Toenail Fungus

I've had personal experience on how to treat and get rid of a toenail fungus infection (and athlete's foot). I will share my experience using alternative medicine with you, not as a medical professional, which I'm not (as always, check with your doctor...), but as a person who had the problem and was able to make it go away.

My big toenail was yellow and brown where the problem was, and it was spreading. I got a promotional piece in the mail for a product called Flora Source. The product was promoted for digestive problems, but one line caught my eye; it said it would help toenail fungus--actually just about any kind of fungus problem. I thought to myself that maybe this was the toenail fungus home remedy I was looking for, so I bought it and started taking it according to the directions, two a day for two weeks and then one a day thereafter.

The professional researcher/reporter who writes this site has no medical training. Always check with your doctor before trying anything you read here. Everyone is different, and what might be good for some people might be bad for you, considering your medical history and medications.

As a result of using this alternative treatment, the fungus stopped spreading, and some stomach problems also went away. Note: It may be that other good probiotics will have a similar effect. Ask your doctor specializing in alternative medicine for the names of other products.

Now I should tell you that the brown and yellow discoloration did not disappear right away. That vanishes only when the toenail grows out, and I discovered that my toenails grow very slowly. It seemed like a year before the nail finally grew out all the way. Now, my toenail is normal as a result of using this alternative treatment.

I am over 65, so my body, despite the fact that I take good care of it with diet and exercise, does not fight things off (like fungus) as easily as it used to. So, if I go through periods where I forget to take the Flora Source, I often get athlete's foot, and the problem did recur once when I had forgotten to take the Flora Source for awhile. I started to take the Flora Source again, and to speed things up, I would put a drop of tea tree oil on the area of the fungus every day before I put my socks on. Tea tree oil is a natural and very effective anti-fungal. (I also put a tablespoon of tea tree oil in the washing machine water with my towels or with my shower curtain when they have mildew and that kills it.)

Flora source is a probiotic--that is, a mixture of good bacteria normally found in a healthy stomach. As we age, we make less of these good guys and may have to supplement by mouth. What I am trying to say here is that Flora Source is something I take all the time to prevent these problems--as a toenail fungus remedy and also to prevent athlete's foot. My husband, who is older than I am, only takes it sporadically, when he notices problems, like athlete's foot. I don't get the problems (unless I forget to take it) because I see it as something I take daily. For me, Flora Source is a toenail fungus natural cure, as long as I keep taking it.

You can find the details about Flora Source at the Golden Health Products Web site. I don't see a mention of toenail fungus there as I saw in the paper promotional piece for toenail fungus I got in the mail, but I can tell you that it worked for me.

I have no affiliation with the company, nor do I benefit in any way should you choose to buy something from them. Again, another probiotic may work just as well, but I've only tried this one. I'm just telling you all of this as one friend would tell another. I must also tell you that there are two companies selling Flora Source, and the product is different. I buy from the company in Illinois, Golden Health Products. I don't know about the product from the Arizona company. It may work; it may not. I have no experience with it.

Vicks Vaporub For Toenail Fungus
According to Peter H. Gott, M.D. and newspaper columnist, Treating toenail fungus with Vicks Vaporub or a similar store brand product has worked for his readers. It takes several months.

Vinegar for Toenail Fungus
Some people have used vinegar successfully as a home treatment, says Dr. Gott, who describes soaking the foot, one to two times a week, in a solution of one part vinegar to two parts water for 20 minutes. Rinse and dry the foot. Continue until the problem is gone.

Miranel Cream
Dr. Gott recommends an over-the-counter product called Miranel as a natural cure. It contains some of the same ingredients as Vicks Vaporub, some tea tree oil, and another antifungal called miconazole nitrate. Test results show "astonishing success," he says. The source for Dr. Gott's column is The Press, Hagadone News Network, March 9, 2008.

DMSO And Potassium Idodide
Here’s another toenail fungus treatment option to try, from the May 2008 issue of Health & Healing newsletter, by Julian Whitaker, M.D. Mix a 50-50 solution of DMSO and SSKI, which is a saturated solution of potassium iodide. You can get them at your health food store. Rub it around and under your nail a couple of times a day. Side effects: The iodide may stain your nails and socks, and the DMSO smells bad. Iodide, if taken internally (not the case here) can affect your thyroid, so, as always, check with your doctor first.

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