The People's Pharmacy® with Joe and Terry Graedon

Tonenail Fungus

Listerine and vinegar,is it the white or apple cider vineger?
Thank you for People's Pharmacy Pharmacy.

I am a dietbetic and I have a crack under my little toe and I would like to know what I could use to cure it up. I have tried almost everything I can think of.

I am about to start the Listerine soak for my toemails with long-standing fungus plus a recent involvement of three fingernails...not sure it's truly fungus there; could be just old age. I am also troubled by bunionesque calluses on my great toes. Doc gave me samples of Carmol40 which is an excellent softener, but available only through script. Any OTC suggestions? Thank you very much and I will let you know how the Listerine does for my fungi. C. Wise

I read, somewhere on the inernet, about Tree Tee Oil. I have been using this on toe fungus and it is working. Whereever I read it, said that it usually takes 3 months. It has been about one month for me and it is working.

I had problems with cracked, caloused soles and toenail fungus. I had medicine but it did not go very far....one of the items in the medicine was Urea which I believe is a by-product of urine.

SO..........I started soaking my feet in my own urine and WOW!, IT CLEARED UP THE CALOUS, THICK SOLES AND THE TOE NAIL FUNGUS.

I've had great success with tea tree oil on toe nail fungus. Like all treatments, it takes a couple of months (at least) depending how extensive the fungus is. The tea tree oil seems to stop the fungus from growing, then you have to wait for the nail to grow out. I use a q-tip and put the oil all over the affected nail and under the nail. Once or twice a day (and especially after a shower or when feet are wet)The fungus starts to dry out and flakes and falls out. I also cut the nail back into the area the fungus has been removed from. Then you just let the nail grow out (while continuing the treatment).

Editor's Note: Some people are allergic to tea tree oil. Please be cautious when applying to skin!

I had toenail fungus, and the nail was about to come off. My doctor referred me to a podiatrist, but commented that if it weren't so far gone, he would recommend putting Vick's VapoRub on it. Well, I tried it anyhow. Got results within days. Saved a trip to a podiatrist, and three years later the nail is perfect.

I have had a darkish, reddish, yellowish fungus on my big toe for several years (no cracking or pain). It seemed to get worse if I had toenail polish on, or if I would leave the polish on for a long time.

I started putting Vicks VapoRub on it, trying to remember to use it day and night, but sometimes forgetting. I got rid of almost all of the fungus after many months, maybe a year.

Unfortunately, when I used toenail polish again, the fungus returned. I'm trying over-the-counter fungus remover, but without much luck. Maybe I'll try the Listerine and vinegar.

I have been using Vick's VapoRub and hydrogen peroxide for three weeks. My nails look better than I'd ever dreamed!

I discovered I had some toenail fungus on one nail, and wanted to clear it up fast in time for a pedicure appointment at a fancy spa. After reading all the suggestions here, I decided to try the Vick's VapoRub. After just one night, the nail looked almost completely cured!

THIS POST IS A REPLY TO KAEZI posted on Aug 7, 2007......................

Hi Kaezi, I am a licensed nail technician, and what you are explaining doesn't sound like a fungus, it sounds more like just stains from the polish. Reds and darker color polishes especially tend to do that. They usually leave a light-colored tint on the nail plate (usually yellowish/reddish).

Fungus USUALLY (but not always) will have some kind of chalky-looking marks on the nail plate, as well as some sort of lifted area somewhere around the side walls.

I would suggest getting your nail nice and clear again (you could even try buffing it with a medium/fine grit buffing block) and then whenever you paint your nails, always use a base coat polish before the actual colored polish. This creates a barrier between the nail plate and the polish. See if that helps clear up the discoloration.

Also try to change the polish about every 2 weeks or so, as the longer you leave on a polish, the more likely it is to stain, with or without a base coat.

Hope this helps clear things up. :) :)

I was told by a NHS direct nurse that she used Tea Tree Oil (100%, not the mixed) and got good results. So I tried it, and it's working. I'm now taking oral meds too, because I've got two nails with it, but it's keeping it dry but supple...

I like what I see!!! GO TEA TREE!