My 2025 Resolution: Beat a 10-Year Toenail Fungus

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At the start of this year, I made it my mission to finally tackle a toenail fungus I’ve been dealing with for 10 years. Over the years, the fungus has spread to 9 out of 10 toes. Up until now, I’ve only tried home remedies with no success, and for the past four years, I haven’t tried anything at all because I felt so defeated.

Recently, I decided enough was enough and went to see a doctor. He reassured me that taking oral antifungal tablets was a safe option since I’m healthy, don’t take other medications, and have no history of liver problems.

Here’s my plan to finally beat this:

1.  Remove infected nail plates:

For the past two weeks, I’ve been removing the infected nail plates at home. I’ve been applying a 40% urea cream (bought on Amazon) to dissolve the nails. Since the fungus lives under the nail bed, the more nail I can safely remove, the better access I’ll have to treat the infection directly. This also helps speed up healthy new nail growth without the fungus. Info here: https://dermnetnz.org/topics/medical-nail-avulsion

2.  Take Terbinafine pills:

I started taking Terbinafine (one pill daily for 12 weeks) two days ago and have experienced no side effects so far. My doctor assured me that liver issues are rare in healthy patients, so I feel confident moving forward.

3.  Follow a low-carb, zero-sugar diet:

Toenail fungus thrives on sugar and processed carbs, so I’ve cut out fast food, sodas, pasta, rice, and all added sugars. My diet is now very clean, with a focus on whole, unprocessed foods.

4.  Taking a Biotine supplement:

This won't do anything to the fungus itself, but it's supposed to help with nail growth in general.

5.  Keep feet dry:

After washing, I dry my feet thoroughly with a clean towel and then use a hairdryer to ensure there’s no moisture left, as fungus thrives in damp environments. I also bought a cheap pair of flip-flops and I always wear those when at home.

6.  Use an OTC topical antifungal:

I’m applying an over-the-counter topical antifungal treatment to each nail as the final step. Currently, I’m trying the Tobcharm Fungal Nail Removal Maximum Strength product (also from Amazon), which I’ve never used before.

7.  Disinfect shoes and socks:

I spray my shoes with Lysol after every use to kill any lingering fungus and rotate my shoes, making sure not to wear the same pair two days in a row. For socks, I wash them in hot water with Lysol laundry detergent to ensure they’re thoroughly disinfected each wash.

I’m hoping that Terbinafine will do most of the real heavy lifting, but I want to make sure I’m doing everything possible to make it hard for this thing to stay in my system. I’ve had enough.

I’ll update here with my progress.