Natural Remedies for Nail Fungus: What Works, Why Nails Thicken, and How to Heal Them

Here's how I got here: A few years ago I read a book about fungus and all its effects -- the author contributed pretty much everything to fungi and/or mycotoxins including cancer. The reason I purchased this book was due to the following reasons:

1) I was exhausted during my day -- I needed 5 hour Energy shots to keep from falling asleep. This was typically after a meal, so I started thinking I had a major sensitivity to sugar. I was a typicaly SAD (Standard Amercian Diet) guy who loves bread, sugar, and all things meaty. Never really had any of the other symptoms of Candida so don't think that was the cause.

2) I developed a fungus on my torso and in the folds of my elbows. I couldn't get rid of it except to go to the Doc and get Fluconazole. He gave me 4 pills to take 1/week for 4 weeks. I took 2 which got rid of the fungus and then kept the other 2 which a year later I needed to use again to get rid of it. It came back about 4 months ago.

3) I also developed a toenail fungus. I lost my toenail due to soccer and the new one came in clean but I'm determined to keep it that way.

4) About 3 months ago I went to the dentist for a cleaning. He said I had bone loss and my gums were receding and asked me if I was diabetic. I'm not. I'm in my 40's, over 6' tall and weigh about 200 lbs. (I've since figured out that this is definitely due to Acidosis and having constant acid conditions in my mouth.)

5) Mild digestive issues. Consistent diarrhea, food induced. Let me put it this way, I never really have quiet time in the bathroom -- lots of courtesy flushes are necessary and it was rare to have just a normal 'ol BM. Have noticed recently color tends to be on the lighter brown side indicating not enough bile.

So, going from there I deduced that if fungus is a potential cause of cancer they must thrive in the same type of environment. Indeed they do, they both love acid environments. Armed with information on what a healthy pH is I purchased some strips and started testing. My first test: Saliva = 6.2; Urine = 5.8. That night I took a teaspoon of Baking Soda in a glass of water. I burped several times and went to bed. I didn't sleep well that night, mostly due to feeling some energy and the crazy gas. I woke the next morning and felt better with more energy than I've had in months if not years. A side effect -- it gave me the worst case of gas that I've experienced in a long time -- this lasted for the next few days (I repeated the evening BS in water) but tapered off. QUESTION 1: Any ideas what was going on in my system? I would be interested to hear if anyone has experienced the same.

Next morning my pH was Saliva = 7; Urine = 7.4

So, here I am a week later -- I've read through most of this site and here's what I've implemented thus far. Replaced a lot of my grooming products with natural versions to cut out some pollutants: toothpaste, shampoo, shaving cream, and deodorant. I've only modified my diet slightly -- cutting back a little on bread and sugar. I'm a huge water drinker naturally and don't drink any coffee but was also a huge black tea drinker with Sweet&Low(Saccharin). I've cut out most of the black tea, all of the Sweet&Low. I take the BS with water at night time every now and then if I feel my pH is edging upward. I squeeze lemons in my water at every meal. I purchased or already had: ACV, BSM, EVCO, Sesame Oil, Himalayan Crystal Salt, powdered Vit C, Borax, Vit D3, Lugol's 5%, and a few detox items like Chlorophyll pills. I did buy the right kind of Milk of Magnesia and some carbonated water -- and am planning on making Mag Water and mixing in some Borax (QUESTION 2 -- is this the best way to start with Magnesium supplementation?)

My current routine:

I started OPing in the morning starting with Sesame Oil b/c I thought with EVCO I might get some Herxheimers. Did that 2 days, and did EVCO today for the first time. No adverse reactions whatsoever -- just noticed by the end of the day my skin is a little oily. Also have been ingesting 1 tbsp of EVCO in the evening each day for the last couple of days.

After Oping, rinsing, and brushing my teeth I've been drinking a small glass of Vanilla Coconut Milk with 1 tbsp of BSM mixed in -- yum! I then eat a banana or a breakfast bar on my way into work. During the day I've tried 1/2 squeezed lemon BS in a half glass of water a couple of times and noticed my pH didn't really move all that much. The last day I've been using ACV BS with some honey (I like this) and noticed my pH has definitely gone alkaline for my Urine -- it's 7. 8. My saliva remains right around 6. 8 though.

I haven't implemented Borax or Lugol's yet b/c I just got those. I haven't been taking the VitC (other than putting it in the honey), D3, or any of the detox support supplements yet either. Not quite sure how to implement all of this into my daily routine -- when to take what. I know I can do a couple of drops of Lugol's in a glass of water in the morning (QUESTION 3: need to be on an empty stomach?)

QUESTION 4: based on the information above and your experiences/expertise should I go through a cleansing routine? Hulda Clark said to do a parasite cleanse (preferably with a zapper -- QUESTION 5: does this really work?), then a Kidney cleanse, followed by a Liver cleanse. Obviously I don't want to do anything that will be taxing on my system if it's uneccessary but I want my system operating on all cylinders.

QUESTION 6: any advice on the order of the cleansing routine? Or if I should do some sort of heavy metal detox prior to instituting a cleanse? Is there a way to know you need to detox from metals or anything else? Any advice on the most efficient way to do a heavy metal detox and what to look for to know it's working?

Thanks for your patience and your help. You guys rock!

Finally after 3 weeks of suffering I bought the expensive oil of wild oregano already premixed with olive oil. It has helped so much. The skin has healed and the toenail fungus is clearing little by little. I shower and dry my feet with paper towels and then with a hair drier. I remove the debris under the nails and put a few drops of the oregano oil on and under the nails. I rub my feet to help the oil penetrate better. I had a toenail that was separated from the bed, so I but a bandage wrapped tightly around the nail. It has helped to speed the healing and to make the toenail grow straight and proper. Almost there. Be patient, oil of oregano helps where other things do not, but it is not an instant cure, but a steady one. To help the toenails grow faster I am taking silica everyday. It works.

Two months prior, I was taking an antibiotic, then purchased some antiviral dish soap and antiviral hand soap. Hot baths and reaction to the fungus drug that messed up my liver. Mind you not only did I get rid of the fungus, but, old age spots, a spider bite on my leg finally healed, three moles disappeared, and, I look now at the fact that medicine is not a cure but a cause. Beware of cleansers, and getting too much sanitation in your life. Kills the good bacteria that protects the skin. I had to restore the good bacteria in my body on it's own. Hope this helps someone else. Fungus lives on sugar and water.

My mom took me to the doctor, and he said it was a fungal infection. He didn't give me any drugs for it, but told me simply to soak my hands two or three times a day (I can't remember for sure but I think it was two) in dish soap water for 15 minutes each time. He also said to go to the drug store and get some acidophilus pills and take those every day. I did this for a week or two (I made the dish soap water quite soapy) and the infection totally disappeared, and my nails grew back to perfectly normal.

Years ago when I was pregnant I developed a strange nail problem. My fingernails would actually blister up, like a pocket and crack open eventually, causing the skin under my nail to poke through- usually in the middle of the nail somewhere. When I was delivering, the doctor noticed I had bandaids all over most of my fingers. He took a look and said I had athletes foot in my fingernails. He told me that you can get it in your nails also as a fungus. I was advised to get some over the counter yeast infection cream and apply daily. I did this and within a couple months the nail filled back in around the area and eventually went away. I have never had this problem again.

Years later, I have now have toenail fungus problems. I remembered this treatment and initially tried it. However, I did not have the same results. At first, my nails did start to seem to look better but if I didnt use it daily they would eventually go back to the way they were. In the meantime, I have tried everything under the sun, including detox foot baths from the local naturopathic clinic by my home. I dont have any opinon about those yet. I have tried tea tree oil, eucalyptis oil, yeast infection creams, anti-fungal solutions over the counter, vicks vapor rub, Hydrogen peroxide, ACV, and pine tar. So far, nothing has helped. Im going to try Teds remedy with the ACV, Hydrogen peroxide, and bleach to see if I get any results.

I've used baking soda and maple syrup to cure fungus that I had on my big toe. In a matter of 3 days of taking one batch of this every day I saw the difference.

What I did, in a small pot I put 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 3 tsp of maple syrup I heated it up on medium (setting at 5) then reduced to 3 to allow it to boil for 5 minutes in all. Do not try to double the recipe otherwise you take away the effectiveness. Before it cools down too much I transfer onto a sandwich bag (not sure if this is wise, but that's what I've used so far) and I've put it in the freezer for about 3 to 4 minutes to let it cool and once cooled it comes off the plastic very easily, now don't let it sit in freezer too long otherwise it'll get real hard. Check it often and when it comes off then its ready to make into small pieces, I find its like making toffee, I twist it so that it looks equal lengthtwise and then take the scissors and cut into small sizes, once that is done I then take half of what I've cut and swallow them down with water. Some have eaten it straight from the pot I can't handle the taste and it seems to work just as well.

I learned this at another site and was wanting to share it since I've gained so much more from this site. APPARENTLY, HEATING it is VERY important. the molecules of the salts and sugars must be bonded by heat. THE FUNGUS OR CANCER loves the sugars of the syrup but then the attached sodium bicarbonate is A LETHAL TROJAN HORSE. I didn't use this for cancer but this information was given along with the fungus.

It's the study done by Dr. Tullio Simoncini he is surgeon, specialised in oncology, diabetology and in metabolic disorders. More over he is also Philosopher Doctor.

I currently have two friends who are trying it out, one has been on this for three days now and we are now seeing little dark dots on her planters wart.

Another has sebaceous cyst on his head, he's double the dosage, taking one recipe in the morning and one at night, it being his first day of using this he says "the cysts on my head didn't hurt today" his head was hurting so we'll see what happens in a few days. I'll keep you posted on results of the two people.

Response to Rena, my fungus dried up in three days a noticeable difference could be seen.

I used honey to get rid of my toenail fungus that I had for two years. I tried Vicks, ACV and water washes and one day, I used unpasteurized honey just to be different. I had read that honey is antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial. My fungus was disappearing right away when I used honey. What I did was wash my feet every day with ACV water wash, hot and applied honey to toes and gauzed up with tape to keep covered for over time to keep from reinfecting self with shoes and socks. The skin and nail tissue was coming off in swathes and eventually the fungus has gone. I keep the wash and gauze for another few months until the nail is all grown in new again. I plan on microwaving the shoes to kill any fungus that might be alive there.

Unpasteurized honey has worked for me.

I use it also preventatively to reduce or eliminate BO. I live in FL and in summer I sweat buckets and often don't smell good, if I work outside the deodorant won't hold all day unless I reapply. I do not use glycolic acid daily for this, armpits are sensitive and can begin peeling too much if I use every day. Didn't have this issue when using it on soles though... and it seems to be effective in preventing body odor for many people. For me, I can't extinguish the armpit problem without deodorant, but I really notice a huge difference on my feet, no odor whatsoever if I use regularly. I also tried - bought in powder form and dissolved - mandelic acid (also used in facial peels and toners) as well for this purpose. Allegedly, the acidic environment created by these acids kills the bacteria that produce unpleasant odors when breaking the sweat down on our skin. Mandelic acid is a bit gentler on the skin compared to glycolic.

p.s. Rubbing alchohol can be used all over house as cleaner & disinfectant!!

Also note that 90% of toenail fungus is caused by four dermatophytes that are the same culprits in athlete's foot and jock itch. (Therefore, to prevent re-infection, one must get the fungi everywhere - nails, feet, & crotch. Also change towels regularly, and don't dry your feet first, then transfer the fungus to another place.)

The formula (based on the research study, (which I've adapted for a more natural cure) is: 1 part Menthol oil
1 part Thymol oil
1 part Camphor oil
1 part Lemon Eucalyptus oil
1 part Tea Tree Oil
5 parts DMSO
5 parts Aloe Vera
5 parts Rubbing Alcohol
(the oils can be bought on e-bay, DMSO in a health store)

Apply twice a day to nails and feet. I've suffered from this vexing problem for 40 years, as did my mother and grandmother. It works.

Part One: Feet

Q. Do the ingredients (camphor, eucalyptus, thymol, menthol) work?

A. I've applied the solution on my nails as well as to my entire foot to get rid of all the fungus that might eventually cause a reoccurrence. The results were obvious after 4-5 days: first, the athlete's foot symptoms between my toes rapidly got better and were healed in about a week. Then, at the seven-day point lots of skin started sloughing off all over my feet where the fungus was obviously in hiding -- including the heal callus. I was surprised to see so much sloughing of the skin around the base, sides and top of the toe nails -- this area apparently had been deeply affected by the fungus, but just looked like tough skin that I had become accustomed to expect. Within 2-3 weeks the unaffected new toe nails could be seen at the cuticle. Now, several months later, there is a clear line of demarcation between the old fungal nail, and the new clear nail. I expect that it will be 3-4 more months before all the old nail has grown out and gone.

Q. Is the formulation the right one?

A. After much research and playing kitchen chemist, I learned that coconut oil is a good anti-fungal as well as a great emollient. DMSO doesn't need to be at 25% concentration. 10-15% is sufficient. Oregano Oil is composed of Thymol and University of Western Australia research proved tea tree oil's anti-fungal capability, so I added it as well. The essential oil amounts are at least or a little more than what bio-chemists call the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The formulation I like and use now is:

Revised Formula
1 part Menthol oil
1 part Thymol oil or Oregano oil
1 part Camphor oil
1 part Lemon Eucalyptus oil
2 parts Tea Tree Oil
2 parts DMSO
12 parts Virgin Coconut Oil

There is probably a synergistic (i.e. harmonious working together) effect of anti-fungal herbs, which has been demonstrated in several studies. In one test of ten plant species whose oils were anti-fungal, researchers noted that "combinations of the anti-fungal essential oils increased their activity remarkably." In a similar study, researchers stated that "in all the oil combinations, the anti-fungal potency was found to increase over individual oils."

Part Two: Adult "Acne"

This is where the "saga" starts to get interesting. After my adolescent acne should have cleared up 35 years ago, it got slowly worse. All over the bearded part of my face, what appeared to be sacs of hardened oil under the surface of the skin had been forming nodules. These didn't get infected,' each just grew larger. Over the years I've seen dermatologists who said, because of my otherwise great health, "you're just a middle aged adolescent," blaming it on high testosterone, etc. The apparent acne problem continued and worsened.

I've seen doctors, dermatologists, pharmacists, herbalists, laser specialists, and spiritual healers. I've bought every acne ointment known to man. I took pills, vitamins, and herbs. I changed diet. I get plenty of exercise. Nothing worked. I had extensive surgery to correct the problem three years ago, and within 18 months it looked just as bad as before. As a public speaker and author in my profession, the skin condition was emotionally upsetting and stressful.
Having conquered toe nails, I started researching down the path that maybe the acne was caused by a fungus (although the symptoms didn't look like my feet). Was I surprised when I found:

" Tinea barbae is a superficial dermatophyte infection that is limited to the bearded areas of the face and neck and occurs almost exclusively in older adolescent and adult males. Symptoms include inflammatory, deep, kerion-like plaques and noninflammatory superficial patches and lumps resembling bacterial folliculitis. The hair breaks off below the skin surface. It is caused by several dermatophytes. Trichophyton species are most common. Infection of bearded skin may be the result of autoinoculation from tinea pedis or onychomycosis."

In other words, the mess on my face that had caused me so much grief and been misdiagnosed for decades was caused by the same fungus that gave my feet a problem. Apparently the dermatophytes enter the hair follicle (nails and hair are similar biological structures), then attack the sebaceous gland, feeding off the body oil; then the body's immune system reacts with scaring and hardening the facial oil, leaving an oil nodule. The dermatophytes then migrate to the next follicle, and eventually dozens of affected follicles link as a nodule the size of a pea.

Now it became obvious what had happened: The athlete's foot I got as a teenager went to my toe nails, and, because I was ignorant of the relationship of using a towel on my face that might have been used on my feet or crotch, the fungus got transferred.

Not a single dermatologist who examined my face ever bothered to ask the question: "Do you have toe nail fungus or athlete's foot!"

Using the same solution on my facial outbreaks as on my toe nails (the revised formula with coconut oil), the facial condition is clearing up. Just like with my feet, skin is sloughing off and the nodules are beginning to eject. This is the best result I've seen in years. I expect it will take a few months for the problem to be cured, as the fungus is down below the level of the base of the hair follicle in the sebaceous gland.

Part Three: Chronic Sinusitis

For the last 15 years I've had chronic sinusitis, post nasal drip, clogged nose, etc. I was constantly clearing my throat, and sometimes coughing. I snored a lot, which my wife didn't appreciate, and the snoring actually would wake me up in the middle of the night, leaving me tired in the morning. I seemed to catch colds more easily than before, but I attributed this to my very frequent plane travel.

Doctors prescribed antibiotics, but I they did not fully cure the problem and when I stopped the treatment, every symptom returned. (And I just don't like unnatural treatments.) Others said it was allergies.

I wondered: Could my sinusitis be a fungal problem? More exploring on the internet found the answer:

In 1999 Mayo Clinic researchers found the cause of most chronic sinus infections to be an immune system response to fungus, and that this may kick off a secondary bacteriological infection. It is not an allergic reaction, but an immune reaction.
Again, I felt betrayed by the medical profession. Why hadn't anyone told me this?

I went to the health and vitamin store to look for an anti-fungal nasal spray, and nothing met my requirements or budget ($10-15 for a one ounce bottle of ingredients seemed way out of line.) Here's the formula I "invented:"

1. Rinse out a 1 ounce nasal spray bottle
2. Add one eye-dropper (approximately 1 ML) of Oregano Juice (NOT Oregano Oil -it's too strong and will not dissolve in water)
3. Add a pinch of salt (approximately ½ ML) (Iodized salt is OK - iodine is a good anti-fungal)
4. Fill the rest of the sprayer with distilled water, and shake well until the salt is dissolved.

Spray as frequently as once an hour until symptoms subside. For me, this solution began working within an hour; most symptoms were gone in three days. And the price of the ingredients per bottle is just a few pennies.

If the oregano/saline solution is too strong for you, dilute in half with water. If you want, you can add a drop of eucalyptus oil with ½ ML of glycerin, (which will bond the oil to water). I now spray once or twice a day, just to prevent any recurrence.

A very dear friend, who is 75, has had awful sinusitis for years. He heavily cleared his throat every minute or two. I told him of this simple formula, and two days later he called me to say it was working. He then said with amazement: "I don't believe it, we've been talking for over 15 minutes and I haven't had to clear my throat once!"

There are articles and books that claim that some cancers are caused by fungus. If this is true, taking action on fungus early may be very beneficial in the long run. It's time we gave fungus a deeper analysis.