Comments on: Removing Part or All of Your Nail to Treat Nail Fungus

By: Cora P.

Cora P. — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 09:18:07 +0000

I had my big toenail removed and now the toe is all red and afraid It is getting more infection. I am wondering if I dare soak the toe and if I should keep it dry until it heals. The Dr. didn’t give me any antibiotic orally,but I do have the antibiotic cream. What should I do until I can reach my Dr.?

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:07:34 +0000

If you want to solve your toe fungus problem, you have three alternatives:

1. Take an oral medicine and apply various topicals until you find one that works. I wouldn’t do this because oral remedies have low but serious health risks, such as liver damage, and you need a healthy liver. I say it’s not worth the risk of permanent damage to your imune system, or to your chemical factory (your liver).

2. On a weekly basis, remove the nail over the affected area and the junk below it. Try home and/or over-the-counter topicals until it’s gone. This can take 3 to 6 months. This is what I did, and it worked. I removed most of the nail and junk with clippers and applied ciclopirox from eBay (1/10th the price of the prescription laquer), and not laquer based). Took 6 months to kill the fungus. Would have been easier to have used nail removal liquid from the start, but I didn’t know of it, but you can go get it now.

3. Try topical and soak remedies suggested by people on this site. This will likely do nothing to correct the problem, and you’ll have a lifelong relationship with your fungus.

Recommendation: Option 2.

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:24:48 +0000

“This treatment isn’t used very often” is exactly why we continue to suffer from nail fungus.

It’s clear that there are many types of infections, but unless you are willing to take an oral medicine and accept the health risks, you MUST remove the part of the nail that covers the affected area, or the medicine doesn’t get where it is needed.

You have got to cut the nail and clean the mess below it, the apply medicine. For most of us, it is only way to overcome the beast!

By: snoopdog

snoopdog — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:25:30 +0000

do you get pain medicine if they remove ten toe nails or advil

By: Brad M

Brad M — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:52:52 +0000

I used Lamisil oral for a toenail infection i had for several years. It cured the infection in about 90 days completely. I’ve had no recurrence whatsoever after 5-6 years. Lamisil side effect was that everything i ate tasted like cardboard, therefore I lost about 4 pounds.

By: rrrono02@q.com

rrrono02@q.com — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 20:08:28 +0000

the toenail polish makes a hard cover on the toenail bed which the
fungus flourish. i am still trying to kill the fungus after over 2
years, i try to file down the cover on the toenail to allow a treatme
to be absorbed under the nail.
p.s. I hate it !!

By: CJ

CJ — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:55:46 +0000

I have been dealing with this for years…found the active ingredient in over the counter antifungal foot spray tolnaftate 1% has been helping…along with a clean diet with high quality probiotics.

To get past the unsightly summer flip flop situations, I have a very patient pedicurist who keeps them looking pretty – a dark red polish does the trick and I tip her well:) but was wondering if anyone has heard of any nail polish with an antifungal ingredient in it?

By: CLB

CLB — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 22:33:53 +0000

My left big toenail has been infected for several years now, I’m 27. I’ve tried heaps of measures to try to get rid of it including teatree oil and curanail. I’ve not put anything on it for at least 8 months and tonight I was able to cut the whole thing off practically. It was detached and completely dead so did not hurt. I hope to have more success now, killing any remaining fungus off by putting something directly on the skin/lasting live nail/cuticle. What to put on??

Protect your nail as it grows back and don’t assume its all gone as I think I may have originally picked something up when my toenail was completely crushed by someone stepping on it all those years back.

By: Bob Adams

Bob Adams — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:07:00 +0000

I had nail fungus in both my big toe nails. Then I had an accident with a Flymo [rotary mower] owing to a foolish manoeuvre. Among other things, this took off my right big toe nail. It eventually grew back with no fungus. The left toe nail is as before. An interesting, effective, but not recommended treatment.

By: John Toone

John Toone — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:10:12 +0000

For nail grinding for those who want a cheap tool, I purchased an 80 piece
rotary tool set from Harbor Freight Item 97626. Its main feature (drawback
as a Dremel-like tool) is that its very light duty and will stall if
significant pressure is applied to the working surface (the infected nail).
This means it will not try and tear off the nail or overheat it if you
apply too much pressure. It is less likely to abrase the skin if you
contact it momentarily. You will feel a slight vibration when you first
use the tool which goes away in a minute. It is not battery operated
so you don’t need to keep recharging it. Also, from the point of
sanitation, the motor has no cooling ducts meaning it is sealed so the
infected nail dust does not get inside. This eliminates the possibility
of infected dust being blown out and being breathed when the tool is used
in the future for nails or some light duty handyman chores. Although
there are many bits to choose from, I used the large sanding wheel with
great success. Furthurmore, unsightly nail can be trimmed and shaped to
almost look good.