What is this on my toenail and how do I get rid of it?!

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Hello,

It does sound like a fungus infection in the toenail. I gather that this is the only toenail affected? There are no spots on the other toenails? If all the toenails were affected, there would be a question as to whether you might have Psoriasis of the nails, the appearances are similar.

The usual fungus to cause this sort of infection is a very common one, it is the same one that causes Athlete's foot, - do you have Athlete's foot between your toes?

Confirmation of the diagnosis is to examine a cutting off the affected nail, using a "potassium hydroxide" (often abbreviated to KOH) examination and a culture. Your local Hospital laboratory ought to be able to do this.

As to treatment, I cannot do better than to quote from the dermatology "Bible," Habif's book Clinical Dermatology, 3rd edition, page 767.

" Treating [fungal] infection of the nails can be discouraging. Topical creams and lotions do not penetrate the nailplate, and are of little value in controlling inflammation at the nailfolds. Expensive [this is an American textbook, no NHS] long-term oral therapy [i.e.tablets by mouth] if effective, is often followed by re-infection when the oral medication is discontinued. Oral therapy has the highest success rate with fingernail and nail infections in young individuals. The optimum duration and dosage of these drugs have yet to be determined, [but there are guidelines] There is evidence that a topical anti-fungal agent, after clinical response of the [fungal nail infection] to an oral agent, may prevent nail re-infection. Use of a topical anti-fungal agent for 1 year after clinical cure... has prevented re-infection in the 12 - month follow-up period."

Suggested oral treatment regimes:

Fluconazole capsules (Brand name Diflucan) one 150mg dose once a week, or
Itraconazole capsules ("Sporanox") 200mg once per day, or
Terbinafine tablets 250mg once per day for 12 weeks, or
Griseofulvin tablets 990mg once per day

All these agents are chemically similar. Griseofulvin is the oldest treatment, and is not used much these days. Probably the most popular drug is Terbinafine, and this can also be applied as a cream locally. However, it is more trouble than Diflucan (which need be taken only once a week).
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The general principle is that the fungus "feeds" on the substance of the nail, it "oxidizes" it to produce energy + the white flakes. If you can pre- oxidize the nail, then the food is no good for fungal "feeding." Another popular way of doing this, used to be to soak the toes in a basin full of warm potassium permanganate (that purple stuff) solution, - the nails turned black, and "indigestible" to fungus. However, this is very messy, you have to wear plastic gloves, and it has to be done outdoors as it ruins the carpet!!

Once the infection is established, the fungus gets into the root of the nail, the nail-bed (where the nail is manufactured). In this position, the fungus is protected from things you put on the nail, - hence the need for oral treatment.

I do think you should also discuss with your doctor, whether any local treatment is needed to stop any of your other nails getting infected too. The disease is locally infectious. If you have Athlete's foot between your toes that should be treated too, of course.

I hope this is of some help.

Best wishes,

Belliger
retired uk gp

PS.You do apprecate that Goku is making a joke, I hope : )

I see, I really think that you have a toenail fungus problem. There are a lot of ways on how to fight toenail fungus. Remedies like tea tree oil and oregano oil are best for curing toenail fungus.

http://www.toenailfungustreatmentcure.or…

Sounds like it could be athletes foot. It affects many different types of people, and is caused by when there is too much moisture or sweat around the feet. It's easy enough to cure too; just go ask your doctor to prescribe tenactin or something for it.

White spots: Deficiency of zinc, thyroid malfunction and hydrochloric acid deficiency.

Go to the Doc's They'll know what to do.

well i don't know what the heck that monster is doing in your nail....but i can get rid of the monster for you is you lesson to my answer.
1)you need a towel, butcher knife, vodka, a sandwich bag, (if you don't like blood you might need a friend to to this), and a crazy glue.
2) use the butcher's knife and cut above the the toe's nail.(this will free the monster and than he will be able to kill it.
3) use your fingers to remove the dead monster and store it in a bag.
4) now use the vodka and pore it into the monsters home.(this will hurt more than being shot in the arm and poring hot acid into it.)
5) use the crazy glue onto the first cut you made.
6) now to really make sure that another monster find's it's way to a free home you need to cut right on the joint of the bone and cut all the way down.(at this point you wont have a toe if you want one you can make one)
7) to make a toe you need: 5 paper clips, tape, a golf ball and more vodka.
8) use the paper clips and bend them to make a hollow toe.
9) put the golf ball in to the hollow toe.
10) use the tape(duck tape) and tape up the new toe.
11) place the toe into place
12) crazy glue the toe into place then your done.