Toenail Fungus Treatment: $261 a month

[neebob]

Today I took my son to the doctor for his big toe, which had a garage door shut on it like 10 years ago and has developed a nasty case of fungus in the last few months. Or I should say he only called it to my attention about a month ago.

Guess what: Lamisil costs $435 for two months' supply, and you have to take it for at least two months, and it may not work, and there's nothing else. Thirty pills, $261.XX - and not big colorful pills but plain white round pills, slightly larger than aspirin. How obscene and wrong is that? Yeah, I know there are worse examples. But it's stupid toenail fungus, fer godssake.

The doctor played dumb when I asked her how much it would cost because we'd heard it was expensive. Expensive? Yeah, I'd say.

According to the pharmacist, who was far more informative, some insurances don't cover Lamisil. Fortunately, mine - which I acquired recently in going back to work full time after several years of being an independent contractor - does. So I guess if you're uninsured or have the kind of insurance that doesn't cover Lamisil, you just hope to high hell you don't get toenail fungus.

Suddenly the little yellow monster with purple spots who crawls under your nail and invites his friends doesn't seem as scary as the ones who run the drug companies.

[baby_bear]

1. When I was a child...

...the doctor slowly ripped off my large toe toenail (with no anaesthetic, the beast), in order to rid myself of a similar infection.

I was 7 years old and tore a hole in my mom's hand while he was doing it.


It was successful, but it didn't need to have been done without pain relief. On the other hand, I didn't take any of these nasty anti-fungal medicines, which are not only expensive but which can wreak havoc on the liver.

So.....my opinion is...get at least one more opinion.

And best of luck and smarts.

s_m

[neebob]

4. Removing the nail is the alternative

according to this doctor - but not without anesthetic. Good grief, that must have been horrible. I take it you're older than I (I'm 43).

We have to go back in 6 weeks to check the liver thing, which I am concerned about. The kid (almost 15) is 6'3" and 195 pounds, so she prescribed the adult dose. I figure if it doesn't appear to be working and his liver enzymes are elevated, we'll talk about removal. Seems to me it could be cheaper just to chop off the end of your toe and go to the emergency room.

[Misinformed01]

2. Kid you not:

Tea tree oil.

I was a bartender, and it consistently worked for me for 5 years.

[neebob]

8. So do bartenders get a lot of toenail fungus?

I'm not making the connection between tending bar and toenail fungus. Is it because you were on your feet a lot?

[cosmicaug]

10. 5 years?

Misinformed01 wrote:

I was a bartender, and it consistently worked for me for 5 years.

I know these things take a while to work but if you're treating it for five years I'd consider the possibility that the treatment wasn't all that effective.

[Jim Sagle]

3. Go to your local health food store and get a $10 bottle of tea tree oil.

Apply it once or twice a day.

Very safe, and it works.

[neebob]

5. Really.

That certainly seems worth trying before he starts taking the pills. Thanks!

[Syrinx]

6. I've got the fungus too (yuck)

You just wipe some of this tea tree oil on your toenails? Sounds good. I've just been putting up with the condition, because the cure (Lamisil) seemed worse than the condition.

[Misinformed01]

7. no joke

I have been using it for years.

Bartenders get horrible nail fungus stuff; I have very healthy nails...and give credit to the TT Oil.

Stephanie

[Syrinx]

9. thanks for the tip

I'm going to try it!

[Interrobang]

12. I don't think it works that well...

I have nail fungus that I've been trying for years to get rid of. I'll probably have to go on that drug, eventually. Mostly I just put up with it.

I tried tea tree oil for almost a year, and it never did a damn thing for my nail fungus. It did, however, make my socks stink and my cuticles sting. Tea tree oil has a very harsh, astringent odour like a combination of witch hazel and pine oil, and the smell stays and stays and stays, especially if you use the neat oil (which can also burn sensitive skin).

Just a caution.

[BrotherBuzz]

11. Go slow with the pills...

Check and know what the side effects are! I understand there is a high or at least an elevated risk of damage to the liver. My cousin was going this route but got scared away when she found they wanted to test her liver 'before' and 'after'. She went with a tea oil and some sort of vinegar soaking routine.

The fungus is not life threatening, the liver problems could be. Please look into other alternatives first, especially if a young person with a long life ahead is involved. Investigate! Go to healthcentral.com for some information.

I am not a doctor.


on edit: added link

www.healthcentral.com (go to the peoples' pharmacy section)

[neebob]

13. I've been reading up

Some say the oil works, some say it doesn't - but like I said, I think we'll try it first. The liver thing bothered me, and the doctor didn't seem very optimistic about the pills working. I don't think it's worth risking liver damage to find out, unless none of the three home remedies I've discovered so far works.

[BrotherBuzz]

15. Good

I agree with your approach.

[ConcernedCanuk]

14. Vinegar - who would have thought it

.
.
.

While I don't have the affliction, I heard this awhile ago

So I did a quick google

follow this, it even gives a sort of "recipe"

http://askwaltstollmd.com/archives/toe/110885.html

[Bridget Burke]

16. Another vote for tea tree oil....

Rubbed it on a couple of times a day. Eventually, the affected part of the nail fell off, painlessly. Grew back with no sign of fungus & is fine today.

Perhaps another opinion? Try to search for more information? The fungus is NOT life threatening & systemic fungicides should not be used lightly.

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. Oh yeah, I had forgotten that all medication should be free

For a moment I was thinking sensibly, that new medications that humanity has never known before should be allowed to recoup the cost of development, but you've just reminded me that pharma companies charging money for medicine is evil and immoral.

Thanks for the reminder.

I hope someday I can livein your world, in which companies that spend millions and millions of dollars realize that they owe the public everything, and are willing to give away their medication, damned be the shareholders, no matter how far in the red the company goes, because all humans have an intrinisic right to all medications, even for diseases that we've been dying for or inconvenienced by for tens of thousands of years.

[Susang]

18. There is another treatment

It just takes a lot of work. It's a prescription nail varnish with an ingredient called ciclopirox and you have to apply it twice daily for a couple of months. Yes, it sucks, but at least it doesn't have the potential of hurting your liver. I chose it over Lamisil because of the price, the nail polish option only cost about $20.

The thing that doctor's aren't really telling you is, that there really is no guarantee that any prescription will get rid of toenail fungus. Most of the time, obsessive good hygiene, use of a topical antifungal and your immune system will eventually take care of it, but right now there is no magic bullet, not even Lamisil. It's post-clinical results have been less than stellar, so bad in fact, that my doctor actually discouraged me from trying it due to the excessive cost factor vs the drug's actual success rate.

[burrowowl]

19. Clean and trim nails

add a little clorox to water and soak feet 2 times a day.
Heard of using Vick's vaporrub as well.

[REP]

20. Try Loprox

It's cheaper, and it won't ruin your liver like Lamisil will.

Toenail fungus is not a serious problem. Most diabetics, for example, have it and suffer no harm from it.