It seems I can't write about something without being graphic so here goes.
I had a toenail fungus about 25 years ago. I tried a prescription medicine and it made me sick to my stomach. Then I was reading Dr. Gott (remember him) one day and he or one of his readers suggested soaking the toe in Pao d'Arco tea. I did that. I remember adding about about a teaspoonful of loose tea to about a cup or two of hot water and then letting the water cool off and soaking my toe in it. Not sure if I did it every couple of days or once a week. It worked. I also dug the crud out from under the nail as I could. It gave more room for the tea to get in there. Toenails take about eight months to fully grow out. I haven't had a problem with it since.
There are a lot of home remedies which are cheap, but they take trial and error (some work better for different people and none works great for all) and patience (weeks to months). The common factors seem to be providing an air free environment (using some kind of oil or gel) and/or acid. Check out People's Pharmacy: http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/09/04/q-i-have-lived-with/
I thought I had a toenail fungus and talked to my doctor about a prescription. He said the medication is expensive and often does not work which is why insurance does not cover it. (So I finally went to a podiatrist when the toenail started to hurt. Turns out I had injured the nail with too tight or pointy shoes over the years and it had thickened and dug into my flesh. He just filed it down to make it thinner across the nail surface, and it was fine. I have to have it filed every 4 months or so.)
I saw the Jublia commercial the other night. Nasty list of "most common" side effects! The ones I remember hearing are ingrown toenail, swelling, and pain.
I have not used Jublia. But I have a nail fungus. My DH was cutting my toenails for me and he cut the skin and it bled. I couldn't get all the blood out from under my nail. Went to the podiatrist and he sold me a product that cost me over $30. and he said it should be gone by August when I will see you next. I paint it on my nail twice a day. It is finally begining to fade but August is still several months away. No polish on my ugly nail. But how expensive is Jublia? I thought what I had to pay was high.
I saw the television ad and called my doctor for a prescription because my problem is a fingernail. The pharmacy called me and said my insurance wouldn't cover it and it was pricey so they wanted to check before filling it. When I asked the price? "Almost $500!!". The lady from the pharmacy said she had used a liquid from Walmart, successfully, for under $10. I bought something called "Fungi Cure" and it has only been a few days so can't say if it works or not. I'm using it twice a day and hope to keep it up.
11 years agolast modified: 11 years ago
11 years ago
11 years ago
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