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Nail fungus

(54 Posts)
veejay Sun 21-Sept-25 00:24:43

I have asked the pharmacist about this,but wondered if anyone had suffered badly with nail fungus
My son has really bad nail fungus and it's not getting any better,his feet are so painful he can barely walk, because they are so painful
He has seen a podiatrist who told him to get some lamisil, it hasn't helped at all, and is very painful when he uses it
I am hoping someone might have had this problem and knows of something that may help
I really felt for him as I can see he is in a lot of pain, I don't know what to suggest
It seems pointless going back to the podiatrist if they can only suggest more lamisil,or curanail but said lamisil was better
Om sure there must be something better

Thanks in advance for any help

Dontcallmelove Mon 22-Sept-25 14:38:37

Lemonred was the Amorolfine prescribed, or purchased over the counter?

Greciangirl Mon 22-Sept-25 14:48:47

I recently had my big toenail removed as it was infected.

There really is no other option, unfortunately.

The podiatrist told me not to waste money on Curanail.

He needs treatment as it won’t get better until nail is gone.

win Mon 22-Sept-25 16:05:27

veejay

Thank you everyone for replies,no his health isn't good,he had a stroke 2 years ago and stiLl recovering,although it mainly affected his speech and he can't write or sometimes understand long messages as his brain doesn't always decipher the words corrftlyHe also has HaemachromatosisHe was referred to a podiatrist who prescribed lamisil,he said they told him to put socks on and keep them on to stop the lamisil rubbing off
I am sure this must be wrong as he now has socks on 24 hours a day I do think he needs to see his GP, but he insists the podiatrist should know what they are doing
I am going to suggest he sees his GP as the referral was done by phone
Thank you again for advice
I will keep checking back for more,
I have googled some of the remedies but they are very expensive and may not work

He needs to have his nails tested first. The GP will ask him to take cuttings, but as the test very often come back negative when you do it yourself, it is better to get the Podiatrist to cut the nails and take scrapings too. That will go to the lab and if positive the GP will give him medication in form of tablets. The tablets are very strong so the liver needs to be monitored whilst is hopefully cures the fungi. I have recently been through this, but mine was an allergy to the acrylic in the powder they put on my nails before lacquering them. I am free now but it has taken almost a year to grow out and is still painful as the nails now tend to grow in.

win Mon 22-Sept-25 16:08:31

Sorry I now see you have had lots of same recommendations as mine, did not read the full thread.

Bazza Mon 22-Sept-25 16:30:02

I have had one big toe nail infected with fungus for some years and had tried everything. I’ve been using oregano oil for quite a while and I can see that maybe four cuts away it will have gone as healthy nail is growing really well. You need to buy pure oregano oil, but do not use it neat as it’s extremely powerful and needs to be mixed with another oil, I use almond oil. You do need to be patient and apply it twice a day making sure that it goes under the nail as well as over it. The only thing that’s ever worked for me.

Greciangirl Mon 22-Sept-25 17:58:01

Tea tree oil did nothing for my nails.

If a nail is infected it won’t get better with different oils etc.

It has to be removed and make way for new growth.
I have had to have two nails removed this year.
It’s also very expensive.

gwyneth28 Mon 22-Sept-25 18:43:13

I had the Lamasil tablets from my G.P, with in 6 months of finishing the course it came back!!

Holidaygirl12 Mon 22-Sept-25 19:09:03

My GP said "No one's ever died of a fungal nail"
Not helpful!
I've tried everything available, even applying a treatment 3 times a day and nothing worked.
My podiatrist confirms this.
I've been told only oral medication is the answer, but this affects the liver and regular blood tests are then needed.
Podiatrist did say Vicks - previous poster mentioned Vicks mixed with tee tree oil - I'm confused, do you mix the two together or alternate? Guidance please

valdavi Mon 22-Sept-25 19:17:14

kjmpde

our old GP said that the only way to identify the correct treatment was to have a blood test to determine which fungus it is.
As Gps don't want to treat feet, eyes or teeth now it must be difficult to see any healthcare professional
I bought a tool which thinned down the large toenails which were infected .

That sounds a bit odd. There are different antibiotics for different bacteria, but when it comes to fungus, it's just "antifungals" or so I believed.

Lahlah65 Mon 22-Sept-25 20:10:41

I'm sorry to hear this - your poor son doesn't need additional problems by the sound of it.
Constant attendance and vigilance is necessary to get it under control, as others have said. Mine has finally gone (for now - I have had it 3 times in the past 20 years). I removed my own toenails about 5 years ago by using a softening treatment and gradually scraping them away.
Margaret Dabbs have launched a laser nail gadget - it's not cheap (£100) but I do think this is a good brand for foot, leg, nail care generally. Needs consistent use to be effective apparently - I haven't tried it yet but do use her foot hygiene cream religiously to keep it at bay.
www.margaretdabbs.co.uk/nail-fungus-laser-device/

RinseAndRepeat Mon 22-Sept-25 20:18:21

I had a fungus infection in my little finger on one hand. I was advised to use (whilst wearing gloves) a dedicated nail file to erode the nail surface. I then applied Lamasil to the nail and covered the finger with a plaster (to avoid cross infection). It took about 3 months to get rid of the fungus.

dragonfly46 Mon 22-Sept-25 20:23:02

I cured mine with Lamisil spray. I used it every day for a week then once a week thereafter. This was on recommendation from the podiatrist.
When I was younger I cured it with tablets from the doctor but she won’t prescribe them at my age.

Grannydaisy1 Mon 22-Sept-25 20:32:20

Deejay the laser wasn't painful at all. It's rechargeable and just feels warm. Has to be done twice daily so it can be time consuming. It was the only thing that worked. I am on medication which causes fungal nail infection so it's used regularly. Hope this helps

Sandancer62 Mon 22-Sept-25 20:39:00

Hello Veejay
I heard Dr amir Khan from Good morning show talk about using Vicks on a fungal nail. I tried it and my toe is a lot better. I can’t find his video as I would have shared it. I used a tooth brush and dipped it into the Vicks jar and brushed it onto my toe. Give it a try it might work for you.

Sueinkent Mon 22-Sept-25 23:20:56

I have found Eucalyptus oil helpful.

Allsorts Tue 23-Sept-25 05:57:04

So doctors do not look at feet now, whatever next! Our surgery impossible to book an appointment Yet surgery always empty.

Rosiebee Tue 23-Sept-25 08:39:42

I went to the podiatrist who gave me Lamasil spray to use twice a day. My nail had split down the middle and parts of it just snapped off. She used some sort of drill to wear down most of the nail and on my last visit drilled a tiny hole in the nail to allow the spray to penetrate. It's slowly growing out. Luckily I've been able to wear sandals for the last few months and I feel this has helped. She did say that fungus thrives in warm, dark, damp situations and in the winter my feet are permanently in socks, day and night. Hoping to crack it before feet disappear into socks again.

fancythat Tue 23-Sept-25 11:31:33

Is everyones' called paronychia?

Or no ones'.

Magenta8 Tue 23-Sept-25 12:12:15

Paronychia is an infection of the tissues surrounding a nai. lt causes redness, swelling and a build up of pus. It can be secondary to fungal infection but it is not caused by fungal infection and the treatment is different.

fancythat Tue 23-Sept-25 12:55:39

Oh. Thanks.

EmilyHarburn Tue 23-Sept-25 13:19:59

My husband had nail fungus. He went to the GP who tested for which typeof fungus it was and then prescribed the right medicine. Husband took the medcine the fungus went. No onther remedies had heped over the years

camlyn Tue 23-Sept-25 14:41:32

Yes, like you it took a year to clear mine up with regular visits to the podiatrist.
I started off by being sceptical but continued every six weeks and finally have lovely toe nails😁 and now I enjoy my visits so much that I plan to continue.

Magenta8 Wed 24-Sept-25 10:46:20

One thing is for sure these "miracle cures" that frequently pop up online are a waste of time and money.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 24-Sept-25 10:58:40

I think fungal infections are not easy to treat wherever they are.

I late June I spent my holiday in Europe during a period of very hot humid weather.

Result was a fungal infection under my bosoms, even though i showered twice daily and changed my underwear every day.

I spent the next couple of months trying to get rid if it using advice on google etc. no luck. I began to feel decidedly under the weather.

I eventually contacted the surgery who gave me a same day face to face appointment. The doctor assured me that I had done everything correct, - except that soap might irritate. It is now the end of September, and I think that we are beginning to win! The last lot of very expensive cream seems to be finally doing the trick. But it hasn’t been pleasant or easy.

veejay Sat 27-Sept-25 00:30:52

I have had a few busy days decorating and shopping etc,plus seeing my son most days
I will update soon when I have more time,but just will say the chemist recommended Vicks which he is using now, but it does sting as does lamisil