What should I use for a toe nail infection?

When to seek medical advice


By Mayo Clinic staff





Once a nail fungal infection begins, it can persist indefinitely if not treated. See your doctor at the first sign of nail fungus, which is often a tiny white or yellow spot under the tip of your nail.








Treatments and drugs


By Mayo Clinic staff





Nail fungus can be difficult to treat, and repeated infections are common. Over-the-counter antifungal nail creams and ointments are available, but they aren't very effective.





Oral medications


To treat nail fungus, your doctor may prescribe an oral antifungal medication, such as:





鈻營traconazole (Sporanox)


鈻燜luconazole (Diflucan)


鈻燭erbinafine (Lamisil)


These medications help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected portion of your nail. You typically take these medications for six to 12 weeks but won't see the end result of treatment until the nail grows back completely. It may take four months or longer to eliminate an infection. Recurrent infections are possible, especially if you continue to expose your nails to warm, moist conditions.





Antifungal drugs may also cause side effects ranging from skin rashes to liver damage. Doctors may not recommend them for people with liver disease or congestive heart failure or for those taking certain medications.





Other treatment options


Your doctor may also suggest these nail fungus treatments:





鈻燗ntifungal lacquer. If you have a mild to moderate infection of nail fungus, your doctor may prefer to prescribe an antifungal nail polish called ciclopirox (Penlac). You paint it onto your infected nails and surrounding skin once a day. After seven days, you wipe the piled-on layers clean with alcohol and begin fresh applications. Daily use of Penlac for about one year has been shown to help clear nail fungal infections, but researchers found that it cured the infections in less than 10 percent of people using it.


鈻燭opical medications. Your doctor may also opt for other topical antifungal medications. In some cases, you may be advised to use these creams with an over-the-counter lotion containing urea to help speed up absorption. Topical medications usually don't provide a cure, but may be used in conjunction with oral medications.


If your nail infection is severe or extremely painful, your doctor may suggest removing your nail. A new nail will usually grow in its place, though it will come in slowly and may take as long as a year to grow back completely.








Lifestyle and home remedies


By Mayo Clinic staff





Sometimes, because current treatments can take a long time to work and aren't always effective, people turn to home remedies. Two remedies purported to help nail fungus infections are vinegar and Vicks VapoRub.





鈻燰inegar. While there's no direct evidence that a vinegar soak can cure nail fungus, some studies have shown that it can inhibit the growth of certain bacteria. Experts suggest soaking your feet for 15 to 20 minutes in a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts warm water. You can soak your feet like this daily. But if your skin becomes irritated, try soaking only two to three times a week, or increase the amount of water in the mixture.


鈻燰apoRub. As with vinegar, there have been no controlled clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of Vicks VapoRub on nail fungus, but there have been numerous anecdotal reports that it works. However, there's no consensus on how often to apply this product, so check with your doctor before using this product in a way it wasn't designed to be used.What should I use for a toe nail infection?
Well they sell stuff. Just go to a drug store like wallgreens and ask them. Or go to your doctor.