I just wanted to add that soaking my fungus troubled toenails in sea salt helped to soften them and even helped some with the discoloration. I was told that sea salt would cure them, but that was not the case for me. However, the soak did help enough that I could paint my toenails and wear sandals without anyone knowing I had fungus underneath. I would wet my toenails some and then pour the salt on my toenails completely covering them. I let that set for about 10-15 minutes and then I would scrub it in. I would then pour about 1/4 box of the salt into a tub of water and soak my feet for about 20-30 mins. I did this twice a day for a while. Since it is not a cure all ( at least it wasn't for me) I can't really tell you for how long you should do this. I start doing it a few weeks prior to starting to wear sandals. Also, it will soften the rest of your foot so that your heals won't look cracked. I continue the soak twice a day for the summer months while I'm wearing open toe shoes.

PS
This soak soften my nails enough as to make it much easier to file them down. You might want to try the soak if for nothing more then that reason.

I'M NOT ALONE! It's comforting but sad that there are more like me that have to go through this. I've had toenail fungus since I was in Junior High.

Until I tried Lamisil in college, I never wore sandals. The Lamisil worked great, with no side effects (luckily). For the first time ever, I started wearing sandals. But as soon as I stopped taking the lamisil, the fungus grew back.

Now I'm trying to get my treatments back on track. This is the fourth day of my Acidophilus Beer Soak. I just whipped up a new batch (once every three days): 1L vinegar, 1L Guiness, 60 billion acidophilus organisms (from the capsules). I filed my dry, cracking, discolored, 'crumbly' separated nail before using the treatment. I hope it helps. Whether you want me to or not, I'll try to keep you posted as to how it's going.

Thanks for listening!

You may want to try Tea Tree Oil. It is a natural anti-fungal. A friend of mine has a mom who has your problem but she couldn't take the lamisil because of her age, (she's in her 80's). I suggested Tea Tree Oil and it did work for her.

Hope this helps you!

Sue

My doctor had suggested Vick's about 7 months ago, so I did some research online, including reading this discussion, and gave it a try. Well, after using it twice a day, and allowing plenty of time for the diseased nail to grow out, not only has my nail fungus not been cured but it's gotten WORSE.

Maybe Vick's works for some people, but my fungus was not bad at all when I started treatment, so I have my doubts. Instead I would bet that the greasy film from it fills in the dry patches on a diseased nail and makes it LOOK like it's been cured. But it hasn't.

I did some more research, this time from the medical research (see pubmed.gov) and am going to try Loceryl nail laquer. It has good results from clinical trials, but isn't available in the U.S. I was able to order it from an online pharmacy in New Zealand.

It has been a month,. and I can see the clean nail coming out now,..I have been doing the treatment everyday, twice a day,..at first just vinegar then vinegar and vicks,.and now tea tree oil. Woohoo,.I will post again in four weeks.

Think positive and keep your feet dry.

Hi. I've been trying to get rid of this nasty toe fungus for about 3 years. I've been using prescription creams without much success. I thought about using a prescription like Sporanox. My wife is a doc and she was vehemetly against it - she didn't like the effects on the liver and would not prescribe it.

I am going to try using the apple cider vinegar and vicks method starting tonight (I found out about this site today) and will posts result and/or progress. By the way, where do I buy tea tree oil - local pharmacies, health food stores (like Wild Oats), etc?

I have read a lot about lemongrass oil and success stories. However, I've also read a lot of testimonials that say this product turns their nail black. Does this mean the fungus is dying? I just wonder if the effect is positive or negative? Any thoughts?

hey
has this got any1 els down? its incredibly annoying...

This is so depressing , i realli didnt no i had it and i didnt no i could get it, and then one day i just did , luks like im guna b worrying about it for a very long time ! just when i thought fake nails where the answer to ugly feet, and theni go n make them look worse , how clever am i ?...dont ansa tht! thanx for all the cures im going to start the long and tiring process or geting rid of fungus 2moro..x

There are few essential oils that can be used full strength; lavender and tea tree oil are among them. The rest will burn or irritate your skin. Put 2 drops of the essential oil into a teaspoon of a carrier oil. Virtually any vegetable based oil can be a carrier oil. Don't use mineral oil.

My husband has been battling toe nail fungus for as long as I have known him - 15 years. Prescriptions (Lamisil) did not work and the GI side effects were awful. He has tried just about every topical treatment mentioned here.

My daughter is an Osteopathic Doctor, and she emailed me some natural remedies we might try - spilanthes (herb) and whey. As I was reading up on those two things, I followed a link to 'Ozonated Olive Oil' and Nail Fungus.

I ordered it. The cost was reasonable -- $22.00 for a jar - I will post results as soon as we have some. In the meantime, if anyone else has tried this treatment, I would like to hear from you.

TIA - mariann

I have used the o.o.o. with success. I use it twice a day and keep it covered with a bandaid. (otherwise it drips all over the place. and to cover up my brown toenail.) Well, one of my big toes was well on its way and I ran out of bandaids. So I missed two days of the o.o.o. regimen. TWO DAYS!!! And I immediately lost the war. This was in November, 2006 and I am STILL not where I was...! I know it works. I am also doing the two drops of distilled vinegar at the base of the toenail, twice a day. Two months ago I started using the decolorized iodine, twice a day. I drizzle straight bleach underneath my toenail, before my bath--and black specks come out! :) And I wear sandals everyday during from spring to fall. I am going on vacation soon and I will keep my feet in the sun and I am going to walk in the ocean everyday, too. Fungus don't like salt or sun! Btw, I buy my o.o.o. on ebay.

Doesn't the root and skin have just as much fungi as the nail itself. I'm trying to eradicate the fungi from the skin and root FIRST, so the new nail as a healthy environment to grow into. I think after 15 months of just spraying with Vinegar, Filing, Vicks, Bleach, Peroxide, DMSO, and Iodide, it improved, but I think soaking is the only way to do it. So far, I found using Birthday Balloons to be working for me, giving the Whole Toe an acid soak rather than just a spray here and there, that dries too fast. I dont have to fill a big gross tub. I can spray underneath the balloon all night/day long, and I take it off or cut more of the balloon's top off if it bothers me. Im averaging 3-4 hours a day using a balloon. I just started doing this after the spray method and vicks and SSKI/DMSO and Sanding/Filing down the nail just did not work 100%.

I've done a lot to my toenails (since 12-2005)and they are worse than when I started. I think one of my sins was too much moisture. That may be a problem for you, too. Fungus do not like fresh air, light and a dry atmosphere. You may be giving them exactly what they need to thrive. I know it is so hard, with the toenails taking so long to grow, and with all the multiple regimens. I am doing at least 4-5 different regimens right now, every day. It is frustrating. I am determined not to do the Lamisil. Too risky and too expensive. Kaiser won't pay for it and the Costco pharmacy told me that it would be over $1000!

i have been doing the tree tea oil and the lemongrass for 2 weeks - the worst places on my toes have turned black, which i am taking to mean it is working, but how long do you think i need to keep it up and do you think it will come back as soon as i stop????

you can get lemongrass oil at a health food store - its not expensive (i got a 1 ounce bottle yesterday for $6) and it did turn my nails black. i am taking that to mean it is working - it has been 2 weeks - wonder how long i will have to use it before i will know if it has worked - any ideas?

I would take use the lemongrass oil until you cut the last of the black part of the toenail off. Which could mean 6 months to a year.

FLORIDA'S BEST
All Natural Nail Fungus Killer
NAIL FUNGUS KILLER
Hands & Feet

I bought this stuff in January at a booth at the Houston Auto Show and it has cleared up my toenail fungus in 5 months!!! I have been trying to get rid of this fungus for 3+ years. I had given up and started wearing a bandaid over the toe to hide my shame. I don't know where you can buy this stuff but its an oil that comes in a 2oz bottle with a dropper in the lid and I put a drop on the toenail every morning and night an I'm here to tell you it did what Vinegar/Vicks/Bleach/TeaTreeOil/Penlac and Lamisal could not do. The toenail grew out nice and healthy. If you can find this stuff IT WILL WORK!!! I am going to post on all the toenail fungus sites because I am thrilled with the results.

Is that the name? What is in it? It would be helpful to have more information, please.

Hi - I am very interested in your husband's condition as I have similar symptoms. My daughter had stepped on my foot and caused trauma to my large toenail. It turned brown in the middle but with care seemed to grow out. But now the brown at the top doesn't seem to go away and each morning when I wake up the toe(nail) is hurting and very tender. I have skin cancer major in my family and dad died of it in 70's. What type doctor diagnosed your husbands cancer in the toe as I might want to look for diagnose. Thanks for your help- you can email.

Has anyone heard of something called peneflex(sp) for curing toe nail fungus? After years of embarrassment because of my toenails, my nail tech talked me into a pedicure and acrylics on my toes. With great hesitation, I finally agreed to expose the nasty things to her, but it had to be when no one else was in the salon. Anyway, she took the dremmel and filled it down to the same thickness as my other toes and besides it being a little more pink, my toes look awesome. I am really interested in this peneflex, or teneflex or something like that. Anyone know?

Thanks