Onychomycosis Cure by Ray Sahelian, M.D. Yes, there is a natural, effective treatment and cure for Onychomycosis

Onychomycosis, a chronic fungal infection of the nail, is often treated using various modalities including creams and oral pills, however, none of the standard medical treatments for onychomycosis are fully effective, and most of the oral medications used for onychomycosis treatment can cause serious health issues including liver damage.
   I have personally cure two nails on my left foot within 6 months of using the treatment below. I had two nails affected by onychomycosis for a period of 4 years, and no pharmaceutical prescription ointment or cream was effective. I did not take oral antifungal medications since I did not with to expose my body to liver harming drugs.

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Natural Onychomycosis cure
I have come across an inexpensive onychomycosis treatment that works really well in the majority of people and has no side effects. This onychomycosis treatment is effective, but takes time. Follow all of these suggestions if you wish to get rid of your onychomycosis. For a page that updates this treatment more frequently and gives more specific details, see nail fungus.

Go the the grocery store and buy a large bag of Epsom salts, also known as magnesium sulfate. Also buy a nail filer.

File the thickened nail down as much as it is comfortable before soaking. Keep the nails as short as you can.  Every few days it is helpful to file the thickened nail down so that the Epsom salt has access to the deeper layers. By filing away the excess thickened nail, it could speed the recovery.

At least once a day or preferably twice a day, soak your affected toes in a container with water and a palmful of Epsom salt. I used very hot water for my treatment, and I am not sure if room temperature water is also effective. I boiled water and added it to a bowl and as soon as it was comfortable to soak my toes, I added a few tablespoons of the magnesium sulfate crystals and soaked by feet and toes for at least 15 minutes while watching TV. Occasionally i would take my toes out of the water, add the Epsom salt directly to the nails and let it out of the water for a minute or two before soaking them again (not sure if this is needed, but I wanted direct contact of the nails and surrounding skin with the magnesium sulfate.

I am not sure if soaking the feet more than twice a day will heal the onychomycosis sooner, but if you are motivated to do so, go ahead.

In order for this treatment to be effective, you have to keep your feet out of shoes and socks as much as possible. Wear sandals as much as possible. The more time your feet spend in socks or shoes, the more difficult it will be for you to get rid of this onychomycosis.

If you have to wear shoes, for instance at work, at least take them off during lunch, soak your feet in the Epsom salt, and wear new socks and a different pair of shoes the rest of the afternoon and take your shoes off when you get home.

Sleep at night with your feet outside of the blanket. If you feet get cold, wear socks with the tips cut off so that at least your toes are open to the air.

Basically, the idea is to kill the fungus in the nails. The fungi love heat and humidity. The cooler and drier you keep your toes and feet, the quicker they will heal. Magnesium sulfate acts as a powerful drying agent. Perhaps it also directly kills the fungi, but I don't know for sure. Fungi love humidity and moistness.

If you are fortunate enough to live by a beach, walk on the sand daily with bare feet.

If you are a construction worker or have to wear shoes daily for prolonged periods, it may be difficult to cure your onychomycosis. If you are very motivated, consider taking a sabbatical for 2 months to take care of your nails.

If you have onychomycosis and surrounding athlete's foot, the magnesium sulfate soaks could help. You could apply an anti-fungal cream to the skin around the nail, massaging it deeply. Tea tree oil is an good option. Onychomycosis is very difficult to cure. By preventing the spread of athlete's foot, nail infection can be minimized or avoided.

Onychomycosis info
Onychomycosis is the most common nail disease and describes the invasion of the nail by fungi. Different clinical patterns of infection depend on the way and the extent by which fungi colonize the nail: distal subungual onychomycosis, proximal subungual onychomycosis, white superficial onychomycosis, endonyx onychomycosis and total dystropic onychomycosis. The type of nail invasion depends on both the fungus responsible and on host susceptibility. Treatment of onychomycosis depends on the clinical type of the onychomycosis, the number of affected nails and the severity of nail involvement. The goals for antifungal therapy are mycological cure and a normal looking nail.

Traditional Onychomycosis treatment
Surgical, chemical, topical, and oral methods are common. Severe onychomycosis infections may be treated with oral antifungal agents or combinations of oral agents and oral antifungals or oral and topical lacquer antifungals. The three systemic onychomycosis treatments approved by the US Food and Drug Administration include terbinafine, itraconazole, and griseofulvin. Typically, oral medications are used reluctantly by patients since the potential for liver or kidney side effects and medication interactions may be significant.
   Ciclopirox 8% nail lacquer is available, however its effectiveness is quite limited. As a last resort, infected toe nails can be surgically removed.

Oral antifungal drugs
There are several oral antifungal onychomycosis treatment drugs: griseofulvin, itraconazole, terbinafine, ketoconazole, and fluconazole. Griseofulvin is fungistatic and inhibits nucleic acid synthesis, arresting cell division at metaphase, and impairing fungal wall synthesis. Due to its low cure rates and high relapse, it is rarely used for treatment of onychomycosis. Itraconazole is a broad spectrum drug and is effective against dermatophytes, candida, and some nondermatophytic molds. Itraconazole works by inhibiting ergosterol synthesis via cytochrome P-450 (CYP450)-dependent demethylation step.

A multicentre, randomized, controlled study of the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of a combination therapy with amorolfine nail lacquer and oral terbinafine compared with oral terbinafine alone for the treatment of onychomycosis with matrix involvement.
Br J Dermatol. 2007 Jul;157(1):149-57. Nail Disease Centre, 42 rue des Serbes, 06400 Cannes, France.
Onychomycosis is common, accounting for up to 50% of all nail disorders. Toenail onychomycosis can cause nail deformity, embarrassment, pain and walking difficulties. Some populations, such as individuals with diabetes, are at higher risk for developing secondary complications such as infections. Treatment takes many months and therapeutic choices can increase clinical effectiveness, lower toxicity and minimize healthcare costs. The objective of the present study was to show, in a larger population, the enhanced efficacy of a combination of amorolfine nail lacquer and oral terbinafine in the treatment of onychomycosis with matrix involvement. Conclusions: Study results confirmed that, in the treatment of dermatophytic toenail onychomycosis with matrix involvement, amorolfine nail lacquer in combination with oral terbinafine enhances clinical efficacy and is more cost-effective than terbinafine alone.

Onychomycosis in children
Onychomycosis is not common in children. Itraconazole and terbinafine seem to be effective in childhood onychomycosis and these antifungals seem to be potential alternatives to griseofulvin. However, long term risks are not clearly understood.

Cause of onychomycosis
Most onychomycosis infections result from dermatophyte organisms and present as distal lateral subungual onychomycosis. Mild infections involve relatively small areas of the nail plate without infection of the nail matrix or lunula. Heat and moist environments in the shoe help the fungus grow.

Onychomycosis in diabetes
In older patients with long-standing diabetes, toenails that are thickened and discolored often suggest onychomycosis. Dr. Stephanie Wu, from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago,, evaluated 96 patients with decreased foot sensitivity, a common finding among diabetics, and thickened, discolored nails. The patients, who were seen for routine care at a diabetes clinic, were all male, an average of 71 years old, and had diabetes for an average 16 years. Dr. Stephanie Wu got nail clippings of the most affected nail and debris under the nail. Twenty-five of the patients had nail thickening but no evidence of infection. The other 71 patients had fungal nail infections.

Debridement for onychomycosis
Debridement is a technique that may be used in nearly any degree of infection to aid treatment efficacy by reducing the burden of fungal infection. Filing of the nail with a nail file is an option.

The medical community is unaware of a natural onychomycosis cure
Onychomycosis in the elderly : drug treatment options.
Drugs Aging. 2007;24(4):293-302. Loo DS. Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
The prevalence of onychomycosis is nearly 20% in patients aged >60 years. In North America, 90% of toenail onychomycosis is caused by dermatophytes (Trichophyton species). Distal-lateral subungual onychomycosis is the most common clinical presentation. The potassium hydroxide test is the most cost-effective diagnostic method. Elderly patients have specific risk factors for poor response to therapy for onychomycosis, including frequent nail dystrophy, slow growth of nails and increased prevalence of peripheral vascular disease and diabetes mellitus. Elderly people with diabetes should be treated for onychomycosis to prevent secondary bacterial infections and subsequent complications. Terbinafine is the drug of choice for dermatophyte onychomycosis, with greater mycological cure rates, less serious and fewer drug interactions, and a lower cost than continuous itraconazole therapy. Adjunct debridement may improve the clinical and complete cure rates compared with terbinafine alone. Common adverse effects of terbinafine in the elderly include nausea, sinusitis, arthralgia and hypercholesterolaemia. For onychomycosis caused by Candida or nondermatophyte moulds, there is no superior systemic therapy. In general, topical nail lacquers, amorolfine and ciclopirox are not practical for elderly patients because of the recommended frequency of application, periodic routine debridement of affected nails and long duration of therapy.