Toenail and Foot Conditions Archives

curing toenail fungus with Lamisil cream

About 10 years ago I noticed a condition affecting the soles of my feet. The skin on the heels and to a lesser degree the balls of my feet were thickening up and turning a yellowish color and itching like mad. they were thick, cracking and layered in a scalelike manner. For some reason the thin skin on the insteps was not affected. I've lived with athlete's foot since adolescence but this was something different. This fungus seemed to be consuming the skin and causing it to thicken and yellow and small pockets were forming were it was disolving away. When I would take my sock off in the evening the sock would want to stick to the skin and a yellowish stain would be on the sock which indicated to me that the fungus was actually consuming the skin and was probably the reason my soles were thickening up at a rapid rate as my body tried to replace skin layers that were being affected. I tried the usual athletes foot products with no real success. Then I used isopropyl alcohol soaked in a pad inside my shoe and this succeeded in causing the skin to peel off (in big disgusting pieces). After this the soles of my feet would seem healthy for a few weeks but the fungus condition would always return. But the real problems started when it spread to my little toenail. The nail thickened up, turned yellow (same as the skin on my heal) and then it split right down the middle and was basically destroyed. Since my small toenail is so small this didn't really affect my ability to walk around barefoot in public but this all changed dramatically for the worse when it spread to my big toenail on one foot and pretty much destroyed 90% of it. I think this fungus in the toenails was the same as the fungus that first attacked the skin on the soles of my feet and is different from the usual between the toes athlete's feet fungus. So my unsuccessful multi-year battle began which ultimately led me to this website.

I tried the vinegar regimen for 3 months but with no discernable success. Then I found a post by Linda Morgan dated 8/29/02 in the archives on this site and decided to give her regimen a try. Using Lamisil AT cream and the cutoff thumbs of vinyl gloves I've been carefully doing this proceedure for almost 5 months and am starting to see some positive results. the first two months did not go so well as I discovered that the new nail growth was elevated from the nail bed and after trimming it off I was right back to where I started. the problem was that by applying the cream and vinyl covering 24/7 the nail turned white and opaque so I couldn't tell if the new growth was healthy or not. I solved this by changing the regimen somewhat and for the last 3 months have been applying the vinyl glove only during the day. Also it is helpful to carefully trim off any of the nail that is not attached and to keep filing it down with emory boards to that it is thin and translucent so you can easily see what part is healthy. My condition was very serious on one big toe with about 90% of the nail gone after trimming off all the infected part. It really seemed hopeless but now I am very encouraged by the changes. Unfortunately this process is SLOOOOOOOOW. Especially since I am continuously trimming and filing which further slows down an already impossibly slow growing nail. I apply the Lamisil cream to all my toes and to the soles of my feet. The original little toenail that started the whole thing seems to be healthy again, it's not thick anymore and the color is good. Also, the condition on the soles of my feet is completely cured and the skin is healthy and of normal thickness.

My proceedure:

1.Buy tubes of Lamisil AT on-line (about $11 per tube)
one tube lasts me from one to two weeks because I also apply it between my toes and on the soles of my feet.

2.carefully trim off all nail that is separated from the nail bed. this is easier after you file it down with an emory board. for some reason the fungus causes the nail to thicken up considerably so filing it down with the emory board is important in this process. Filing also greatly reduces the opaqueness and allows you to see what's going on.

3. use 99% isopropyl alcohol and a soft toothbrush to clean the nail and exposed diseased nailbed (after trimming away the separated nail) and then dry off with clean towel

4. buy boxes of vinyl gloves and cut the thumbs off to cover the toe (big toe in my case). I use vinyl since I am allergic to Latex.

5. Liberally apply the Lamisil AT cream and cover with the cutoff thumb.

6. Before going to bed I remove the cutoff thumb, clean the toenail with the toothbrush/alcohol, dry and apply a thin layer of the Lamisil cream. the nail is whitish in color after removing the vinyl covering but by morning the color has returned and it is a good healthy color (the part that is still there and growing)

7. In the morning start the whole process over again.

So far the results are encouraging. I'll post again at the one year point in this battle and hopefully be able to relate a total success.

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Curing toenail fungus with Lamisil cream Option for a severe "rot foot". Archive