Toe Nail Issues.

[Mechanic-AL]

Unfortunately due to a pair of poorly fitting boots and some long downhill walking I lost a couple of toe nails last summer. Both have regenerated with a bad case of toe nail fungus. I have been treating this with Aporyl anti-fungal treatment all winter with no real results. The old boots have been turfed out and some new Scarpa's are feeling way more comfortable but I would desperately like to get rid of this uncomfortable toe nail fungus. If anybody has used a treatment with positive results I would love to hear about it.

Cheers
AL.

[highercountry]

I'm also occasionally prone to foot fungal infection including Athletes Foot and mild nail infection.
Tried all sorts of remedies but the only thing that really works for me is warmer weather and bare feet as often as possible.
During summer holidays everything clears up after a week or two of no shoes, thongs only and swimming or walking in sea water.

[andrewa]

If it's only the ends that have fungus, then cutting them back and stuffing Vick's Vaporrub under them works reasonably. If the whole nail is involved, or the nail bed ( where the nail owns from near the cuticle), then you really need an oral anti fungal like terbinafine or itraconazole. Speak with your GP about it. Bear in mind that the cost of terbinafine has come down a lot over recent years, and, whilst the PBS requirements for a Govt subsidised script is that a nail culture proves a fungal infection, a private "non- PBS" script is not that much different in price, if the nail culture fails to prove infection ( which I think is often because of poor sampling, rather than lack of infection).

A

[ribuck]

... an oral anti fungal like terbinafine or itraconazole ...

Both of these can cause serious liver problems, so consider the potential side-effects carefully before agreeing to treatment. A fungal toe-nail infection is a cosmetic matter rather than a health issue, so it may not be worth taking oral anti-fungals.

Amorolfine, which is the active ingredient of Aporyl, is generally well-tolerated and works for some people. It's unfortunate that it didn't work for you.

Some people find that fungal infections disappear after a couple of months if they switch to a low-carb diet.

[Mechanic-AL]

Thanks all for your advice. I have previously been advised that oral anti-fungals are dodgy things to take.
I'm thinking of dropping a brick on my toes so I lose the offending toe nails and treat the new nails from the start

Should have just taken a bit more care selecting my foot ware in the first place I guess.

Thanks again.
AL.

[ribuck]

I'm thinking of dropping a brick on my toes so I lose the offending toe nails and treat the new nails from the start

If you want to go that route, it's straightforward for a doctor to remove the offending toenails. And much less painful than the brick method.

[Eremophila]

I've been using Rejuvenail for 3 months with no apparent change. Developed the condition on one big toenail, now it has spread to the other big toenail. Most likely caused from having them painted all summer long. I'm about to see my podiatrist as this stuff is doing absolutely nothing. Will be heading to the beach and bringing home some salt water too.

[highercountry]

Will be heading to the beach and bringing home some salt water too.

Um, I'm not too sure the salt water is actually the cure with my earlier remedy.
Think it might just be a combination of dry bare feet devoid of sweaty shoes and socks, UV exposure, abrasion from sand and dirt and healthy activity.
But you never know, sea water may contribute. I read recently that ocean water contains, in varying, sometimes minuscule amounts, almost every element on the planet. http://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#composition Tons more than just salt. Think iodine, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, gold, silver, mercury, uranium etc. etc.