While we are discussing toenails....

When DW was in the nail business the real treatments came from people who had MD after their name. Even then it was difficult to get rid of.
 
bolt said:
If Podiatrist Specific references are allowed these Boston Centric Foot Dr.'s services HERE is cash only & outstanding treatment. If not please delete, I received no compensation to promote it. Simple pay as you go. FWIW They use dremel like grooming tools when needed providing outstanding treatment. Just sayin...IME.
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No question a Dremel tool in skilled hands would do the job, but it seems like overkill when an emery board can also be used to thin your nails.
 
This may sound weird. Podiatrists freak me out a bit.

I took my dad to the Podiatrist a few times about 10 years ago. It was the for the medicare approved trimming.

He got placed in this chair that kind of looked like something from a movie torture scene. The office was old. The doc was old. Maybe, it was just because everything was old.

I just felt like I was witnessing some interrogation and torture session, although dad handled it well. :)

In seriousness, I think the whole experience was my awakening to my dad's declining condition and a dose of reality. It left some weird bad impression on me, even though nothing bad health-wise occurred.
 
DH has fought this for years. He used the oral Lamisil, but stopped due to potential kidney issues via blood lab results. He had all 10 nails removed about 20 years ago, they grew back great. About 3 years ago, the fungus came back. Finally went to podiatrist. She dremeled all of his nails and he is using a prescription topical 2x daily. He sees podiatrist every 3 weeks to continue dremel. So far seems to be helping, but she told him it would be a several months long process.
 
I developed a nail fungus in my big left toe a couple years ago. I never really have athletes foot and never injured the toe, so I'm not sure how I got it.

I tried an over the counter FungiNail. It basically smelled like vinegar, I guess that's a common acid in nail fungus treatments. It made the nail "appear" a little better, but I never saw any change in the underlying fungus. I had to stop using it because it was causing the skin around the nail to be red and sore.

I avoid doctors whenever possible, but went in to have it checked. He advised against the oral med, too many side effects and only works some of the time. He said it's just a cosmetic issue and I'll probably have to live with it the rest of my life.

He recommended cutting the nail as short as possible and using topical Lamisil every day. Tried that, and saw no change after months.

I'm currently trying his backup recommendation, Vics Vaporub applied daily. Again, it makes the nail look nicer, but I can still see the fungus under the nail (especially in sunlight). I'll keep using it until the container is gone, but I don't think it's going to cure anything.

I'm surprised they don't have some kind of antifungal they can inject under the nail. I'm sure that would not be pleasant, but applying anything on top of a nail to cure something underneath the nail seems pointless.
 
DW had it on two of her toes. She used an over the counter liquid treatment - cleaning and forcing the liquid up under the nail every night before bed. It took a year+, but eventually it all cleared up and she has been fungus free for two years.
 
JoeWras said:
More asides. :)

True story: My dad and uncle were doing a project and one of them slammed the hammer on a thumb. The blood started welling up under the nail and causing pressure and pain. Dad and my uncle solved this by having a few drinks, and then using a power drill to put a hole in the nail. One needed the drinks for the pain, the other for the courage to perform the surgery.

My mom and aunt were basketcases. But get this, the surgery actually worked!
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I've heard of others doing this as well. My recollection is that it can create quite the fountain when the pressure is relieved. :nonono:
 
Gumby said:
A simple emery board will do it. No Dremel needed.
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Not for the type of thick nails you're likely to see on any of the podiatrist videos you're likely to see on youtube. They don't use a dremel, but a similar tool that also includes water to keep the nail from overheating. Those videos are eerily fascinating...
 
FOOT FUNGUS? :sick: May I nominate this thread for the #1 Most Disgusting Thread Topic Ever? :2funny:

No, I never had fungus on my feet (EWWW!) :eek: and if I did I'd immediately have it treated by a doctor.

I wash and dry my feet every day when I shower. I keep my toenails trimmed. I wear sandals as often as I can so things don't get too swampy around my toes. You know, basic hygiene.
 
big-papa said:
Not for the type of thick nails you're likely to see on any of the podiatrist videos you're likely to see on youtube. They don't use a dremel, but a similar tool that also includes water to keep the nail from overheating. Those videos are eerily fascinating...
Click to expand...

yes, my moms nails were way over 1/4 inch thick, no simple nail file is going to work, trust me, tried everything. I used some over the counter and got it down to almost 1/2 the thickness after applying it for weeks and hacking at them every day, spraying her shoes constantly, having her switch out socks constantly, etc... they almost looked human again but still very full of fungus.

I'll tell her to try the vabor rub as nothing else has really worked. Basically its every toe she has ever smashed, dropped something on, etc.
 
W2R said:
FOOT FUNGUS? :sick: May I nominate this thread for the #1 Most Disgusting Thread Topic Ever? :2funny:

No, I never had fungus on my feet (EWWW!) :eek: and if I did I'd immediately have it treated by a doctor.

I wash and dry my feet every day when I shower. I keep my toenails trimmed. I wear sandals as often as I can so things don't get too swampy around my toes. You know, basic hygiene.
Click to expand...

W2R it's not foot fungus, it's toenail fungus and it usually has nothing to do with washing or not washing your feet. It is a common issue especially as one ages and circulation is reduced. Most people who suffer from toenail fungus have spent many, many months/years going to doctors and treating the problem only to have it persist. People who suffer from this are not pleased to have this problem, but to have someone else going "EWWW. I wash my feet daily" is not helpful. We are already self-conscious about this issue. That just makes us feel worse.
 
W2R said:
FOOT FUNGUS? :sick: May I nominate this thread for the #1 Most Disgusting Thread Topic Ever? :2funny:

No, I never had fungus on my feet (EWWW!) :eek: and if I did I'd immediately have it treated by a doctor.

I wash and dry my feet every day when I shower. I keep my toenails trimmed. I wear sandals as often as I can so things don't get too swampy around my toes. You know, basic hygiene.
Click to expand...

You can do all of those things and still have issues for whatever reason, including damage from ill-fitting shoes, dropping things on your toenails, a side effect of diabetes, etc. For me, at least, when it happens, plain old everyday athlete's foot is pretty easy to take care of with the prescription, Naftin. But toenail fungus is particularly insidious as we've seen from many of the posters here. I've been to the doc several times for this and between getting a reaction from some treatments and non-effectiveness of others, it can be quite a pain to deal with.
 
big-papa said:
You can do all of those things and still have issues for whatever reason, including damage from ill-fitting shoes, dropping things on your toenails, a side effect of diabetes, etc. For me, at least, when it happens, plain old everyday athlete's foot is pretty easy to take care of with the prescription, Naftin. But toenail fungus is particularly insidious as we've seen from many of the posters here. I've been to the doc several times for this and between getting a reaction from some treatments and non-effectiveness of others, it can be quite a pain to deal with.
Click to expand...


+1. I'm a very heavy perspirer, and as a male who works in an office setting, I may need to wear closed-toed leather shoes all day. After my last run of prescription oral antifungal medication, I also happened to get a standing desk and cushioned standing pad, so now I can often work (in my private office) in just my socks, and I wear sandals as often as I can in my off hours. I think those things help, but maybe not enough.
 
W2R said:
I wash and dry my feet every day when I shower. I keep my toenails trimmed. I wear sandals as often as I can so things don't get too swampy around my toes. You know, basic hygiene.
Click to expand...

MissMolly said:
W2R it's not foot fungus, it's toenail fungus and it usually has nothing to do with washing or not washing your feet.
Click to expand...

big-papa said:
You can do all of those things and still have issues for whatever reason,
Click to expand...

Exactly. Until you've suffered from it, you have no idea.

Please don't imply lack of hygiene is the cause. It's like saying someone got psoriasis because they didn't wash their arm.
 
JoeWras said:
More asides. :)

True story: My dad and uncle were doing a project and one of them slammed the hammer on a thumb. The blood started welling up under the nail and causing pressure and pain. Dad and my uncle solved this by having a few drinks, and then using a power drill to put a hole in the nail. One needed the drinks for the pain, the other for the courage to perform the surgery.

My mom and aunt were basketcases. But get this, the surgery actually worked!
Click to expand...


In college, my then-BF was tipping a car over with his buddies, using an open door for leverage. You guessed it, the door slammed shut on his hand when they got the car partway rotated. Huge swelling under several of his nails. ER doc took a paperclip, straightened it, heated it up with a match and poked a hole in the center of each nail that was bruised, relieving the pressure. Holey nails grew out and all was OK.

So your Dad performed a similar procedure to the ER Doc!

omni
 
When I first noticed my toenail fungus I made an appointment with my doctor to seek professional medical treatment. I asked him how and why I got it. He said a better question is why doesn't every toe on everyone have it? He said the stuff is very common in our environments but our immune systems usually keep it in check.

Fastidious hygiene will help I am sure, and especially things like shower thongs/flip-flops in locker room settings and public showers. But it isnt as simple as basic hygiene.
W2R said:
FOOT FUNGUS? :sick: May I nominate this thread for the #1 Most Disgusting Thread Topic Ever? :2funny:

No, I never had fungus on my feet (EWWW!) :eek: and if I did I'd immediately have it treated by a doctor.

I wash and dry my feet every day when I shower. I keep my toenails trimmed. I wear sandals as often as I can so things don't get too swampy around my toes. You know, basic hygiene.
Click to expand...
 
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I have had athletes foot for years and picked up toenail fungus a few years ago. Laser got rid of it for one big toe for $200 and the other big toe had the early fungus toenail parts removed as it was in the early stages of infection. Bought a shoe sterilizer, try to go shoeless as often as I can, change socks frequently.

Finally got rid of my recurring athletes foot by spraying my feet with sure antiperspirant every night after my shower. Podiatrist says it’s nearly impossible to get rid of all the fungus in the environment but we can greatly reduce the other big factor which is moisture. I’m a fan of spray antiperspirant. My feet are always dry. Nobody told me to do this but it is the ONLY thing that stopped my every 3 to 4 months breakouts.
 
There is no way a topical cream or ointment will work, despite all of the claims. The fungus is under the nail. If you want to kill the fungus, you need an oral drug/pill like TERBINAFINE.

If you have VA healthcare, they will get you some. If you do not, it's cheaper than any cream anyway, and will work. 6 weeks, one pill a day. You may need 12 weeks.

omni550 said:
In college, my then-BF was tipping a car over with his buddies, using an open door for leverage. You guessed it, the door slammed shut on his hand when they got the car partway rotated. Huge swelling under several of his nails. ER doc took a paperclip, straightened it, heated it up with a match and poked a hole in the center of each nail that was bruised, relieving the pressure. Holey nails grew out and all was OK.

So your Dad performed a similar procedure to the ER Doc!
Click to expand...

I have done this same thing multiple times, on my own nails. The first time a doctor did mine, he used a small tool, like a scalpel that heated up. After that, I did my own. When you do 'real' work for a living, you get beat up once in a while.
 
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I had success with oral lamisil on two separate occasions years apart. My insurance would not pay for the new stuff, which my doc said is quite effective. I did get a bad rash over my trunk into the 2nd month, so perhaps I can try that if I need it in the future [emoji6]. I did get rid of shoes and socks. I only wear my socks once before washing them, even if I just take a quick walk. I try to go barefoot as much as possible, and use open toed sandals outside. I recommend the oral lamisil. My toes feel so much better now and they look normal again, too! Good luck.
 
JoeWras said:
More asides. :)

True story: My dad and uncle were doing a project and one of them slammed the hammer on a thumb. The blood started welling up under the nail and causing pressure and pain. Dad and my uncle solved this by having a few drinks, and then using a power drill to put a hole in the nail. One needed the drinks for the pain, the other for the courage to perform the surgery.

My mom and aunt were basketcases. But get this, the surgery actually worked!
Click to expand...
General recommendation is tip of a needle heated up with a match and not a drill!
 
Can anyone here share their first hand experience with remedies that actually worked to get the toenail fungus gone?
1) stand in front of a mirror, and your right foot will be clear, but the left foot...
2) get "anti-fungal solution" from Rite Aid (the Rite Aid brand - red bottle). Get an order from your primary doc for terbinafine hcl 250mg. The effect nail, thin it with a dremel until it is paper thin. Apply the anti-fungal solution BID. Take the terbinafine hcl tab QD for 10 days, every month for one year. Keep applying the anti-fungal solution the entire year (seems like overkill I know). After the first month on this regimen, throw out all your old socks and shoes (the old shoes are reinfecting your nail) and buy new ones (ladies like this part). It takes an entire year, but it is your best chance of getting rid of the fungus. The Rite Aid solution I have found to be superior to those prescribed by a podiatrist.

3) if #2 doesn't work, amputate. :)


This is not to be considered medical advice.....
 
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