Fungal toe-nail infection - about time I did something about this! Can it cause other issues?

Posted , 58 users are following.

Hi all, my first post here and I am really hoping that somebody can advise me.

In my teens I had a dreadful fungal nail infection on my toenails - for example the nail on my right sided big toe was completely yellow and crusting away, and all the nails were effected, but the doctor wouldn't prescribe the tablets I needed to clear it up as he said I was not old enough and that they can cause other problems anyway. So he always gave me anti fungal cream that I had to apply twice a day, but it never ever did a thing!

When I got a bit older (around 22, 6 years ago) I decided to give the tablets a go because I was so disgusted with my toenails and it was really effecting my self-confidence. To my amazement the infection started to clear up on most of my nails and things were looking positive. However I started to feel really ill, and thinking it was the tablets, I stopped taking them. My nails still for the most part looked good though.

But now my fungal infection is back again, and whilst my big toenails look almost normal and fine, the other toes, especially on my left foot, are a bit manky, some are even yellow. I don't know what to do about this really and was hoping someone could advise me. I would usually go to the doctors, but I am currently signed off work with what they say is anxiety/depression and extreme fatigue, and I have to go to the doctors enough as it is, and am also taking medication for the depression and also an underactive thyroid, so I don't really want to be taking more tablets - also I am starting to get really self-conscious about going to the doctors, almost feeling like they must be fed up to the back teeth with me, so I am nervous about going back with yet another problem sad

I know that back in the day (my teens) when I first had the problem, there was really only the anti-fungal cream, which as I said before, seemed to do nothing whatsoever, but now I always see adverts on TV with products that can be bought over the counter and say they clear up the infection completely. What I want to know is which product would you recommend, or would you say it is best to have a doctors appointment?

Also, does having the infection on my toes cause problems for other parts of the body? I am starting to wonder if there is a link with me having the fungal infection on my toes and my tiredness, as I read that yeast infections can cause fatigue.

Any information would be much appreciated

Thanks

4 likes, 35 replies

35 Replies

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  • Posted

    Hi Alex, 

    Having had the same for 20 years and having tried everything short of pills ...and although various things like vinegar and tea tree and vicks all had partial success in slowing it down or indeed making it look a bit less unsightly I thought i would look for one more time to see if anyone had tried anything else outwith pills and laser....and i stumbled across Raw Virgin Coconut Oil on a site where someone said they tried it and it worked  and thought why not i would give it a try ...and the damn stuff works and fairly fast as well...6 months in and it is the best result i have ever seen and the jar is not even half empty yet...amazing stuff...please give it a shot as it looks like for the first time in 20 years my toe nails will look like normal this summer  

  • Posted

    Hey everyone, I'm only 15 years old and I have the worst fungal Nails, I think I first started getting it when I was about 10 years old. I wish more than anything it would go away because I'm always so self conscious about it, it's so good to read your comments it makes me feel like I'm not so alone. I've been to the doctors many times they just tell me to go to the chemist and get some anti fungal stuff, it never works if anything I have a reaction to it. Please let me know what you use and if it helped. Thank you!

  • Posted

    hey, hope your all keeping well and healthy at this time. I was searching on the cure for fungal toenails and came across your journey. my daughter is 12 years old and since the age of 4 she developed the fungus on one nail. I didn't make anything of it but it slowly at the age of 5 spread to 3 toes on each foot. I used a anti fungal pen bought over the counter. didn't do anything. bought a nail varnish. that didn't do anything, which was suggested by the doctor. as time went it spread to all her toes. two years back she had a check up done. gave her clippings to the lab but the doctor couldn't diagnose exactly what it was but indicated it was probably psoriasis. her nails are thick black and brittled. I was recommended by my doctor again to try the varnish which I'm doing. trying the apple cider vinegar and nothing. the doctor did say that she is young for the medication and she should try it when she is older. I wanted to know how you have been getting on. and have you been successful in curing the fungus. thanks in advance and I hope to hear from you.

    Sonia.

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