Is There a "Cure" for Toenail Fungus?

When I had my first run-in with toenail fungus, I hoped there might be some sort of cure for it. However, toenail fungus is just that - a fungus - that plagues your poor feet. Fungal spores are notoriously difficult to kill off, and some can survive outrageously high temperatures. So - are there any pills for toenail fungus?

The preeminent pill to treat toenail fungus is Lamisil. It is very powerful stuff... perhaps too powerful. There are a number of potential, yet very detrimental side effects, including these from rxlist.com:

"Some people taking terbinafine have developed severe liver damage leading to liver transplant or death. It is not clear whether terbinafine actually caused the liver damage in these patients. In most cases, the patient had a serious medical condition before taking terbinafine."

Whether or not people suffering liver damage had a medical condition beforehand should not really make any of us feel safer about taking such a pill. The problem with Lamisil is that it does not target any one part of the body specifically. Liver damage can lead to yellowed skin and eyes, and obviously death in more severe cases. Your toes are probably the only place with noticeable fungi damage, so a better solution would be to target that are directly.

While Lamisil may kill off spores quicker (being able to enter your bloodstream and go to the nail bed, killing off deep-seated fungi), that won't matter much in terms of how your nail appears. Yes, as it grows back it will look much better, but you will still have to wait 2-3 months for a fully new nail. Better to take the safer route, using a topical solution, and work to physically make the nail appear better (using sanding boards, clippers etc.)

Having tried various treatments (although not including Lamisil, due to potential dangers), I recommend a combination approach of careful nail maintenance and the application of thyme oil. I have spoken about the treatment routine in more detail in other posts, so I will not provide a recap. I use it daily, provide before and after pictures, and can vouch that I believe it to be both highly effective and also safe.

So, to answer the question as to whether a "cure" is available for toenail fungus, in terms of a "set it and forget it solution," I say no. The reason is that toenail fungus can return within (as in my experience) 4 years of having treated it successfully the first time. You can get rid of it fully, but if you are not careful, it will come back, whether you used lasers or Lamisil or anything else to treat it the first time. So the main point I want to share is maintenance and upkeep.