I’ve tried various very expensive fungal nail potions from Boots but can’t shake it off.

Can anyone recommend an over-the-counter treatment that actually works?

Failing that are there other roots to go down? I’ve already asked the GP who is reluctant to take more drastic measures as apparently organs can be at risk.


27 comments

  1. amorolfine nail lacquer is the main thing pharmacists can offer, if you ve tried that and no luck then you might have to see a podiatrist if the GP can’t help you out.

  2. Vicks vapourub.

    Cover the nail in the stuff twice a day and watch in amazement as over the next couple of weeks the fungal infection disappears.

  3. Went to Gp (yrs ago) was put on a course of 12 month meds. Cleared it with no side effects for me, I’m not in the medical field so this was just my experience. But it changed my life not having hide my feet everyday. So I feel I can say that it’s worth going to the GP yes there are known side effects to every med they supply but you don’t know unless you try.

  5. Ask for a referral to a podiatrist. They deal with them all the time and as trained professionals (many ex-general nurses) they are medically aware. Just make sure it is a podiatrist with qualifications.

  6. My husband was given some tablets by the GP. He could only be on them 5 days the rest of the month off. Could not drink at all through the 6 month cycle. Worked a treat though

  7. OTC laquers – no. Tablets from the GP – yes, for a while. I think I need a longer course.

  9. Vaporub.

    May take a little while with daily applications, but everything will clear up without much hassle.

  12. The only thing that sorted it for me was being prescribed a course of *Terbinafine*. I did have to have two blood tests, one before and one during the medication but all was good. Nails cleared up very quickly and havent had an issue since.

    Its worth noting i tried all the usual over the counter treatments and absolutely none of it even touched the sides. I even tried Vicks Vapourub and tea tree oil, both did absolutely nothing and just made my foot smell.

  13. No, I ended up with the pill option, my dad had some success with laser treatment

    The pill can affect your liver I believe (I had to have a liver function blood test done), but it did completely get rid of the fungus whilst my dad still has it one one toe

  15. I literally just coated my nails in clear nail varnish. Then as they grew out the fungus was not on the new nail.

  16. Are you absolutely sure it’s a fungal infection? Have you sent off nail clippings to the lab?

  17. Ask your GP for terbinafine tablets. 

    I self referred to the podiatrist (option on the GP website) and they wanted to go straight to removing my nails…

  18. I’ve used Curanail on a dodgy nail but it’s not the quickest. You file down the nail and paint the liquid on weekly. It’s taken 5 months but it has cleared it up. 

  22. The problem with nail infections is that the actual nail bed is what’s infected so any treatment needs to penetrate the nail itself plus nails are very slow growing so you have to persevere until the entire nail has grown out infection free. So essentially it can take up to a year to fully clear a nail of infection. It sucks! I’d recommend the amorolfine nail lacquer as well as keeping the nails short and using a clean new nail file to file the nail down each time to prevent reinfecting the nail

  23. Are you washing all your socks, towels and bedsheets at 90? Because there’s a chance it’s not getting better if you keep reinfecting yourself.

    Same with nail clippers, boil them for 5 mins after each use.

    Just observations from a microbiologist

  24. Oral terbinafine is an option but it has a whole range of quite unpleasant and not uncommon side effects. There are newer products which soften the nail and basically allow you to scrape it away and then apply antifungal cream such as lamasil directly to the skin underneath which is much more effective. Podiatrists can also drill burr holes in the nail to allow the topical stuff to properly penetrate.

  25. I had 5/5 toes infected and the only thing that worked for me was pure oregano oil, which I bought from Amazon. It cleared 4/5, but my big toenail is still not quite clear. This took nighttime application and trimming the nail religiously for 4-6 months.

  26. Yes

    I had it bad for about 20 years. My doctor in the UK refused to do anything about it saying the treatment was dangerous. 

    It then spread to all my toes. One nail fell off completely, it had got so bad. 

    I eventually went to a doctor in a different country. He gave me a blood test to check I was OK to take the treatment then he gave me some pills. 

    Cleared it up completely in a few months. 

    It’s been years now with no relapse. 

  27. A very long course of terbinafine (Lamisil) tablets.

    I had it in my big toe nail and nothing else would shift it permanently (tried the lacquers, sporanox pulse, etc etc) and I kept coming back.

    Doctor did do a few liver function tests during the year I was on it though because terbinafine is hard on your liver apparently, so probably not suitable if you have liver issues.

Leave a Reply