Fungal nail infection

RE: Fungal nail infection

Might be worth trying tea tree oil to see if that helps. I suspect that I may also have an infection of this kind, but alas all the tests my GP did have come back clear. May try and get a second opinion from a chiropodist though, as I suspect that not enough material was provided for them to grow anything from. Have been putting tea tree on my own toe nails, (as well as dribbling it underneath the nail itself) for a few days now, so too early to tell if it will work or not, but has to be worth a try.

June

RE: Fungal nail infection

Hi Charisma
I have to agree with June regarding tea tree essential oil. I find it brilliant for athletes feet and fungal infection of the nails.
When I had a fungal infection I put tea tree in water and soaked my feet for about 10 minutes. Having dried my feet I put some more tea tree all around the area. It takes a while but it works. You have to persist and preferable put the oil on twice a day.
I have only known one case where this didn't work but we did eventually cure it with a combination of oils. Do try the tea tree first and if it doesn't work get back to us and we will tell you some other anti-fungal oils
Love and blessings
Maureen

RE: Fungal nail infection

Thanks for that advice. I do normally swear by tea tree for this sort of thing. I suspect I want to see results asap, but as I have had this for about 10 years I shouldn't expect to see any improvement immediately. It is reassuring to know, however, that it worked in all but one case (hopefully mine won't be that one).

I did go to see a chinese herbalist but it is SO expensive (around £30 per week and I just don't have that sort of disposable income) but it did seem to be working. I had to soak my feet in a bowl of very hot water infused with dried herbs for half an hour. I then dried them and applied a cream which I also left on for 10 mins. The only problem (apart from the expense) was that it took so bloomin' long!

Maureen, how long should I try this before I should expect to see any results?

Thanks
Charisma

RE: Fungal nail infection

Hi Charisma
Fraid it could take as long as 3-4 weeks if you have had it for such a long time, the secret is persistance. It will eventually clear up. Even the one case which didn't respond to tea tree did respond to a combination of other essential oils ...... so keep at it. Do keep in touch and let me know how it is going. If after 4 weeks there isn't a definate improvement I will let you know which other oils we used.
Love and blessings
Maureen

RE: Fungal nail infection

I had this problem when I was a kid and what my mother used to do is soak my feet in Baking Soda/Bicarbonate of soda and sometimes rub my feet with a Baking soda & water paste.
Baking soda paste, when used as a scrub, also seems to help nail fungus.
After she did that I never had a fungal problem. Now, I always scrub my feet with Baking Soda.
The bacteria on our feet feeds on the sweat that our feet produces. It is the waste from the bacteria's feed that causes our feet to smell a bit funky, blocking the opening to the sebaceous glands in the pores of our feet.

When the sebum build up is blocked, over a long period of time our feet (toes included) may get infected and bacteria may develop as a result.
Baking Soda/Bicarbonate of Soda neutralizes the odour of the sweat ie: the bacteria that feeds on the sweat. This reduces the chance of fungal infection.
Anyway, I hope this helps.

RE: Fungal nail infection

There are many treatments and cures that are available. The ones to aviod are those that have to be ingested - these usually have side effects and carry a risk to the internal organs. Non prescription creams can be effective for some and completley useless for others.
An natural treatment that I have heard of recently is a vinegar cure. The acidity in the vinegar is known to combat the fungi responsible - a microorganism known onychomycosis or Tinea Unguium.
As with all treatments and potential cures the individual has to stay the course, nothing will be an over night success - once you are prone to fungal infection the chances are it will return.
Fungus thrives in warm damp conditions - so try to give it the least possible chance of survival, for some though it means a complete change of lifestyle if they want to rid themsleves of the condition.

RE: Fungal nail infection

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to say that i saw this post and thought i would try using tea tree oil for my athletes foot and i can see the difference already. I have two nails that are noticeably infected because they had a funny bright white colour to them and they looked dry. So i added some drops of tea tree oil to extra virgin olive oil - why the oil i dont know just thought it would be moisterising and a good base for the tea tree.

Ive been using it for a week now, rubbing the oil on my toes twice a day and the results is amazing so far. The colour has changed, it doesn't look dry and the peeled skin around my toes is reduced.
This is why i love this site, coming across natural tips like this is great. Thanks everyone [sm=1syellow1.gif].

RE: Fungal nail infection

I feel for you, I have had problems with nail infection. As Eddy mentioned vinegar is good. I searched online and found lots of people who said vingar works, so I tried it and it was very good. It did take a long time though, as my nail was infected half way down, so I kept applying the vinegar daily until the nail had grown out. I soaked some cotton wool in vingar and bathed the nail, making sure to get some of the vinegar underneath the nail on the nail bed. It doesn't smell too good, but it definitely worked for me. I hope you have a good result with whatever you try.

RE: Fungal nail infection

As well as the external measures such as vinegar and tea tree it might be worth investing in a probiotic supplement like yakult or probiotic yogurts. It's believed that often problems like athletes foot can take a hold because of an imbalance of intestinal flora.

RE: Fungal nail infection

The thing to bear in mind is that whatever you choose to undergo will not show an immediate improvement. Time and perserverence is the key. Fungus is a an easy thing to get but a devil to rid.
The natural treatments often involve a nuisance (who wants to soak their feet in a bowl twice a day everyday for a year)

RE: Fungal nail infection

I can recommend a cure for nail fungus. Coconut Oil.

I saw it recommended on The Food Doctors Programme on Channel 5. It worked for me in about 2 weeks, and I have had a fungal infection for about a year that eventea tree couldn't budge

You buy coconut oil solid (its like wax) and can either melt a little in an aromatherapy pot or warm up a little in your hands. Available in health food shops or chemists - usually in the fridge. Do not buy the liquid coconut oil which has been refined.

Coconut oil has strong antiseptic properties. I now absolutely love the stuff and put it all over my body every day.

RE: Fungal nail infection

Hi ACFJ,

Unrefined coconut oil looks promising! How many times did you apply it onto your nail a day?

My mother was applying tea tree onto her skin and nail for 3 months. Itworked somehow, butshe has stopped because she started to have a sore throat by vapor of tea tree. Iam looking for an alternative remediationwhich would not hurt her sore.

RE: Fungal nail infection

Hi!

Someone asked this same question on another beautyboard.They suggested VICKS VAPOR RUB for nail fungal infection. If you cut your nail down as far as you can and rub Vick's VapOrub into the nail, it will get rid of the fungus.AlsoVick's works well with keepingthe bottom of your feet soft.

[link= http://www.peoplespharmacy.com ]www.peoplespharmacy.com[/link]. They have sugesstions for things like Listerine, Vick's, vinegar, that some have found to help.

Good luck!

RE: Fungal nail infection

The real question is how you cure nail fungus. It is certainly not a condition that you should leave untreated, because it can continue to get worse and eventually become very painful and quite dangerous. The difficulty in treating nail fungus is that there is no generally accepted cure and if you consult a doctor you are likely to be told that there is no cure. From my experience it is necessary to be tenacious - don't just try one remedy and give up if it is not successful. You should understand from the start that you may need to try out a few different remedies until you find one that works for you. Your frame of mind is as important as the treatment that you choose. If you make a strong decision to "beat your nail fungus", then you probably will - even if it takes a little time... My father has tried canesten [link= http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s3151-s-CANESTEN.aspx ]http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s3151-s-CANESTEN.aspx[/link] cream which came out to be a good cream against fungus infection.

Listerine and fungal nails

Lots of info out on www regarding treating the nails by soaking in Listerine, or 1:1 Listerine / vinegar, care please tho, it may well work, (some for some against), but does contain some ingredients not very skin friendly.

My personal thoughts would be natural treatments (tea tree or similar + oil) or topical or systemic homeopathic help.

Julesxx

ps - not sure the colouring would do you too much good either!!!

Gosh, just come across this. Very interesting to hear about coconut oil having antiseptic properties. I use it in my IHM plus for my own body oil and hair conditioner (the solid oil that melts on contact with skin).

I got a fungal nail infection a few years ago, probably went unnoticed as I was wearing dark nail polish for a while but went to docs and he prescribed Lamisil tablets, told me to take them for 6 months. I took them for about a month then went off to give regular blood donation and the doc there told me I couldn't donate as the medication would have interferred with the makeup of my blood, then he kinda said (off the record), do you really need to be on these tablets?!

So I made a personal choice and stopped the tablets and soaked my foot with 2 drops of tea tree oil in some warm water daily and hey presto my nail was fine within a few weeks.

Just a note to say that this was MY own doing, not recommended by anyone so I am not saying that it should be done but it did work for me. I would suggest that a fungal nail infection be properly diagnosed first by a professional.

Love & blessings,
Rachel

Sorry i have no idea about nail infection and its treatment,i think if you will try any home or herbal therapy then you will relax from nail infection.[url]buy avodart[/url]

Finally curing my toenail infection with enzymes

I wanted to share this as I've struggled for years using paint on laquers with no success. Not to say laquers can't work, but it didnt for me. Maybe I let the infection get too established, or didnt apply the lacquer often enough.

My local herbalist recommended anti-candida enzymes called "Candigest plus" by Immune Care. After about 6 weeks of taking these tablets, I could see a thin clear line of healthy nail appearing. 3 months on from starting them, about half my nail now looks clear. I will probably need another three months until the whole nail is new and clear.

I've taken them twice a day, started off with two first thing in the morning, at least 1 hour before any food, and two last thing at night, at least 2 hours after any food, with plenty of tepid water.

My herbalists theory is that fungal infecitons originate from a candida yeast overgrowth in the intestine - tackle the problem there and the nail recovers. The enzymes digest the candida, but you need to take them on an empty stomach, otherwise the enzymes are wasted on the contents of your stomach, and dont get to the candida.

The tablets are quite expensive. Since the clear line got established on my nail, I cut back to three tablets a day now, two in the morning and one at night, to make them go further. It still seems to be working. I'd rather pay extra for the enzymes that seem safer to me , than risk a drug that may affect my liver.

Tea tree can also work for some people and especially if the infection isnt too heavy or established. Reducing sugar intake may help as well, to reduce the food source for the candida. Keeping my feet in sandals, sunshine and fresh air may also help as the fungus likes dark, warm, moist environments.

Hi John - welcome to Healthy Pages

Thank you for your useful input on healing nails infected with fungus. Interesting about the Candigest plus, and that it worked for you - not heard of it before. I do agree that many fungal infections start with overgrowth in the gut. If one added the right probiotics that should make a good plan - and maybe supplements or juices help heal the gut too. Thank you too, for describing how best to take it.

Always something more to learn!

Toenail Laser Treatment

There are many treatment options for toenail fungus that aren't harmful to one's liver. It is important to look at many treatment options to find out which is best for you.

There is a lot of great news when it comes to toenail laser treatments especially if you're worried about it damaging other parts of your body. The laser is completely safe. It does not harm the nail or surrounding skin. Some patients may experience some slight discomfort, but the treatment is completely painless and no anaesthesia is needed. The laser is a specially designed, patented medical device that shines through the toenail and vaporizes the pathogens embedded in the nail bed that causes toenail fungus.

If you'd like to find out more information about the laser treatment, go to [url]Beauchamp Foot Care[/url].

My daughter had dreadful trouble with her toe nails and her doctor gave her a prescription for an extremely severe drug which he said she would need to take for a year. When her chemist saw the prescription she suggested that she should think long and hard before taking the medication. So we went searching for advice and found that Biotin and other B vitamins taken together with vitamins C and E helps the body build keratin among other proteins to strengthen nails. Also fish oils and evening promrose oil to provide the fatty acids to feed the nails and prevent them cracking. She took all the above, and rubbed tee tree oil into her nails, for eight weeks by which time they had grown out perfectly. She now just takes Eskimo fish oil daily and her nails are perfect - if she stops the oil the yellow starts to return!

Hoping this is beneficial.

Sandra

Hi Charisma

Im hoping your fungal problem is starting to improve now!

Tea tree is a good oil choice also i find lavender also good to use as well..
if you can locate a vegetable base lotion..you can mix your own potion.
a 100ml bottle you can apply 20 drops of lavender and 15 drops of tea tree, mix and apply to whole of feet.
I have gone well below the dosage however i do not know your medical history..so i am being cautious..essential oils are very powerful..this amount will still work.
I if your fungal infection has been with you for a long time..it will be slow to recover..it can takes months!
Good luck!

Hi Charisma,

If you are looking for natural nail anti-fungal and strengthening supplement. Then I can surly suggest you NailMax's [DLMURL="http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/bioconcepts-nailmax_1_179024.html"]Fungal Nail Treatment[/DLMURL]. It prevent nail infections & improves nail health and strength.

I had this problem with just one of my big toes! I saw my GP who wouldn't prescribe tablets without checking that it actually was a fungal infection, so she took a sample of nail and gave me some liquid to paint on twice a day. She did say I'd have to keep the treatment up for at least 12 months as toenails grow quite slowly.

I never did go back for the tablets, and carried on with painting on the stuff. The bottle lasted for just over a year, and by the end of 18 months the nail had completely regrown and has been fine ever since.

You really have to persevere with whatever treatment you choose - if the whole nail is affected it can take 1 year to 18 months to renew itself. There are no quick fixes.

Getting ride of your toenail fungus

Hi all

Can anyone recommend a treatment/remedy for fungal nail infections that does not damage your liver? I went to the GP recently about my toenails and she prescribed tablets (tho can't remember what they're called). I looked it up on the net before taking them and it said "can cause liver damage" so I didn't use them. Problem is.... the infection is still there. I've been too embarrassed to go the GP in the past, but it's now preventing me from doing various complementary therapies ie. reflexology as it's contraindicated. I didn't realise what it was until fairly recently - just thought I had ugly feet! I'd love to be able to wear open-toed sandals in the summer and would like to do reflexology soon.

I have done a full body massage course and had to wear verucca socks on the massage couch - so embarrassing!

Please let me know if there is anything that works.

Love
Charisma

Hello Charisma!

There are a lot of OTC products that people have tried to cure their toenail fungus. A lot of these prescriptions have quite the laundry list of side effects. You might want to check out toenail fungus laser treatment. To my understanding there are very minimal if no side effects associated with the treatment and the results people are seeing from this treatment are amazing. Here is a site that allows you to view before and after pics of people who have had this treatment performed [url]Laser treatment results | Beauchamp Foot Care[/url].

Hope this can help Charisma!

Fungal Nail Infection

The tablets the Doctor prescribes is TERBINAFINE , I was on my second prescription in two years as the first course did not cure the infection.
After a month of the second course , I developed severe dizzy spells , the whole room would spin for about ten seconds, I returned to the doctor who told me I had an ear infection and it would go away, a couple of weeks later I lost the sense of taste.
I looked up the drug Terbinafine and 2 of the rare symptoms are dizzyness and loss of taste. I stopped the tablets immediately .
I have had a blood test and they say all is well , but 3 weeks down the line I still have no sense of taste.
I see some of the respnses to this thread a re over a year old , does anyone have an update for tee tree oil works for toenail fungal infection please .
kind regards

Hi Ken and welcome to Healthypages,

Sounds like the tablets didn't do you any favours.

Tea Tree essential oil is a natural antiseptic, and known to work well with fungal nail infections. Many chirpodists will tell you to put tea trea oil on such infections rather than the powders or sprays you can get from chemists as they say it is just as good if not better.

I think the key thing is to ensure that the effected area is regularly washed and dried (ensure you don't share towels which would spread the infection) and is kept dry and not too warm. Whilst most essential oils should not be applied neat to the skin, Tea Tree oil is one of the ones that can be. With regular use it should certainly help.

If the infection becomes worse or is really bad, then medical interventian may be necessary, though you should always read the information leaflets (and I personally always look details up on the internet too - from offical sites, not the scaremongering ones) before you take anything, just to be happy in yourself you know what you're letting yourself in for by taking doctors advice.

All Love and Reiki Hugs

Thanks

Thank you Energylz , I will give the Teatree Oil a try, at least I dont need to worry about side effects 🙂

kind regards ken

Insoles made of cedar wood

Several years I suffered from nail fungus until my doc gave me the simplest tip he had: Just put zederna cedarsoles made from cedarwood in all the shoes. Because the cedar is the most antifungal tree in nature it also works in relation to nail fungus.