this is something else. Still had to use the mediation to to prove to them that it was pitted nails due to PsA and not a fungus!

but then I had that with skin rash where they were insistent that it was ring worm rather than a rash related to my joint pain. Then the fugal cream didn't work on that either!

[Georgecat in reply to cyberbarn]

Thank you that’s interesting.

[Stills in reply to cyberbarn]

That’s interesting. My diagnosis is Adult onset Stills Disease which for me manifests as RA but I’ve had nail problems all my life. As diagnosed when 17 back in 1979 I’ve often wondered if …. It’s evolved especially as Stills is heralded by a rash and for the last 35 years I’ve been growing rough brown raised itchy sore areas in my torso. GP is dismissive of Still involvement with these so I treat with the dermovate prescribed for lichen sclerosus.

[Connie49]

I use an anti-fungal cream called Premium Control Balm that I get from Amazon. It contains eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, lavender oil and other ingredients, and, if I use it regularly, it totally keeps my toenail fungus at bay, thank goodness!

[Green230461]

My chiropractor suggested washing with tea tree oil that worked for me!

[Boarderwoz]

From my own experience tried the tablets which show results as the nail grows out, so takes 6 months or so to work. However as soon I stopped the tablets it came back. I decided to try the nail fungal pens bought on Amazon. These work, but I still have to use the pen once a week for maintenance, usually after a shower.

[Maggsie]

I've successfully used Tea Tree Oil painted on the nail bed every night before bed. It has taken a while but both big toenails are now back to normal. I use the oil from Savers and still use it once a week or so.