Toenail Fungus Photos, Forum, Links

[funkytoe]

So I just realized I have toenail fungus. Pathetic, huh?
For a long time I thought I just kept bruising my toenails. (And I have a Master's degree.)
Anyway, I have fungus all the way back to the cuticle in one big toe and about one third of the other. I had black spots under both nails. The toenail where it is worse is almost completely detached. I plan to chronicle my experience in trying to get rid of it.

Day One: The Horrible Truth
Mentioned to my sister that I have black spots under my toenail. She immediately diagnosed me, sight unseen, reminding me that my late father had serious toenail fungus all his life. I was in serious denial.

Days Two- Four: Denial is the Fungus Amongus

Day Five: The Internet Confirmation
Started reading up on it and saw pics of garden-variety fungus. Scoured the Internet, scoured my bathtub with bleach, ran to Walgreen's and purchased every antifungal on the market.

Day Five: Later that Night
Started by scraping out all black gunk from under both toenails with a sterilized manicure scissors. Realized to my horror that on the one toe my nail was almost then completely detached. Was incredulous how I could be so fastidious with my hygiene and still be plagued with funkyfoot. Soaked my feet in bleach and water. meticulously dried feet with towel and hair dryer. Developed a theory: (remember, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing) if my toenails are detached, maybe my cure rate is more likely because the nail bed will not be hard to get to with the antifungal. Sprayed entire foot with Lotrimin AF, especially under toenails..

Day Six: Tea Tree Oil
Read that tea tree oil is effective. Bought it. Went through my morning Lotrimin spray, evening bleach soak, tea tree treatment.

Day Seven: Bleach Rash
Learned there is a reason you don't soak your feet in bleach. Small rash on upper foot. Irritated, itchy. Put oatmeal cream on it. Fine by morning.
Continued tea tree treatment and Lotrimin spray.

Day Eight: Everything Will Seem Better in the Morning
Not. Went out in sunlight and saw the saffron yellowness of both fungal areas. Rest of the toenails are pink, clear and pretty. Guilted over my vanity. Continued tea tree treatment.

Day Nine: Noticeable improvement
Nail luster is better. Maybe just because black gunk is gone. Lotrimin spray and tea tree oil.

Day Ten: Nailstat
Sucked in by nice graphic on Internet. Purchased Nailstat, which has clotrimazole in it, supposedly good antifungal. Squirted under toenails.

Day Eleven: Tea Tree and Nailstat
Hypervigilant about toenails. Hyperhygienic with shower. Have developed a belief that there is invisible fungus hiding somewhere in my bathroom.

Will post again at three weeks with update.

[funkytoe]

I've continued hypervigilance for both toenails. I bought a product online called Degurricide that is formulated by a podiatrist. The nail is growing in clear at the base. I use it once in the morning and once in the evening. I do have toenail polish on, but the nail is so detached that the nails grow about .3 millimeters a day, which means that they are slow to catch on to the slightest m can be applied directly to the nail bed, so the fungus is not "sealed in" by the nail polish. Will keep chronicling!

[funkytoe]

I'm continuing to use something everyday, twice daily. Either Degguricide, undecyclenic acid or Lotrimin AF spray. After I shower, I dry my feet really well and then use a hair dryer on both feet and dry the nails thoroughly. I had to reinforce one toenail with acrylic repair to keep the nail from falling off. I only used a little along the crack where it was detaching. I made sure to use sparingly so the nail could still breathe. Doc said to keep the toenail on as long as possible 'til the new one grows in. It is growing in pink and clear, but it's only grown about 2 mm at the most. I file the tops of the nails weekly to keep them very thin. I keep scraping under the nails, but there is no new debris. The rest of my foot now looks pink, new and lovely. My heels are rejuvenated from the Lotrimin spray. No dryness or cracking. I have been using germicide bleach to clean the shower weekly. By next summer I'll have lovely new feet!

I've also become very conscious of others' feet. It's sandals season for us moist invironments will soon be the same as athletes feet unless skin will at tiems the two may by and, man, there are some nasty feet out there. I've recognized athlete's foot cracking and dryness in many who probably don't even realize they have it. Mangled toenails, dirty feet, yuk, yuk, yuk. A friend of mine gave up pedicures for fear of funkytoe. moist invironments will soon be the same as athletes feet unless skin will at tiems the two may by, UNITE! No more toenail-fungus-photos-pictures pedicures!!

[sufferingmadly]

Hey-
I've had this for almost two years. I tried Tea Tree Oil religiously for a year and it did NOT take it away. I was very disappointed. It started benignly on my big left toe, with a little crack- I thought I'd knocked it on something. I admit I have been a pedicure lover- and when I got my toes done after it appeared I was told sometimes that happens and it'll grow off- no biggie. Then the streaks starting appearing slowly. I did research on the web- and decided to try the Tea Tree Oil. It seemed to make my toe clearer and kept the fungus from spreading further. But it didn't knock it out totally. I saw a doctor, who said don't bother with Lamisil, it's a gamble and insurance doesn't always pay. I asked for advice and was told "paint them a pretty color." Thanks.

I just read good reviews on the use of vinegar. I think I'll try that next, along with the peroxide soak. I'm also on Diflucan once a week for chronic yeast problems (more info. than you want I"m sure) and I hear sometimes the fungus and propensity towards yeast/candida is connected. I'm hoping that helps too.

How's your fungus these days? What seems to be working the best for you? Where did you get your vertical ridges which may become more pronouced as they aged over the years, harmless again. Look in?

[peedalis]

Hi funkytoe and sufferingmadly,

I'm new here and find it interesting that more people aren't involved in these discussions! Turns out that toenail fungus is a huge problem for [u]lots[/u] of people. Here's my story: My first toe took a nose dive in 1992. Being a woman who liked to wear sandals and polish on her toes, and who practices (like you funky) hygiene up the wazoo, I was mortified. I didn't realize at the time that the job I had was more than likely the culprit. I went on to work at said job for the next 6 years and by the end of that time, 7 out of 10 nails were affected. My job had me in sneakers and socks from spring to mid-autumn in the dead of summer heat...perfect environment for nasty spores to be hot, moist, in the dark and nearly anaerobic. Anyway...

I finally found a way to work around the problem, which was to file my ugly, flaky nails flat- down to the nail bed, and put polish on what was left. I got away with that for years. I finally began researching the problem. By the time I was trying every topical remedy around, my 8th toe was affected. I tried everything!! Including straight bleach (no rash), a very stinky cream from New Zealand, over the counter creams from Europe that are unavailable here...you name it. Part of the problem was not wanting to wear closed-toed shoes in summer, I would continually interrupt my process. Until last year. I diligently applied things to my nails two times a day for nearly a year. Nothing worked.

I started researching lamisil. I talked to a person who had taken it. I talked to my doctor. I figured, 'hey, I'm healthy, and I'll have a liver function test and if I start to feel sick I'll stop". Well, I have one more pill to take of my 3 month only the better doctors will indicate what desease happens on your feet. For example, conditions tha (insurance covered it) and I have had absolutely no side effects. And most importantly, for the first time in nearly 15 years, my toenails are starting to grow out normally! Since my job no longer entails what it did, and my habits include going barefoot whenever possible (even in winter) I think I may have licked the problem.

I'm happy your toenails are responding funky, and suffering...God I know what that's like. I tried tea tree and every combo of everything else around. Nothing worked. I've heard so many people have such good results from tea tree or vinegar or hydrogen peroxide...not me.

If you take lamisil responsibly, perhaps that's the way to go. I never thought I'd take it- swore I wouldn't since it's like chemotherapy, but I did and I'm glad.

Let me know if the vinegar works for you! Part of the problem is that it takes so long for anything to even seem like it's working...

Good luck,
welling of your runnign across your nails, call cuticles will be the worst illness that a doctor cou

[sufferingmadly]

After hanging out with family yesterday for July 4, I now realize it ain't just me! I commiserrated with two cousins who suffer madly as well. They have NOT been vigilant in trying to knock it out. However, I did hear two Vicks Vapor Rub success stories out of the visit. So now I'm adding a nightly Vicks swab to my toe to my repertoire. I'll keep you posted as to how that goes. Since I'm on Diflucan I am not going to chance Lamisil at this time but I'll keep it mind. I live in SC where it's REALLY hot in summer and pleasant during fall and spring and I wear sandals more often then close toed shoes, so that's probably been my saving grace these past two years in it not spreading. It's frustrating!

[peedalis]

Hi Suffering,

Glad to hear that you know you're not alone. My God, so many people are affected! Good luck with the Vicks. When I tried it, at least I didn't mind the smell...and it made some of my nails kind of clear, but after months and months, I still saw no normal growth. You never know, perhaps I didn't try it long enough. That's the sad thing about any of the topical remedies, the time it may take is long. To keep applying a topical for two years, the way some people do is admirable, and I wasn't going to take that route. (vanity I suppose?) Anyway, good luck! Let us know if it works.

[sufferingmadly]

Hi welling of your runnign across your nails, call cuticles will be the worst illness that a doctor cou,
I'm so sorry funkytoe has faded away. I'd love to hear how it's going for her.

Well, at my first posting this summer, I decided to try peroxide, vinegar, and Vick's. Every other week, I soak my toe(s) in peroxide as recommended by the gentleman who posted on the website pushing it as a cure. You soak for 20 min. each day for 3-4 days in a row. It is supposed to bleach out and kill the fungus. I did that.

In the meantime, I would spritz my toe with vinegar, and walk around with Vick's on it any chance I could get. I did more peroxide this week, and I'm keeping polish off my nails and wearing slip on, backless shoes to work so people won't see my toes in sandals (which is hard to do vanity-wise because I'm in the SC and it's HOT and everyone wears sandals!).

I examined my toes today and it appears to be growing back!!! About 3/4 of my toe is coming in normally and it seems the whitish fungus part that the peroxide is killing is growing off. As my toe continues to clear, I'll let you know. Even if you're taking Lamisil, try the peroxide as a backup. See if it works for you!

[funkytoe]

I am fungus free! Sorry I should have posted sooner, but after it cleared up I forgot about it. It took a good seven months but my nails have grown in 100% clear, pink, and healthy. I'm quite sure I owe it all to Degurcide.
I went through two bottles, following very closely the prescribed use.

At the outset, I cut off all of the nail part that seemed infected--this resulted in cutting down to the cuticle on one toe, which was easy as the nail had completely separated from the nail bed--and applied Degurcide directly to the skin beneath. The rest of the nails I filed down to paper thin and applied twice per day. I blew dry my feet every day with a hair dryer until they were very dry. This seemed to help in making the nails very dry and therefore very absorbent when I put the Degurcide on. They have a she asked me about toes and nail fungus. It is made by an M.D. podiatrist. I'd do a commercial if he asked me. Hell, I'd probably sleep with him I'm so thankful :wink: Try it--I could see a difference within a few weeks--the nail regained a healthier sheen--altho it did take 6 months for it to grow out. The new nail grew in attached to the nail bed with no space beneath--a relief as I'd heard sometimes they never reattach. THIS STUFF. Recommend it to fellow fungals. I still use it about every day just in case the fungus is trying to rejuvenate.

[The_spore]

For a long time I thought I just kept bruising my toenails. (And I have a Master's degree.)


I was told once that "higher education" meant merely that one could complete an wow, that is not very clear about what you are saying. Did you really mean that? What next? task and they have learned proper research..not much more, LOL.