I dropped a heavy object on my big toe 15 yesrs ago and have been dealing with a thick, fungus toenail ever since. I'm trying to decide now if I try oral lamisil with the associated risks or if I have the nail permanently removed. Anyone have experience or advice either way? I'm really tired of dealing with this issue and I've tried pretty much everything over the years.

Have you tried gentian violet? If you can get it to the area and don't mind looking like you've been playing footsie with Barney (turns anything it touches purple), it works pretty nicely.

I know you can't replicate this situation, but I can't help but share. My dad dealt with something similar for years. Tried everything and just could not clear up his toe. Then Hurricane Katrina hit and he waded through 4 ft of flood water in his house. Toe cleared up and looked better than ever after that!

It killed the fungus under the nail. (Whatever agent was mixed in with the water.

Dip it in a shot glass of old school listerine 20 minutes every day while you sit at your desk.

It'll take a few months, but it'll work.

Buford T. Justice said:

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It killed the fungus under the nail. (Whatever agent was mixed in with the water.

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The "agent" was sewage filled flood water! Typically you don't want to be wading around in that, but when it's in your house, you don't have much of a choice.

Success rates of topicals are low, especially if you have a very thick and funky nail that you describe. Would recommend orals combined with topicals. You also could do a bunch of home remedies, such as soaking your toes in vinegar, listerine, or applying vicks vaporub. All have varying success. If you're otherwise healthy and are ok with not drinking alochol, probably no harm in taking the orals. But combining with topical will help clear it quicker.

The oral stuff absolutely destroyed my stomach. That stuff should be cross-prescribed as a cleanse.

Also always looking for suggestions. Had one for 35 years- tried oral meds, topicals, and a few home remedies. All with no results.

There's a newer topical called Jublia (https://www.jubliarx.com/) that I've heard about. It's a similar medication as Lotramin (clotrimazole). But it's being kinda heavily marketed. So I'm assuming it must be good. Haven't looked at the actual data on it. But it's also super expensive and prescription only, and according to the instructions it's supposed to be applied daily for a year.

have you tried a compounded topical solution? Tell your doctor to write a script for itraconazole 2% in DMSO and take it to a compounding pharmacy. DMSO is a solvent that absorbs very well through the skin/nail bed. Itraconazole is a strong antifungal. Ketoconazole is another alternative antifungal. this antifungal solution will go directly onto the fungus and kill it

this is much better than the oral Lamisil (terbanifine) that is typically given

Kool said:

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Have you tried gentian violet? If you can get it to the area and don't mind looking like you've been playing footsie with Barney (turns anything it touches purple), it works pretty nicely.

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This. So tired of purple toenails, but it works. Easier to stick with compared to 2x daily tea tree oil treatments.

How often do you have to apply the GV?

Was years ago, but iirc my gp at the time prescribe diflucan (sp?) an oral anti fungal (I think) that I believe is / was used for female, um issues, that I don't know and don't want to know about.

Seem to recall it was a once a week pill. Don't really rember the details but it went away and never came back. Maybe our docs here will know?

Buford T. Justice said:

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How often do you have to apply the GV?

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Gentian Violet

3X/week is how it was used in dermatologic studies for toenails. The key (and the difficulty) is in getting it to where the fungus lives.

Terbinafine oral for 12 weeks cured mine.

I used Jublia religiously for most of a year with little success.

Terbinafine worked great in a few months.

I had this issue about 15 years ago. I used Lamisil and it cleared it up after a month or two. I'm a Type 1 Diabetic and the risks associated with the medicine didn't concern my doctor enough to not prescribe it. YMMV