toenail fungus on big toe - it hurts and it's hard to trim - Nail Problems Message Board

KannD86 · 09-22-2008, 04:25 PM

I've had this toenail fungus for a long time now. I've been putting apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball on the toe about every other day or so. I can't for the life of me remember to do it every day. Anyway, it's getting pretty bad. I try to trim it as often as possible, but it's gotten so thick. Plus it hurts. I'm afraid it's on its way to falling off and I do not want that. What should I do?

Marti · 09-23-2008, 05:52 AM

Go to your local Sally Beauty Supply and purchase a 100/180 grit file in the nail department. Use the 100 grit side to thin out the nail plate and the 180 grit side to smooth it out. Do not file away too much of the nail plate, only about half of the thickness. This will make it much easier to trim.

Fungal infection needs to be treated every day, twice a day! Regardelss of which home remedy you are using, it will not work to kill the infection if you only apply it every so often. With twice daily applications, it can take upwards of a full year to kill all the spores that live deep within the nail bed as well as in the layers of nail plate.

When the spores are deep within the skin of the nail bed, you will feel intermittent pain. Your choices are to treat it every day, twice a day or go to your podiatrist and get a prescription for Lamasil.

KannD86 · 09-25-2008, 11:03 AM

Okay. I've done it twice a day for the past two days. I'm going to do my best to remember. Is anything stronger than apple cider vinegar? I've heard of tea tree oil and even listerine. Would either of these treatments work faster/better? Thanks.

Marti · 09-26-2008, 04:47 PM

Tea Tree OIl is very drying and can cause skin irritations with prolonged use. Listerine has worked for many people as has Vicks Vaporub. The only thing stronger is oral medication (Lamasil).

Barbara_Ann · 09-28-2008, 01:48 PM

Marti is right about filing the toe nail down. In addition to making it easier to clip it also makes the nail more porous and the vinegard can get to the fungus easier and quicker. It helps to make whatever treatment you are using topically, more effective.

I'm in my early 60's and have been prone to toe nail fungus on my big toes since I was a teenager. I don't know why. I bathe regularly and dry my feet good before putting on socks. I only wear white cotton socks that have been washed and bleached. I've always enjoyed good health and take vitamins but for some reason I do get this crap from time to time.

The first time I got it as a teenager I did nothing other then file the top of the nail down, clip it and applied nail polish to hide it's ugliness. Within a year the nail began separating from the back and sides and nail bed. It finally fell off. Underneath was the beginning of a new nail that grew out and was beautiful. That was 40 years ago and now that very same nail has developed a fungus again. I started filing it down and purchased a OTC nail fungus topical product that I apply 2 or 3 times a day.

My other big toe had a fungus for a while. Like the first nail fungus I got on the opposite toe decades before, I just kept filing it down on top a couple of times a month and covered with nail polish. It eventually went away.

I'm not recommending or saying that nail polish was or is a treatment. I used it for strictly cosmetic reasons (to hide the unslightly toenail). However, I can't help but wonder if it did contribute to the healing somehow.