I thought I had toenail fungus and finally went to the podiatrist when the nail started to lift and the edge was digging into my nail bed. It turns out I did not have a fungus at all, and I had been treating it for years! it was an injured and thickened nail from the tallest toe being bumped against my shoes, etc continually. The doctor said the nail would be white if it was a fungus. He filed it down and it is fine now.

He says only one fungus medication works, it is $200 for a tiny, tiny bottle, and it works only 15% of the time. Insurance plans do not cover the cost of the medication.

Long explanation to asking, are you sure it is a fungus?

Even if the test say it isn't fungus... it could still be. I had 2 seperate nail tests to see if I had fungus and both came back negative. The first doctor told me I was just getting old! I wasn't even 40 then! Geesh! The second doctor was a podiatrist and even with the negative test results she gave me enough free samples of oral Lamisal to treat myself for about 6 months (insurance won't pay if the test is negative). The Lamisal worked amazing without any side effects.

Never heard of the laser, but it sounds interesting. Let us know if your SO tries it.

I took the Lamisal and had stomach problems from it.

I treated mine with Pao d Arco tea. You can buy it online or from a health food store. The instructions I had found were something like one teaspoon of tea to a cup of water. I soaked my toe in there every three or four days until it grew out. To help the tea get more access, I dug some of the gunk out from under the nail. Toenails don't grow as fast as fingernails. This did work for me.

Where did you get Pao d Arco tea? Health food store or something?

I've tried Penlac in the bottle with the brush, Vicks, tea tree oil, vinegar. Nothing works. I just don't want it to spread. My poor mother had it bad on all 10 toes, and it was miserable when the nails got too thick.

My local health food store had it. You can buy it online at the Vitamin Shoppe.

Pao d Arco used to be only found in health food stores but it is more common now and in my area can be purchased at mainstream grocery stores.

I had it soooo bad a few years ago (maybe 6 or 7) and killed it with Tea Tree oil. It was so bad, they were so thick it hurt in my shoes.

But they have been nice and pink and normal since then...

Just recently I noticed it was getting a start again...so I got out my bottle of Tea Tree oil again...and it is just about gone again.

1 bottle of Tea Tree oil....$5.00

And one box of Q-tips...$1.00

It works.

patti

Tea tree oil worked for me. I do a 5-7 day treatment about twice a year to make sure it doesn't return.

Does anyone know why some people get this and others don't? My mother had it but I have never had even a hint of it. What causes it?

Athelete Foot is a fungus and some folks are more suseptable to fungal infection than others. Humans do not aquire an immunity to the fungus, therefore, after quelling a bout of the fungus, you can become infected again.

The only deterrent I personally have is to avoid setting my bare feet on places were the fungus may lurk. Places that are notorious are public showers and swimming pools, flooring around hot tubs, and bathrooms used by another infected person. Another source is your own shoes especially those worn while you were infected. You can be infected for some time before you may notice it.

There are 2 foot powders that I have found that have been effective in treating shoes as a preventive measure. These are Desenex and Tinactin. Both have anitfungal ingreedients. Most other foot powders are just foot powders and do not contain anitfungal agents. Most often, you will find these anti-fungal products packaged as a spray; I prefer the dry powder container because the spray-can does not contain as much product.

Five years ago, after avoiding infection for many years, I got the infection under my great toe nail. My podiatrist gave me two options: Treat it with Lamisil or permanent removal of my toe nails. The Lamisil treatment (via pills) is lengthy. I forgot how long, maybe 6 weeks or more. The treatment must be continued without interruption until eradication is assured, else it can come roaring back worse than ever and with the danger of having greater resistance to the medication. A test of your liver function should be made during the early phase of the medication period.

I had it for years on my big toes.Chemo finally took care of it for the most part.Oh and i didn't have chemo for that,had it for BC.
Kathi

I heard testimonials on a garden show that you can get rid of it by soaking your toesies in a corn meal mixture for 20 minutes per night for...maybe a week?

Just mix cornmeal & water to a "slurry" consistency, put it in a big pan (a $1 plastic dishpan from Dollar Tree works great), & there you go.

I've also heard that Tea Tree Oil works, as does Vicks Vapo-Rub.

Sylvia, you responded to an old thread resurrected by a spammer.

oops.